the domestic zoo

I feed the cats a whole prey model raw diet, which means I try to provide a balanced diet of meats, bones, and organs in as whole a form as possible (i.e. whole chicken). But whole chicken isn’t really whole chicken, it’s been plucked and devoid of, among other things, it’s head and feet.

So I took the next logical step and ordered really-truly-authentic whole prey: mice.

No, not live mice, that’d be cruel (have you ever seen how cats treat their prey?). Rather, these are humanely euthanized mice from a company that mainly supplies snake and lizard owners.

Cats eat mice, of course, I know this. But carving up a not-so-whole chicken is a lot easier than thawing out a little mouse. Why? I know the mouse was treated a lot better than the chicken ever was. It met a much kinder end.

That this afternoon I’m giving someone advice on how to deal with her cats peeing everywhere, and this evening we find that one of the cats had recently urinated on Hannah’s sleeping bag and teddy bear.

So of course, after cleaning up the mess with enzyme cleaner and bagging the soiled items, my mind went into analytical mode. The litterboxes aren’t too dirty, but the litter is lower than normal (I’m buying more tomorrow, couldn’t they wait?) Could be stress – PJ is spending more and more time out in the house. Scully is the most likely suspect, she still hates PJ. And Hannah’s room is directly across from Stephen’s room, where PJ stays, so stress and territoriality would make sense. I have a Feliway Diffuser, but I don’t have any refills, so I couldn’t plug it in. Instead I grabbed the bottle of SpiritEssences ‘Stress Stopper’ and put a dropperful into the cats’ water fountain, as well as rubbing a little around the base of Scully’s ears.

*whew*

These things just happen sometimes, of course. Cats are such strange, sensitive creatures. But cat pee is something entirely reviling, so if this is a new behavior I want to nip it in the bud.

If you die will I get word that you’re gone
Will I hear it in passing conversation
Will I stop short and fall to the ground
Distance is short when your hand carries what your eye found

Hold my hand just one more time,
to see if you’re really gonna meet me
Hold my hand just one more time…

- Elias, Dispatch

given to me by a little girl at an AIDS orphanage

If you die will I get word that you’re gone
Will I hear it in passing conversation
Will I stop short and fall to the ground
Distance is short when your hand carries what your eye found

Hold my hand just one more time,
to see if you’re really gonna meet me
Hold my hand just one more time…

- Elias, Dispatch

given to me by a little girl at an AIDS orphanage

Two weeks ago, I posted about my classmate, Kate. Her cats were very, very ill, but amazingly they have all made a complete recovery! The vet says it’s “miraculous”. So thanks again for your prayers and well wishes.

And if you could, please say a quick prayer for Martin the mouse. The antibiotics for his myco flare-ups have stopped working and he’s going back to the vet on Friday. I don’t know what, if any, our treatment options are. I know he’s ‘just a rodent’, but he’s also one of God’s creatures and I hate to see him doing so poorly.