Remembering Sweet Gentle Tabby

A few years back I took in my granddaughters cat, Tabby. She was elderly, a little slow, and a bit over weight. This poor kitty was mauled by one of their dogs, which appeared to cause her severe physiological damage. A cat that was very happy and sociable to humans and other cats, turned into a frightened cat that kept herself hidden from everyone, accept her owner. To make a long introduction short, I decided to adopt her, thinking I could bring her out of her ongoing anxieties. I also thought she would make a great companion for Zelda. What a mistake that was, and to make the situation worse I went about everything the wrong way. Perhaps if I had started with a slower process, and put Tabby in a room away from Zelda for a couple weeks it might of worked out better in the long run. I put Tabby on my bed, and when Zelda came in the room, she jumped up on the bed and attacked her. To late I realized cats can be like jealous children. Zelda probably had great concerns of losing me and her home.

Anyone could tell by her movements and her eyes that Tabby was a gentle cat. Unfortunately the attacks from Zelda did not stop, and the squabbles continued with Tabby defending herself.  Tabby's anxieties were never stemmed from fear of other cats. Because of being mauled by a dog, her fears were of dogs, and for some strange reason she chose to no longer trust humans. (accept her owner)

We were living in my sons house at the time, and he had a dog. So for about 1 1/2 months Tabby stayed upstairs. It took about 3 months for Tabby to realize the old dog was no threat to her, so she stopped hiding and started making short visits downstairs. Every-time she came down stairs, jealous Zelda would chase her back upstairs. Eventually Tabby tired of her aggression fought back, and came down stairs when ever she chose to. After about 4 months Tabby seemed settled and was cured of her dog anxieties, and she was also  friendly with people that came in my home. As the little ongoing squabbles with Zelda continued, she ferociously fought back, and finally Zelda backed off a bit, But Zelda never accepted her, and from time to time a squabble would escalate between them.

As Tabby sits on the window seat munching on some dry nib-lets. Zelda quietly sits on the stairway, cautiously watching her.

When the milder weather came I allowed tabby to go out with Zelda, always getting them in before the sun went down. I would say I gave her about 5 years of a better life.

Considering that Tabby's mother was an indoor cat, and she came from a home that cared for her mother and the kittens. I would say her start in life was far more pleasant then Zelda's or Ezzabella's. When my granddaughter and her husband adopted her they kept her as an indoor cat. When they purchased his father's home the deal was for the cat's that lived  there to stay there. So when they moved from an apartment to a house, they ended up with 2 more cats. I guess at first they had their share of squabbles, but eventually they accepted each other. So back then Tabby was an outgoing sociable cat to humans and other cats. When they no longer lived in an apartment they allowed Tabby to go out with the other cats. One thing she did, that I did not approve of, was not getting her cats in before dark. As time went by 3 of her cats disappeared. Finally she decided not to allow Tabby out at all, so she converted her back into being an indoor cat. At my home during the snow and cold weather, Tabby stayed in. And during the mild weather, she was allowed out during the day. 

When I had breast cancer, after the chemo I had a mastectomy, and after the surgery, my daughter and her children stayed with me. I was in a great deal of pain, so I was drugged up and in bed for a couple days.. Unfortunately, even after I told my daughter and her children several times "Please do not let the cats out after 5:00 pm!" When the children tried to pet Zelda, she would growl and hiss at them. So with company in the house Zelda spent most of her time hiding under my bed. Tabby welcomed the petting and the attention she was getting from the children. And in spite of my request to not let the cats out, (especially Tabby, because of her age and weight, she was no match for a predator)  But unfortunately one of them let her out, by mistake or because they felt she should be allowed to go out. The next day she was nowhere to be seen. I called and searched for her, for days, but no Tabby.

It was painful to accept the horrible fact that Tabby was more then likely the victim of a predator. To this day I miss that gentle, outgoing, loving, Kitty. So if there is a Rainbow Bridge, I'm sure she crossed it.  

Rest in peace my sweet Tabby .   

If Animals Could Talk

If Zelda could talk what might she say?

