# Invite to Cat People!



## Debby (Nov 27, 2014)

For something a little lighter (than my last thread!), I just have to share with other 'cat people', that I just love my cat!  He is so cool and so fine!  He's laying on my lap with his paw on the top of my hand and helping me type this right now.

We never planned on getting a cat, already had two dogs, but summer of 2013 somebody must have dumped him out in the country and by Christmas he was so starved and developing an illness that we were finally aware that he was living under our ground level wooden deck.  I guess it was the only shelter he could find from the snowdrifts everywhere.  

Although he'd eluded any efforts to connect through the summer and fall, I was finally able to reach into the hole where he'd taken shelter and drag him out.  Instead of tearing my hand to pieces (who needs gloves to grab strange cats right?)he started purring like he'd been waiting for this moment.  He was literally skin and bones, weighing in at 5.5 lbs.  

Starting out in our garage (my husband said emphatically and repeatedly, "He's an outdoor cat!  Not coming in the house") he's now our house/barn cat which means he spends the day in the house with us and in the evening I take him out to the barn for his last feed)  He's weighs about 12 pounds now and is beautiful and so gentle and his greatest joy in life is any kind of lovin' from us! Ziggy is named after another cat we had who was pure white and had one blue eye and one golden eye and we named him after David Bowies 'alter ego' Ziggy Stardust. 

So folks, cat people, if you have a photo of your special friend, share it, because I'd love to see who shares your house!


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 27, 2014)

Thanks for sharing that nice story about Ziggy, Debby!   It's wonderful that you helped him and gave him a loving home...and it's an extra plus when they're purrers.  My cat is somewhere between ten and thirteen pounds, his weight seems to vary.  He looks fat when he's sitting, which he does all the time, but his fur is super thick.

We got our cat as a kitten a couple of years ago.  It was a decade since we had a cat in the house, but my husband saw a Manx ad in the paper in Wyoming, and before we knew it I was out shopping for scratching post, litter box, carrier and all the other goodies to welcome our new family member, and were taking a looong drive to get him.  Our 10 yr. old dog Hans was never around cats, so we didn't know what to expect.

Loki is a purr machine, started the day I brought him home and settled him in the bathroom for security.  Now, he purrs me to sleep each night, and often turns it into a trill if I start petting him.  He often puts him 'arm' around my neck at night.  If I just look at him, talk to him or pick him up, the motor starts.

He's not a lap cat, but he's very dog-like, and follows me from room to room, and rests somewhere nearby.  The picture is him on the love seat we have, he's watching me on the computer.  He's good buddies with the dog, they travel together with us when camping, hang out and explore together, and sometimes sleep together.


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 27, 2014)

Debby said:


> Starting out in our garage (my husband said emphatically and repeatedly, "He's an outdoor cat!  Not coming in the house") he's now our house/barn cat which means he spends the day in the house with us and in the evening I take him out to the barn for his last feed)



Your hubby must know the stray cat rules:



*Strict, Unbending Rules for Dealing with Stray Cats
*

1. Stray cats will not be fed.

2. Stray cats will not be fed anything, except dry cat food.

3. Stray cats will not be fed anything, except dry cat food moistened with
a little milk.

4. Stray cats will not be fed anything, except dry cat food moistened with
warm milk, yummy treats and leftover fish scraps.

5. Stray cats will not be encouraged to make this house their permanent
residence.

6. Stray cats will not be petted, played with, picked up and cuddled
unnecessarily.

7. Stray cats that are petted, played with, picked up and cuddled will
absolutely not be given a name.

8. Stray cats with or without a name, will not be allowed inside the house
at any time.

9. Stray cats will not be allowed inside the house, except at certain
times.

10. Stray cats will not be allowed inside the house, except on days ending
in “y”.

11. Stray cats allowed inside, will not be permitted to jump up on or
sharpen their claws on the furniture.

12. Stray cats will not be permitted to, jump up on or sharpen claws on the
really good furniture.

13. Stray cats will be permitted on all furniture, but must sharpen claws
on new .99 sisal-rope cat-scratching post with three perches.

14. Stray cats will answer the call of nature outdoors in the sand.

15. Stray cats will answer the call of nature in the three-piece,
high-impact plastic tray filled with Fresh’n'Sweet kitty litter.

16. Stray cats will answer the call of nature in the hooded litter pan,
with a three-panel privacy screen and plenty of head room.

