ELS' CATS
Poeshkin is absolutely "over-active". He plays or sleeps. We refer to
him as: batteries full or batteries empty. He is very flexible, has the speed of
light and loves to play. Actually, the whole world is a toy for him. He plays a
lot with Bassie but can also entertain himself very well. And if he has no
toy/game he makes one up himself. No problem. His special trick is when he has
done something naughty he rolls over on his back, lifts up his front legs and
puts on his angelface. Generally, that's a sign for us that something is
wrong. He is a handful but... Oh so sweet!
Poeshkin 
Roosje
Roosje has two very nice hobbies. In summer, very proudly, she brings
home one earthworm after the other. Which, of course, makes me very happy!!
And she loves to join my husband in the Sauna! Poeshik has also taken up
the sauna habit, when he's in the mood. Els Topsis at
Els' Homepage
Poeshkin and Daddy
enjoying their sauna
CELESTE'S CATS
Shmoo is actually a very bright cat, even my scarred, cat-hating husband
admits it. She has a toy, called the "Cat Exerciser" which consists of a
many-tentacled rubber thingy attached to a boingy wire imbedded in a wooden
handle. Shmoo grabs the little rubber thingy and pushes it around in
circles. This enables her to chase the wooden handle. Who said cats
couldn't use tools?
Norm, who loves to drink out of the bathroom sink,
has actually taught me a trick. When I'm sitting on the commode, he will
jump on the sink, and in his cutest manner, lean his body, head first toward me
so that I can give him a kiss on his kitty cheek (he knows I love this).
He does it 3 times, no more, no less, and I immediately turn on the faucet for
him. I feel like Pavlov's dog.
Norm also, at 3 years old, still
falls asleep when I sing:
Go to sleep, little Norm
And dream a dream
Of mousies and cream.
Norm
plops on his side, closes his eyes, and from what I can tell enters his REM
cycle almost simultaneously. Thanks for the opportunity to brag about my
fur babies! Celeste Coit
JOANNA'S CATS
Koby is our small, three year old, chocolate brown, part siamese
cat. He's very intelligent, and seems to understand if someone is talking to or
about him. If you are talking about him, he'll prick his ears and look at you,
listening intently. That's not really what makes him unusual though. See, Koby
doesn't like a mess, as he's proved to us countless times. If clothes are ever
on the floor, or bed, and they aren't folded, he'll drag them to the main floor
and meow loudly until someone notices. What he does to bed covers is similiar.
If the bed isn't made, he'll tug at the covers while screaming (meowing) his
head off, until someone shoos him off and makes the bed. However, he'll never
touch clothes if they are neatly folded, and he'll never touch the covers if the
bed is made. He's also known to steal teddy bears, if they are on the floor.
What a neat freak!
One of our other cats is K-pax, who is almost a year old.
Our dog, Karma, was the one who found him. Or rather, he found her. He was under
our car when we let the dog out onto the front lawn for a moment. Suddenly, he
ran out from under the car and right to Karma! Being totally knowledgable of the
fact that if you startle a cat, it will wack you on the nose, she sat stock
still as the obviously starved, but rather brave little kitten (he was only
about two months at the time) sniffed and inspected her. My sister took a step
forward, and he ran back under the car. However, once we coaxed him with some
food, he came out and happily began to eat. Since then, after quite a few costly
vet-visits(he had a few conditions and was starving) he's regained health and is
extremely happy. He'll go up to anyone to beg for attention, even someone he's
never seen before, and it's very hard to startle him. He and Karma have a
special sort of bond, and she always defends him if something happens with one
of the other cats. They can often be seen cuddled together, sleeping soundly. I
guess he's found his true owner.
JEAN'S CAT
Teddy Bear, my ten year-old Himalayan cat, is a wonderful
traveler. As I drive, he watches the scenery from his raised cat seat, sometimes
retiring for a nap in his carrier. (Since we have a lot of traffic where we
live, he may be desensitized to traffic noise.) Unlike his nocturnal
feline ancestors, Teddy is not energized as night comes, but rather grows cranky
like a child. He repeats the same pattern of meows with increasing frequency and
urgency like a child mounting a tantrum. He may add to this a series of
plaintive meows followed by a licking of his lips to convey that he is starving.
