Life with Socks

Socks is cute

2008-08-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while - Socks has been healthy and happy, going through his usual routines of patrolling the perimeter, sleeping, eating, playing, and sleeping.

I was testing out a FlipCam for work and did a short video of Socks, so here 'tis.

Yukky medicine

2008-07-02T06:24:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since my last update on Socks. Life's continued pretty much in a regular pattern of sleep, play and general cuteness. I've got a video I shot that I hope to get up on YouTube eventually of Socks fascinated with a hockey game on tv, trying to catch the puck and the tiny hockey players on the screen.

We've had some excitement the past couple of weeks. Socks seemed to be really tired and "down in the dumps" for a few days, sleeping alot. It came to a climax when he hid behind the end table in my living room one evening and slept there the whole night and into the next morning. He was due for booster shots in a few weeks and I had set up something with the vet, but this seemed serious; I called and set up an appointment that day.

My friend Sean went with me and helped me get him into the carrier. Socks felt so bad that he didn't put up much of a struggle, but I was nervous about what might be going on.

Socks didn't like the vet. In the waiting room filled with kitties in carriers and dogs on leashes, he watched, wide eyed and attentive. He was also shedding, which I found out isn't unusual for cats that are frightened. They took him in eventually and examined him and he did well with all the temperature taking and probing. (Though he _really_ didn't like the fecal sample test.)

Turns out he was running a fever of about 103 and had some kind of infection, possibly from gingivitis. They gave him some fluids and antibiotics and he was noticeably improved just a few hours later and back to his old self in a day or two.

I had to give him antibiotics twice a day. He didn't care for it much and sulked a bit, but it had to be done. Of course, he got a little treat afterwards.

When I took him back, he had gained a bit of weight and seemed to be in good health. I have an appointment set to take him in tomorrow morning to get his teeth cleaned and take care of the gingivitis.

The teeth cleaning means another round of oral antibiotics, but this was a bit different. The vet described them as "yukky" and suggested chilling them in the fridge. Indeed, it must have been "yukky" - the first time I gave him a dose, he jumped out of my lap and went around the apartment wharfing like he was going to throw up and kept it up for a couple of hours. And he didn't want anything to do with me.

The past couple of days haven't been as bad. I've been able to give him the medicine and he'll sulk around for a few minutes and give me dirty looks before a treat and playing with the water in the sink makes everything better.

However, this morning, Socks intentionally or accidentally learned a little trick. When I squirted the "yukky" antibiotics in his mouth, he immediately spit them in my face and quickly jumped out of my lap.

I just sat there a moment with a face full of goo, amazed at what he'd done. The vet was right - this stuff is "yukky". I washed my face, got another dose and tried again. And, yes, he spit it in my face again.

Now, Socks is pissed and hiding in a corner. No more "yukky" meds for him today, I suppose.

On patrol

2008-04-04T08:39:00.000-07:00

I was sitting on my couch this morning, checking my email and trying to wake up enough to trudge to the shower so I could eventually trudge into work. Socks was doing his normal morning "thing", exploring around the furniture and electronics in the living room on his "morning patrol".

As usual, he stuck his head between my vertical blinds, looking out on the patio. I didn't really think anything of it until .... BANG! CRUNCH! BANG! CRUNCH!

Socks had become excited about something and bunched up the blinds, trying to climb up the glass patio door. His fur on his tail has expanded to about three times its normal size.

"Hmm," I thought, "I wonder what he's into."

I walked over the door and didn't see anything at first. It was still dark and dreary, the rain coming down. I wondered if he was seeing some kind of dripping water on the patio - he gets so excited when he sees water.

But, no, it was a stray cat on the patio, just walking by.

The cat walked around the corner and Socks immediately went on patrol to the bedroom to keep tabs on this suspicious character roaming around our neighborhood.

He seemed quite satisfied with himself all morning, this little keeper of law and order in my apartment.

Talking cat bowl?

2008-02-21T08:39:00.000-08:00

Buzzfeed has links to a new product for pets making the rounds on the Web - a pet food bowl that allows you to record your voice and plays it back when your pet goes for a snack.

Considering that Socks only seems to recognize two words - "Treat" and "No" - I'm not sure if this is something I'll be getting anytime soon...

