Month: September 2016

Raena stands on back paws and flails arems

Updates and Bloopers What A Mix

Published on by Service Cats U.S.43 Comments

Hey, is anypawdy out there? It’s me, RaenaBelle. Are ya’ there? Well, I’s wanted to fank you all fur those doggy wags, kitty purrs and purrayers, mines eye is feelin’ soooo much better. I’s didn’t get to go with mommy to her doctor, but at least I’s not have to go to dat mean ole VET. 

 Raena playing with Petafe cheese and mouse toy

Dezi:       Raena, are you hijackin’ me’s blog again? 

Raena: No sissy, I’s just wanted to fank everypawdy fur their doggy wags, kitty purrs and purrayers fur mines eye. You know I’s sure didn’t wanna have to go to da VET, but it was hurtin’ somethin’ pawful.

Dezi's tail and Raena on the scratcher
Blooper

Dezi:      Oh, well dat’s okay then. We are so blest to have so many pawsum furiends dat care ‘bout us dat’s fur sure.

Raena: Dat’s true sissy. And I’s know they are all gonna be thrilled and purroud of you when you tell them ‘bout da storms we’re havin’.

Dezi:        Me’s not so sure ‘bout thrilled Raena, but most will be purroud dat me’s not even actin’ ‘fraid of those ole storms dat have been grumblin’ since yesfurday. ‘Course everypawdy knows dat when it storms mommy doesn’t let us on da catputer much. So we have to tell everypawdy dat we’ll be by to visit as soon as we can. Mommy usually tries to let us visit ‘tween downpours. But it looks like we won’t be goin’ strollin’ any time soon. Anyways, we’s gonna keep it short today cuz of da storms. It’s Furiday so you all know dat means we’re joinin’ Rascal and Rocco and their amazin’ co hosts fur da weekly Pet Parade. And it’s also Blooper Roundup Furiday, so we’re joinin’ The Lazy PitBull with our blooper fotos. And… 

Raena jumping off end table
Blooper

Raena: Sissy can I say somethin’ else befur we go? 

Dezi:        Sure Raena, what is it?  

Raena: Well you know peeps are always askin’ ‘bout how we’re getting’ along, and several even suggested dat you might have caused mines eye to hurt; so I’s wanted to tell everypawdy ‘bout our relationship. I’s luvs, luvs, luvs mines sis Dezi, and truth be told she luvs me too. But, I’s also a rowdy, energetic, non stop kitten dat thinks sneak attacks, even when sis Dezi’s in da pawdee box, are great ideas. I’s luvs standin’ and walkin’ on mines back paws so I can look huge and flail mines arms ‘round in sissys’ face. Sissy doesn’t find dat amusin’ at all and generally hisses right in mines face. But I’s know she still luvs me, cuz ifin I’s get quiet and she can’t see me, she goes thru da house lookin’ fur me. And when I’s not feel good, she takes great care of me. I’s just wanted you all to know dat we’re gonna be da bestest of sisfur furiends ever, but some things aren’t gonna happen till I’s learn to act a little calmer.

 Raena stands on back paws and flails arems

 This is what sis Dezi sees most of da time. I’s just luvs

jumpin’ on her from outta nowhere. MOL

  

 

Dezi:      Well fanks Raena. Me does luv you, but you do need to calm down a bit. Even mommy agrees with dat. MOL  Anyways, we’re gonna go fur now and see ‘bout a meownin’/mid day nap. Don’t furget to check out all da bloopers and have a pawsum day.

 Dezi scratchin golden scratcher

Dezi: Vibrant Blue

Raena: Navy Blue 

Till da next time……………………………………..Be Blest!!!

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Deztinee and RaenaBelle  

More Raena Drama

Published on by Service Cats U.S.48 Comments

Hey, is anypawdy out there? It’s me RaenaBelle. Are ya’ there? Well, mommy and sis Dezi both said I’s could blog today. Mommy has a doctor’s ‘pointment this afternoon and I was ‘posed to go with her. But now she’s thinkin’ ‘bout leavin’ me at home. And all cuz I’s been favorin’ mines right eye.

