Critter dynamics
Mar. 13th, 2008 02:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
moominmuppetRefresher, for those who don't visit, or don't recall my previous pet-related rambles.
Pookie, 15: my ball python, had her since summer after my sophomore year in college ('93). Doesn't interact much with the rest of the pets.
Morpheus, 14 (Morph): my first cat after leaving home. White with black patches. Arrived on my doorstep summer after junior year ('94) as a starving adolescent. Always been crazy and clumsy and weird, now old and going blind with no sense of smell and still crazy and clumsy and weird. And pushy. Lots of headbutting. Has recurrent skin problems that often make him especially scraggly. He's the "guest-cat", in that he immediately attaches himself to anyone who visits or moves in. Low on the totem pole with the other cats. He's also the cat who thinks it's a dog. Known to chase his tail, and when the dogs get too rough with each other, he zips out of his hiding spot, jumps between them and bats and hisses until they break it up. Used to chase Jax's tail and box at his face when Jax lived upstairs. This is especially funny because he's one of the only declawed cats in the house (he and Fatty Lumpkin both lived with my parents for periods of time, so they're declawed in front). Ticklish. Loves cheese above all else.
Mushroom, 13 or 14 (Fuzzbutt): second cat after leaving home, inherited from Rosie and Bill in '95. Brown tabby. Oddly, I really didn't much care for her when I first agreed to take her; she was so hyperactive and unsocial that I was wondering if I really wanted to live with her for the rest of her life. This is especially funny because she's the one I'm inseparable from these days. She's the source of a good deal of status jockeying in the house because she's so firmly claimed my head, shoulders, and chest (she usually sleeps on top of me like a Davey Crockett cap, or curled around my neck and shoulder). Has wonderfully thick, soft fur. She hisses a good game, but when it comes down to it, she hisses and runs away, she doesn't hiss and bring it on. Is slowing down a bit with age, but now that we've got her thyroid under control, seems to be doing quite well.
X, 9ish (Evil Bitch Kitty): inherited from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
forestfire. See icon above. Extremely round, extremely bad-ass. Hisses a lot less than Shroom, but doesn't back down. Known to ambush the dogs for amusement. Demanding of attention, but less of a lapcat than any of the others. Stands near you and glares meaningfully until you pet her. Also rubs on the dogs like furniture, which tends to cause them to absolutely freeze in place until she's done with them (especially Jax, whose eyes start rolling like a spooked horse).
Fatty Lumpkin, 10 or 11? (Fatty): inherited frommusicalchaos, also a tuxedo cat (I joke that the fact that five of our animals are black and white makes it easier to pass them off as fewer to unsuspecting landlords). Most oddly built Frankenstein-cat I've seen. Teeny, pointy little siamese head, giant jackrabbit hind legs. He's like a wedge. It took some work to get him to socialize with the rest of us when his person left, but now a very friendly and social lap-cat.
Balder, 8 or 9? : indefinitely boarding fromzeldajean. Very friendly, very sweet, very fond of ambushing people for attention in the bathroom when they're trapped. Also has long-standing allergy problems that make him the snottiest cat I've ever met. Duck if he sounds like he's about to sneeze. Seriously.
Cat, age unknown to me:grf's cat, boarding with me for some indeterminate time period. By far the smallest of the cats, and also the only actual long-hair of the bunch (although nowhere near the worst shedder). The wildest of the cats, and the one with the least experience living with other critters. Very friendly with humans, learning to stand her ground with the other critters instead of skittering off.
Leroy, 7 or 8 now, I think? : inherited fromcupcakecomplex, black and white pomeranian (although he's huge for a pom, he's barely bigger than most of my giant cats). Funny little crackhead of a dog who's grown on me immensely. Very much a household shit-starter. Very rough-and-tumble little dog. Literally an ankle-biter when he wants to wrestle with the big dogs; he'll wind between their legs and nip at their ankles until they play. Also very cuddly.
