Crazy Cat Lady or not?

We all talk about "Crazy Cat Ladies" - and let's face it - there truly are some out there, somewhere! But as we all joke and talk about it - there's two definitions of "Crazy Cat Lady". A more scientific/technical one and the more joke definition. It's a rare case when someone refers to a "Crazy Cat Lady" and is indeed referring to the scientific definition of it.

In the old days Crazy Cat Lady meant: a woman with lots of cats who was likely old or batty or any combination of these. I laugh a lot over this. I have been gifted the crazy cat lady action figure set (https://shorturl.at/dfwAX) more than once. It leaves me to wonder, I was gifted that before I became a proud owner of a dozen cats, so what were the givers of those gifts thinking?

Do I come across as batty? I like to think that I'm not old (age is just a number right?!) I've always had a few cats, but never to the point I am now. Who knows, maybe to some I am a bit batty. So watch out world as I get even older, my mind will slip and then I'll be full on batty with a dozen cats at my side. I guess to my "younger" friends and some family I could be old. In fact, I would put money down that some of my siblings would flat out say I am straight up crazy and batty.

The scientific definition: Crazy Cat Lady Syndrome - Toxoplasma gondii to several mental disorders and behavioral problems. Thanks to the news for coining this term/definition of something that is actually a disease and can be contagious.

Toxoplasma gondii is actually a parasite - the sexual reproductive cycle is in cats! The parasite is transmitted thru the feces of cats, into humans, mice, rats and other cats. So, please think twice before sampling your cat's poop! What does this parasite actually do? It can change your behavior, and make you have an increased affinity for cats. Toxoplasma infects more than a third of humanity and it still confounds those trying to figure out the full effects of it on human behavior. Surprisingly 15-40% of cats have been infected with Toxoplasma at some point in their life span. While that seems high, the chance of it being shed is extremely low - 0-1% - meaning that it is harder to transmit to humans.

Really - who knew!? We all hear pregnant woman should not be scooping/changing cat litter - so husbands - step up and handle it for your pregnant wife! Gene, maybe just scoop every so often to make sure I don't bring home MORE cats. Above all else, keep those litter boxes clean - use vinegar/water to clean boxes or bleach diluted with water to clean the litter boxes, and be sure to wash those hands after scooping litter or cleaning their boxes.

I'm one of the slackers who always forgets to take stool samples to annual vet visits - but really - that gross thing is a HUGE piece of making sure your cat (or other pet) is healthy! It's relatively cheap to get the stool sample run for parasites. So when you schedule your vet appointment and drop it on your calendar - add a reminder to grab some fresh poop to take along!

Till our tails cross again,

Mel

Smokey's introduction

It's time to write about Cats - the core of why I started this blog! Deciding which one or where to start is harder than I anticipated.

I have 12 cats, I love them all equally (and sometimes hate them equally.) All of them will get their spotlight as time goes on. For now, I'll start with Smokey.

Smokey, is a Siamese cat. She has a sister from the same litter, who I will write about more on her own post. Smokey has her own following of people (some who think it's time for Smokey to have her own tiktok or social media account...). Everyone that meets her want's to take her home. I'm really not sure how she wins over so many people! It must be her overly friendly demeanor. She's always ready to meet new people - no matter who or why they are at our house.

Of all the things in her life, she loves nothing more than to be held & cuddled 24/7. More specifically, as close to your chest as possible or over your shoulder like a baby. This is no joke - I recently was trying to sweep the stairs and ended up holding her over one shoulder and one handed trying to sweep - a little more difficult than I would have imagined. When she gets attention and it's not in the form of a hold, she is more than happy to just take constant pets. If you dare to stop petting her for any reason, she will give you a gentle slap or nibble to get you back to petting.

In the cooler months or days she prefers to cuddle up under the blankets - and prefers to prop her head up on the pillow. Absolutely spoiled - I know. But, really who doesn't want a personal heater when its cold out or you feel crappy?!

