Hey, is anypawdy out there? It’s me RaenaBelle. It’s been a very eventful and wet week here. Wet both inside and out. By da way, our fotos today have nuffin’ to do with da posty, they’re just fur fun. As most of ya’ know, we had a little issue with da a/c leakin’ and da maintenance man findin’ dat we had a small leak in our hot water heater tank on Tuesday. So Wednesday da plumber and maintenance man both arrived…emptied handed. Not a tool between ‘em. Well not countin’ da flashlight app on da maint. mans fone. (shakes head) So anyways, they both huddled in da hall closet and da plumber announces dat da hot water heater has no leak. What purrobably happened he ‘splained, was dat when da maint. man poured water in da a/c trough to check it’s drainin’ ability, he likely spilled some of dat water on top of da hot water heater and then touched da pipe with hims wet fingers, thus makin’ it appear like a small leak. It would be laughable ifin it didn’t show how ignorant they are.
This was da scene when mommy got home from da doctors da
day I’s couldn’t go. Those were some delishus treats
in da full empty 4 ounce container.
Da plumber did recommend dat da a/c pea trap be fixed asap or this could be a real purroblem. And then of course he stated, dat wasn’t somethin’ he could do (no license to work on a/c’s). And they both headed out da door. Mommy hollered at da maint. man and asked when he would be back to fix da a/c issue and he said, “I’ll let her (da manager) know you’d like that fixed in a timely manner”. Are you kiddin’ me? Don’t worry, mommy’s gonna stay on ‘em till it’s fixed. And ifin she has to call da home office to get it done, then so be it. Most of da cawrpet has dried and what hasn’t, mommy’s keepin’ an eye on. After all, we don’t want mold.
Grrrrrrrrrrrr This is mines angry face and similar to da one mommy
made when da maint. man left. MOL
As fur da outside, it’s been stormin’ all week long. Sometimes da sky rumbles so long it seems it’s gonna last furever. Mommy seems really happy cuz everytime da storm starts sis Dezi comes over to her fur some extra luvvin’. Pawrently befur I came here sis Dezi hid out durin’ da storms. Don’t know what she was so ‘fraid of, it’s just a little noise. Okay, so sometimes it’s a lot of noise, but still, it’s just noise. I’s just glad I’s could be a good influence on her. (Raena snickers quietly)
Dezi: Hey pip squeak! Me’s da influencer. Me’s da older sisfur and it’s me’s job to be an example fur you. Me’s not hidin’ out cuz you don’t, me’s not hidin’ out to show you dat it’s okay and you’re safe. Me’s not afraid of nuffin’!!! (thinks to herself) Yeah, dat’s it, me’s bein’ a good example fur you.
Raena: And you are sissy. You’s a great example. Speakin’ of teachin’, mommy made me a ‘pointment fur a spa day next month but she won’t tell me what it means. Lady peeps seem to luv spa days, but I’s not really want mines claws painted, so what else do they do?
Dezi: Uh…(Dezi thinks back and gets a little nervous) Well Raena, every little girly and little tommy boy goes fur a spa day once in their lives. Don’t worry, you’ll get lots of treats and luvvin’ and maybe even some bacon afterwards.
Hey, I’s seen dat bacon stuffs on da teevee befur.
(mommy deleted da commercial and added bacon
cuz we don’t know da rules)
Raena: Bacon Dezi, really? I’s hear all our furiends talk ‘bout it but I’s never had any. Is it good?
Dezi: Oh yes Raena, it’s delishus.
Raena: Oh Dezi I’s sure hope mommy gets da money fur mines spa day. She says it’s gonna run ‘bout $65.00, and fankfully is not at our regular VETs office. I’s wouldn’t have called any trip there a special day. Ifin you can help send me fur mines spa day I’s sure would purreciate it. You can donate to our paypal at: lexi.dezi@yahoo.com Mines ‘pointment is October 8th, ifin we get da green papers. Mommy says sis Dezi smells me changin’ so it’s time. I’s not have a clue what dat means, but I’s guess ya’ll do. Anyways, I’s gotta go. Mommy’s a little upset with me cuz I’s not eatin’ good. She just restocked our noms and I’s turnin’ mines nose up at it all. She doesn’t have any more money to buy anythin’ else, so she’s not sure what to do. Maybe some purrayers would help. Fank you all fur your purrayers and help.