Chatterbowl at Buzzfeed

Reasons Cats Are Like Boyfriends

2008-02-14T05:38:00.000-08:00

The other day I started thinking about how the similarities owning a cat has to relationships. Cats aren't exactly like some piece of furniture or glass bowl you get as a home decorating accessory - they have a life and personality of their own that has to mesh with your own. So, in celebration of Valentine's Day, I present my reasons that cats are like boyfriends.

-Very possessive of "his" toys.
-Takes your possessions and uses them in unexpected ways.
-Very good at hiding your stuff so you can't find it.
-Can be very territorial.
-Fascinated with mechanical things that move.
-Can run around and play in the house too much.
-Hard to get him to sit still for a good photo.
-Always tracking dirt in on the carpet.
-Cuteness hides his primitive interior.
-Can often act like a two-year-old.
-Innocent and childlike, but can be destructive if angered.
-Good at hiding when he's done something bad.
-Always has his feet up on the tables and furniture.
-Can somehow scratch up a nice table or ruin a good chair.
-Never helps out with the housework.
-Never fixes dinner, but always wants what you're eating.
-Prefers meat over vegetables.
-Prefers fast-moving objects on television.
-Usually goes to sleep during a romantic movie.
-Always leaves a mess and covers it up, knowing that you'll find it and clean it up later.
-Frequently wants to kiss at times when he has bad breath.
-Can sometimes produce unpleasant body odors.
-Can be very sensitive about hair loss.
-Often hyperactive and wants to play just when you want to go to sleep.
-Takes up most of the covers and pushes you out of bed as he sleeps.
-Somehow, he'll start out with his head in your lap, but wind up with his butt in your face.
-Can wind up living with you after needing to be rescued.
-Can have a mysterious past you know nothing about when he ends up in your home.
-Acts up when friends visit.
-If allowed to roam, can stay out all night, but usually winds up at your front door in the morning.
-Personal grooming only a priority when he wants it to be.
-Frequently sprawled out, adjusting his privates.
-Communicates in one or two word phrases.
-Shows frequent confusion about or disinterest in what you're saying.
-You never fully understand what he really wants.
-You really don't know what he does all day when you're at work.
-Spends most of the time sleeping on the couch or in a comfy chair.
-Easily distracted by shiny objects.
-Safest in a controlled, indoor environment.
-Periods of cuteness and cuddling make up for his faults.

Socks, Drug Fiend

2008-02-14T05:37:00.000-08:00

When I first welcomed Socks into my home, I bought a cardboard "scratchpad" for him to use. It came with a little Ziplock baggie containing leafy green stuff. At first, I thought a rather hip clerk at the store had slipped a little extra bonus inside the box, but it just turned out to be catnip.

I don't think anyone quite understands the appeal of catnip to our feline friends. It seems so simple - a leafy, slightly minty-smelling substance - but it causes cats to behave in strange ways. Or sometimes not.

That's the odd thing about catnip. Some cats seem to be hypersensitive to the stuff all the time - rolling around in kitty bliss, chewing and covering their furry bodies in the stuff while others sniff and rub on it a bit with no hint of being slightly interested. Some only show interest once in a while.

Socks seems to fall into the latter category. The first few times I put some catnip on his scratch pad, I swear he acted like he was tripping - rolling around on the floor, his eyes wide, just the slightest stimulation would provoke strange behavior.

One time, after he sniffed and rolled around in the stuff, he jumped up on my bed where I was sitting. He saw part of the flannel sheets exposed at the head of my bed and just stared at them, very slowly moving his paw over a folded part of the sheet, over and over again. I touched him on the side of the neck to rub him a bit and he jumped with a start, his eyes wide. Then, he went back to pawing very slowly, over and over again at the flannel sheets.

He must have done this for a good ten minutes, leaving me to wonder if he was seeing some pretty colors and patterns coming off the fold in the sheet. A few minutes later he was back to normal, exploring around the apartment and staking out his usual place at the window.

If only mind altering substances for humans were so simple ...

Socks watches "Entertainment Tonight"

2008-01-19T11:24:00.000-08:00

Here's a short video clip I just uploaded featuring Socks and his reactions to a report on "Entertainment Tonight" about Tom Cruise and Scientology.

