Burning question of the day …

Why do cats have this freaky predilection for joining one in the bathroom whilst one is peeing? (By the way, do they ever jump up and play with a male human’s “stream” and oh no, not the equipment!) Is it the smell? A need to share a precious moment? I know toms will spray where another boy cat has been, and I think the big cats like to roll in places that have been marked or smell good (wildebeest mud wrap, anybody?), but this?

What’s the thing with domestic cats liking to watch me pee? All my past cats have done it; Abigail in particular always comes into the bathroom and is overtly affectionate, rubbing against my legs and asking for scritches, even rolling around on the floor – but she doesn’t seem attracted to the smell and is scared of the flush. It doesn’t matter when, or how often, I go, even if she is comfortably snuggled up asleep on the bed she has to join me. Even if I’ve had my morning dose of diuretics (for fluid retention) so I have to go about 6 times in a 2 hour period, she’ll come running for each happy event.

All my past cats have done this; other people’s cats do this to me; and I know of other cat-owners who report the same thing.

Could someone please explain this to me– I know there are biologists and Super-Googlers out there.

And what’s with the attraction of my breasts? Abigail doesn’t so much knead, as pummel – quite painfully at times. Surely my round D cups bear little resemblance to a mama cat’s teats? Is it because they’re nice and soft and squishy? Why the totally infantile – almost frantic – “must have boobies now!” behaviour? From a cat? A FEMALE cat? (and why does she mostly go bonkers for them when Tuxedo isn’t around?)

My cat is gay AND a nymphomaniac AND is into cross-species bestiality.

New cat

We seem to have been adopted.

Cats have always gravitated to me; I love cats, have always wanted a tribe of cats, even though our Abigail takes up enough room and attention for five felines. Yes I am a potential crazy cat lady, and given my history with cats, obviously wear a sign in Cat saying “good grub, lots of snuggles, 5-star accommodation”.

A gorgeous orange tabby has been hanging around our apartment complex for weeks, obviously a stray or lost as he’s been losing weight and getting what I call the “drum-kit look” – skin stretched across bone. He’s been neutered, and wears a flea collar so he’s been owned and taken care of that much in the past. I put up “Found” notices and checked the “Lost” notices at the local shops and community newspaper. No luck.

[Strays are, sadly, common in our area. We live close to a university where the accommodation is mostly rental, aimed at overseas students and academics. Tenants seem to move in, adopt a cat, and move out at the end of year/semester when the contract or course has concluded. 80% of the time they leave the cat behind. Perhaps it is wrong of the Cat Haven etc not to run more stringent checks on their adopting families, but their resources are low and over-stretched as it is; at least spaying and neutering is a condition of adoption.]

So Mr Orange Boy has squirmed his way into our hearts and home. Tuxedo is even more enchanted than I, although he would never-ever-ever admit this. Abigail was not thrilled at first but they are getting used to each other and the fighting/chasing has become more playful.

He is very pretty; the tabby markings are clearly defined, deep orange/red swirls and stripes on cream. He’sl ong and tall and slender, almost cheetah-like in profile – in contrast Abi looks like a tank. We’ve been feeding him up [according to vet advice] and you can no longer count each vertebrae by looking, the skin doesn’t cling to his shoulder blades, and his coat is softer, smoother and less flaky. At first he was nervy, frightened and skittish, but now has an infectious laid-back demeanour, is affectionate and purrs incredibly loudly and deeply if you so much as look at him.

I called him “Tigger” at first – being the most popular name for stripey orange domestic cats and also he seemed to respond to it. We consider Pixel to be a much more appropriate name, if he is to join a family of geeks. We still don’t really know what to do, whether to take him to the Cat Haven and hope he gets adopted … but I think Pixel has us well under control now. The situation is not of our choosing; we have our second cat whether we like it or not. He might change his mind when we take him to the Vee Ee Tee for his vaccinations and I pop worming pills down his throat.

… here kitty kitty ….