Smokey can be extremely vocal - which at times can just drive you over the edge. She will cry (which sounds exactly like a baby) if she feels neglected. To drive her point home she will sneak into the basement and cry down there until we search her out and call her back upstairs. As if that isn't enough to get our attention, she will find a chair with a low rung and "choke" herself on it. She switches between these two methods to get attention from us. Gotta love her and her crazy tactics for attention.

She's also extremely helpful when I'm trying to craft. If I'm working at the table she needs to lay on whatever I'm working on, as close to me as catly as possible. This includes if I'm crocheting, or loom knitting. When she realizes I've settle in to work on a project, she has to lay right on top of whatever I'm doing. The only time she hates to be covered. Because it's more inconvenient for me.

Smokey's party trick - (which we don't let her do to often) She likes to drink beer or wine. More specifically from the beer bottle/can or from the wine glass. She turns her nose up if you try to give her a lick from your finger or a little bowl. We don't encourage this, but she will seek out a beer bottle or wine glass when company is over!

Till our tails cross again,

Mel

Managing a house of 12 cats

Hazel

Bear & ASh

Rollie

Tanner (Top) Peaches (Inside carrier)

Dobby

Vera

Jasper

Roughy

Smokey

Clara

Life with 12 cats - how do I manage it and what does Gene say (my amazing husband)?

I have come to terms with a few things after becoming the crazy cat lady - thankfully I got married so I don't fully fill the crazy cat lady definition!

I will spend a fortune on vet bills, cat food, litter, toys, and who knows what else for my super spoiled 12 cats. In the last 4 years we have single handedly spent more than $8,000 in vet bills, specialist, overnight stays, annual visits, sick appointments and dental work. You'll be reading about some of those over night stays in the coming blogs.

Laundry - you think laundry is never ending with kids? Try laundry with 12 cats, 2 who prefer to do their business right next to the litter box - not in it. Hello reusable puppy pads! I do at least one load of them a day. This is in addition to the throw away puppy pads that we use for the super fancy litter box. (Thanks Clara and Rollie!) Let's not forget all the beds, heating pad covers, couch & chair covers. They get done on a weekly basis, and I never seem to get it all done!

Nice, comfy, stylish furniture. Yep - we have the super old school couch and matching rocker. Wooden frame with the country print on the cushions. After many trials and tribulations over the best way to manage the cat hair/dander on the furniture - we found sheets to be the answer. A full size sheet fits the couch and actually stays on when we sit on the couch! Twin sheets work nicely on the chairs, folded and tucked in just the right way.

There will always be an upset stomach, and never at a convenient time. Running late for work - there's a little puke pile. Walking bare foot or just in socks - hello slimly little bile. No matter what, every time I have to decipher - who was it, is it just a hairball, they ate a piece of something they shouldn't have, does this mean a trip to the vet?

Poop scooping....so much litter scooping. With a grand total of 9 litter boxes, it's a daily thing. Forget trying to do it every other day, cats have perfected the true meaning of spite. Not scooping gives them the right to pick any other place in the house to do their business.

I know, you're dying to know what does the amazing husband say about all these cats? Let's call it a love/hate relationship. He loves them as much as he hates them. Ask him, he will straight up tell you he hates them. Deep down, he does love them, well at least most of them. The hate runs stronger for some because of the horrific behavior. If I try to bring in another pet, I'll be the one without a roof over my head. Normally I would disregard that - but he's been pretty strict lately. He also doesn't keep it a secret how much of a pain they can be in every way possible - always a puke pile, always litter where it shouldn't be...(how the hell do they get litter in the fully made bed?!?!?), we just bought food/litter, how long is this medicine being given...the list goes on!

He feels strongly that they create a ton of work & extra expenses. There's no way I can deny that. They are work, they are expensive. But most days they make up for it. You might wonder how they make up for it? They are completely unbiased, non judging, don't talk back and love unconditionally. Not to mention, they sense when you are sick, feeling down or just need some love with no strings attached.

Till our tails cross again,

Mel