 Raena lays on the floor and poses for the camera

 Mines eye be fine here

Somethin’ happened yesfurday and I’s not tellin’ what; but cuz of it, mines right eye has been hurtin’. Mommy had some antibiotic drops left from when I’s had dat infection dat she put in there last night. OMC  Dat stuffs hurted. Then she must’ve purrayed over me like elebenty billion times. I’s doin’ a bit better today, but it does still hurt some. I’s been keepin’ it closed a lot, but every once in a while a girly’s just gotta open her eyes ya’ know?. Anyways, ifin ya’ll wouldn’t mind, I’s sure could use your purrayers. Mommy says ifin it gets worse or isn’t any better by Furiday, she’s gonna find a way to take me to da (whispers) VET. Purrlease, I’s not wanna go back there and mommy doesn’t really have any money fur it. So just send those purrayers, okay?

 Dezi and Raena laying on the Liberty cat tree

 Me knows she doesn’t feel well mommy, but does

me have to take this?

Well since mommy has to go to da doctor today fur her regular monthly ‘pointment, I’s gonna cut it short. Da manager’s done been down here this meownin’. Sissy says we’ll tell ya’ ’bout dat in another posty. She also said to tell ya’ll we’ll be by to visit as soon as we can. BearCat and hims momma asked to see fotos where I’s was layin’ on da tippy top of da cat tree and sis Dezi was on da lower ledge. So mommy took some fotos last night of sis Dezi and me on da cat tree. We hope you’s enjoy today’s fotos; isn’t mines sissy sweet? Truth be told, I’s spend a lot of time at da tippy top, but sis Dezi be da Queen of da house and da cat tree, so ifin she wants up there, I’s have to relinquish. Mommy says dat’s da rule of sharin’. Seems to me this rule of sharin’ always works out in sis Dezi’s favor. Mommy says dat’s da rule of bein’ da Queen. So many rules fur this little Princess to learn. Anyways, I’s gotta go. Fank you in advance fur your purrayers, and have a pawsum day.

(turns to Dezi) How’d I’s do sis Dezi? 

 Dezi cares for Raena atop the Liberty cat tree

You did fine Raena. Now let’s go finish brekky. 

Till da next time………………………………………Be Blest!!!

Luvs and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

RaenaBelle and Deztinee 

Service Cats What’s The Easiest Task To Train

Published on by Service Cats U.S.27 Comments

Meowllo and welcome to another Miserable Monday. Dat means it’s time fur another educational Service Cats posty. It’s also Labor day here in da U.S., and we gotta tell ya’ we seriously thought ‘bout lettin’ mommy have da day off. You know, no laborin’ on labor day?. But we got some great questions from our last Service Cats posty, so we thought we’d give ya’ some answers. Let me say dat some of da training questions we’re bein’ asked apply or can/should apply to all cats, not just Service Cats. We are covering them under the Service Cats posts, because Service Cats must be well behaved in general. Training a Service Cat isn’t just training the specific duties they will perform, but also good behavior. As with all our educational posts the following will be written in human English. Ifin you’ve missed any of da posts in this series, you can ketch up by clickin’ da links below.

Part 1: https://dezizworld.wordpress.com/2016/06/20/service-cat-what-to-look-for/  

Part 2: https://dezizworld.wordpress.com/2016/06/27/service-cat-training-foundation/  

Part 3: https://dezizworld.wordpress.com/2016/07/06/service-cats-how-to-train-kitty-to-massage-without-claws/  

Part 4: https://dezizworld.wordpress.com/2016/07/11/service-cats-smelling-disease/ 

Part 5: https://dezizworld.wordpress.com/2016/07/18/service-cats-do-you-need-one/ 