17. Stray cats will sleep outside.

18. Stray cats will sleep in the garage.

19. Stray cats will sleep in the house.

20. Stray cats will sleep in a cardboard box lined with an old blanket.

21. Stray cats will sleep in the special Kitty-Komfort-Bed with
non-allergenic lambs wool pillow.

22. Stray cats will not be allowed to sleep in our bed.

23. Stray cats will not be allowed to sleep in our bed, except at the foot.

24. Stray cats will not be allowed to sleep in our bed under the covers.

25. Stray cats will not be allowed to sleep in our bed under the covers,
except at the foot.

26. Stray cats will not play on the desk.

27. Stray cats will not play on the desk, near the computer.

28. Stray cats are forbidden to walk on the computer keyboard on the desk,
when the human is asdfjjhhkl;ljfd.;oier’puyykmm4hb USING IT.


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## oakapple (Nov 27, 2014)

Debby, lovely story and photo's of Ziggy.
Seabreeze, the same for Loki ! Both look like lovely and interesting cats. The 'rules' are a hoot.


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## GeorgiaXplant (Nov 27, 2014)

I love my kitty, too, and couldn't do without him! Debby, your story is so sweet. And SeaBreeze, Wyoming? A long-distance cat? Or do/did you live nearby? Tucker, my tuxedo cat (he always wears his best bib and tucker), was a shelter cat. We went there in search of a perfectly good cat and found one! My only requirement was that the perfectly good cat had to be one that "draped" well...like the cat in the Snoopy cartoon. Tucker drapes well. He also purrs well, and he sits by my side with his "arm" on my stomach. He's also good at helping me on the keyboard...

SB, those are great, hard and fast rules for strays, be they dogs or cats. LOL


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 27, 2014)

We drove from Colorado in winter, so it was longer than I cared for...but well worth it in the end Georgia.


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## oldman (Nov 27, 2014)

My Master!


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 27, 2014)

I'd have no problem serving that master Oldman!


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## jujube (Nov 27, 2014)

Speaking of cats and computers....  My daughter has four Siamese, two of which do.not.approve of anything being on a shelf, table, mantle, etc.   They'll just casually stroll by and knock it off.   So, in the middle of the night a couple of years ago, they awoke to a crash from the office.  On going into the office, they saw a computer monitor and keyboard lying on the floor, with two cats sitting calmly on the desk washing themselves.  Who us? Push the monitor off the table? Wasn't us....must have been an earthquake or something....    Little s**ts...


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## Debby (Nov 27, 2014)

Oh my goodness, such a lovely bunch of kitties so far.  And Seabreeze, your Loki sounds just like my Zig in a couple ways.  I always have to watch where I step when I come out of the bathroom (because Ziggy is there right where cats 'belong', underfoot) because he follows me around too and the 'arms' around the neck, well that just melts me.  

Tucker must be such a good assistant when you are doing research on your computer Georgia.  Or maybe he just likes your 'mouse'

Oldman, is your cat's name Chelsea?  She's a beautiful cat!  Is she very friendly or is there a reason why you referred to her as 'your master'?

I've always loved the oriental cat with their long, chiselled heads and Siamese are so cool.  Jujube are your daughter's cats as vocal as the Siamese that I've heard in the past?  If so, four of them must be quite something to listen to.


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## Davey Jones (Nov 27, 2014)

I dont care that much for dog but if some of my friends own one I play and have fun with them.
Ive always been a cat person simply because of their cleaness.
Right now I have 3 indoor and 1 outdoor cats.
Fleas have hardly ever been a problem with me,the pill I shove down their throats every 6 months has work wonders.


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## Debby (Nov 27, 2014)

Davey Jones said:


> I dont care that much for dog but if some of my friends own one I play and have fun with them.
> Ive always been a cat person simply because of their cleaness.
> Right now I have 3 indoor and 1 outdoor cats.
> Fleas have hardly ever been a problem with me,the pill I shove down their throats every 6 months has work wonders.




Cleaness - you are right on that Davey.  I have two little dogs that don't go out running in the mud and three days after a bath, you can smell dogginess starting.  But my cat never smells!


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## Melody1948 (Nov 27, 2014)

Beautiful cats....I love them all...


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## QuickSilver (Nov 27, 2014)

Here's my crew..