Since the cold spell we had this January, where it reached 35 below zero, I'll admit I'm not a happy camper. Reason being because mom decided to bring that wandering black cat in the house.

The first time I saw that scrawny runt I chased her away, thinking that will be the last of that vagabond. Then one evening I saw her on the back deck. She looked like she had grown a couple inches, and appeared more robust. That's when I realized mom was feeding her, so she made it an evening ritual to wander up to the back deck. To my frustration I couldn't get out to chase her away, because I was in the house. And when I came in for my supper, mom never allowed me back out until the next morning. One cold winter day mom locked me up in the back bedroom for hours. I could hear her out there talking softly to that vagabond. The moment she allowed me out of the room, I knew that stray was in the house. My nose went right to the other bedroom, but the door was closed, so to my frustration their was nothing I could do about it.

You may wonder why I feel so strongly against sharing my home with another feline. Well perhaps you'll be a little more understanding after I share some of my history with you. I would say in human years, I'm about 9 or 10. So I'm getting along in years, and I don't welcome the aggravation of another cat. The first 6 months of my life was horrible. I don't remember if I was born inside or out. I do remember being on a street, around other cat's and kitten's. There were many houses and cars constantly passing by, and none of the other cat's including my own mother seemed to care about me. So I guess one could put me in the category of alley cat. My breathing was very labored, and I was suffering from malnutrition. So the day I wandered out in front of this car I was feeling very listless and out of it. I remember staring up at this big hunk of metal on wheels, that almost ran me over. The car stopped, this woman got out, picked me up and shooed me towards the porch of this old gray house. Then she pulled her car off to the side, got out, walked over and looked at me along with about 8 other cats roaming about. I admit we were a sorry sickly looking flock of cats. She put her hands on her hips, looked towards the windows and shook her head. Then she walked over, picked me up, and got in her car. I might of been frightened by this abrupt gesture, but considering my health I had no energy to struggle. She only lived a few feet up the street, so the ride to her apartment was very short. After she got settled she gave me a bowl of milk and some left overs. Wow I thought real food, no cats to push me away?! I gobbled up every morsel. She put me on a regular diet of canned fish twice a day, and all the dry niblets I wanted. Ah life was good, no other cats to contend with, and no ugly humans to kick me out of the way. Who needs them?

One day as I was roaming about the apartment, and I saw what appeared to be a fat juicy bird sitting on the lower shelf of a book case. I thought "my gosh a bird just sitting there, I think I'll get it" I grabbed it and ran for the bedroom. Then who should I run into but the mistress of the house, and she didn't look to happy. She reached down and tried to take it away from me. As I growled I wouldn't let go, it was a tug of war between us, and I won. Once that matter was settled I ran off behind the couch to hide it. After a few chews I soon realized it was made of cloth and their was nothing tasty about it, so I decided to keep it as a toy. Every night mom and I would play fetch the birdie. When she was laying on the couch, or laying in bed watching TV, she would throw it. I would run after it and bring it back to her. After about an hour she would tire of our game. I tried to extend the game by pushing the birdie right into her hand. I think she was amazed at my intelligence, so sometimes it worked.

I was brought to the vet.and I was inoculated.  She was surprised to hear that I wasn't 3 months old, I was actually 6 months old. The vet informed her I was small because I was undernourished, and I had a respiratory problem. He prescribed some antibiotics and after the respiratory problem was cleared up I had to go back for a medical procedure (getting spayed) Which I thought was highly unnecessary. Finally after that was over we settled into sharing our 3 room apartment. I trusted no other humans, and I felt she was the only creature on this earth that cared for me. So I bonded with her and I considered her my mother. So for a time I was an inside cat. Then mom moved into an old house to take car of her son and his dog. I became accustomed to her son's presence. I don't care for dogs at all, but for some reason I trusted this one. In spite of the fact that she was a lot bigger then me, we became great buds, and we often played with each other. Unfortunately she passed away last summer.

