HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: amd@space.mit.edu (Ann M. Davis)
Subject: Re: Late feline companion
Reply-To: amd@space.mit.edu (Ann M. Davis)
Organization: MIT Center for Space Research
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 13:22:21 GMT


I pulled this off of alt.ghost-stories, and I thought I would share
it with you.  I wouldn't be surprised to find many of the readers in r.p.c
who have had similar experiences.

	Ann

>, nancy@jpl-devvax.jpl.nasa.gov (Nancy Feagans) writes:
> About 9 years ago I lost my feline companion of 12 years to a severe
> respiratory disorder.  Tykie and I had been together since he was a
> tiny kitten of 5 weeks old; in the last year, for some inexplicable
> reason, we became even closer friends..to the extent where I sensed
> a deep bonding.  This is hard to express in words, but if any of you
> have experienced this with a beloved pet you'll know what I mean.
>  
> After Tykie died, I went through a period of grieving and serious lonliness
> from missing him.  I went to bed each night, half expecting him to jump
> up on the waterbed and cuddle, as had been his nightly habit for many
> years.  About a week after his death, I went to bed as usual, but was
> restless and couldn't fall asleep.  I was lying on my right side, facing
> the bedroom window when I felt the familiar "thump" of a cat jumping onto
> the bed.  I didn't move; and while I was still trying to decide if I had
> *really* felt what I thought I did, there was a soft pressure at the
> small of my back, exactly the spot where Tykie would nestle down for
> the night.
>  
> To say I was a bit unnerved would be right on; I remained in that position
> for what seemed like several minutes, trying to get up the courage to
> slowly turn over and see who or what was there with me on the bed. About
> this time, I noticed the pressure lessening, and then it was gone. 
> Strangely enough, I felt a sense of peace, a sense that perhaps in some
> mysterious way, Tykie had come to say goodbye.  I was able to relax and
> slept soundly the rest of the night.
>  
> I've never experienced a repeat occurance, or anything even remotely
> similar since that night. I've had cats since (I now have 3, in fact),
> but as great as they are, I have not "bonded" with any of them like
> I had with Tykie.
> 
> -- 
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: jbrandt@NeoSoft.com (J Brandt)
Subject: Re: Terrified of Ceiling Fan!
Organization: NeoSoft Communications Services -- (713) 684-5900
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 1992 13:22:22 GMT

In article <66586@hydra.gatech.EDU>, gt1167b@prism.gatech.EDU (Christie Shackelford) writes:
  
> I had a kitten last winter that my SO liked to play with (read "terrorize").

So did you get rid of the SO?

-- 
Jaclyn Brandt
jbrandt@NeoSoft.com
--
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: jonathan@chpc.utexas.edu (Jonathan Thornburg)
Subject: cats climbing up/down inside of chimney (was: Re: Rescue cat)
Summary: soot is bad for cats, but Fat Freddy's Cat had other ideas...
Keywords: cat chimney soot grime toxic poison dope drugs marijuana
Organization: U of Texas at Austin / Physics Dept / Center for Relativity
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 92 00:22:25 GMT

In article <16841ED28.SPONSELL@VM1.CC.UAKRON.EDU>
SPONSELL@VM1.CC.UAKRON.EDU (Gary Sponseller) writes:
>
> [ why would you want to bathe a cat? ]
> 
>Well, try to imagine what a cat would look like if they ran up a chimney
>and got fully sooted.  I had to bathe my cat three times in two weeks :-S
>until I got the fireplace closed off.  The bath was pretty much required
>since I didn't want my house soiled and the cat would probably get sick
>if he ingested all that muck!

Yes, chimney soot is very noxious stuff, loaded with potent
carcinogens.  (Chimney sweeps used to have a very high cancer rate
due to their occupational exposure.)  Cats should be kept out of
chimneys.  (In addition, creasote (comes from burning wood) is
*highly* flammable and burns *very* hot, hot enough to melt most
older metal chimneys and shatter some brick ones.  If you have
ever seen a chimney fire, you know what I'm talking about.  And
if you haven't, you *don't* want to see one...)

However, in the world of fiction ...

[ short excerpt from Fat Freddy's Cat episode follows ]
[ press 'n' now if you don't want to see this ]

In "Fat Freddy's Cat, Book 6" by Gilbert Shelton (Rip Off Press,
Box 4686, Auburn CA 95604 USA, (c) 1986), titled "Fat Freddy's Cat
and the War of the Cockroaches", FFC is forced (by causes I won't
describe, buy the comic book and read it to find out) to climb the
chimney in the Freak Brothers' apartment:

"UP THE CHIMNEY!  It's my ONLY CHANCE"

"The chimney was extremely small in diameter, and seemed to get
 smaller as I climbed upward."