Me’s just gonna watch da storms from here.
Dezi:Raena don’t furget it’s Furiday and we join Rascal and Rocco and their pawsum co hosts fur da weekly Pet Parade. We do fank all of you fur your luv and support. And fank you fur your purrayers. We hope you all have a great weekend. We’ll be ‘round to visit ‘tween da storms.
Meowllo everypawdy, does me have somethin’ to tell you today. Furst let me say dat it’s stormin’ here again and we’re ‘spectin’ both maintenance and a plumber, so we’ll be ‘round to visit as soon as we can. Yeah we have a new maintenance man, it’s da managers son. Our air conditioner was put in hap hazardly and da drain pipe ain’t drainin’. ‘Course we didn’t know dat till mommy stepped on wet cawrpet. This has happened befur and our then maintenance man sent hims mommy over to fix it and nopawdy ever followed up. Her idea of fixin’ it was to scoop da water out of da trough. Well dat didn’t fix da drain purroblem. Mommy asked them to get somepawdy out to purropurrly fix it, but since da water had been poured out and it wasn’t leakin’ on da floor dat minute, da manager did nuffin’. Well it didn’t get fixed so it filled up again and mommy turned in a request fur maintenance. So yesfurday da manager and her son da maintenance man came down.
Mommy let da maintenance man in, but told da manager dat it was a maintenance issue and there was no reason fur her to be there. Furst she said, “I wanna see”, to which mommy replied dat she didn’t need too and then she said, “Well, I was just going to stand right here inside the door.” Okay, so which is it, ya’ need to see it, or you just want to get in our house? Well mommy pawlitely told her No and went to show da maintenance man where da purroblem was. While he was there, he found dat we also have a small leak from one of da pipes on da hot water heater. Since he’s not a licensed plumber, he can’t fix dat, so he told da manager to send out da plimber and he’ll be back to fix da pea trap on our a/c so dat hopefully it’ll drain purropurrly from now on. Well, now dat me’s gotten way off track, let me get back to our special treat.
Hmmmmm Kitty heaven. Nip and what’s this?
Da Vine in a stick
So, all us cats have heard ‘bout catnip right? Ifin not all, at least most of us. “Course we also know dat not all kitties react to da nip, and Silvervine has taken da kitty world by storm lately. Our furst taste of da vine came after our ‘pawrtment flood when our furiends from da Katnip Lounge sent me and sis Lexi some as a cheer us up and homecomin’ gift. We liked it fine, but we both liked nip too. And mommy was really glad cuz after checkin’ into this vine, she found it was quite costly, even da seeds to grow it yourself. Most of ya’ know dat sis Raena likes da nip too. We had no idea ‘bout da vine, cuz we didn’t have any left. Sis Lexi got da last of da gifted vine. Well here lately our furiends Purrseidon and Mr. M keep talkin’ ‘bout this vine stick he has and how it helps him with his arfur-itis. Well sis Raena nor meself has arfur-itis, but dat stick does sound fun.
Oh me cats!!! This vine stick is sooooooo good
Well you know our mommy, she wants us to have everythin’ we need and most of what we want. She can’t afford dat, but she wants it. And just cuz mommy can’t afford somethin’ doesn’t mean she won’t try to find it. So mommy began a search fur these sticks of silvervine and actually found some fur less than a dollar. Mommy added them to her wish list and said, “Someday, girls, someday.” Anyways, a short time later some pawsum Anonymous Angels put some green papers in our paypal account and after checkin’ with them to see ifin they minded mommy spendin’ a dollar frivolously, she ordered them sticks. They was gonna be shippin’ fur furee all da way from China. Mommy figgered they’d get here in time fur Christmas. MOL Anyways, total cost was .99 pennies. Mommy didn’t mention to Raena and me dat she had ordered them cuz she had no idea when they would arrive. Well guess what? They got here this week. Seems mail from China doesn’t take any longer to get here than mail from da U.S..