Part 6: https://dezizworld.wordpress.com/2016/07/25/service-cats-who-bears-the-cost/   

Part 7: https://dezizworld.wordpress.com/2016/08/01/service-cats-housing-laws-and-exceptions/  

Part 8: https://dezizworld.wordpress.com/2016/08/08/service-cats-accommodations-and-common-sense/  

Part 9: https://dezizworld.wordpress.com/2016/08/15/service-cats-what-happens-when-the-handler-dies/  

Part 10: https://dezizworld.wordpress.com/2016/08/22/service-cats-proper-training-methods/ 

Part 11: https://dezizworld.wordpress.com/2016/08/29/service-cats-proper-training-methods-part-2/ 

 

 

Dezi getting mommy loving and petting.

 

Now that you’re all caught up, let’s see what today’s question is. Awnty Jean, Shoko and Kali from the Canadian Cats asked, “How long does it take to train the average kitty to perform an “action” properly? And “Is there something they learn quicker than others, and why?” Well now those are great questions. Initially the first thing you want to train any cat/kitten is to know and respond to their name. We’re not trying to be “smart” with this answer. But before any training can commence, it’s important that kitty, doggy, whatever animal you’re dealing with knows their name and will respond to it. This can take anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days. Mommy doesn’t allow anyone to call us kitty kitty. The reason for that is because kitty is not our names and it’s very important that we respond to our names every time. As a result of this we do not respond to anyone who says “here kitty kitty”. And yes, any cat/kitten can be trained to respond when called by their name.

 Raena lays in mommys lap and starts to massage

Now, we know this isn’t the answer awnty Jean was truly wondering tho’. She wants to know about those specific tasks we’re trained for like calling 911, massaging mommy or driving her wheelchair. So, we’ll address that now. First, every kitty is different, even within the same breed. Knowing that, you can’t expect each kitty to learn at the same pace. For instance, me was 3 weeks old when me came to live with mommy and sis Lexi, and me started alerting mommy that she was going to pass out within a couple of days. Sis Lexi had always known mommy was going to pass out, but she never alerted to it until watching me do it for about a year. And then suddenly one day, sis Lexi started alerting mommy too. So you could say it took sis Lexi 11 years to learn that task and me, 2 days. But in all fairness, mommy had never thought about training that particular task so she never asked that of Lexi, nor trained her for it.

Lexi lays in mommy's lap and massages

Dat’z da spot mommy. How ’bout you, am I’z gettin

da right spot on your leg here?

Mommy says probably the easiest task to train a kitty to perform is massage. How long does it take to train a kitty to do this? Because it’s an instinctive behavior, it usually only takes a few training sessions before kitty performs perfectly. Remember, Raena was doing this her first night with mommy. It took me a couple of days to learn, and about 2 weeks to learn the specific areas me was to focus on. Now this brings us to another question and a few replies we’ve received. Let’s address the replies first. Several of you said that you had kitties that started out without their claws but eventually those claws came out and of course the massage is no longer enjoyable. Remember we told you that any massages should be performed in a place that was secure for kitty in the event they lost their sense of balance, etc.. The reason kitty loses balance or those claws come back out is because kitty has entered a state of “Euphoria”. That means kitty has entered a state of extreme pleasure and is no longer thinking; they are lost in the moment. A light tap on the paw will rouse kitty and cause the claws to retract again. You can also try speaking to kitty. If you choose to speak, do so in a quiet and calming voice. Mommy will say things like, “Claws in”, “That hurt a bit”, “Thank you”, “That’s enough”. Remember, Training is all about Repetition.