"By the time I was finally able to squeeze out the top I was
 covered head to tail with a thick layer of some black, sticky,
 sooty substance."

"AKK!  FTOOEY!  I can't lick it OFF!  It's two-thirds MARIJUANA
 RESIDUE!"
"Those God Damn FREAK BROTHERS!"
"PHOOEY!"
"FFPT!"

...


- Jonathan Thornburg and Mortina II (alas 4000km away on an island in Canada)
  <jonathan@einstein.ph.utexas.edu> or <jonathan@hermes.chpc.utexas.edu>
  University of Texas at Austin / Physics Dept / Center for Relativity
  and (for a few more months) U of British Columbia / {Astronomy,Physics}
From: klier@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Bringing Kitty back home
Date: 21 Aug 92 17:16:41 GMT
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

mas5@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (MICHELLE A. M. SZENA) writes:
> Has anyone else had an experience like this?  Do we have to go through the
> getting aquainted stages again?  or does Pookie taste something on him that
> reminds her of the vet?  I'm really confused about this.

Pookie still smells like THE VET, and doesn't smell like his friend any
more.  Sometimes totally confusing the issue by rubbing both cats down
with catnip tea helps.  The alternative is "tincture of time" -- about
3-5 days.

Kay Klier  Biology Dept  UNI
From: tina@cstr.ed.ac.uk (Christina Scott)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: cat declawing
Date: 14 Aug 92 10:22:15 GMT
Organization: Centre for Speech Technology Research, Edinburgh University

In article <23590@oasys.dt.navy.mil>, syearick@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Sid Yearick) writes:

|> I have been reading this news group for a long time and have learned
|> a lot of valuable information.  I currently have 5 cats (or they have
|> me, any way) they are all declawed (front only) and are only in door
|> cats.

Here in the UK, declawing is rare.  I have seem film (taken in America) of the
process, so I know what it involves.  What I want to know is WHY it has become 
so common?  I have an indoor cat and to me the idea of removing her claws for the
sake of my furniture is abhorent.  Is that the only reason you do it (presumably
also because of scratching and the fact that an indoor cat doesn't "need" its
claws in the same way an outdoor cat does)?  To me, its as bad as people who cut
dogs' tails and pin back their ears for the sake of what humans think looks best.

I'm not flaming, really.  I'm just curious about your motives and want to know more.

Tina Scott,
Centre for Speech Technology Research,
Edinburgh,
SCOTLAND.
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: diana@wetware.com (CatWoman )
Subject: Re: How to turn an outdoor kitty to an indoor kitty?
Organization: Castle WetWare MouseCatcher
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 16:07:14 GMT

fy@lucid.com (Frank Yellin) writes:

] "Susan R. Wagner" <sw39+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes: 
] 
] >   I have a friend who is trying to teach her cat to be an indoor cat. . . 
] 
] The San Francisco S.P.C.A. gives out a little booklet in which they
] recommend the its-always-raining technique.  But it requires the help of a
] friend.
] 
] Everytime the cat wants to go out, have the friend sneak outside, get a
] garden hose with a spray attachment, and make it so that it is "raining"
] hard outside that door.  It's best if the friend can hide.  Then let the
] cat out.

I have to tell you - this may work with lots of cats, but
I have one that it would NOT work with...

I live in the SF Bay area, where water is now scarce, but
back in the early '80's when we were getting floods, and
I first got Muffin, his FAVORITE passtime was "catch the
water".  Squirted against a window - sprayed around the
yard, from a sprinkler - you name it.  He LOVES to go
out when it's raining.  He doesn't like the shower, maybe
the spray is too hard, or he associates it with baths (he
did get a bath or two when he was younger), but even now,
at almost 10, when I water plants, I amuse him by pouring
a stream from a watering can over his head into the plant,
and letting him "catch" the stream.

When he was little, and I was able to let him out - the ONLY
way I could reliably get him to come home was to turn on the
hose and squirt water around...(he's the one with the heart
problem who would get into panic attacks, and would hide when
called.  But the water trick worked EVERY time!)

Diana
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: janet@cs.UAlberta.CA (Janet Service)
Subject: poopy cat
Organization: University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 21:26:56 GMT

Thank you to the people who have responded so quickly to my plee
for help with the poopy cat.   There have been some good ideas
I'm going to try this weekend.

I didn't really think about the use of soil or sand for her, but
it makes sence.  Where my daughter lived before, she could let the
cat out during the day but we have to keep her inside now unless
we go out with her on a leash.