This stick is all fur me? Fank you mommy and angels.
Raena couldn’t wait fur mommy to open da little package. She was crawlin’ and jumpin’ all over mommy da whole time. Mommy furinally got da package open and sure ‘nuff there they was, 2 sivervine sticks. Mommy ‘membered dat da instructions said to cut off some of da bark to expose da white vine flesh, so she purrceeded to da kitchen and got out a knife and carefully cut a few little notches into both sticks. Trust me, she was careful alright. Mommy has a finger dat doesn’t work right cuz she cut through da nerves and tendons and blood vessels and such years ago. Dat was long befur me was born, but me heard all ‘bout it. She had to have surgery to try to repair it, and it still ain’t right. Anyways, me’s getting’ side tracked again. Where was me?
Oh kittens, I’s luvs this stick of da vine.
Oh yeah, notchin’ da vine sticks. After notchin’ those sticks, mommy gave Raena one and me one. OMC Let me tell you, dat’s right kitties, pull up a seat. Ain’t nuffin’ in da world like a silvervine stick. Mommy says she ain’t sure ifin it’s actually da vine or just da stick dat makes us so happy, but either way, she’s glad we’re enjoyin’ them. And we are. Fank you sooooooo much sweet Angels fur da green papers and da sticks of da vine. We are so blest. Mommy’s been tryin’ to get a foto of us carryin’ ‘round our new sticks, she says it’s so funny. But alas, we’re too fast fur her. MOL Me’s gonna wrap it up fur now and get me’s stick befur Raena steals it and claims both of them. Hope you all have a pawsum day.
Welcome to another miserable Monday. It’s time fur another Educational Service Cat Posty. Our last few posts have dealt with training specifics dat are good fur all cats and kittens, not just Service Cats; and today’s post will be no different. We got some great questions dat we’ll be dealin’ with fur da next couple of weeks, but ‘member to ask your questions, so we can get them answered too. Now, ifin you’ve missed any of da posts in this series you can ketch up by clickin’ da links below. We do suggest befur you begin trainin’ kitty to purrform any task dat you start with mommy’s Foundation which you can read ‘bout in Part 2, Training Foundations. As with all our educational posts da followin’ will be in human English, so get your coffee, note pad and let’s get to it.
Now that you’re all caught up, let’s get to our question. Our friends from Toby’s Wrecking Crew wanted to know how to get a kitty ready for something like BlogPaws. And what they are asking is how do you get a kitty adjusted to a lot of people, noise and other animals, unruly doggies to be exact?. This is a great question. It most certainly applies to Service Kitties who must be accommodating to any situation, but it’s also good for all kitties. You never know what the future holds, or what situation you may find yourself in. For instance, you find yourself having to evacuate your home and go to a shelter full of people and other animals, a kitty who is comfortable in this setting is certainly going to be easier to deal with during this time of crisis. Or heaven forbid, you have to take kitty to an emergency vet during a busy night. Again, a kitty that is comfortable with noise and commotion, is going to be much calmer than one who isn’t. Now that we’ve pointed out why all cats should be trained for commotion, let’s explain how it’s done. Remember, It’s NEVER too late to train kitty.
Of course this is something mommy starts on immediately with the new kitty. But remember that first Service Cat mommy had? Well she wasn’t a kitten when she was trained, so it can be done. The first thing you want to do is make kitty as comfortable and safe as possible. So here comes the harness and leash training. We do recommend a stroller for these kinds of outings as opposed to a carrier, but keeping a carrier on hand is also a good option. (See the photo below of sis Lexi in her carrier on top of the stroller in the car.) Even in a closed stroller, kitty should be leashed and tethered in. We’re going to take this from the start. Buy a proper fitting harness. Mommy prefers the ones with material that have closures around the neck and body, like you see in the photos. We prefer them as well. Cats are more comfortable being wrapped up. So we recommend staying away from the strappy cat harnesses and go straight to the dog department. You can also order online, there are a lot of great companies that make these harnesses for kitties. You’ll need a leash that’s not to heavy. Remember, the typical kitty weighs less than 20 pounds so they’re not going to break even the skinniest of leashes. Now that you have the proper tools, you can start training kitty. We recommend keeping the stroller and carrier out at all times and open for kitty to use for sleep or play.
