Nike: Chewer of Plastic

Turns out Nike has a fondness for the occasional plastic chewing. Plastic bags, wrappers, that kind of thing. It hasn't been much of a problem, but it's worth noting. He did this much more often when he first arrived in our home, but I'm not sure of the ratio between him settling in (sometimes cats chew non-food items because of stress) and us getting better about not leaving plastic out within his reach.

I wouldn't describe it as an obsession, so I don't think he's a full-blown pica cat. He leaves our bag-lined trash cans alone, but if we leave out a brand new plastic bag on the floor after a shopping trip, he might rub his face on it or autograph it with his teeth. It turns out to be pretty easy to keep those away from him. This might be partly because he rarely jumps up on anything.

He jumps up on the couch or a desk chair, sometimes the bed, once in a great while he'll try stepping from the couch to the coffee table. I've never seen him jump up on anything else. No kitchen counters, no bathroom sinks, no desks. He prefers laps and nests made of blankets, and he's a pretty good lap cat.

Tarquin has been adopted!

As of December 2016, Tarquin has been adopted. Hooray!

Photo from the Gifford Shelter Facebook page

Nike

After Tarquin returned to the Gifford Cat Shelter, Nike came home with us. He's an older gentleman, 11-ish, with an obvious personality. Mostly chill, but with a little cranky streak. He's low maintenance and doesn't try to escape when the door is open or jump up on tall surfaces. The beds are about as high as he'll go.

I posted this on social media.
The first comment was "he looks like a tugboat captain,"
the second was "he needs a hat and an old wooden pipe."
I think they're both right.

Once in a while he nips, but it's generally a reaction to something obvious.*

He has been declawed, I suspect that's why he tends toward biting when annoyed.

I think the problem with the biting is that his body language is rather subtle. There isn't much time between "maybe you should stop petting me soon" and "YOU HAVE BROUGHT DISHONOR UPON MY HOUSE." It took a week or two for us to read him well (and probably for him to settle in to our house).

If he were a person, we think he would be a salt-of-the-earth, stalwart companion of middling age. A strong and capable leader, but with very little sense of humor.

I loved this toy for 30 seconds, now it deeply disappoints me.

We decided "Nike" is really short for "Admiral Nike Whiskers." Note that this is not official in any way, we just have a tendency to make up alternate lives for the cats that live with us.


*Once he just walked up to where I was standing, preparing to do a workout video, and he bit me in the calf. In this case, it appears that he is offended by either workout videos or capri pants. He didn't break the skin and the situation did not escalate.

Tarquin's Evaluation

Disclaimer: This is coming from an experienced cat owner, but not a certified animal behavior expert. My opinions are my own as the person that fostered him for several months, not any official stance of the Gifford Cat Shelter.

The short version is that Tarquin is a big ball of energy that loves interactive toys like lasers or strings and things that crinkle. He's handsome and funny and full of self-confidence.

This is an "I will wrestle you" pose. I call it the Most Dangerous Beanie Baby.

Here's the long version!

We had Tarquin for several months because he arrived at the shelter with a wound that needed stitches and by law he had to be quarantined for several months. He adapted to the house almost immediately, but doesn't do well in the car and transitioning back to the shelter after quarantine was difficult for him.

He likes affection after a long absence like sleep or work, but for the most part he'd rather play than be pet. Diving into a paper bag or chasing a ball, string, laser, or feather toy, it doesn't matter as long as a person is also part of it. He also likes to wrestle ankles and can play a bit rough.

His fur is super soft, and he sheds very little. Or the hairs are so fine that they're hard to see, it's hard to tell. Either way, cat hair has not been the problem that we expected it to be based on our previous cats. He hasn't had any problems with hairballs.

The thing that surprised me about him is his patience. He didn't wake us up early to feed him breakfast, he didn't try to escape out the door, he meowed very little, and he wasn't destructive to anything but the paper bags we gave him.

Between his confidence and his size, I like to describe him as a clumsy dragon. If he were a person, he might be the star quarterback of a college football team.

He'll always have a place in my heart. At time of writing he's back at the shelter, and I hope he finds a forever home soon!

Tarquin: The Cat Tree

We've had a cat tree for a long time, our previous cats have spent good chunks of the day on it. It took Tarquin months to even acknowledge that it existed, let alone climb it.

