Living and Learning

Adding new family members is never without some sort of headache in some regard. With dogs, it's usually working on building up a routine, working on set backs, and maintaining firm consistency when the dog throws you a random curve ball. With Gideon being a cat, it's of course a bit different, but we're working through it nonetheless.

For starters, we'll discuss what's going well and better than anticipated.

• Gideon and the Dogs. I knew Ahri and Gideon would be pals, but I'm pleased with my greyhound's ambivalent reactions towards him and their patience as he enjoys pouncing and nomming on their tails and feet if given the chance. Ferguson has even taken a liking to him and tried to play briefly, though they will still need to figure each other out in time. The greyhounds are consistently muzzled around Gideon, however, just for safety's sake. I only worry about them behaving normally and snapping at him in annoyance and catching him. They are used to wearing their muzzles whenever unsupervised, however, and whenever outside together, so they don't seem to mind too much, as awkward as they look to bystanders. 
• Gideon's Eating Habits. I love that he is usually open to eating anything I offer and is not opposed to raw food. This morning he ate a whole 1.5 oz of whole ground chicken for breakfast, and will receive canned for lunch today per his timed feeder. He also eats sardines (though doesn't love them) and egg yolks (though also doesn't love them), whenever he is hungry. Goats milk is another favorite, and one I appreciate since it's and easy snack that doesn't instantly go bad. 
• Gideon's Collar Wearing. I was worried at first, as the two collars I'd purchased very cheaply for him were both too big and distracted him to where he hated wearing them. On a last whim, I decided to try a different style that could be much more adjusted to his tiny neck size, but is elastic for safety should it catch on anything. It's orange, so not my favorite color, but I'm pleased with how he is not bothered by it at all! He's been wearing it for days now with no issue. I'm glad he is happily wearing a collar and makes me feel better in case he should somehow accidentally get out. We will be microchipping him when he gets neutered at around 6 months of age. 
• Gideon's Affection. He sure knows how to make you feel loved. He always comes to greet me at the door and seeks out my lap whenever he gets sleepy and I'm around. Even though he is still a crazy little baby tiger like all kittens are, I swear that I can see his docile, affectionate nature beneath the kitten instinct and playful energy. When he's been all played out, he wants nothing more than to be with you. 
• Gideon's Grooming. He loves to be brushed, though right now I don't get much fluff off of him, regardless of what type of brush or comb I use. I do it every day or every other day, and it doesn't seem to matter much; I think he just doesn't have enough fur yet! He also tolerates his nails being trimmed, particularly if he is sleepy (which is good enough for me). 

Then there are a few things that are more challenging than I anticipated. 

• The litter box. Gideon's habits have been great and we've had no accidents. However, I am detesting the Precious Cat litter we're currently using and have another 25lbs of to get through. It is clay based, and while it does a good job of being favorable to the cat and covering any noticeable odor, I'm annoyed with how much waste sticks to the bottom of the tray to where it really takes some muscle to work out, which in turn breaks the clumps and makes the job that much more messy -_-. I'm planning on switching to Oko cat, a natural alternative, the first chance we get in hopes that it works a bit better like the reviews say. Additionally, due to Gideon attempting to use a storage basket for a litter box last night (he didn't, but it was close), I've relented and decided we will need a box on both floors of the house, just as everyone told me we would. Tonight, Arik and I will be going over litter box options AGAIN, and will see about getting one in the next few weeks. I don't think I can trust Gideon out unsupervised without a second box. 
• Gideon's meows. I'm hoping this decreases a bit with age and as Gideon gets more freedom in his life, but for now, his meowing is something to get used to. He doesn't do it A TON, and is generally quiet when he is content. However, if he wants something, he is persistent in telling you all about it.  Since we ignore him, I'm also hoping the behavior will extinguish itself in time, at least a bit more than what is going on now. 
• Gideon's energy. I've of course heard about kittens being little tigers, but imagined I'd be able to exhaust him with a bit of effort. While I can do this, it's not nearly as black and white as I imagined. I can spend HOURS getting him to play and he still doesn't exactly ever "crash" the way I thought he would. He also has remarkable recovery time. They don't call them "cat naps" without reason. He is good to go after a 20 minute power nap, and we're almost back to square one. I feel like this is even more noticeable because we've essentially conditioned him to sleep during the day, and also most of the night. I guess it's only natural that he's active when we're home, but it's certainly a lot more than I was anticipating. I've read that kittens are most energetic at 3-4 months, and that it steadily decreases in time after that. I am looking forward to this becoming more of a thing. I love playing with him and do designate 30-90 minutes a day to it, but it would be nice if this reliably did the trick for him in the future to be easier to predict. 

Gideon, sporting his collar while exploring the herb garden.

Every day is an adventure and a learning experience. It's exhausting much more than I thought, but I also know to savor it, as he'll only be this small and cute for a short period of time! 