Clockwise from Belle, the Calico on the top..   Carl,  Jack and Mitzi


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 27, 2014)

Sweet crew there!


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## Debby (Nov 27, 2014)

QuickSilver said:


> Here's my crew..View attachment 11460
> 
> Clockwise from Belle, the Calico on the top..   Carl,  Jack and Mitzi




Bunch of lovely kitties.  I like Belles colours.  So pretty!

That's the one thing about black cats, it's almost impossible to get a good picture.  It usually looks like a black silhouette with two golden eyes staring at you.


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## Laurie (Nov 28, 2014)

"My daughter has four Siamese,"

Four?  My God! We  only had two, a brother and sister, and our lives were pretty full!

One Sunday my wife saw Am Bis, the boy, with a large brown something on the lawn.

On investigation it proved to be a large fully cooked, piping hot, sirloin of beef!  Somebody was missing a Sunday Roast.

She took it indoors, cut it in half and shared it between the two of them.

We then drew the curtains and sat all afternoon dreading a ring at the front door!

We never even heard any sort of whisper from the neighbours about the loss of a Sunday dinner.


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## Jackie22 (Nov 28, 2014)

I do not have a picture of my cat, but she looks like this one..she is a 'Ragdoll' breed and her name is Sam, she is about 18 years old.


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## QuickSilver (Nov 28, 2014)

I love the looks of the Siamese... especially the blue eyes!  But I hear they are VERY vocal... is that true?


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## oakapple (Nov 28, 2014)

QS..... lovely cats! But what is that thing climbing up the scratching post that looks like a scorpion?It's worrying me.


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## Vivjen (Nov 28, 2014)

My children call me the wicked witch of the west....maybe that is why I have two cats.
i don't feed them tins...if I knock on the back door they can hear me from miles away and come in for food!


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## Vivjen (Nov 28, 2014)

They are also quite stupid, so they catch very very few birds....only two this year I think....they have to work together and share the brain cell...watching them miss is very funny!


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## QuickSilver (Nov 28, 2014)

oakapple said:


> QS..... lovely cats! But what is that thing climbing up the scratching post that looks like a scorpion?It's worrying me.




lol!!   That's a feather toy that's on a string and clipped to the underside of the top perch..


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## Melody1948 (Nov 28, 2014)

Carolyn said:


> Thank you, Debby for the invite...and here is a photo of our Puss-Cat with his dear friend, Gracie...our English bull terrier:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




GREAT picture Carolyn, hope you don't mind but I snagged it.  I already have the one of puss on the table, but I never saw them together before.


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## NancyNGA (Nov 28, 2014)

This is the only decent photo I have of my cat (the calico, with my mom's barn cat). 
She was only about 9 months old at the time.






Every other picture I've ever tried to take of her comes out like the one below (taken today).  The devil cat! :eewwk:
She will be 7 this May. Sweetest cat I've ever had.


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 28, 2014)

Carolyn said:


> Thank you, Debby for the invite...and here is a photo of our Puss-Cat with his dear friend, Gracie...our English bull terrier:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



 Puss looks like a little sweetie, and I love the photo of with Gracie! :love_heart:


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 28, 2014)

NancyNGA said:


> This is the only decent photo I have of my cat (the calico, with my mom's barn cat).
> She was only about 9 months old at the time.
> 
> 
> ...



Not a devil cat at all, a little angel!   The red-eye camera thing happens to all of us.


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 28, 2014)

Here's my two snuggling on a camping trip.


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## NancyNGA (Nov 28, 2014)

SeaBreeze, your Loki reminds me so much of the neighbor's outdoor cat out at the farm.
He was always down at the barn.  They had a lot of dogs and I think he preferred 
the goats.

I love solid gray cats.  They are so beautiful.


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 28, 2014)

I love that color too, had a long hair that color when I was younger.


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 28, 2014)

Jackie22 said:


> I do not have a picture of my cat, but she looks like this one..she is a 'Ragdoll' breed and her name is Sam, she is about 18 years old.



Ragdolls are beautiful, give Sam a big hug for me!  I've only seen them at cat shows.  I hear they have flaccid musculature, is that true?  Can you feel a difference when you pick Sam up than you would another cat?


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## Jackie22 (Nov 29, 2014)

SeaBreeze said:


> Ragdolls are beautiful, give Sam a big hug for me!  I've only seen them at cat shows.  I hear they have flaccid musculature, is that true?  Can you feel a difference when you pick Sam up than you would another cat?