Now for some time it has just been the 2 of us living in a smaller house, surrounded by 5 acres of field and forest. Considering I'm no longer in an apartment, by night I am an inside cat (not always happy about that) By day I get to go out and roam about. And now along comes this wayward critter sidling up next to my mom. So far she is shut off in a room, so she is not allowed to roam the house. She can't get to my food, my litter box, or sit on mom's lap. And mom does give me plenty of attention. When she's watching TV I get to sit on her lap, and I still get the usual treats But what if she's allowed out of that room, what then?!  I feel my very existence in this house will be threatened. I have spent hours looking at that door, trying to think of a way to get in there and scare her away. If I stick my nose under the gap in the door I can almost see her, so I hiss at her. Lately she has challenged me with a return hiss. So our squabbles have consisted of hissing, yowling, and biting at each others paws and nose. I don't want to share my home with her and I don't want to share my mom with her. I hate to admit this, but she frightens me, and that's why I want her gone.

If animals could talk what might they say

JOURNEY OF A WAYWARD CAT


She might say this.

What happened to me back in March 2010? Well I often have dark lingering flash backs from my unhappy kittenhood. My memory seems to be a bit blurred from those days. Perhaps it's better not to dwell on that unpleasant time. I do remember some of my survival, being on the side of a dirt road, and feeling the sensations of pain, cold and hunger. I could hear the loud sounds of cars flying by me, so I dragged myself back from the road behind some bushes to keep out of sight. After reposing myself and licking my wounds, I got up and limped on down the road a ways. I quickly came upon an old abandoned house, with a large opening under the foundation. Along side the old house was a brook. Wow I thought "shelter and water close by. this would be a great place to hunker down, now all I need is food". After checking out my new prospective shelter, from the backyard I climbed up a steep bank over grown with trees and shrubbery. When I reached the top of the bank I discovered a small gray house, which appeared to be occupied. Oh fooey I thought, I'm not alone. After stealthily crawling about the bushes observing the residence from day to day, I came to the conclusion that only 1 person and 1 cat lived there. So I thought if I keep out of site, perhaps we could share the area. So upon my daily hunting expeditions, I also kept a close watch on the residence to learn their habits.

One warm sunny spring day as I crossed the clearing around the house, I heard a shrill voice yelling "here kitty, kitty, kitty" I quickly discovered the sound was coming from an open window in the house. When I saw her in the window, I thought oh no I've been made! I broke into a bounding leap and ran for my life. After getting far enough away I stopped to catch my breath, thinking "On no an encounter with an atrocious human. And here kitty, kitty, kitty, what's that all about?" It must be what they say when they want you gone. And I'm sure she wants me gone? Why else would she yell at me with that horrible shrill voice. After that incident I decided to only approach that area in darkness. And every night since that day I began picking up a pungent aroma of food. The odor always led my nose right to her back deck. So every evening I made it a daily ritual to visit her back deck and gobble up a big plate of food. And as time went by I noticed that I was no longer a scrawny runt with thin scraggly fur. I was growing and feeling very robust and healthy. As the days grew longer, I found it difficult to wait until dark to check out the back deck. So I began checking around the bushes to sniff out the area before nightfall. If the food was there, I would run up, gobble up, and run away. It worked out well for awhile, until one day, as I approached the deck and I discovered her quietly sitting there. Well that was a shocker and a big disappointment. And to add insult to injury, when she went back in the house, she brought the food back in with her. One evening I could smell that fresh hamburg all the way down to my shelter. And I made up my mind, I'm having some of that meat! So up the bank I went. As I stealthily crept up on the deck, she sat quietly on a swing, not even looking at me. She showed no interest in me, so I crawled towards the bowl of meat. After I gobbled up every morsel I quickly crept away. After that I decided if I had to, I would go for food, while she was there. As days went by she just quietly sat there, as I quickly ate. After awhile I no longer crept up to the deck, feeling more at ease with her, I just walked up. One day after I finished eating, she moved her arms about and threw me some extra morsels of meat. As I scoffed them up, I was not even aware how close I was to her feet. I guess that was when I realized I had nothing to fear from her, and it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Every evening before the sun went down, I would rush up to her deck for a big bowl of meat. And after I filled my belly I would rub myself against her as she gently stroked my fur. She was the first kind human I had ever met. And so far she is the only human I trust. When she spoke to me she often used the word Ezzabella. It seemed she only used that word when referring to me. So when I heard her call Ezzabella, I would run for her deck, and there she would stand with a big bowl of food.