The town we live in has implemented a cat bylaw.  No cat is allowed
out without a being on a leash or on a chain.  There is a pretty heavy
fine if the cat is found wondering around.

This is my first experience (and my daughter's) at being a cat
owner (or is it the cat that own's us?)& I've only just started reading
this network, but some of the stories I've read so far leads me
to believe I'm in for a pretty interesting couple of months.

Thank you again for your help.

Janet

Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: dikig@ddsw1.mcs.com (Diki Gust)
Subject: Re: Bringing cats from other country to US
Organization: ddsw1.MCS.COM Contributor, Chicago, IL
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL3
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1992 21:12:32 GMT
X-Disclaimer:  Material posted in this article is the sole responsibility of
                the poster and does not represent MCSNet or the system owners.

wm@cs.wm.edu (Weizhen Mao) writes:
: I have two cats (Doo-Mee and Baa-Mee) in China,
: and my Mom is currently taking care of them. Since
: she travels a lot and it is very hard to find cat
: lovers to cat-sit, I would like to go back soon to
: bring Doo-Mee and Baa-Mee to US. 
: 
: Can someone tell me whom I should contact to find
: out the US law about bringing pets into the country?
: US Custom Service? Or other department? Does anyone
: have the similar experience that can share with me?

Customs would be a good start.  They would probably be able to
tell you the regulations and who to contact.  The airline of your
choice might also be able to tell you what the regulations are.

In addition to that, I know there are some travel news groups,
although I don't have the entire names at hand, where you might 
post.  Possibly someone there could give you the information you 
are looking for.  

I hope you recognize the possible stress on these animals in transit.  
If at all possible, and maybe I will get negative mail on this, keep 
them in the cabin with you.  Your presence will be calming for them,
and you will feel better because you can feed and water them and will
be able to talk to them.
: 
: There is no SPCA in China, and people are too busy
: feeding themselve to worry about animals. I am scared
: to death to think that my Doo-Mee and Baa-Mee may end 
: up to be a dish on those cat eaters' table.
: 
: I am desparate for help. Thank you.
:  
: -- 
: Weizhen Mao
:
Good luck to you and the cats.
Diki
From: scm@harvee.billerica.ma.us (S. Mudgett aka little gator)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Cat Growth
Date: 18 Aug 92 13:56:28 GMT
Reply-To: scm@harvee.billerica.ma.us
Organization: gators 'r us
X-Software: HERMES GUS 1.03 Rev. Apr 14 1992

In <1992Aug17.141625.647@dcs.warwick.ac.uk>, Bill Ferreira writes:
>
>	How long does it take a female domestic cat to grow to
>full size? My (almost one year old) cat is still only
>3/4 the size of my 3 yr. old, although she eats at least as 
>much as the bigger cat.
at almost one year she is either adult size or very close.  i suspect she is
just small.  i have a cat who is not underweight and has never been heavier 
than 7 pounds.  there is a wide range of normal adult size for cats, just as
for humans and other animals.
-- 
-- little gator aka s. mudgett     email: scm@harvee.billerica.ma.us
-- friend of a gator is a friend of mine
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: jonb@Ingres.COM (Jon Berger)
Subject: Re: Costly cats 
Reply-To: jonb@ingres.com
Organization: Ingres, an ASK Company
Date: 14 Aug 92 22:19:52 GMT

In article <1992Aug14.165821.6077@iscsvax.uni.edu>, klier@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
>
>Suggested by my vets: that and Dawn dish detergent, diluted.  Seems to
>work OK...

Dawn seems to be the detergent of choice in the animal-care world, all
right.  I have it on good authority that it's used exclusively by the
volunteers who clean up birds after oil spills.  

Hugo, our adventurous young fellow, managed to dip himself in used
crankcase oil up to the shoulders twice in one week, which -- though
we didn't appreciate it much at the time -- afforded us a wonderful
opportunity to do a comparative study between Joy, which is what
happened to be around the house the first time, and Dawn, which we went
out and bought on the recommendation of the professional groomer we had
to take Hugo to when the Joy didn't do a damn thing.  The difference is
truly astonishing.