Yes, somewhat, SeaBreeze, one thing about her, she is very reclusive and shy.....runs and hides when anyone comes in the house and stays hid until they leave.  She is beginning to have age problems and I dread what I'm going to have to do with her.

I've really enjoyed this thread, so many beautiful cats.


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## NancyNGA (Nov 29, 2014)

Jackie22 said:


> .... one thing about her, she is very reclusive and shy.....runs and hides when anyone comes in the house and stays hid until they leave. ....


Jackie, my cat is also super reclusive.  If anyone even drives in the driveway she hides.  
I was hoping she would finally grow out of it, but I think she won't now.

Where did you get your cat?

Mine was living in a hollow log on the back side of my neighbor's (vacant) rental property. 
She was about 9 weeks old according to the vet.   I read somewhere that by that age their personality is pretty much set.


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## QuickSilver (Nov 29, 2014)

My cats hide when the Grandkids come over..  I don't see them again until the kids are long gone..lol!!

My first cat was Jack.  We took him in at 5 months old.  His mom was our neighbor's barn cat.. Jack was her only kitten.  She was shot in the head by another neighbor with a BB gun.  I brought Jack back to Chicago with us.  

Then.. we were in Clinton Iowa.. and stopped in at their shelter.  I was really looking for a dog, but I saw the most beautiful Calico cat I had ever seen.. That's how Belle came to be with us.

Mitzi was next.  There was a knock at the door and a neighbor girl was there crying and holding the tiniest kitty I had ever seen.  She said she found her and her Grandma wouldn't let her keep it.. Would I PLEASE take her?   So I did.  

Finally, a year later, I was outside with the dog and heard crying..  A very young cat came around the corner of the house.. I called "Here KEY KEY KEY!!  And he ran in the front door.  No tags or collar..  and all the cats in that area are barn cats.. and breed indescriminantly.. He was starving and wolfed down a whole can of food.   SO ... CARL came to be with us to make a total of 4.. kitties.


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## Jackie22 (Nov 29, 2014)

Morning Nancy, We bought her when she was just a kitten at First Monday ( a huge flea market near where I live).
She was super cute as a kitten and would fetch a ball of paper, but grew out of that.

Yes, I agree about the personality.


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## Jackie22 (Nov 29, 2014)

QuickSilver said:


> My cats hide when the Grandkids come over..  I don't see them again until the kids are long gone..lol!!
> 
> My first cat was Jack.  We took him in at 5 months old.  His mom was our neighbor's barn cat.. Jack was her only kitten.  She was shot in the head by another neighbor with a BB gun.  I brought Jack back to Chicago with us.
> 
> ...



Nice stories, QS, I understand about the grandkids, when mine come over Bella will jump in my lap and look up at me as if..."Help me, help me."


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## Debby (Nov 30, 2014)

Carolyn said:


> Thank you, Debby for the invite...and here is a photo of our Puss-Cat with his dear friend, Gracie...our English bull terrier:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Best friends are they Carolyn?  Must be entertaining sometimes watching them together.  My two dogs are still appalled that we took Ziggy in.  Maybe the fact that he's three times the size they are has something to do with it.


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## jujube (Nov 30, 2014)

Dog haiku:

The cat is not so bad.
She leaves Tootsie Rolls
for me in the litter box.


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## QuickSilver (Nov 30, 2014)

jujube said:


> Dog haiku:
> 
> The cat is not so bad.
> She leaves Tootsie Rolls
> for me in the litter box.



Seems like all dogs love the ambrosia in the cat box.


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 30, 2014)

Here's my kiddo peeking out of the food cabinet in the camper.


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## Debby (Nov 30, 2014)

Lovely soft grey fur that your kitty has Seabreeze.  And isn't it funny how cats like to get into tight spaces?


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## LarryG (Nov 30, 2014)

Hi All.  I'm brand new to this board, and am happy to make my very first post be that of my furry child, Fraidy. 

  Fraidy (who is now 4 years old) is so named because he grew up feral in our neighborhood and would not let anyone touch him until I finally got him to let me pet him after many weeks of trying.    After much effort at domestication, he is now about 50/50% indoor/outdoor, as we have a cat flap that allows him to go in our out at his leisure.   The only downside to that is that he loves to bring in "presents" for us, which usually is a dead bird or a dead rodent. 