When the summer passed and there was a chill in the air, she invited me into her house. I thought it might be nice to live in such a grand shelter with her. But upon my concern to this other cat that lived with her, I thought not. You see I had encountered this cat out in her yard several times, and it wasn't pleasant. She was mean, territorial and she chased me away. So when I approached the residence, I always had to be on the lookout for her. How could I possibly cope with such a territorial critter?

As the days got shorter it got very cold, and along with the cold weather came the snow. Some nights it got so cold, I ached right down to my bones. Getting through the snow to her deck got more and more difficult. One very cold day when she opened her door with some food for me, my paws were so cold I kept picking them up. She put the food in her hallway, so as I reached in to eat it, I felt great relief for my frozen paws. As I began munching on some chopped steak, I was not aware that I was actually in her house. Then I heard the door shut, and when that door shut behind me, I was very confused and frightened. At first I refused to eat and I refused to move. After an hour went by, I finally gave in and followed her to another room, and that door shut as well. Okay I thought, I've been abducted by a human I thought I could trust. I looked around, and saw no presence of the ill tempered cat. My first strategy was to hide, so I ducked under the bed. I stayed there all night, and as strange and discomforting as it was to be locked up, at least it was warm. In the morning I decided to come out from under the bed to taste the nib-lets she offered. As she stroked my fur, it seemed she meant me no harm. True I was contained in a room, but it was a large warm room. I had food, water, a litter box, and windows to look out. As I gazed out the window watching the snow falling, I could hear the wind howling. I decided to curl up on the bed for a nap. As I dozed off I thought to myself "I'm warm, I have everything I need, and so far no threatening cat to cope with".

After a few days when the cold spell passed she opened the window for me. I looked at her thinking "you mean I can leave if I choose?" I jumped up at the window and saw a large box and a ramp right by the window. First thought that came to mind was to jump out, run down the ramp and escape, and I did. I quickly struggled down the bank through the deep snow, back to my underground shelter. It wasn't as cold as it was the day she lured me into her house, but it was cold enough. As I huddled down under my foundation I began to miss the soft quilt, and the warm room. She allowed me to leave, so clearly I was not a prisoner In the morning I struggled up the bank through the snow, back to the deck. At first it was very quiet, with no sign of her, and I was about ready to return to my old shelter, until she appeared by the window. She poked her head out the window, waved and called to me. I was so happy to see her, I jumped for joy, leaping through the snow towards her thinking "I'm so glad that your still here, I want to come back inside!" As I joyfully jumped back in the window, nudging her with my head, she greeted me with gentle strokes and soft words. She may of tricked me into coming in, but it all worked out for the better, as I know she meant no harm. I now consider her a keeper, and I have named her friend.

So now I have friend, and this is my journey thus far.

Will It Ever End!?

Zelda keeps creeping up to the space under the door. It would be fine if they calmly sniffed each other out. But in spite of the fact that they only have a 1&1/2 inch gap under the door, it leads to what sounds like a snarly little cat fight. At first Ezzabella stayed away from the door, but lately, after I have gotten Zelda to back away from the door, I see her little black nose, peaking through.

After doing a little research I came to the conclusion that starting out by keeping Ezzabella in a separate room is the right thing to do. In-spite of the fact that Ezzabella might be stronger, younger, and wilder, she has always been fearful of Zelda. Last summer if Ezzabella was walking through the back yard, Zelda would chase her. I don't know how this will work out in the end. I have no idea if this wayward little cat had any social experiences with other cats. All I know is  being a stray and surviving on her own for 10 months, perhaps made her very skid-dish and a bit feral.  And when I found Zelda years ago, she was one of those undernourished cats that roamed the village. Perhaps she had bad experiences with other cats, so she was never properly socialized. Zelda is jealous, territorial, and she don't want to share. She often creeps over to the door, like she is stocking her prey. And with me yelling at her to keep away. perhaps I'm causing more fear and resentment for her. Recently I let her alone, as I thought maybe I should let them sniff each other out? But within a few minutes all that outrageous snarling and yowling started, so I had to chase her away from the door. I'm counting the days to march 4th when Ezzabella is to get spayed. And now I fear she's starting to look pregnant?