And once he started using it, we could see why. He's too darn big for it. At last weigh-in, he was approximately 14lbs, and the cat tree sways and shakes under him. To make it more awkward, the shelves aren't big enough for him to sprawl on. He's accidentally rolled off the top shelf a couple times. He's more careful now.

Tarquin: Some Likes and Dislikes

Tarquin likes:

• treats
• canned food
• crinkly paper (best yet might be a yard waste bag for size and durability)

• the neighbor's cat (who he has never actually met because he doesn't go outside and she doesn't come in; he chirps at her and she does the cat equivalent of flipping him the bird)
• both the string and the stick of a string-on-a-stick toy, even if the original toy at the end of the string has long since disappeared

• catnip
• a few minutes of cuddling first thing in the morning and after work

• wrestling with ankles (still with teeth sometimes, unfortunately)
• participating in my doing exercise videos (see previous bullet)
• exploring the basement and finding new face decorations

Tarquin dislikes:

• car rides (he gets car sick, possibly from stress)
• the dishwasher

• The Roomba, especially the one time it bumped into something he liked vey much

This is blurry because I spent too long laughing at his expression and not long enough getting the camera out

Tarquin and the Laser

Like most cats, he'll chase a laser pointer. For extra workout power, sometimes we have him run up and down the stairs.

Note: at time of writing he's gained some weight, so he's a little less inclined to do this, but he is still very good at running up the stairs. Every time he races us, he wins!

Tarquin: Good at Jumping

I never really thought I'd be fine with bugs getting into the house, but...free instant cat toy! I feel kind of bad for the moths, but not at all for house flies.

He'd been stalking this moth for a while, and I thought he'd given up. I was mistaken.

(sound not necessary, but it's very quiet until it's not)

Tarquin and the Crinkly Paper

We got a package in the mail, padded with brown paper.

Tarquin thinks it's THE BEST THING EVER.

He loves crinkly paper.

So much.

Tarquin: Sometimes I Annoy Him with Photos

I like taking pictures of him more than he likes having his picture taken.

Sometimes I sneak up on him when he's sleeping.

 When I got this close, his eyes sloooooowly opened...

...and then closed again.

He think selfies are annoying when he's sitting in my lap, but I think they're hilarious.

His hair was still growing in around his stitches here, that's why his head shape looks weird.
Well, that and the unflattering angle.

But sometimes I capture a moment that makes me smile.

He's tough to photograph because he doesn't like to sit still while he's awake and he often shows up as a shadow with eyes, but he's a handsome lad.

Tarquin: Cat Circle

I've seen evidence that cats can become trapped in circles. Because this is another hilarious cat-confusing device from the interwebs, I tried it.

It did not have the effect I was hoping for.

So I re-read the instructions and realized that maybe he needed to be lured into the circle first, and then he would be trapped.

He fell for the trail of treats, the foolish thing!

Unfortunately, he did not become trapped. He ate the treats, did the cat equivalent of a shrug, and left immediately.

It was worth a try!

Tarquin: Mouse of Nip

Good news: Tarquin is one of the many cats that responds to catnip!

I got a small bag of low-grade catnip with a cardboard scratcher (that he still has never used) and rubbed some of it on this mouse ball. Suddenly he's not so opposed to playing with a toy by himself!

Tarquin: The Day of No Biting

We have had one complete day where we have not had to remove Tarquin from the room for biting. Progress!

Like I've said before, it's never angry or aggressive or malicious behavior, that's just how he wants to play. He wants to wrestle with our hands or feet, which might be okay if he didn't also insist on using his teeth. He always broadcasts his intentions, nearly always several seconds in advance, and usually it's a small bite. Just a little nom. Unfortunately, once in a while he really chomps down like our marrow might be delicious.

We're working on it.

Cardboard box + feather = good times

On the whole, though, biting is down and asking for pettings is up. He's a good cat at heart, he just has so much energy! I think he'd be great with a companion cat.

He has a lot of good points. He's not destructive, he always uses the litter box properly, he's not territorial, he's not food aggressive, and he's not afraid of strangers*. If he doesn't play quietly and wait patiently for us to get up, he purrs and shoves his head under my hand to wake me up**. There's a general trend of no claws with wrestling, he doesn't try to escape the house (big plus for me, I'm still not used to it), and he's soft like a chinchilla. And he's a LOT better with playing with toys by himself now. He spent ten solid minutes with a peacock feather the first time I gave him one.