Cats earning their keep

2007-12-21T09:36:00.000-08:00

The NY Times has a great story today about the owners of delis and other small shops that are using cats to keep rodents away. However, there's only one problem - they get fined by city inspectors if they keep them.

Some shop owners find exterminators fairly ineffective, creating noxious chemical smells in the establishment in the process. Ironically, the fines for finding rats or cats at an establishment are the same.

Cats have been used in homes, on farms and even in businesses to control rodents for many centuries; I imagine that may have been a factor in how the cat was domesticated.

If people can bring helper animals, like guide dogs, into a restaurant, why can't a cat earn his keep by getting rid of rodents?

Socks was once an indoor-outdoor cat and was a pretty good hunter from what I understand. If I wind up living in the country and not in my little hermetically sealed surburban apartment, Socks might wind up chasing some real mice instead of simulated rodents from the pet aisle of Walmart.

article at NY Times

Gifts for kitty

2007-12-19T12:11:00.001-08:00

With Christmas coming on, I've been thinking about what to get Socks (and/or myself) as a little holiday gift. I spent some time looking at PetSmart's website, but I'm not so sure about some of these things.

Race 'N Chase!
This looks like fun, but sounds like a torture device from kitty hell: Try as she might, your cat will never quite get the mouse that skips and spins out reach just as she thinks she's got it.

Cat Sitter DVD

Hmmm.... I wonder if I could make my own version of KittyTV with my hi-def video camera? I wonder if my cat would leave big splotches of kitty spit and claw marks on the screen?

Squirrel Catnip Toy by Cats With An Attitude

I guess this would be okay if you want your cat to chase after a faceless squirrel with no eyes, no nose and no mouth.

Come to think of it, won't Michael Jackson wind up like this if he has just one more plastic surgery?

PetSafe Cat Veranda

Nothing says love like ENCLOSING YOUR LOVED ONE IN A MESHED CAGE FROM WHICH THEY CAN NEVER ESCAPE!!!

Pawprints Memory Box

I'm not much of a sentimentalist, but I might be inclined to get something like this. I do wonder, however, if one can actually get the cat to stay still long enough to put his paw in a pool of wet goo.

Mini Safari Toy Mice for Cats

When your cat has a little too much catnip, he might have reason to be saying, "Ooo... Look at all the pretty colors..."

Or maybe these are a failed attempt to license kitty toys by the band Phish.

Whisker City® Cat Carrier

I don't care how much you try to disguise it, a carrier stills says "trip to the vet" for most cats.

Whirly Mouse Scratchy Pad Cat Toy

Is it just me, or does this look like a preschooler's toy from Hasbro?

Panic Mouse 360

This toy has a timer that will turn off the unit "from 15 minutes to 2 hours" - if your cat plays with this for two hours running, he's not just amused, he's obsessive-compulsive.

Christmas tree

2007-12-17T06:32:00.001-08:00

Last night, I set up a little four-foot Christmas tree in the living room. I've never put up one before, but something about having Socks around made me interested in getting one. I happened to pick up some really cheap glass Christmas ornaments at Old Navy last year in the Christmas aisle, so I had some stylish and colorful yuletide cheer to go with the lights already built into the tree.

Socks didn't seem to pay much attention to it - he sniffed it a bit, probably figuring out it was grown in a Walmart factory and not in somebody's front yard. He seemed more interested in how it would impact his viewing the outside world through my patio door than anything else.

But, after chilling out for the evening, basking in the glow coming from my little Christmas tree in the evening after it got dark, Socks hopped up on a table near the tree. He just stared at the tree, his eyes darting around the lights and ornaments, the bright points of light reflecting in his big eyes.

He didn't bother the tree - he just stared at it.

I'm sure he was thinking, "How can I climb up this thing when he's not here?"

I suppose I'll find out when I get home tonight...

I'm getting WET!

2007-12-17T06:31:00.001-08:00

One of the fun, peculiar things about Socks is how he's so fascinated with water.

We're in this little ritual most every morning. I get in the shower and Socks hops up on the side of the tub or sits on the floor just outside the tub, peeking through the side of the shower curtain to watch me take a shower.

