The Life & Times of Gandalf the Beige (modified thread title) (Page 3 of 3)

Three plush cat beds spread over two floors, and this is what he likes best:

I could have gotten three of those for the price of one cat bed.

We have one cat who sleeps in the bathroom closet behind the towels.
We have another who sleeps in the most recent Chewy box.
Occasionally they'll use two of the three cat beds we have, but only if the sun's on them and they're not allowed on our laps/shoulders/chests/heads at the time.
They never use the third, so we use it as a home base for the cat toys.

The Third Cat Bed
One upon a time, we had six cats. And all they started going insane, wanting to go through the floorboards of our single-story house. And eventually we figured out why, as we could hear a cat mewling from our crawlspace.

We had an animal trap (for TNR purposes) and so set it at the access door with a can of sardines. When we caught her, she was barely the size of my palm. She was too young to fix (and I think for shots, too; it's been years). So we tried to move her to the barn (that failed) and fed her regularly, and she'd keep me company when I went out to smoke. She would sleep in the huge flowerpot on our porch.

Over time, we called "Whining Bastard" (before we saw her), "Wittle Baby," and other sorts of nicknames using "W" and "B" words. Her name at the vet's office: "WB" pronounced "wub."

She was part longhair, part tuxedo, and probably part Maine Coon. Though we didn't know that part until later.

Eventually, we brought her inside with the others. She was one of the only cats we've ever had who preferred manufactured beds, and we ended up buying her one special for her because she wore the others out. We also bought some steps for her so that she could climb up onto beds and furniture when she wanted.

She passed in early '24, almost 15 years old. And since then, none of the others—not even the one who never met her—will touch that bed. So now we use it to keep cat toys so they can "find new ones" every so often.

Cattain's Log. Star Date: Who cares?

Gandalf is back to his normal high-energy, ravenous self. He had stopped eating for a couple of days, except the Churu, which is mostly water. The shelter suggested he might be bored with his food, so they suggested I try a different brand. He likes Hills Science Diet, which got him to eat a little, then nothing. Since he wasn't obviously sick or in pain (he was still playing), Gemini suggested he might be constipated. I got some pumpkin puree for him, but he doesn't like it, and I couldn't hide it in his food since he wasn't eating. The shelter's vet was closed, and it didn't appear to be an emergency, so I kept up with water and Churu over the weekend and gave him toys that I know will cause him to be more active (e.g., toy mice that he loves to stalk, smack around, chase, and pounce on). Later that day, he finally pooped. I am able to sneak the pumpkin into his wet food, which he'll eat, so he gets a little of that now too.

At this point, I no longer give him dry food since the wet food is nutritionally complete, and the dry food is supposed to be dehydrating. Combine that with the risk of urinary problems, and I'd have to be an idiot to keep going with how the shelter feeds their cats. I also switched out his Sheba pate for Sheba entrees, which include more liquid. Once I can officially adopt him, I'm going to switch him to Hills Science Diet. I've given him more of it since he resumed eating, and he definitely likes it. It also smells more like real food than Sheba. I may join him at the cat bowl.

I woke up this morning, sleeping on my side as I usually do. After maybe 10-20 seconds, I turned onto my back, careful to be sure I didn't roll onto Gandalf, because he sometimes sleeps in weird places near me. As I turned, he was just sitting there, as if he'd been waiting for me to wake up. He gave a really friendly meow, crawled onto my chest and just lay there, relaxed. What a great way to wake up. And it's so rare that he doesn't put his butt in my face. :-)

I asked Gemini today about some of his behaviors. He often will press his fangs against my skin. Although that can be a warning if he's overstimulated, which several people here already suggested, it's also another way of him being friendly. A friendly nip that doesn't draw blood. Talk about sending mixed signals. :-) Apparently, it's what kittens do to their siblings. He also grooms me sometimes with his tongue the way he does his own fur. Never thought I'd be bathed by a cat. Speaking of which, he is very curious about showers, so much so he now jumps in the tub ahead of me, although he still takes off once it looks like he might get wet. Then there's the regular nose bumps against my face. Apparently that's a cat kiss. I also just read today that when a cat presses its paw against you (he does that to my face a lot), it's yet another sweet gesture.

Also, I woke up a couple of days ago, lying on my back, which happens sometimes, but I try to avoid it as it's uncomfortable. Since he wasn't on the bed, I figured he was in my office chair down the hall, which is where he often sleeps. I threw back the covers to get up, accidentally rolling him 360 degrees from atop my legs onto the other half of the bed. The look on his face was priceless: "What the hell just happened?"

Probably my favorite behaviors is the way he always races me up the stairs. He gives me a head start until I get halfway up, then races up and past me while making this cute warbling noise that sounds like him trying to imitate a racing car.