As I was surfing the net yesterday I discovered a product called Feliway. It's pheromones for cats. It's supposed to calm them down and make them more accepting of each other. I'm wondering if it might work to calm these cats down. I know that in-spite of Zelda's bullying, she is really driven by fear. And Ezzabella is driven by fear and defending herself, because Zelda wants her gone.

Comfort Zone Feliway For Cats

I would appreciate opinions and comments from anyone who might of tried Feliway.

Chronicles Of Ezzabella

Ezzabella seems to be getting bolder about getting closer to the door. In this photo you can see her nose up close to the gap.

Yesterday I opened the window to observe the paw prints closer.

This time she came closer to perhaps observe the weather?

Then much to my surprise she jumped out.

She sat there for about 1 minute, staring towards the garage

Then she jumped back in. So she must feel safe and content where she is.

A Box Full Of Catnip

The Effects Of Catnip

I have been giving Ezzabella a little catnip every other day. After doing some online research I discovered that catnip can effect cats in many different ways.

I put a table spoon on a piece of cardboard and so far it does not seem to have a negative effect. She rolls in it and it gets all over her. So that leaves very little for her to eat.

Photos of Ezzabella rolling in the nip

Here are some comments I found

A domestic cat demonstrating the effects of catnip: rolling, pawing, frisking, etc.Catnip and catmints are mainly known for, and named after, the effects they have on cats, particularly domestic cats. Approximately two thirds of cats are susceptible to the effects of catnip, as the phenomenon is hereditary.

The effects of catnip seem to change from cat to cat. I have one cat who drools & rolls on the floor, I have another one who becomes very hyperactive, a third becomes aggressive, and picks fights with the other cats when he's had catnip. 

If your cat is one that likes to eat it, then you may want to watch how much your cat eats because catnip,  yet not poisonous, is a toxic plant. It's not deadly, but it can cause stomach irritation if too much is consumed. 

Giving a cat more than a tablespoon a week will make the effects of the catnip become less and less over time.

FAQ LINK   ---   Catnip-FAQ.

The Stylish Blogger Award

Along with others I was awarded this lovely BLOG AWARD, from Cheri who lives on a farm in the mountains of NC, USA.

Wild Wood Cats OF NC

 She is into alternative health care, and she cares for many stray cats.  Thank you for the award Cheri.

Here are the 7 Things about my cats. With Ezzabella being new, I have only 1 thing to post about her.

Ezzabella loves to roll in catnip, you will see it all over her with most photos I have taken of her

As for Zelda

She wakes me up in the morning by swatting her paw across my face

When she was younger she played fetch the toy. I would throw it and she would bring it back, over and over.

She is anti-social to all cats

When she hears a knock on the door, she runs and hides.

She will make herself visible only to people who own cats

If I feed her something cut up in chunks, she removes it from the bowl with her paws and then she eats it.

The Wandering Tom

Last night it was 19 below zero and this morning it's still very cold. Comments on my last blog about the tom that has often frequented my property, brought the up the thought of feline colonies. There are people that live down the road from my home that keep 2 horses, they have a small barn. Going in that direction (on a dirt road) continues on to the rural area. Perhaps they have a few barn cats?

Down at the end of my driveway once I take 2 rights, within a short distance the area becomes more urban then rural. After walking over the bridge there is a trailer park. And continuing on from there leads to an urban area. However my driveway is private with a wooded area and a large field off to the left. There are no neighbors close by. Many people have made the remark how obscure my 5 acres are, yet how conveniently close to town I am. (about a mile to our little village) Only on rare occasions have I observed roaming cats on my property.