Then, after the water is shut off and I'm drying off, Socks watches the water go down the drain. Sometimes, he jumps in the tub and paws at the remaining drops as the water creatures fade into the distance. Once in a while, when I'm in the bathroom, I'll just turn on the water in the tub for a few seconds so Socks can sit on the side of the tub and watch the water creatures for a couple of minutes. (Yes, I'm indulgent.)

Well, this morning, Socks had a little impulse to try something a little different.

I got in the shower as usual, turning on the water faucet to get it flowing and warm it up. Socks, of course, hopped up on the side of the tub, looking in.

Just as it was getting warm, Socks suddenly decided to jump _into_ the tub.

It didn't quite register with Socks what he had done. He just stood there a couple of seconds, then realized he was getting wet and started backing away from the water as it gathered in the tub.

Then, it suddenly dawned on him: "I'm getting WET!"

"ARGGHHHH!"

Socks began jumping, crawling, doing anything he could to get away from the water. After a few seconds of flailing paws and wet kitty legs, Socks jumped out of the tub and ran across the bathroom, sitting down near the sink.

I thought I'd die laughing - he just sat there with a look on his face like a little child that's fallen down and bruised his knee after trying to get in the cookie jar.

I went ahead and took my shower and Socks didn't offer to go near the tub when I turned off the water like he usually does.

After I dried off, I went over and rubbed him and consoled him for a couple of minutes, assuring him that everything was okay. He still looked like a kid whose pride was hurt more than anything.

He was back to himself after a few minutes, following me around the apartment as I got ready for work. I was still chuckling to myself at this cat that suddenly figured out what it means to get wet.

What does he do all day?

2007-12-05T10:20:00.001-08:00

Once you get a cat in your life, it's tough not to think of them once in a while. I'll be at work, sitting in my little cubicle and wondering what Socks might be up to. Is he playing with his toys? Watching the neighbors through the big window in the bedroom? Ordering pay per view movies on my Windows Media Center?

Usually when I get home, Socks is sacked out on the couch or the small chair in my living room. He greets me at the door, following me around and rubbing against my legs. I'll reach down and pet him a few minutes before checking out the litter box or changing out the water in his bowl.

I sometimes wonder what _he_ thinks I'm up to all day. One cat column I ran into noted that cats think humans are out hunting all day. If that's the case, they must think we're not very good at it - all we come home with are strange little yarn things with bells in them that are supposed to look like a mouse head and bits of food that smell vaguely like fish and chicken, but look like Cocoa Puffs.

On the weekends when I've been home, I've noticed how much Socks actually does sleep - one day, he spent most all day on the couch, curled up, dreaming of birds, mice or melted clock faces hanging on trees or whatever it is that cat's dream about. I suppose that the day can go by pretty quickly when your owner is away if you're just snoozing the whole time.

Toys!

2007-11-28T06:17:00.000-08:00

Well, Socks was one hyper little kitty last night. He really wanted to play.

After rough-housing a bit and sinking his sharp claws into my soft white flesh early in the evening, he went on to play with some of his other toys. The catnip mouse got a workout and was promptly lost (I found it behind the door this morning) and he even showed interest in the swirly ball, chasing it around for awhile. He must be playful if he's interested in the swirly ball - it's one of the most cute toys I bought and he looked at it as if it were something from Mars.

I also got him a "stretchy toy" as part of his basic play kit. It's made of a long stretchy band of soft cloth covered in what looks like leopard spots with feathers attached at one end and a loop on the other. For some reason, he just didn't seem
interested in it hanging on the door. Once in a while, he'd paw at it, stretching it out, then move on to something else.

I tried dangling it while sitting on the couch, but much the same thing happened - he'd just lie on his back, digging his claws into it and biting it, not really doing much. Then, I thought, maybe he'd chase after it. So, I started dragging it around the floor. Socks just looked at me like
I was nuts or something.

Then, something magical happened.

I dropped the stretchy toy on the floor to answer a phone call from a friend. Socks then found the true purpose of the stretchy toy - he stalked it like a snake, spending quite a while pouncing on it, tossing it around, then pouncing on it again.

Well, I suppose it does look like a snake swallowing a bird.

Sigh. I guess only Socks really knows how these toys are supposed to work.

