(no subject)
There is a cat wandering around our yard. Only, I don't know if its a stray cat or if its one of our neighbors cats. Either way, it being in our yard is probably not a good thing seeing as Nine doesn't just *chase* cats, she attacks them. And we're pretty sure she's killed them a few times.
If it's our neighbors cat, well, I doubt they would appreciate her killing it. If it's a stray cat, I really don't care what she does with it, but, the thing is? I don't know if it might be sick or something, or just really young. It's pretty small, maybe three-fourths or two-thirds the size of a normal house cat. It's also pretty skinny, but not the super skinny that I always figured sick cats might have. For all I know, it just hasn't had a decent meal in awhile. While I didn't touch it at all, I did go out to see if i could get a closer look. It doesn't seem super afraid of humans as it came close enough to sniff my foot, and it doesn't *look* super sick to me - or at least it doesn't have the ucky watery eyes that tends to give evidence of infection, and it seems to walk just fine. What has me a bit worried, though, is how it doesn't seem to have much voice... it's 'meow' is rather rough, with little to no sound coming out when it first opens it's mouth, but I guess you could say you get the '...ow' part of the 'meow'. You know how you sound when you're voice is all rough from a cold or something, and your voice cuts out any time you try and talk in a whiny, high voice? That's kinda how this cat sounds. No sound at first, and a kinda hours "...aaah" at the end. Now, I dunno if that's just some weird thing with the cat's vocal cords, or if it has a kitty cold or something... if it *is* sick, I don't want Nine going after it, which she defiantly will if she sees it. She's currently inside, so she hasn't noticed anything amiss yet, but she'll only stay inside as long as I'm in here, and as I need to go get clothes off the line so I can actually, like, get dressed, this does pose something of a dilemma. And Nine has a doggy door, so even if I try and lock her in the house for hopefully long enough for the mystery cat to go away, it wouldn't keep her held for long.
So... Does anyone know about cats? Do the symptoms I mentioned above sound familiar to any of the kitties you've known? Or should I just stay inside until I have to leave for work at 2:30 and hope the cat is gone by then? I mean, I feel bad for the cat... bad enough that I did leave a small dish of very very old milk out for it and a small piece of the leftover pork roast, and given the choice I wouldn't want Nine chasing after it at all. But, as I really don't want to spend the afternoon chasing a possibly sick stray cat around the yard just so I can catch it and take it over to the neighbors to ask if it's one of theirs, well, my options are a bit limited. Nine is better at running than I am, anyway, and she could probably scare it the hell away from our yard forever. She could also catch it, however, and that is not something I want her to do if it *is* sick.
Dammit, life would be so much easier if we could talk to animals and make them understand us. Then I could tell Nine to chase it until her heart was content, provided she never caught it. Or tell the cat that I have a big black dog that really doesn't like cats and that it would probably be better off in someone else's yard.
If it's our neighbors cat, well, I doubt they would appreciate her killing it. If it's a stray cat, I really don't care what she does with it, but, the thing is? I don't know if it might be sick or something, or just really young. It's pretty small, maybe three-fourths or two-thirds the size of a normal house cat. It's also pretty skinny, but not the super skinny that I always figured sick cats might have. For all I know, it just hasn't had a decent meal in awhile. While I didn't touch it at all, I did go out to see if i could get a closer look. It doesn't seem super afraid of humans as it came close enough to sniff my foot, and it doesn't *look* super sick to me - or at least it doesn't have the ucky watery eyes that tends to give evidence of infection, and it seems to walk just fine. What has me a bit worried, though, is how it doesn't seem to have much voice... it's 'meow' is rather rough, with little to no sound coming out when it first opens it's mouth, but I guess you could say you get the '...ow' part of the 'meow'. You know how you sound when you're voice is all rough from a cold or something, and your voice cuts out any time you try and talk in a whiny, high voice? That's kinda how this cat sounds. No sound at first, and a kinda hours "...aaah" at the end. Now, I dunno if that's just some weird thing with the cat's vocal cords, or if it has a kitty cold or something... if it *is* sick, I don't want Nine going after it, which she defiantly will if she sees it. She's currently inside, so she hasn't noticed anything amiss yet, but she'll only stay inside as long as I'm in here, and as I need to go get clothes off the line so I can actually, like, get dressed, this does pose something of a dilemma. And Nine has a doggy door, so even if I try and lock her in the house for hopefully long enough for the mystery cat to go away, it wouldn't keep her held for long.
So... Does anyone know about cats? Do the symptoms I mentioned above sound familiar to any of the kitties you've known? Or should I just stay inside until I have to leave for work at 2:30 and hope the cat is gone by then? I mean, I feel bad for the cat... bad enough that I did leave a small dish of very very old milk out for it and a small piece of the leftover pork roast, and given the choice I wouldn't want Nine chasing after it at all. But, as I really don't want to spend the afternoon chasing a possibly sick stray cat around the yard just so I can catch it and take it over to the neighbors to ask if it's one of theirs, well, my options are a bit limited. Nine is better at running than I am, anyway, and she could probably scare it the hell away from our yard forever. She could also catch it, however, and that is not something I want her to do if it *is* sick.
Dammit, life would be so much easier if we could talk to animals and make them understand us. Then I could tell Nine to chase it until her heart was content, provided she never caught it. Or tell the cat that I have a big black dog that really doesn't like cats and that it would probably be better off in someone else's yard.