However speaking of feline colonies, I have heard about the cats that hang about the village. There are 2 stores that I know of who have been known to feed them. One of them is the hardware store. There are some apartments on top of the hardware store, and I noticed several cats would frequent the front of the store, by the entrance that led to the upstairs apartments. Off to the side I noticed a couple dishes and a small basket with a quilt in it. So I think the lady that lives in one of the apartments up over the hardware store looks out for these wayward kitties. If they live in the village, I'm assuming they are more like ally cat's and not feral.

Yesterday I took a few shots of Zelda

Zelda relaxing on her favorite quilt

Closeup of Zelda snoozing on a cold winter day.

Wide eyed Ezzabella sitting on my bed

The tom that keeps coming back

Ezzabella seems settled and content staying inside. However I'm a bit concerned about the tom cat on the outside. Since last summer I would get an occasional visit from a calico cat. One day I approached it on my back deck. The cat was rather muscular, and by it's face it looked a little weathered and worn. It was calm and friendly, it allowed me to pat it, so I put some dry cat food down for it. Much to my surprise it refused the food. First thing I thought was this is someones pet, and it looks like an old tom. Another day it was clawing at my front screen door. With Zelda safely locked in the back room, out of curiosity I let the cat in and offered it some dry cat food. I feel if a cat is starving it's not likely to refuse any food you might offer, but once again he refused it. He had his nose up and sniffing as he strutted around the house checking every nook and cranny out. Then he returned to the door asking to go out. A few days later I viewed him sniffing around the back deck, and spraying the leg of a chair. After witnessing that performance, I concluded he was a tom, and he was not not neutered. My worst nightmare is what if his ongoing visits are in search of Ezzabella?

  His markings are similar to this, with a little less spots on the top of the head and back.

Very much like this, only his face is wider, his eyes rounder and a bit puffy. In-spite of being friendly to me, he looked like he has seen a few battles in his day.  One day last summer I opened my door to discover him standing on my front deck.  Zelda was standing on the steps looking at him as if to say "get off my steps you intruder!"  As I slowly opened the door he seemed calm, so I called Zelda in. As he watched, she carefully walked by him. When she got almost in the door, she acted like a yowling  lion. He jumped back with his ears pinned back, almost in shock, as if to say "well geeeze what's your problem?!"

Yesterday When I went through the daily ritual of opening the window to see if Ezzabella wanted to go out, she once again refused to even go near the window. There is a lot of fresh untrodden snow out there, so the first thing I noticed was paw prints on the top of the wooden box I set up so Ezzabella could come in. As I looked around I also noticed paw prints through the deep snow coming up to the window. Seems this tom would only be persistent to be with this cat if it was in heat. And if Ezzabella was in heat, wouldn't she be acting strange and insist on going outside? Other then searching for food and a suitable mate, why would this tom keep coming back? I'm wondering if cats (other then mating when in heat) form friendships with each other?  I have seen him come through my back yard, trucking through the deep snow, with only the top of his head and tail in view.  Gosh I hope Ezzabella is not pregnant?

Another stormy day in Northern New Hampshire

This morning I got out my kodak digital camera, which has been giving me problems shutting down. I know nothing about digital cameras, so possibly it's due to my own ignorance of how digital cameras work. Before it started shutting off, I did manage to get some photos.

This is my long private driveway. I'm not sure but I think it may be about a quarter of a mile to the rural road off my driveway. Then I have to walk about a quarter of a mile back in the same direction, to my mail box. Getting to the mail box is actually a lot shorter if I were to go behind my home, cross the back yard, climb down a steep bank in thick shrubbery and trees. But it's not very good traveling.

This morning I gave Ezzabella a little catnip treat.

Within the last 4 days, Ezzabella seems less aggressive in demanding attention. And she does not get so close to my feet. Zelda continues to attempt harassing her through the small space under the bedroom door.

Continuing Cat Chronicles

I'm feeling a bit better after that bout of the flu (if that's what it was) Considering the weather report, I knew I might be snowed in for awhile, I just didn't know I'd be so sick). So with Saturday being a rather calm warm pleasant day I finally got out to do some grocery shopping. Around 4:30pm it started snowing again. the weather report said it would be snow showers, very wet and heavy. In the middle of the night I awoke to the sound of thunder. Crazy New England weather, never fails to surprise us.