Harness Training:
Each day put harness on kitty for about 15 minutes and walk away. Initially kitty may go limp and fall over. Don’t Worry, kitty is fine. Do Not remove harness or kitty has trained you. Only take the harness off after 15 minutes. And take it off even if kitty seems okay with it. You don’t want kitty to over do it initially. Do this twice a day for a few days and then increase the amount of time the harness stays on once kitty actually gets up off the floor. The amount of time this will take will vary from cat to cat, so we can’t give you an exact number of days or weeks, but once kitty is comfortable in the harness you can now add the leash. Please, Do Not Rush Kitty. Take your time, this will mean success. And remember, all of this is being done in the house. Kitty hasn’t set one foot outside. Okay, you’ve added the leash to the harness. This should be done the same way as the harness, start with 15 minutes twice a day and increase until kitty is comfortable. During this time, please be careful as kitty will be dragging a leash and this could be a trip hazard for all humans. And keep an eye on kitty if opening any doors or cabinets, etc.. Once kitty is comfortable with the harness and the leash, it’s time to add you to the mix. Pick up the leash and let kitty take you for a walk. At this time you may venture outside if you want. This is also the time to start taking kitty with you in public.
Going Public:
Even tho’ kitty is now harness and leash trained, it’s no comparison for a stroller or carrier. Harness and leash kitty and tether in to stroller for your outing. Of course a pet store is the obvious choice, we like to go places like parks, banks, pharmacies, post offices, etc.. (me’s visitin’ the pharmacy in the photo below) Try going for a stroll in the park. You’ll likely encounter a few dogs and curious people. Your bank, or a small town bank will most likely say nothing and will expose kitty to a lot of lookey loo’s (curious people wanting to see kitty) During these outings as kitty gets more comfortable you can open the stroller and let people pet kitty and let kitty sniff them. You can also allow kitty to walk around a little if permitted since kitty is harnessed and leashed. These outings expose kitty to a small number of people/animals and noise, but prepare them for the commotion of a crowd. Now that kitty is comfortable in these small settings it’s time for the big crowds. Again, the pet store during an adoption event is a great place. A school football/basketball/baseball game is a great place. A local parade or flea market is another great option. Look around your area, you’ll find several great options. The more exposure you can give kitty the better.
Visitin’ da pharnacy
The following instructions are for BlogPaws only, and something mommy regrets having to say, and hasn’t yet done for us. Altho’ me’s been thru it already so me doesn’t need the training. Find a “yard” that’s protected by large guard dogs and take kitty to the fence. Please be sure kitty is tethered into their stroller and that the stroller is closed and secure!!! Do Not leave kittys view at this time. The dogs will charge the fence and thus the stroller, barking and growling and baring teeth. The action you want from kitty is to quietly go to the back of the stroller and lie down. Remove kitty from the situation. If kittys response is to try and fight, remove them immediately and try again another time. Not all the dogs at BlogPaws are this way, but there are a few and their humans have no respect for anyone. Of course, you never know when you walk out your front door what you might encounter. Even tho’ we are Service Cats and are taught not to react, sis Lexi and me both did hiss at a few doggies that charged us. But we did then return to the back of the stroller and lie down as we should have. So if kitty hisses and lays down, you’re alright. You just don’t want kitty going crazy and trying to escape the stroller. They need to feel completely safe with you in their stroller.
Remember, Training is Repetition. Don’t rush any step or you’ll fail. If you’re planning for a specific event, stat your training early and keep at it. Don’t let a day go by without training. Once kitty is comfortable in all these situations, reward them by taking them out and about just because. Mommy says that training is also forever. Meaning you have to keep exposing kitty to these situations or they’ll grow complacent. Make it a point to take kitty out at least once a week. Mommy tries to take us for a stroll every week, weather permitting, and for a drive at least once a week, even if it’s only around the block. Most importantly, have fun. You want kitty to find this as enjoyable as you. Big snarly dogs and all we would love to go back to BlogPaws. We would be better prepared this time around. And we’ve got our paws crossed we make it there again.