Gideon and his Ahri-Bear

Ever since we first introduced Gideon to our home, he and our 1 year old pyr mix have been very drawn to one another. It may be in large part because of her large plumage of a tail that he so longs to pounce on, but Ahri, being a "livestock guardian" type of dog, is always enamored by other animals and wants nothing more than to befriend them. Being around 90lbs and still a lot of puppy, it's taken a lot of self control on her part to figure out how to interact with Gideon without being too overwhelming.  She's learned quickly she can't play chase with him or paw at him like he does to her, but we've recently had some breakthroughs as they're finally figuring out how to interact and play despite the language and size barriers, as illustrated in the video!

As the video also shows, our greyhounds are still not super sure or keen on Gideon, though they are both older and have no qualms with him so long as they can sleep undisturbed (one of the main reasons Gideon must still be confined to his safe-room when we aren't home, as there is no guaranteeing he'd agree to this type of bargain!). We expected this to be the case though, so we hope that he and Ahri can provide each other with more than enough entertainment.

So far so good!

Prison Break

Last night, after FINALLY securing some sort of wall mounted cat-scaling system, Gideon was released from his bedroom suite prison and got to explore the rest of the house. He had a 15 minute head start while I took the three dogs for a walk so he could explore uninhibited and figure out some basic escape routes if need be, but fortunately they were not.

He'd already met Ahri and was drawn to her right away, seeing her as a friend. Ferguson (our eldest male greyhound), paid him absolutely no mind, just as they've been doing the whole time beyond Gideon's paw tapping on his legs. He simply laid on his bed and took a nap, ignoring the kittens enthusiastic exploration (which I think was good!). Because Winry can't do stairs right now, this was her first exposure to the kitten, so she was pretty interested. That said, she didn't whine and let him approach and paw at her feet; I think they'll be just fine as well with a few more repetitions and on-leash work.

The rest of his time was spent checking out every nook and cranny, running around like a maniac. He was so pleased to be free! But he also didn't object when he was re-confined to his room an hour later (we'll see how long that lasts!). This evening he should get about two to three times as long out and about, so we will see how he does!

My plan this evening is to bring up my ex-pen and line the balcony with it to help prevent any accidental falls as he becomes more comfortable with the space around him and dares to try new things. Additionally, I'll be rubbing vinegar on the outside of our cables within reach to him. He's not been a huge chewer, and should have many way more interesting things available to him, but certainly better safe than sorry.

More pictures to come soon!

Gideon, Week One

Gideon is over all, a pretty neat little guy so far. I've found that I like him even more than I thought I would. He is very people-living, confident, easy-going, and sweet.

That said, the past week has been exhausting. It's been especially challenging to be sure we are catering to both Gideon's needs, and our three dogs during week days when we are gone from 8-4:30. Gideon has been taking it well and is not a complainer, but as we've been conditioning him to sleep during the day, he's become less of a good sleeper at night despite us trying to play with him as much and as hard as possible 3-4 times a day, sometimes for an hour at a time. He doesn't seem to mind being on his own too much, fortunately.

He's also been a decent eater and is happy eating the variety of foods I prepare for him. Our ultimate plan in the future is to have him on more or less 100% raw food, but we have around 40 cans of cat food to use up between craigslist bargains and the breeder, so we're working on those first. We'll keep the cans and will use them as meal portions and keep them frozen, thawing a few at a time. In the meantime, he enjoys most any type of food, from dry treats to cubed raw chicken breast, and is doing great on all of them. I think he also enjoys the variety!

Gideon is also a champion at using his box. One of the more endearing things about him is how he likes to sing a song while he poos; the noises he makes (very quiet mews and quiet mumbled chirping) are particularly cute.

So far, he has met our dogs through a baby gate in his doorway and has gradually become more and more accustomed to where he initiates games with them. Our pyr mix LOVES this; she play bows, and he responds by sprinting a lap around the room before coming back to her and tapping her paw again to re-start the cycle. He tries the same game with our male greyhound, but he totally ignores him and just takes naps by the gate (probably just because I'm there and he wants to be near me). Gideon also enjoys showing off in front of the dogs, pouncing and leaping after his wand toys with an audience, as well as grooming their feet if they are in reach. We're hoping by this weekend, they can finally meet with the barrier lifted (so Gideon can retreat to his room by fitting under the gate, but no dogs can follow).

Once he can be fully integrated into the household, he'll only need to be confined when unsupervised, so we hope anyway. I imagine he might become a bit more complainy to be confined once he's tasted the freedom of the house and finally gotten to play with Ahri like they've both been eager to.   But I'm awfully excited to not need to cater to our zoo so separately as well and would like to be able to spend time with all my animals at the same time without feeling the need to compromise as much!

He Comes Home Tomorrow!

Gideon isn't even here yet, and the planning for his arrival has been almost overwhelming. As an animal nerd and trainer of dogs, I've spent the last several months researching all I can about cats in eager anticipation, as well as preparation to ensure everything goes smoothly. Despite having worked with rescues, boarding cats, and feline veterinary patients for years, I was surprise to learn how very little I knew, or most people really, seem to know and understand about house cats in general. I think my favorite book might have been Think Like a Cat by Pam Johnson-Bennett, but I may have also become a fan-girl of Jackson Galaxy along the way ^_^.

