There are two cats in residence here: Boo, who came to stay after Matt's grandmother passed [she was her cat]
and Sari.
Boo is special. Oh, I know, all cats are special but Boo is special in the way you describe someone who has special needs...Matt says he's going to get her a helmet. She is, in a phrase, not too bright. And as far as motivation goes? Zip. She has a place all staked out on top of the dog's crate and that is where she stays unless she journeys down to the basement where her cat-box is__oh, and to go on safari by walking the duct-work and make it sound like a thunderstorm is brewing in the basement rafters. This is usually at 3 am. Anyway, while she camps on the dog crate she needs a scratching post [even those challenged in the brain pan need one] so she was using the wall. I tried many different things on the wall but the only thing she would accept instead was a piece of cardboard. Ok. Simple enough. It's not pretty but this house is not house beautiful with all the constant work going on so no big deal. A couple of days ago I replaced, or rather covered the current shredded cardboard with an empty cereal box. Corn Pops. Classy. I made a big deal about how she was getting Pop Art for her wall. I got a vacant stare from her.
Sari, the tortoiseshell terror, on the other hand was not happy about it. She feels that all things in this house are hers__well, except Boo who she would gladly dispatch if she thought she could get away with it. She went on a minor Genghis rampage to show her displeasure and tore up the office in revolt.
Meanwhile, Boo discovered her pop art has a slightly more slickery surface to it than the old cardboard and her claws just slide right off. This has caused some consternation. She scratches__pauses__meows__scratches__well, you get the picture.
Sari finds this fascinating. As does the beagle. They watch it as theatre. Cat Kabuki.
We are awaiting the arrival of my yoga mat from Amazon for a cardboard transplant.
Even I can see how corrugated cardboard would be preferable. Perhaps you should compromise and nail a full box of cereal to the wall.
ReplyDeleteMew and Ladybug shred pine boards which I lean up against door frames (otherwise they'd shred the frame).
ReplyDeleteI think there might be actual armed insurrection if I gave her real wood...not to mention that she might knock herself in the head with it. There really isn't a delicate way of describing her inability to cogitate.
ReplyDeleteShe knocked one piece of cardboard over and was lying underneath it mewling pitifully when I found her. It was about 15 x 25 inches rectangular in shape and not very heavy but there she was like a squashed bug.
ReplyDelete*giggles uncontrollably at the image*
Delete.... poor Boo ...
She's sweet but soooo vacant.
DeleteI've taken to taping it to the wall.
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ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, my cats use the furniture for scratching posts. I did cover one of my dining chairs in microfiber, because the woman at the fabric store said a lot of people have mentioned cats don't like scratching it. So far so good. I'm covering another one.
ReplyDeleteHmm... microfiber [looks at Sari the shredder]
DeleteIt's the suede-looking microfiber, and they like to sit on it, so it's covered in fur but so far, they haven't scratched it.
DeleteMy cat shreds the shit out of a chair I have.
ReplyDeleteCaro wants to train her cat, Zeus, to use the toilet. I think I want to train mine to shred all the old paper around here in lieu of a mechanical shredder.
DeleteI wish I could plus your comment Goldie.
Delete+
Delete:)
Poor Boo! How old is she? She is still feeling the loos of her original owner me thinks.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how old she is. I would venture a guess that she is around 5 or 6. We've had her for a couple of years now. Before she came here she was passed around to other relatives who tried to get her to adapt to their homes and could not. She does not like other animals and she is very shy. She requires all her own equipment...no sharing of boxes, bowls, toys or bedding and space so here she at least has that.
DeleteI should clarify that__she does have to share the house with Mattie and Sari but they all have their own spots. Boo has the top of the crate and the basement. Mattie has the living room and her crate which is HERS, ty very much!, and Sari has the office with a kid gate across the door to keep the dog out. No one shares very well. I see Miki post pics of her cats sharing a bed and its so cute and the thought of Boo and Sari doing that just makes me laugh.
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