It also works quite nicely on dishes, incidentally.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
   -__ __ /_   Jon Berger              "If you push something hard enough,
  //_// //_/   jonb@ingres.com          it will fall over."
_/ ---------                              - Fudd's First Law of Opposition
From: peggys@orca.wv.tek.com
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: Cat likes cantelope???
Date: 14 Aug 92 17:56:35 GMT
Reply-To: peggys@orca.wv.tek.com
Organization: Network Displays Manufacturing, Tektronix,Inc

In article <42150004@hplsla.hp.com>, tomb@hplsla.hp.com (Tom Bruhns) writes:
> From: tomb@hplsla.hp.com (Tom Bruhns)
> Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
> Subject: Cat likes cantelope???
> Date: 13 Aug 92 23:49:30 GMT
> Organization: HP Lake Stevens, WA
> 
> Does anyone else out there have a cat that loves _cantelope_??  As far
> as I know, no other veggies do this to him.  We keep a bowl of kitchen
> scraps that gets put on the compost pile occasionally, and if we put
> cantelope rind in it, Mittens will almost invariably dig it out and
> chew on it.  And he loves it if we cut up some of the inside flesh and
> give it to him.
> 
> Tom Bruhns
> tomb@hplsla.hp.com

Yep, my Muffin loves the stuff...she will start out licking then actually
nibbling away at the rind...silly kitty...;}

					Peggy

           ===================================================
          | Peggy Shock  				      |
          | Tektronix, Inc., Network Displays Division	      |
          | PO Box 1000, MS 60-430, Wilsonville, OR 97070     |
          | (503) 685-2030 - email: peggys@orca.WV.TEK.COM    |
           ===================================================





















































]
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: schlumpf@uimrl8.mrl.uiuc.edu (Kay Schlumpf)
Subject: Toastering (Was What do you think?)
Reply-To: schlumpf@uimrl8.mrl.uiuc.edu (Kay Schlumpf)
Organization: Materials Research Lab
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 20:32:01 GMT

--
 
 
 In article <5579@transfer.stratus.com>, kaz@vineland.pubs.stratus.com
(Karen Fegley) writes:
|> Path:
|>
news.cso.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state
e.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!samsung!transfer!vineland.pubs.stratus.com
m
|> From: kaz@vineland.pubs.stratus.com (Karen Fegley)
|> Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
|> Subject: Re: what do you think?
|> Message-ID: <5579@transfer.stratus.com>
|> Date: 14 Aug 92 18:05:33 GMT
|> References: <1992Aug13.205739.12574@cbnewsd.cb.att.com>
|> Sender: usenet@transfer.stratus.com
|> Distribution: usa
|> Lines: 40
|
|> On a slightly different tack, our calico has a way of popping
|> straight up in the air off of all four paws at once when startled,
|> the height off of the ground being directly proportional to the
|> degree of startle.  We've always called this "toastering".  Do
|> other cats do this?  This is the first one we've had that does.
|> 
|> The other thing that happens when she gets startled is that her
|> her tail bushes up till it looks like a bottle brush.  Since she
|> is a VERY short-haired cat, it looks really silly.
|> 
|> Karen
|> 

Our Siamese (a VERY quiet one, believe it or not) Pixel does this
and we call it "vertical jumps". It's like that Mtn Dew commercial..
get vertical! She'll do them when she's startled or when she's 
playing with her imaginary friend or when she's playing with Dante
the "mutt" cat. Dante has also done a few, but he doesn't get as 
high as ole' Pixel. 

As far as tails. Yes, Pixel's bushes up to about 3 times it's normal 
size. Dante is long-haired  and he's got a squirrel's tail to begin
with and when that thing bushes up it's HUGE!! :-) Their tails do
this when they are startled or playing. It's just hilarious to watch
those two race around the house with those little upsidedown-j-
hooked bushy tails...it's a blast!!!:-)

Kay
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Kay Schlumpf     University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign,  MRLCFC
bitnet:   schlumpf@uiucmrl    	   internet: schlumpf@uimrl7.mrl.uiuc.edu
Wife to Peter, the Patient; Mommy to Baeki, the Happy Cocker Spaniel; 
Owned by Pixel, the Cuddly Siamese and Dante, the Quilter's Cat. Also
Quilter, Collector of Model Horses, and Horse Fiend! 
             All opinions are my own...mine mine mine, ALL MINE!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: dmillard@encore.com (Debbie Millard)
Subject: Re: Hairballs
Organization: Encore Computer Corporation, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 21:43:36 GMT

In article <5507@transfer.stratus.com> kaz@vineland.pubs.stratus.com (Karen Fegley) writes:
>In article <1992Aug7.161839.17676@morgan.ucs.mun.ca> colette@morgan.ucs.mun.ca  
>(Colette Goodyear) writes:
>> 
>> My 1 1/2 year old cat, Willow (grey DSH) has never yet thrown up
>> a hairball.  (I can hear some of you saying " I wish
>> I had the luck!").  She is meticulous in her grooming and I'm
>> beginning to wonder if I should worry about this.  I've been
>> owned by only one cat before (Fluff, who was 19 when we had to put her
>> to sleep) who did throw up regularly so this is new to me. 
>> Colette Goodyear
>