 

 

While we’re on the subject of massage, we need to address another question we got about this. We were asked how to train a kitty to massage in the first place. Meaning, they believe their kitty doesn’t know how to knead at all. Altho’ the possibility for this is exists, especially for bottle fed hand raised kittens, it’s not likely. Kitty is kneading, you just aren’t seeing it. Let’s explain this action and the reason for it. When a kitten is born, ideally they will have a mother cat to raise them. When kitty gets ready to eat, they will latch onto the mothers teat and begin to suckle. This action is then followed by gently kneading around that teat to make more milk come out. If you’ve ever milked a cow, you know that after pulling the teat and dispensing milk, you push up and into the udder of the cow before pulling it back down. This motion allows the teat to fill up with the maximum amount of milk to dispense. Even a kitty who has never fed from a teat will still knead instinctively just like purring. They just may not do it as much or in the open. 

Mommy petting Raena while she sits in her lapIs this right mommy?

So, you believe your kitty doesn’t know how to knead; can you train kitty to do so? The answer is Yes. Remember, this action is instinctual. You just need to get kitty to perform the action around you and for you. This is the point at which an outsider will think you’re crazy, because you’re going to have to get kitty to that Euphoric state before they knead. Think about the things that cause your kittys’ motor boat (purr) to rev up. Mommy used to be able to just look at sis Lexi even from across the room, and she would turn on her purr box so loudly that things around her shook. She would get so excited she would knead the air if she couldn’t get to mommy. I prefer for mommy to rub my chin and coo at me. Mommy will say things like, “I love you Dezi, You’re my sweet angel girl, You’re my beautiful blue eyed angel, Mommy loves her baby, Sweet Dezi,” or she’ll sing the made up songs she sings to me. Let me tell ya’, nothing gets me going faster than mommy singing sweet songs to me. So, once you’ve found kittys’ trigger, keep them going, they will eventually start kneading. Again, they’ve reached that Euphoric state and all actions they perform now are totally instinctual. It’s not uncommon for any kitty in this state to drool as well.

Another option to train kitty is to give them a blanket, bed, throw, etc. made of plush fabric or faux fur. Most kitties love the feel of these materials and automatically knead them. Me has torn up at least one blanket a year, a throw and 2 cat beds. Me can knead those with me’s claws much to mommy’s chagrin. But she allows it because me doesn’t use me’s claws on her.

Dezi kneads the cat bed

So to sum up our answer to today’s question, the easiest task to train a kitty is massage because it’s taking advantage of an instinctual action. Because it’s instinctual, kitty is eager to learn. Training kitty to massage (knead) a specific area can take as little as a few hours to a few months. It takes less time to train a kitten than an adult, but both can be trained.

Dezi and Raena sleep on the lLiberty cat tree

Well now, me’s gonna wrap it up and see ifin me can’t get mommy to take me fur a stroll later. Purrlease feel free to ask your training questions or any other questions you might have in da comment section, or you can email us via our contact page. And by da way, those emails are private. We’re da only ones dat can see them. We hope you all have a relaxing Labor Day. And by da way, mommy said da foto above was one of her favorites cuz Raena and me were sleeping peacefully together on da cat tree.

Do you (does your kitty) knead anything in particular besides your human? 

Do you (your kitty) have a favorite blanket or bed?

Have you had to replace anything because kitty kneaded it to death? 

Till da next time…………………………..Be Blest!!!

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Deztinee and RaenaBelle     

Blest Sunday’s This and That

Published on by Service Cats U.S.38 Comments

Meowllo and welcome to a new Blest Sunday. As always, we’ve been extremely blest this week. Yes we told you dat it has been stormin’ and mommy’s been in a lot of extra pain, but ‘stead of hidin’ out durin’ those storms, me’s been hangin’ with mommy. Dat’s somethin’ dat always makes mommy happy. Every day mommy says dat nuffin’ makes her happier than bein’ with her girls. And even tho’ mommy had to abruptly leave da bathroom to find da toilet paper cuz it wasn’t on da shelves dat are no more, she said she was just glad dat Raena and me were okay and dat nopawdy had gotten hurt. Me’s not so sure she was all dat happy at dat moment tho’. Anyways…

