Sophie's World

Sophie had the opportunity to earn her keep the other day. I was working home alone, getting ready to make lunch. Sophie had been acting strangely, sitting in the kitchen.

She never misses an opportunity for her precious afternoon nap. She typically sleeps from 9 a.m. to her 4 p.m. feeding time. Something definitely was up.

That’s when I saw it—a vole running away with a hunting cat on its tail. Sophie didn’t get it, but that certainly didn’t stop her from keeping on the job.

If you have a cat, I’m sure you understand the predicament. Poison is out of the question. A poisoned rodent is not as fast, the perfect prey for a cat. Unfortunately, the poison will likely do the same thing to her as it does the rodent—kill her.

Glue boards are the epitome of cruel, IMHO. So, we were left trying repellents. First we tried a sachet of peppermint and spearmint oils. The only good thing I can say about it is that it smelled nice. Otherwise, it absolutely did not work. In fact, the home invaders ate it!

Next, we tried sealing up what we found to be the hole. I first laced the whole with ground cayenne pepper with some hot sauce for good measure. Then, my husband sealed the hole with foam. This did the trick. No more voles!

I feel a bit bad. Sophie was enjoying the hunt. It was fun to see her in hunter mode, in touch with her inner cat. What worried me more than seeing her kill the rodent was the thought that she may make it a present for me. That, I could do without.

Photo by Juha Soininen

Sophie has been on her own weight loss plan for a few months now. Sophie, like too many pets, is overweight. In fact, 58 percent of American cats are either overweight or obese. At least she wasn’t alone.

I am happy to report that after a few months of a reduced diet, an added emphasis on activity, and perseverance that Sophie has lost 1 1/2 pounds.

She still has a bit to go yet, but the weight loss is evident. I can see it in her face. Sophie’s New Year’s resolution is to lose 1 1/2 more pounds to get her to the weight that her vet recommended. I’m sure as spring approaches and the birds return, she will have plenty to keep herself occupied with. At least it’s a start.

Photo by benipop

Don’t even think about it. Just do it. Celebrate Hug Your Cat Day by giving your cat a big hug.

Celebrate the joy she brings into your life, the unconditional love, the trust. Celebrate those bizarre moments when she chases pixies in your living room. Celebrate those days when she won’t leave your side and demands to be held.

Celebrate her wackiness, her quiet, her poise. Celebrate those days when she just seems to know that you need a hug.

Celebrate those days when she won’t stop talking or those days when you have to search for her. Celebrate when she dogs your every move or sleeps on your computer keyboard. Cherish and love your cat for all the joy she brings into your life.

Photo by Hob

It seemed like Sophie and I both were having one of those days. Nothing is worse than a bad hair day. With Sophie, it was excessive shedding, probably because she lays right in front of our direct heat furnace. Yes, we’ve still had to run the heat on occasion.

For me, nothing looked right. I tried styling my hair. Yuck. I put it up. It won’t lay straight. I brushed it out, and it got frizzy. It is days like that I just want to cut it all off and start from scratch. What I needed was some serious Hair Care.

Well, it actually worked out. As part of my weekly to-do list, I have a task called “Spa Monday”. That’s the time I’ll indulge myself in something nice. I figure it is a good way to set the tone for the week. Even Sophie gets her own spa day. I’ll give her a good brushing to keep her coat nice and shiny—and to keep the shedding down.

For me, it was a deep conditioning treatment. Besides feeling good, it perked up my mood. There’s nothing better than taking care of yourself once in awhile, especially when stress or other worries brings you down.

I learned a valuable lesson from Sophie. Before we switched her to her present food, her coat was dull and flaky. So, I tried her approach. I started taking biotin and fish oil supplements. As good quality nutrition did for her, my hair improved.

I’ll have to believe her next time Sophie looks at me with those eyes that say she knows it all. Maybe she should get fed whenever she wants.

One of the issues that I discussed with Sophie’s vet was her tendency to go into an unoccupied room and cry. All she wanted was attention, yes, but why go where there are no people?

It usually happens after my husband gets home from work. During the day while I’m writing, Sophie is sound asleep. Naturally, my husband and I talk a bit at first. Sophie gets noticed, but I’ve missed the hubby too.

Dr. Bob suggested that I try a spray bottle when she uses inappropriate behavior as one way to deter her. I remember that we used a spray bottle on my last cat, Ruby (RIP), when she started clawing the furniture.

Ruby was a smart cat. She only was disciplined twice by the Disciplinarian. After that, I only had to shake it to get her to stop.

So, I thought I’d give it a try with Sophie. Earlier this week, she started up right after I fed her. WTF, I thought. C’mon on. I’ve been her all day. So, I squirted her.

Never will I squirt her again. Good-bye, Disciplinarian. I felt so guilty. Here she was, with unconditional trust in me and I let her have it.

Lesson learned: I’ll put up with her yowling and find other ways to distract her. I can’t really fault her for wanting attention.

Photo by gokoroko