Through all this Ezzabella remained in my bedroom, with all her daily needs being cared for. As I have in the past given her options of exiting through the window. with all the snow piled up out there, I don't think it's anything she wanted to wanted to challenge currently. I'm wondering how many people will laugh their a_ _ off if I tell them I gave up the master bedroom for a stray cat. Seems only those who are close to me can understand my idiosyncrasy's when it comes to animals. I'm wondering about the process that will come after the vets. I'm sure that once she has been force-ably handled by strangers, poked at with needles, and shoved into a small cage, she'll be very frightened. And when she wakes up from the procedure, she'll wonder "what in gods name have they done to me?) I can only imagine how frightened and confused she will be. And what might her attitude be towards me? I can picture her staring at me with fear and contempt, perhaps thinking "I thought I could trust you, now I hate you"  :(  One person I spoke to that runs a boarding kennel, informed me "don't worry cat's really aren't that smart". Well I think cats are very intelligent creatures, so I can't say I agree with her about that.

My cat Zelda is still very concerned with Ezzabella's presence. The bedroom door has about an inch or an inch and a half of space under the door. At first Zelda kept sticking her nose at the opening space out of curiosity. It appeared that Ezzabella backed away from the door, and cautiously observed this ongoing little ritual. Within time cat hissing and growling cat sounds were heard (which I believe came from Zelda) .Even though I keep yelling at Zelda, and chasing her away from the door, like a bratty kid she kept sneaking back. To begin with I was concerned that Ezzabella would feel threatened, and perhaps display some aggressive behavior towards me. So far the only aggression she has displayed towards me is playfulness. However after so many days of Zelda sticking her hissing little nose under the door, the sounds appeared to be coming from both cats. That's when I noticed Ezzabella's nose peaking under the door. So it seems they have been asserting daily little spats under the door.

This morning when I was surfing the net, I found this product.
Aggression Formula - Pet Calm.

Aggression Formula Benefits:

* Reduces aggressive behavior
* Reduces excessive barking, biting and scratching
* Promotes normal social behavior
* Calms highly strung, jealous or stressed pets
* Keeps pets relaxed in stressful situations
* Fast-acting, easy to administer granules
* Safe for cats and dogs

I'm wondering if it might possibility calm Zelda down.

Pet Calm

Or perhaps the Valernia root I bought might work just as well?

I thought I might share this photo of my beloved Gypsy that passed away years ago. I found some cat video's online. So I turned them on and put Gypsy up at the computer, she seemed to be very much into the video.

 

Another Noreaster In The Great North Woods

Monday morning I had positive thoughts of getting a lot done. I had previously let Ezzabella out the window on Sunday night. I called her around 10:30 am and she hopped back in the window. That long window I have to keep cranking open does not work well. It hurts my back, my shoulders and my neck. So the first on my 2 Do list was to put some oil on the window crank. I put her food in the carrier, and later in the day, to give her the option of freedom, I opened the window. She went right out and ran for the garage. About 10 minutes later she was at the window wanting to come back in. So she can't be feeling to trapped in that big bedroom. Later in the afternoon as the day progressed I began feeling dizzy. Around 2:00 pm nothing settled on my stomach, and I began feeling incredibly weak. I could not stand up for more then 5 minutes at a time. I came to the conclusion that feeling the way I did, I would not be letting Ezzabella out for the night. And I would sleep in the other bedroom. I had an awful up and down night.

Tuesday morning I was just as weak and just as sick, and again I gave Ezzabella the option to go out, but she refused. So After feeding her and Zelda I laid on the couch all day. In the afternoon it started snowing and it snowed all day. By evening I was still weak, dizzy and sick, so I went to bed early. When I got up this morning I was still feeling the same, I'm not sure if I'm having a negative reaction from the medication I'm taking or if I have the flu? This has been hanging on since late Monday afternoon. Right now it's Wednesday 9:00am and it's still snowing like crazy. I have updated my blog, and now I'm going to drink some fruit juice and lay on the couch.