We’re gonna wrap it up for now. Hope this helps ya’. Ifin ya’ have any additional questions or comments ‘bout todays topic or another training tip you’re interested in, purrlease say so in da comments below. You can also email us using our contact page which is completely purrivate. All this talk ’bout strolls has me wantin’ to go fur one. Gotta run now.
Do you (your kitty) like to go on outings?
Would you like (your kitty) to go on outings?
We’re curious how many kitties are already harness trained?
Welcome to a new Blest Sunday. We thought we saw da sun come out fur a minute, but it was just some workers’ flashlights. Da “landscapers” lawn crew was here this past week buildin’ up a hill ‘tween our pawrtment and mr. W’s. Guess me needs to ‘splain a bit fur those of ya’ dat be new to our bloggy. We live in these ‘pawrtments dat be much like a horseshoe shape. Mr. W lives on da end of a buildin’ next to da road. We live in da buildin’ right behind it dat faces in towards our pawrkin’ lot. Bedrooms are at da back of da ‘pawrtment and livin’ rooms at da front. Hims bedroom is almost our livin’ room window view. Not somethin’ we wanna see. Dat’s da only good thing ‘bout those big ole oak trees in our yard. Cuz No, he doesn’t have curtains and Yes, he leaves da blinds up all da time.
Anyways, fur whatever reason, there was a drop off behind hims ‘pawrtment. It was purretty steep, but it’s not like any of us are really out there walkin’ it. Altho’ Mr. W has been known to wheel hims wheelchair ‘round there on da occasions when Buddy escapes. So anyways, ‘member when we said da manager had come down one meownin’ wantin’ mommy to move her car? Well dat’s why. Da lawn crew was gonna be doin’ some work and to purrtect our cars, she wanted us to move them. Altho’ not sure where she wanted us to move them cuz they had trucks, dirt and equipment all over da place. Well, dat was da day dat mommy had to go to da doctor so mommy did move our car fur a few hours at least. Mommy furinally said, well they have to have insurance, so we’ll just have to take our chances. And then she watched them like a hawk.
Now, fur all of ya’ wonderin’ why it’s such a big deal, let me tell ya’. This very same lawn crew breaks at least 3 ‘pawrtment air conditioners every summer. Dat’s basically one a month. “course dat’s not countin’ da ones dat they just chew up da wirin’ on with da weed whacker by runnin’ it up da side of da walls. And no, there ain’t no weeds up da wall. They’re just idiots. Anyways, they ran over da 6 foot steel post dat marked da sprinkler system, and broke it and caused a huge flood. We haven’t had a sprinkler system out here in over 10 years cuz of them. Once da flood was stopped, da big steel post was replaced and a circle of bricks ’round it. And yep, they ran over it again. They chopped down several ornamental bushes and left da weeds. And many more things. Don’t ask. We don’t know why they’re still da lawn crew fur our purropurrty and several others managed by the same management company. Anyways, they built up this hill and tamped down lots of new dirt and left. Mommy looked out and said, “Lovely, just wait till it rains.” And then…well as you know it’s been rainin’ ever since. MOL
And yes, we have new mud every where now. And dat’s why there were workers with flashlights walkin’ ‘round makin’ us think da sun was tryin’ to peek out from da clouds.Even amidst all of this, we’ve been blest. Me hasn’t run or hid from da thunder boomers once. And Raena’s eye got all better. Da lawn crew didn’t even touch our car. We have a home to be safe from da weather, includin’ da earthquake we had last weekend. And most of all we have each other and all of you. We are Blest!!! ‘Member to take a minute today and everyday to give thanks fur da blessings in your lives. We’s joinin’ da Kitties Blue fur Sunday Selfies. And be sure and stop by tomorrow, we’ve got some great trainin’ tips comin’ up in our weekly Service Cats posty.
Service Cats U.S. 