Squeak toy meow

2007-11-26T06:22:00.000-08:00

It's been tough getting Socks off the couch today, even when I was offering a treat late in the evening. He just looked up for a few minutes, got up stretching, came for his treat and promptly went back to the couch.

After my friend Sean visited for a few minutes, Socks was a little more lively. He went around the apartment doing his "squeak toy" voice for awhile, which I translate to mean either "Let me go outside" or "Bring back the guy who was just rubbing me".

The meow that Socks has - if one can really call it a meow - has to be heard to be believed. He's a good sized boy of a cat that looks something like a little football player (if cats could play football), but always comes out with this tiny little "squeak" when he wants to express himself. Perhaps it's all the steroids.

Socks isn't very vocal. He can go through a whole day without saying much. He doesn't "beg" for food, treats or attention by meowing, but will just look up at you with a bit of longing and a quest for sympathy in his eyes. Once in a while, he'll wander around the apartment "squeaking" for no reason that I can figure out. If you pet him or talk to him, he just wanders around and squeaks some more. Perhaps he just wants to hear himself talk or maybe he's complaining about the general state of the kitty economy or the attitude of the Bush administration towards animals.

He spent pretty much all night on the bed curled up next to me and briefly did his squeaky voice this morning after I got up. Which, in this case, probably translated to "Hurry up and clean out my litter box, dammnit!" He sat in front of the sliding doors this morning watching me leave ... sigh... so sad with those big eyes...

Say 'hello' to Socks

2007-11-25T09:54:00.000-08:00

It's an unusual experience being the new owner of a cat. Or should I say "being newly owned _by_ a cat".

Socks is about three years old, a male mixed breed shorthair, formerly owned by my friend Scott. Scott lives out in the country and there's a colony of cats near a farm there that have been reproducing like rabbits.

After Scott took in one of the cats - a big, beautiful gray male he named 'Buddy' - it was inevitable he and his partner Sean would take more interest in general welfare of the cats in the neighborhood. Socks, so named because of his four white feet, was kept by Scott for awhile as an indoor-outdoor cat.

When I'd go over to visit Scott, I seemed to get along with Socks really well. After being a bit shy the first time or so I saw him, he'd be more than willing to jump up in my lap for a bit of rubbing. Finally, Scott and Sean talked me into giving him a home in my one-bedroom apartment.

I have to admit that I was reluctant. I grew up with cats up in the mountains, but my mom never wanted one in the house - she comes from an old German family that insists on everything being spotless, so a kitty litter box, paw prints, and the possibility of scratched furniture wasn't an option.

I had thought about a cat before. Buddy seemed to be good company for Scott and my friend Stuart, who used to live in Greensboro, had a wonderful cat for several years that was his constant companion. But those guys lived in a house - I really wondered if a cat would be bored or feel confined in my tiny little apartment.

Sean and I talked and he planned to bring Socks to his new home on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I thought that would give me a couple of days actually around the apartment to see how Socks would react and if he would like his new home.

Before the grand day, Sean and I went to the local Walmart, purchasing all of the paraphernalia needed to keep my new companion happy - litter box, litter, food and water bowls, scratching pad, toys, cat food, and treats. I almost felt like I was shopping for a new baby. Of course, this baby didn't need diaper changes and had sharper claws.

On the big day, Sean brought him over in his carrier and let him out. He got out, cautiously looking around the place, going from room to room, his tail held low. After a few minutes, he was gone.

Sean and I looked all over the place. He had gone into the kitchen, but where?

We looked in cabinets, next to the fridge, but couldn't find him anywhere. Then, Sean found it - on the floor, underneath my kitchen cabinets was a hole left by some carpenters, that exposed the space in the corner between two sets of cabinets. Yep, Socks was there, discovering a brand new place to hide I didn't even know about.

After a few minutes, he came out and started eating, then continued his tour around the place, checking out his litter box and taking a keen interest in that big comfy couch.

He seemed to be fine and Sean left us alone. He settled down on the couch next to me purring, seemingly feeling okay with this strange guy with all this odd electronics stuff, records and dvd's all over the place.

That night, I got into bed and Socks curled up beside me. Maybe he would be fine afterall.