 Dezi sits on a box

Tomorrow is Labor Day here in da United States. A day dat celebrates da “labor movement” by not laborin’. A little oxy-moronic ifin ya’ ask me, but nopawdy did, so we’ll just be hangin’ out as usual. Oh yeah, me furgot to tell you, Raena furinally got her furst taste of cat grass. Mommy thinks it’s funny dat just like da changin’ of da bed sheets, Raena’s been here fur a while and never noticed any of this till this past week. You know mommy changes da bed sheets regularly, but not till this past week did Raena pay attention, much less insert her playful self into da mix. Mommy also tries to keep some grass growin’ fur us kitties to chew on. This past week da light went on in Raena’s head and she discovered da not at all hidden cat grass. At furst she didn’t know what to do with it, but after watchin’ me a time or two, she planted herself up there and had a nibble. Mommy’s fotography skills ain’t all dat great, but we think you’ll get da idea. Raena must have gorged her little self on da grass, cuz ‘bout 30 minutes later she was horkin’ it up all over da place. MOL

Raena eats her first ever cat grass

       Dat wasn’t funny sis Dezi. I’s not ever horked befur and it kinda scared me.

 Dezi lays on box while Raena looks for her

Me knows Raena. Mommy says you make da same horrified face me does befur throwin’ up. She doesn’t know ifin this is a Ragdoll thing or a just us thing, but she says she wishes it didn’t scare us so much. ‘Course me also knows she would rather we didn’t hork at all. Me knows dat cuz she says it da whole time she’s cleanin’ it up and purrays ever night dat God would help us not to throw up or have hairballs. 

 Raena lays in mommys lap and bathes

       Well I’s all fur God answerin’ dat purrayer sissy. I’s not like dat horkin’. Fankfully mommy cleans it up befur ‘memberin’ to take fotos. 

 Raena lap selfie

Oh Raena, nopawdy wants to see your throw up. Dat’s not somethin’ mommy would ever take a foto of ‘lessen it be strange or pawssibly medical related, and then only to show da VET.

       Phht Phht (Raena spits and acts as if she’s going to hork) Dezi, Don’t ever talk ‘bout da mean place. I’s not wanna go back there ever again. 

 Raena lap selfie

Me’s with ya’ on dat kiddo, me doesn’t like goin’ there either.

So let’s just get back to those blessings. We are so blest to have so many pawsum furiends and furmily. You all are very special to us. Mommy had to go up town last night and on her journey she saw stray cats every where. A few months ago she couldn’t find a stray kitty to save her life, but last night it seemed they were unending. Y Right here in our very own pawrkin’ lot mommy spied one hunched down unnder a car tremblin in fear. We felt so bad fur him, dat when we got back home mommy hollered and hollered fur him to come eat. She was gonna share our noms with da scaredy kitty. But alas, no amount of hollerin’ worked. We never saw kitty again last night. But we’s keepin’ our eyes open.

Dezi and Raena sleep on the lLiberty cat tree
Before Photo shop

Anyways, we’s gonna wrap it up fur now. We’s joinin’ da Kitties Blue fur Selfie Sunday. A lot of you use this Photo Shop fur editin’ and creatin’ works of art with your fotos, so mommy thought she’d give it a look see again. She looked it up once, but it cost real money, so she’s never given it another thought. Well, it turns out there’s a free 30 day trial dat doesn’t require a credit card so she downloaded it to try to beautify some of our fotos. Needless to say, it ain’t all dat easy, but dat’s where we edited da fotos we’re postin’ today and even made a textured foto to play ’round with da filters. ‘Member to take a moment today and every day to give thanks fur da blessings in your life. By da way, mommy says dat foto surroundin’ this pawagraph is one of her favorites. Me doesn’t know why she said dat tho’. Maybe ya’ll can tell me. 

Dezi and Raena sleep on the lLiberty cat tree texturized with photoshop
After Photoshop

Till da next time…………………………………..Be Blest!!!

 

 

 

 

Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses

Deztinee and RaenaBelle