Once his carrier enters the motel room, Teddy's loud purrs start. He
exits the carrier and immediately chooses his bed. Once, when the air
conditioning was turned up too high, he actually turned down the top sheet so
that he could get under it. Lying on his back with paws over the sheet, he
placed his head on the pillow! (Be assured that we only stay in pet-accepting
motels and that I vacuum before leaving.)
Departure is as pleasant as arrival. Once Teddy has determined by viewing
the progress of my packing that we are just about to leave, he simply packs
himself in the carrier.
It always amazes me how aware Teddy is of what I've put into the suitcase.
Once he greatly impressed a psychologist friend in whose apartment we were
staying. As he was retrieving his foam ball, he was suddenly unable to find a
thrown ball. He searched for about 10 minutes. He then purposefully walked
across the room to my tote bag and removed from it a bag of 3 replacement balls
which he carried to me in his mouth. Anyone who questions, "Can cats
think?" has not known my Teddy! Jean Ager
ERICA'S CAT
I have a cat who jumps through a hula hoop for a cat treat! You have
to see it to believe it! I started out training him slowly -- first I
would have him walk through the hula hoop for the cat treat, then slowly I
raised the height of the hoop. He is getting really good at it... He
doesn't even need a cat treat anymore -- he just loves attention and just LOVES
to show off. I've also been able to get him to jump onto a chair while
jumping through the hoop and vice versa! P.S. I have 4 cats -- the other 3
can't be bothered with circus tricks!! Erica Michaud
THE
LEE'S CAT
I taught my kitty Cyrano to touch my finger with his nose while standing on
his hind legs. No, I do not have a treat in my hand that he's jumping at! He has
been trained to "target" with clicker training. He loves it - during his
training sessions he purrs and purrs. The attached file has been captured using
a Logitech® Camera. Amy Lee
ZAHIDA'S CAT
Hello, My cat Nacho is really smart. He sits, begs, gives
high fives, shakes a paw, lays down, plays hockey (as goalie), although,
sometimes he scores on his own net! He also plays his own unique version of
squash, fetch and tag! Also, he turns off light switches on command and if he's
scratching something he shouldn't be and I say "Nacho soft paw" he automatically
retracks his claws. Right now I'm trying to potty train him, which will save me
the trouble of pooper scooping! He's also learning to wipe his feet after he's
been outside :) If my bedroom door is closed and he wants in, he rings the bell
I've attached to the door knob (by holding on to it and literally shaking it)
until I open the door. If the door is partially open, he will open it
himself by pulling at it from underneath. To top it all off he sleeps in the
bathtub, of his own free will. He will actually walk in to the
bathroom, jump in and make himself comfy! Despite all this, Nacho is a
really moody cat. If his wife (our other cat, Pepper) is getting any
attention at all and he spots this, he POUTS!! It is a very distinct
sitting position in which he sits low to the ground with a hunched back.
If he is not given attention immediately he storms off and snaps at everyone for
about an hour afterward!
I have recorded (on my video camera) many of the
above tricks and personality traits of my kitty, he's really quite amazing! He
learns tricks very rapidy; in fact, I'm beginning to run out of things to teach
him :) My other cat, Pepper, is not so much into tricks, she thinks she is a
princess and shouldn't have to work for treats (generally, she's right).
She is a big sweetie, who loves to cuddle and nuzzle. She does, however,
know how to sit, beg and she also has ways of waking everyone up in the morning,
when she wants company :) Zahida
LAURIE'S CAT
My kitten Josie is
obsessed with ballpoint pens. When I'm working, she brings me one. If I drop it,
she retrieves it. Obviously, she gets to have her own pen most of the time. She
carries them around in her mouth like a cigar. Josie is also the only "lap
kitten" I've ever met. Before we adopted her, I thought that phrase was an
oxymoron :) Laurie. P.S. I just taught Josie to beg
:)
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