Tarma, 2: From the APL, after we lost Harry. 60lb or so hound-heinz57 mix with beagle-ish coloring. Still very young, and it shows in her behaviour. Still the most excitable of the dogs, has trouble calming down once she's wound up. Absolute cuddle-hound, and convinced she's a lapdog.
Extended Household:
Jax, 8 or so: Shepherd-mix thatbec76 and I adopted in 2000 or 2001 when we were first roommates. Now her dog, lives downstairs. Definitely the alpha dog in the household, but very mellow and calm.
Ditko, 6:zodarzone's grey and white Shih-tzu. The dog that's convinced he's a cat. Not chronologically old, but he's been a grumpy old man since the day I met him.
Buster, age unknown to me (very young): Upstair's neighbor's new dog, probably about 35lbs, entirely black mixed breed, very sweet, a bit skittish.
Hmmm. That was a bit more extensive than I intended. Anyway, that's the background for what I'd wanted to write about, which is how the pet dynamics work in the household. Many homes have pets, but they're often a somewhat peripheral experience for visitors. With my place, that's the first major thing people notice (they can't help it -- they're usually bombarded with demands for attention from my very not-shy critters). And it's not possible to be the primary caretaker and affection-source for that many animals without it being a major, major part of my life, too. Practical factors for care are much more substantial, even with the extended household (which makes it all so much easier). When I'm not at home I miss them, and when I am at home, there's a real practical consideration to making sure everybody's getting attention and love in some reasonable proportion. None of this is a complaint; just an explanation of why they're a major part of my reality and therefore my conversation, because I'm often reminded that I am, in fact, the crazy cat lady. In fact, I enjoy it immensely, and tend to dognap Jax, Ditko, and Buster on a regular basis as well if Bec, Jer, and Crystal aren't home. (I'm sure it's a shock that St. Francis Day, the Blessing of the Animals, was my absolute favorite religious holiday, and that I intended to be a zoo vet or zookeeper when I was younger).
In general, I think of the critters as something akin to housemates, and this definitely isn't an "off the counters, off the couch" kind of house. In fact, I guess I'd say that my approach to pets is about as hippyish as my approach to households in general. They rarely have to do or not do much that isn't directly related to their health and safety, and it's actually quite uncommon for me to pick up the cats; they either want to be social, or they don't.
Anyway, one of the major results of the number of critters and me being the primary affection-source is that when I'm home I'm usually either covered in or surrounded by them. I love this, but it also means that it can be a bit trickier to get new animals comfortable, and particularly to get them comfortable with me. One of the things I've really noticed is that I don't get far with them while their person is still living here; the entire time Fatty lived here with Musicalchaos he wouldn't even come to my side of the living room, and would only associate with me when I was somehow miraculously temporarily free of the other critters. Same with Cat and Grafton. However, I generally have very good luck once they're on their own, and can finally get them acclimated to the other animals more effectively. Of course, being the source of tasty treats doesn't hurt in the least, either. With both Fatty and Cat (the two shyest new additions) I did a lot of "every time I see you I'll love on you until you decide you're done" stuff. For a while this meant they continued to hang out in their little corners, but they gradually started to come out and come visit more; first when the other critters were mostly elsewhere or asleep, and finally even when the others were around and on top of me (the normal situation). Fatty's come all the way through now, and spends a good chunk of each evening on my lap, and Cat's getting closer and closer, with active encouragement.
(Just wait 'til J goes abroad, and I'm petsitting her three cats, tarantula, turtle, and ferrett for three months!)
Huh. Well, this got all long and rambly and disjointed without actually saying all that much. Oh well. Phones are busy, I'm off to cope.
And now they're quiet for the moment. And I'm too sleepy to focus on anything, so I'm back to rambling. One of the best things about having so many animals in the house is watching them all interact with each other. It's the unending pet soap opera. I'm also highly entertained by how well the cats and dogs generally get along. And I'm constantly amazed and mystified by the very concept that we've created these connections with other species. The ability to connect and develop affection across that barrier never ceases to blow me away, maybe more rather than less as I learn more about the long-term evolutionary process of domestication.