 But the real fun begins when he brings in a live chipmunk and lets it go in the house.  This happens about once a month.  I think he is trying to teach daddy (me) to hunt.    That's why the couch is overturned in the picture - I was trying to catch the chipmunk, which is not at all easy.  Fraidy finds this all hugely amusing


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## Ina (Nov 30, 2014)

:welcome: LarryG,  I do believe he is laughing at you, or is he giving you instructions?  You've made a great introduction.  We will gladly accept you into our discusstions, and you'll soon find out that we have no problems commenting on your posts. :wave:


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 30, 2014)

Welcome Larry, love your Fraidy cat, unusual markings, looks like a nice boy!   A chipmunk in my house would cause a bit of commotion for sure!


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## oakapple (Dec 1, 2014)

Message to Quicksilver; glad that the thing wasn't a scorpion after all!   
Such lovely pics of all your cats everyone, I have enjoyed seeing them. The chipmunks remind me of the Mickey Mouse cartoon[when they get into the Christmas tree.] A lot of the cats in the US seem to be indoor cats only, is this really the case?Here, they seem to come and go as they please, but apart from cars, are pretty safe from predators. There is always the odd dog that will go for them and maybe the odd fox as well, but that's about it. No coyotes here.


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## Jackie22 (Dec 1, 2014)

LarryG said:


> Hi All.  I'm brand new to this board, and am happy to make my very first post be that of my furry child, Fraidy.
> 
> Fraidy (who is now 4 years old) is so named because he grew up feral in our neighborhood and would not let anyone touch him until I finally got him to let me pet him after many weeks or trying.    After much effort at domestication, he is now about 50/50% indoor/outdoor, as we have a cat flap that allows him to go in our out at his leisure.   The only downside to that is that he loves to bring in "presents" for us, which usually is a dead bird or a dead rodent.
> 
> ...



Fraidy is a handsome dude, Larry, welcome to the forum.


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## QuickSilver (Dec 1, 2014)

Larry... what a lovely and unusual cat Fraidy is!!!   He appears to be a Calico.. but Calico's are usually female..  however, he is Ginger.. and most Gingers are male..  I think you have a very rare kitty indeed..  LOVE his expression and markings!!


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## NancyNGA (Dec 1, 2014)

QS, I think the key to being a rare male calico is having 3 colors.  So if he had also black mixed in, he would be rare (and possibly sterile isn't it? ) .


I have a question for all the multiple cat owners:   How do you feed them and make sure some don't get too fat? 

 Do you feed them in separate locations?     

When I had two cats, I either had to put them in separate rooms, or sit between them and referee.
Then again, one of those two cats lived to eat. She was a bit odd all around, though.


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## QuickSilver (Dec 1, 2014)

NancyNGA said:


> QS, I think the key to being a rare male calico is having 3 colors.  So if he had also black mixed in, he would be rare (and possibly sterile isn't it? ) .
> 
> 
> I have a question for all the multiple cat owners:   How do you feed them and make sure some don't get too fat?
> ...



Ah... ok... so he is a ginger bi-color.. not Calico..  

As for the feeding..  I put out 1 can of wet food each morning.  My four share that.. they are very good about everyone getting some... and most days there is food left over to be thrown out.   Their dry food is in one big bowl and all four eat from that... and they free feed all day.   Three of my cats are normal weight.. my Toms are pretty lean.   Mitzi.. my one girl is normal weight.. not lean not fat.  However Belle has gotten a little porky over the years..  But I think that is because she is an 9 year old spayed female.. not because she eats too much.


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## LarryG (Dec 1, 2014)

QuickSilver said:


> Larry... what a lovely and unusual cat Fraidy is!!!   He appears to be a Calico.. but Calico's are usually female..  however, he is Ginger.. and most Gingers are male..  I think you have a very rare kitty indeed..  LOVE his expression and markings!!



Yes Fraidy is a Ginger, and of course a male.    Here is a picture of him as a scrawny kitten with his mother (who eventually disappeared) when we started feeding them on our deck.   Mom is solid color so his kitty Daddy must have been a pure orange ginger!


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## QuickSilver (Dec 1, 2014)

Beautiful!!    My son has a pure orange ginger...  his name is Harold.  Harold also has the little freckle on his bottom lip like Fraidy..


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