Very OT "Find the hidden bird"

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Fri Oct 04, 2002 3:20 pm

Kenith, send me a picture!

Cees · Post by **Cees** » Fri Oct 04, 2002 4:47 pm

I love cats...just love them. Unfortunately I'm very allergic to them right now, or I'd have one. I have had many through the years.

However, we live in a small townhouse hooked to three other houses. The people two houses down from us have several cats (in violation of the "three pets only" clause for living here). We have a ten foot high fence around our tiny back yard, making it a safe place for my two small children to play...or so I thought.

The cats owned by our neighbors come in our yard several times a day. They do NOT dig a hole in our grass, but leave a big pile of droppings right on top of our grass. This infuriates and disgusts me. I have never in my life seen a cat who doesn't dig a hole to bury their droppings. Plus, the people who own these cats have destroyed their back yard so it is all dirt...why the heck don't they go in their own back yard??? They also have a community playground nearby with a huge sandy base to use as a litter box, if they so choose (believe me, my kids don't go near that playground).

It makes me so mad because I only have a very tiny back yard and would like to be able to let my kids out to play in it, such as it is. As hard as I try to chase the cats away, they just keep coming back. And I can't be always sitting by my back door, waiting to chase them away.

So I agree with the people who said cat owners need to keep tabs on them. If it happened once in a great while, I wouldn't mind so much. But every day is unacceptable and unsafe for my children. We can't even go in our back yard because of the cat droppings everywhere.

I guess I need to make a complaint to our home owners' board. Problem is, not only is it our neighbor's cats, but several other cats from nearby streets also come into our yard, and I don't know who they belong to. It is very frustrating and maddening. I mean, it's not like we're growing catnip or anything...just a concrete slab and some grass back there.

Edit to add: I have toxoplasmosis and have had since sometime in my teens. I'm sure I must've gotten it from our cats we had at the time. I've had two safe pregnancies and am about to deliver a third...so thank goodness for that. But I don't want my kids to get it from the back yard!
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[ This Message was edited by: Cees on 2002-10-04 18:50 ]

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Fri Oct 04, 2002 5:00 pm

Problem is, not only is it our neighbor's cats, but several other cats from nearby streets also come into our yard, and I don't know who they belong to. It is very frustrating and maddening.

Cees- Unbeknownst to you, you may be a cat Goddess. They are probably making daily pilgrimages to your yard to pay homage in the only way they know.

Cees · Post by **Cees** » Fri Oct 04, 2002 5:13 pm

Oh, is that why they come!!

PS Someone asked me for more info about toxoplasmosis...this is a pretty good web page with info:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites ... smosis.htm
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Branches in London and Salt Lake City

[ This Message was edited by: Cees on 2002-10-04 19:27 ]

ScottStewart · Post by **ScottStewart** » Fri Oct 04, 2002 5:30 pm

Just a little more comic relief, but also a true story. About four years ago when my daughters were 5 and 3 they saw a picture of a kitty and decided they wanted one (or more). I'm very allergic to kitties, so I told them that a kitty would make daddy very sick all the time. Then I told them they had to decide whether they wanted a kitty or daddy (my mistake). They actually went off and discussed it! I was so shocked that they had to think about whether they wanted me around over a kitty. But, with a little prodding from my wife they decided to let me stay around on a trial basis. Four years and going, and I haven't messed up too much...

hillfolk22 · Post by **hillfolk22** » Fri Oct 04, 2002 5:37 pm

On 2002-10-04 19:13, Cees wrote:
Oh, is that why they come!!

PS Someone asked me for more info about toxoplasmosis...this is a pretty good web page with info:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites ... smosis.htm
_________________
MCM Transatlantic Whistle Detective Agency - no case too small.
Branches in London and Salt Lake City

[ This Message was edited by: Cees on 2002-10-04 19:27 ]

Thank you Cees... I was wondering how the cats get infected. This helps.

So a cat can get infected by eating raw meat.
Interesting. No raw meat table scraps then. That's good. So the only other way a cat can get it is by eating animals from outside.

Hmmmm....