*the one time he was in the room with my friend's twin toddlers he was completely bewildered and didn't want to get near them, but otherwise he'll march right up and say Hello

**a little too early, but it's hard to be angry when he's purring and demanding affection

Tarquin: Bannister Bop

I know, I probably shouldn't encourage this behavior. But in all the times he's done this (many), he has never scratched the wall, the bannister, or my hand.

And it's funny every time.

 

Tarquin: Best Birthday Card Ever

I bought a card for a friend's daughter's birthday, and had it stacked on my desk in my To Deal With pile.

It's a fancy card, shaped like a cupcake, but it's one of those games where you tilt it just right to get the teeny ball bearings into the divots in the bottom of the maze.

Tarquin was very into this.

Tarquin: Rubber Band and Optical Illusion

Neither of these kept his attention for long, but they were good for a laugh.

Once in a while he'll be interested in a rubber band for brief spurts. I've been supervising and putting the rubber band away after he gets bored with it, but I've found them on the floor before, so he doesn't seem to have any interest in eating them.

I tried this because I saw this video of a kitten freaking out over this illusion and I wanted to try it. It...didn't have the effect I was hoping for. I think it needs to be bigger.

Tarquin: Litter Box

The first litter box we had for him ended up being too small. He would go through the motions of burying his poo, but he'd be halfway out of the box when he did so. Getting a bigger litter box fixed the problem.

I also got a Litter Genie. I've never had one before, but it's fantastic for odor control. Can't recommend it enough.

Every day when I scoop the box, Tarquin comes to investigate and/or get in the way, and seems very confused about why I would possibly want to save his poo in a little box.

Tarquin: Basement Adventure

Human:
We'd been putting it off, but we knew it was inevitable. Sooner or later, when our arms were full of laundry on the way to or from the machines in the basement, we knew he would sneak in and explore all the dirty corners and crevices.

The inevitable happened.

I'm told he went behind the water heater and saw some cobwebs, sniffed them, and rubbed his face in them. It wasn't an accidental "I was on my way to see something and walked through some spider webs" thing, it was completely on purpose.

I think this photo properly captures his disappointment at being taken away from the filthy playground that is the basement.

Cat:

I got into the Forbidden Room! It's amazing! It's cool on my feet and full of musty and interesting smells. I decorated my face with sticky wall-string as camouflage, but Man Human still found me and took me back upstairs. I didn't even get to sniff everything!

I will return to the Forbidden Room, I swear. No corner unexplored! No crevice unexamined!

Tarquin: Eye contact with Alice

Alice is the neighborhood cat that the neighbors took in a couple years ago, she may have been abandoned by a previous tenant somewhere on our street.

I think in the cat version of our neighborhood, she rules with an iron fist, but she doesn't like people at all. We lived in our house for probably 10 months before Tarquin came to stay with us, and in all that time I've never been able to get anything other than a judgmental stare from her.

Since Tarquin doesn't go outside, this is probably as close as they'll ever get to meeting.

Tarquin: Bath, Roomba, and Fuzzy Worm

Human:
We gave him a bath. He dealt with it like a champion. He tried to escape, but he didn't yowl or attack. He didn't really like the towel or the hair dryer, but he sniffed at it a couple times, so no panic.

I don't know how long he was out in the wild rolling in who-knows-what, and good grief did he need it. He has long hair, and getting it wet unlocked some righteous odors. Hopefully now his aroma has been reset to the factory settings.

Luckily, he started hanging out in the tub the next day, so he wasn't terribly traumatized.

Cat:
Inside Pond is no fun. Humans made me soggy and lose all the smells I have been collecting. I will have to start a new collection.

Human:
We also ran the Roomba. He doesn't trust it, but he let it come right up to him before moving out of the way.
Cat:
House Beetle is confusing, but does not seem to be a threat. Further study is needed.

Human:
The fishing pole toy with the fuzzy worm on it has lost all three ribbons over the course of the last couple of days.
Cat:
Fuzzy Worm is still fun with no ribbons, just a little harder to catch. I'll get you, Fuzzy Worm!