Pookie, 15: my ball python, had her since summer after my sophomore year in college ('93). Doesn't interact much with the rest of the pets.
Morpheus, 14 (Morph): my first cat after leaving home. White with black patches. Arrived on my doorstep summer after junior year ('94) as a starving adolescent. Always been crazy and clumsy and weird, now old and going blind with no sense of smell and still crazy and clumsy and weird. And pushy. Lots of headbutting. Has recurrent skin problems that often make him especially scraggly. He's the "guest-cat", in that he immediately attaches himself to anyone who visits or moves in. Low on the totem pole with the other cats. He's also the cat who thinks it's a dog. Known to chase his tail, and when the dogs get too rough with each other, he zips out of his hiding spot, jumps between them and bats and hisses until they break it up. Used to chase Jax's tail and box at his face when Jax lived upstairs. This is especially funny because he's one of the only declawed cats in the house (he and Fatty Lumpkin both lived with my parents for periods of time, so they're declawed in front). Ticklish. Loves cheese above all else.
Mushroom, 13 or 14 (Fuzzbutt): second cat after leaving home, inherited from Rosie and Bill in '95. Brown tabby. Oddly, I really didn't much care for her when I first agreed to take her; she was so hyperactive and unsocial that I was wondering if I really wanted to live with her for the rest of her life. This is especially funny because she's the one I'm inseparable from these days. She's the source of a good deal of status jockeying in the house because she's so firmly claimed my head, shoulders, and chest (she usually sleeps on top of me like a Davey Crockett cap, or curled around my neck and shoulder). Has wonderfully thick, soft fur. She hisses a good game, but when it comes down to it, she hisses and runs away, she doesn't hiss and bring it on. Is slowing down a bit with age, but now that we've got her thyroid under control, seems to be doing quite well.
X, 9ish (Evil Bitch Kitty): inherited from
forestfire. See icon above. Extremely round, extremely bad-ass. Hisses a lot less than Shroom, but doesn't back down. Known to ambush the dogs for amusement. Demanding of attention, but less of a lapcat than any of the others. Stands near you and glares meaningfully until you pet her. Also rubs on the dogs like furniture, which tends to cause them to absolutely freeze in place until she's done with them (especially Jax, whose eyes start rolling like a spooked horse).Fatty Lumpkin, 10 or 11? (Fatty): inherited from
musicalchaos, also a tuxedo cat (I joke that the fact that five of our animals are black and white makes it easier to pass them off as fewer to unsuspecting landlords). Most oddly built Frankenstein-cat I've seen. Teeny, pointy little siamese head, giant jackrabbit hind legs. He's like a wedge. It took some work to get him to socialize with the rest of us when his person left, but now a very friendly and social lap-cat.Balder, 8 or 9? : indefinitely boarding from
zeldajean. Very friendly, very sweet, very fond of ambushing people for attention in the bathroom when they're trapped. Also has long-standing allergy problems that make him the snottiest cat I've ever met. Duck if he sounds like he's about to sneeze. Seriously.Cat, age unknown to me:
grf's cat, boarding with me for some indeterminate time period. By far the smallest of the cats, and also the only actual long-hair of the bunch (although nowhere near the worst shedder). The wildest of the cats, and the one with the least experience living with other critters. Very friendly with humans, learning to stand her ground with the other critters instead of skittering off.Leroy, 7 or 8 now, I think? : inherited from
cupcakecomplex, black and white pomeranian (although he's huge for a pom, he's barely bigger than most of my giant cats). Funny little crackhead of a dog who's grown on me immensely. Very much a household shit-starter. Very rough-and-tumble little dog. Literally an ankle-biter when he wants to wrestle with the big dogs; he'll wind between their legs and nip at their ankles until they play. Also very cuddly. Tarma, 2: From the APL, after we lost Harry. 60lb or so hound-heinz57 mix with beagle-ish coloring. Still very young, and it shows in her behaviour. Still the most excitable of the dogs, has trouble calming down once she's wound up. Absolute cuddle-hound, and convinced she's a lapdog.