Laura

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Fri Oct 04, 2002 5:46 pm

On 2002-10-04 13:35, SteveK wrote:
Incidentally, as far as I can see, nobody in the Foxfire book with the section on banjos mentions cats although the introduction says that cats may have been used. Two of the makers mention specific skins-deer, groundhog and calf.

One maker went so far as to say he killed a neighbor's cat for one.

I decided that mayhaps one or the other of us was looking at a revised edition.

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[ This Message was edited by: walden on 2002-10-04 20:56 ]

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Fri Oct 04, 2002 5:47 pm

Scott, That's a really sweet story about your daughters' "meeting"

I got my wife a couple of cats a few years ago. She is ABSOLUTELY crazy about them! Now I'm a 2nd-class citizen in our house.

chas · Post by **chas** » Fri Oct 04, 2002 6:47 pm

Cees, you might want to try one of those cat repellant products they sell at gardening supply places. When we were having problems, we tried both some sort of chemical cat repellant and either wolf or coyote urine (yes, it's a commercial product), but neither worked. It might work for a smaller area or perimeter, though.

Just a thought, Charlie

Paul · Post by **Paul** » Fri Oct 04, 2002 8:30 pm

Chas... It will take more than dog-type urine to disperse the Cat Goddess's subjects! They are obviously fanatics!

[ This Message was edited by: paul on 2002-10-04 22:36 ]

SteveK · Post by **SteveK** » Sat Oct 05, 2002 12:47 am

On 2002-10-04 19:46, Walden wrote:
On 2002-10-04 13:35, SteveK wrote:
Incidentally, as far as I can see, nobody in the Foxfire book with the section on banjos mentions cats although the introduction says that cats may have been used. Two of the makers mention specific skins-deer, groundhog and calf.
One maker went so far as to say he killed a neighbor's cat for one.

I decided that mayhaps one or the other of us was looking at a revised edition.

No. Probably the same edition. That was Stanley Hicks. Last night I read his section in more detail. It is the longest and I had previously quickly perused it and missed that. He was talking about making banjos with his father and how he would get neighbors cats for heads. It sounds like he used a lot of them.
Steve

dakotamouse · Post by **dakotamouse** » Sun Oct 06, 2002 8:58 pm

You might want to try puting orange peels around your property. My cat loathes the smell. Friday was my birthday and my husband got me some gorgeous roses. To keep Ted, our cat, off the dining room table and away from them. I put some orange scented Pledge wipes. Works fine in a pinch but probably no good outdoors.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Mon Oct 07, 2002 4:32 am

On 2002-10-03 19:16, JessieK wrote:
Perhaps you should have dumped the dustbin before torturing the insect, huh?

Mayhaps. But, aren't black widows arachnids?

Goldie · Post by **Goldie** » Mon Oct 07, 2002 7:42 am

On 2002-10-02 03:26, Zubivka wrote:
Back to the thread source : Brigitte, I'm not sure that training your kitty to play the didgeridoo will be considered korrect by pet leagues. Can you assure us no other animal was harmed during your workshop ?
And please give us the trick : does one really need to make such moon-eyes in order to get one's breathing perfectly circular ?

[ This Message was edited by: Zubivka on 2002-10-02 04:07 ]

Finally I have time to answer your questions. No animals were harmed in getting the photograph as far as I know. I presume it was a trained cat, who can do faces like that

Seriously, Jacques so far has not learned the circular breathing or playing the didgeridoo (at least I have not seen him playing it when I am around) but he does stick his nose into anything tubelike and he enjoys taking "sound showers" by lying in front of the didges' bell end and accompanies me/us by purring along. I think it is one of his favorite instruments

I do not know about the round eyes being a must when circular breathing, most of the times I have mine closed or semi-closed. BUT I know from experience that having to use the cheaks in ways and shapes you would normally not use your cheaks, you have to accept that there will be wrinkels in some places a little earlier than usual

but hey, they are worth it....

Brigitte

OutOfBreath · Post by **OutOfBreath** » Mon Oct 07, 2002 10:16 am

On 2002-10-04 18:47, Cees wrote:
I love cats...just love them.

Me too, they taste just like chicken!

John (grinnin', duckin', and runnin' for cover)