>(Karen Fegley) responds:
>
>
>Since Mehitabel is the first short-haired cat we have had
>(Sabrina is our third long-haired cat), I cannot be sure that
>her nonproduction of hairballs is typical of short-haired cats.
>But it does seem to make some intuitive sense.
>

My .02 worth:

Boy, I sure wish this were true.  I have 3 short-haired babies,
all meticulous groomers.  One leaves me a hairball regularly
(why is it *always* when you bring company home?), one occasionally,
and one has never thrown one up.  I've been trying to figure it
out, but finally gave up.

Debbie
Calli, Cissy, Timmy - the ever-clean crew


Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: K_LEPA@unhh.unh.edu (Kristen   Lepa)
Subject: Lost-cost spaying!
Organization: University of New Hampshire
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 22:45:20 GMT
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.12

And neutering!  A friend of mine told me to call 1-800-555-1212 and ask
for the 800 number for the group, Friends of Animals.  She said I could
get low-cost spay/neutering information from them, either that or they do
it themselves.  She paid $65 for a dog and $35 for a cat.  Wow.  I'm going
to call as soon as I hang up and see if I can prevent my friend's cat from
having _another_ litter. (he complains about the cost).

	-Kristen
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: gck@hector.uucp (24641-kemmerling)
Subject: Re: HELP!!  Cat licking self raw!
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 92 11:20:16 GMT


I had a cat who licked his tummy raw.  We had just moved and I 
guess it was nerves.  The vet gave him a mild tranquilizer and
it solved the problem.


Gayle 'wish I was back in Illinois' Kemmerling
E-mail address: gck@hector.cc.bellcore.com 
Morristown, N.J.
(201) 829-3950
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
From: coimay@sn01.sncc.lsu.edu ( LAURA CARRIERE)
Subject: Re: Terrified of Ceiling Fan!
Nntp-Posting-Host-[nntpd-369]: sn01.sncc.lsu.edu
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4   
Reply-To: coimay@sn01.sncc.lsu.edu
Organization: The unofficial LSU news node
Distribution:  world
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 17:21:35 GMT

In article <exuptr.361.714347492@exu.ericsson.se>, exuptr@exu.ericsson.se (Patrick Taylor) writes...
> 
>Just try vacuuming with a cat in the room sometime!

Neither of my two mind the vacuum.  In fact I have to practically run it
right at Mom before she gets up and moves to the other side of the room.

My parents have a cat, Pebbles, who loves to be vacuumed.  They have an
internal vac system, so it's not like there's a power head to hurt her.
She lies down on her tummy and lets my Mom (my real one, not my cat :) 
run the vacuum over her sides and back.  Weird.  Of course with the 
internal vacuum there's no noisy box rolling erratically around the
room.

Laura Carriere
From: kaz@vineland.pubs.stratus.com (Karen Fegley)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: what do you think?
Date: 14 Aug 92 18:05:33 GMT
Distribution: usa

In article <1992Aug13.205739.12574@cbnewsd.cb.att.com> jlevy@cbnewsd.cb.att.com  
(janet.s.levy) writes:
> In article <1992Aug4.120417.9581@gvl.unisys.com> ronw@gvlf6-e.gvl.unisys.com  
(Ron Wagner) writes:
> >>sbiles@nmsu.edu (Susannah E Biles) writes:
> >>
> >> 
> >> Okay..second of all:
> >> You know that cute little thing that kitty's do with their paws -n-
> >> claws when they are content? Well, I was just curoius as to what 
> >> everyone else called it. I have refered to it (since a little girl)
> >> as "makin' muffin's", and I have heard it called, "kneading bread"
> >> and "that-happy-cat-thing". Any others?
> >> 
> >
> >We  use the term "wudgies" although I am not sure of either the spelling
> >or derivation.  I also like the term "motoring" for really serious purring.
> >
> >Ron Wagner
> >ronw@gvl.unisys.com
> >
> 
> My friend calls this "buttering".
> 
> Janet Levy
> jsl@ihlpm.ATT.COM

I've heard it called "mashing" and "massaging".

On a slightly different tack, our calico has a way of popping
straight up in the air off of all four paws at once when startled,
the height off of the ground being directly proportional to the
degree of startle.  We've always called this "toastering".  Do
other cats do this?  This is the first one we've had that does.

The other thing that happens when she gets startled is that her
her tail bushes up till it looks like a bottle brush.  Since she
is a VERY short-haired cat, it looks really silly.

Karen