This is my neighbor’s cat, Bill Purray. He comes into our yard to mess with our cats often. This photo perfectly captures Bill’s personality.
Tag: Cats
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“I’m judging the post below me. Hard.”
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Hello, welcome to my office.
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Lazy day 😴
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Meet my cat, Jasmine 😍
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Spring wild cats
I spent some time on the first heated day of the season snapping pics of the wild animals I share a home with. Let’s make it irie, even if just for a few moments. #onelove #noworries #wildcats
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Why do cats make that face?
I thought Jasmine looked so beautiful in the morning sunshine, so I grabbed the ol’ camera box. Little did I know I’d capture a rare shot of her making The Face. If you are a cat owner, you are no doubt familiar with The Face.
The Face, as it’s known in the Tripaldi Household, has a scientific name. It’s called the Flehmen Response. Many animals do it, and often “over a site or substance of particular interest to the animal (e.g. urine or fæces)” *giggles*. Basically it allows the cat to inhale the delicious wisps of urine deeper into their mouth so they may better analyze the stench. If you see your cat doing it, you can rest assured that he or she is enjoying the transmission. Here are some pics of Jasmine demonstrating the Flehmen Response, as well as enjoying the aforementioned sunshine.
The Flehmen Response
The Flehmen Response
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A trip to the vet is always worth it
For months I put off scheduling vet appointments for Pekoe and Jasmine. “It’s too much trauma for all involved,” I said. “A cat doesn’t need a check up,” I said. “It is too much money,” I said. We went earlier today, and dude, it was worth the trouble.
Packing the cats into small cages, placing them in a fast moving vehicle, and bringing them to a strange place that reeks of other cats is a traumatic experience for sure. But it wasn’t ‘too traumatic’ to be worth the effort as I originally thought. The experience was a jolt for Megan, Pekoe, Jasmine, and myself. It made us feel alert, and it put us in the strange position where we held both the power of jailer and comforter. We’re the ones responsible for their imprisonment, and yet they needed hear our soothing voices on the drive to the Cat Doctor.
We learned solid information about our beloved cats while there. We need to clean their food bowl daily. That may seem elementary, but we never thought it was necessary. It is the reason Jasmine gets chin acne. We learned how to clean the plaque of their teeth, and how to clip their nails. We learned that our outdoor cats need tape worm pills at least once a year, and yearly rabies shots. We learned that flea and tick season runs from June, as you’d expect, but it goes into December, later than you’d expect. And we learned all this from a responsible grown man who loves and understands cats better than anyone I’ve ever met.
It was expensive and slightly traumatic, and we will one day have to make that final drive to the vets. Think about it, but don’t dwell on it. A trip to the vet is family bonding, it is the only way to learn how to best care for your furry buddies, it is a meditation on death, and it always worth the trouble.