One of the more interesting aspects of my research in trying to find the best ways to raise a happy, well-adjusted feline is how little control you have over making any cat do what you want. It seems like the most you can accomplish is usually achieved by manipulating the cat's environment and being really good at playing with them so they are relaxed and don't have enough energy to bother doing anything too mischievous, and making food a significant resource. This will be a really unique challenge to me as I am so used to working with dogs, an animal that naturally cares to appease me to be included as a member of the group. For any issues that arise, a firm word or non-verbal cue that I might heavily rely on thus far in my existence and daily ritual with my dogs will mean little to nothing to the cat.

Still, we'll be moving forward! There were many different colors to choose from, but it was far more important to us to have a good match and pleasant to live with feline rather than a very pretty one. We specifically asked the breeder for her most "chill" and go-with-the-flow kitten in hopes that he'll be most agreeable with all our very low key dogs and be more forgiving to us as new cat owners finding their way. Her response was saying hands down, a red male classic tabby, also the mother cat's favorite of the litter.

We were able to go visit Gideon (Arik picked the name, and for a ginger cat, I feel like it's pretty well suited!) when he was 7 weeks old, and found what the breeder said to be pretty accurate. While his sisters rushed doors and attacked Arik's shoe laces, Gideon remained pretty content and less busy, though not seeming at all shy. Just chill.

Gideon is 10 weeks old today and comes home tomorrow! The guest room is all set up for him as his base-camp, and we'll have all weekend to help get him adjusted, as well as tag-teaming to keep the dogs well exercised and mellow while our attentions might be directed elsewhere ;). We'll see how he does, and if all goes well, will start very gradual introductions with each individual dog after a few days.

It's been a long six months. We can't wait to bring him home :).

Look at those paws!

Why A Siberian Cat?

My husband, Arik, is deathly allergic to cats. We couldn't even visit friend's home who had cats. He couldn't go with me to take our dogs to the vet because of cats. He takes daily allergy medication, and even so, coming into contact with a cat can put him down for days of misery. I'm like this with horses (I once had a pair of jeans I wore when riding, and continued having allergic reactions until those pants were washed), so I empathize with his pain and suffering.

I'm an animal lover and spend most of my free time doing animal stuff (fostering/training dogs, writing pet blogs, etc.), and worked in vet offices for years. I've always wanted a cat despite primarily working and associating with dogs, though since marrying my husband, I'd put it out of my mind. But last year, we had a sudden realization that our greyhounds were not immortal as one was diagnosed with a rare cystic issue in her joints while relatively young. As we come to an age where kids are likely in the next few years, I balked at the idea of adopting another dog; being the dog-perfectionist that I am, I wanted to be sure I had all the time and dedication I wanted to train even the mellowest of dogs, and while we're at it, long-term cost is a bit of an issue with uncertainties in the air. However, we didn't want our one year old Pyrenees mix, Ahri, to be on her own at home, so gave cats a second look, thinking that might be a great compromise. Ahri adores other animals, true to her breed, and is extremely gentle and affectionate with all of them. It wouldn't have to be another dog to give her the same company my greyhounds offer her when we're not at home.

We stumbled upon the Siberian breed: a type of cat that is naturally hypoallergenic? A cat that contains less F1 fel protein in their saliva to make people less allergic? It sounds too good to be true, but we thought maybe we would give it a shot and at least look into these claims. There was a very responsible breeder (which is admittedly a term I'm not too familiar with) just 20 minutes away, so we arranged an appointment to meet ALL of her home - kept cats (12). My husband took his regular meds, and we went.

He didn't die. He had cats climbing all over him. He held them. They licked his face and rubbed their cheeks on him. He fortunately loved them right back and reciprocated their attention. It's worth noting that he DID get a slightly runny nose and sneezed a few times. But his eyes didn't swell up, he didn't break out into hives, and he didn't cough or have his throat start to tighten. And, he was totally normal within 20 minutes of us leaving. W decided to give it a go and put our name on the breeder's very long waiting list. 

BUT. For those interested in Siberians: understand, it's possible they may still trigger an allergy. It might just be less intense and more livable than other cats for SOME people, my husband included. And, understand that these guys are getting popular. Don't get scammed by someone claiming unrealistic scenarios. Be sure to meet the parent cats and test your allergy on them first to be sure their claims are true. Expect to still clean a lot. Teach the kitten to accept being bathed to keep down allergens. Get a high end heppa filter. And, above all, be sure a Siberian is really your only option. These guys can cost more than $1,000. I promise you, if I thought it were viable, I'd long ago have saved a cat or two from the shelter. Even now, I will be making annual donations and volunteering my time to help homeless cats get homes. There are way too many unnecessarily killed. 

But if it's between getting a Siberian and having no cat at all, we're going the Siberian route: cue Gideon!