Extended Household:
Jax, 8 or so: Shepherd-mix that
bec76 and I adopted in 2000 or 2001 when we were first roommates. Now her dog, lives downstairs. Definitely the alpha dog in the household, but very mellow and calm. Ditko, 6:
zodarzone's grey and white Shih-tzu. The dog that's convinced he's a cat. Not chronologically old, but he's been a grumpy old man since the day I met him.Buster, age unknown to me (very young): Upstair's neighbor's new dog, probably about 35lbs, entirely black mixed breed, very sweet, a bit skittish.
Hmmm. That was a bit more extensive than I intended. Anyway, that's the background for what I'd wanted to write about, which is how the pet dynamics work in the household. Many homes have pets, but they're often a somewhat peripheral experience for visitors. With my place, that's the first major thing people notice (they can't help it -- they're usually bombarded with demands for attention from my very not-shy critters). And it's not possible to be the primary caretaker and affection-source for that many animals without it being a major, major part of my life, too. Practical factors for care are much more substantial, even with the extended household (which makes it all so much easier). When I'm not at home I miss them, and when I am at home, there's a real practical consideration to making sure everybody's getting attention and love in some reasonable proportion. None of this is a complaint; just an explanation of why they're a major part of my reality and therefore my conversation, because I'm often reminded that I am, in fact, the crazy cat lady. In fact, I enjoy it immensely, and tend to dognap Jax, Ditko, and Buster on a regular basis as well if Bec, Jer, and Crystal aren't home. (I'm sure it's a shock that St. Francis Day, the Blessing of the Animals, was my absolute favorite religious holiday, and that I intended to be a zoo vet or zookeeper when I was younger).
In general, I think of the critters as something akin to housemates, and this definitely isn't an "off the counters, off the couch" kind of house. In fact, I guess I'd say that my approach to pets is about as hippyish as my approach to households in general. They rarely have to do or not do much that isn't directly related to their health and safety, and it's actually quite uncommon for me to pick up the cats; they either want to be social, or they don't.
Anyway, one of the major results of the number of critters and me being the primary affection-source is that when I'm home I'm usually either covered in or surrounded by them. I love this, but it also means that it can be a bit trickier to get new animals comfortable, and particularly to get them comfortable with me. One of the things I've really noticed is that I don't get far with them while their person is still living here; the entire time Fatty lived here with Musicalchaos he wouldn't even come to my side of the living room, and would only associate with me when I was somehow miraculously temporarily free of the other critters. Same with Cat and Grafton. However, I generally have very good luck once they're on their own, and can finally get them acclimated to the other animals more effectively. Of course, being the source of tasty treats doesn't hurt in the least, either. With both Fatty and Cat (the two shyest new additions) I did a lot of "every time I see you I'll love on you until you decide you're done" stuff. For a while this meant they continued to hang out in their little corners, but they gradually started to come out and come visit more; first when the other critters were mostly elsewhere or asleep, and finally even when the others were around and on top of me (the normal situation). Fatty's come all the way through now, and spends a good chunk of each evening on my lap, and Cat's getting closer and closer, with active encouragement.
(Just wait 'til J goes abroad, and I'm petsitting her three cats, tarantula, turtle, and ferrett for three months!)
Huh. Well, this got all long and rambly and disjointed without actually saying all that much. Oh well. Phones are busy, I'm off to cope.
And now they're quiet for the moment. And I'm too sleepy to focus on anything, so I'm back to rambling. One of the best things about having so many animals in the house is watching them all interact with each other. It's the unending pet soap opera. I'm also highly entertained by how well the cats and dogs generally get along. And I'm constantly amazed and mystified by the very concept that we've created these connections with other species. The ability to connect and develop affection across that barrier never ceases to blow me away, maybe more rather than less as I learn more about the long-term evolutionary process of domestication.
