I haven’t posted for a while. My sister had serious surgery, and I’ve been worried about Minkey. You see, he’s been dropping weight until he went from slightly underweight cat to positively skeletal. 

Gaunt, even.

I did all the right things. I had him checked, and all the results showed no problems. I’m already fanatical about providing him with fresh water, several times a day. And his coat passes the “pinch” test for dehydration with flying colors.

“He’s just an older cat,” shrugged the vet.

But Minkey’s only fourteen. Should he really be dropping weight like that?

He seems happy and healthy. He plays just as much as ever (if not more!) And he gobbles down his special premium Royal Canin Siamese cat food with just as much gusto.

Okay, so he eats only hard “kibble”, which was supposed to be the best for your cat and his teeth back when I first checked into Siamese diets – but which there’s evidence now to show may actually not be ideal. So mindful of the vet’s instructions, I tried to add premium, top-of-the-line, expensive, soft cat food. With good, non-toxic ingredients. (I did a lot of research.)

Minkey hated them, every one.  He’d check out his bowl, glare at me, “cover it up” and stalk away, fangs bared in a rictus of distaste.  (He’s repeated that with every brand, so far!)

“Older cat food” is no solution either – mostly, that’s for kidney problems (which Minkey apparently doesn’t have) or to help cats lose weight – not gain it.

And for the first time in years, he’s actually stopped bazooka-barfing, this year.  He used to regularly upchuck all his meals, until we discovered Royal Canin, which is designed specifically to help Siamese cats not inhale their food, but chew it properly. (It worked – and Minkey’s been eating 3 times as much as usual all year!)

Finally, I noticed his favorite toy of the moment – Mr. Skeleton, a leftover Hallowe’en toy.  Hmmm… all bones. Perhaps Minkey is anorexic?  Trying to imitate his hero?  Influenced by Hollywood?  Batting Mr. Skeleton around too much and racing round the house far more than usual?

Cat ADHD?

Seriously, if anyone has any ideas about what could be wrong with a severely underweight cat who behaves as if he’s on cat-amphetamines, please post a comment! At this point, I’ll check out anything. 

It’s sad to think my immortal playmate Minkey might actually be into older cat health issues now.

Those of you who have read my earlier posts know that Minkey likes to read in the bathroom. Well, today I caught him with one of my psychology books – “Secrets Of Face To Face Communication”, by Peter Urs Bender and Dr. Robert Tracz. I am sure he was mortified – smart cats are never caught plotting to dominate the entire human race. (Which in Minkey’s world, consists of yours truly, and the Occasional Visitor.)

I wouldn’t have noticed what he was reading – except that he managed to look both guilty and outraged. Ears laid back to his skull, nostrils flaring, eyes wild.

And a gurgling sound that swelled from a moan to a yowl, in less time than it takes Sigmund Freud to leap to his favorite conclusion.

I had absolutely no trouble understanding what he was saying.

But I took the book away from him, anyway.

Yesterday I read in the news about a “vampire” unearthed in Europe – some poor woman buried with a rock between her teeth, a victim of a plague that swept across Europe in 1560 AD.  The writer concluded with the inevitable pondering over whether or not vampires existed.

Vampires… teeth marks… waking up with little holes all over one… Hmmm….

Just take a look at this completely unaltered photo of my Siamese cat, Minkey, and tell me – what do you think?

I once had a ghost cat. No, I mean, a real ghost.  And I don’t think it was one of my past pets.

We lived at the time in a century home in Aurora, Ontario. I used to see a little grey cat running along out the corner of my eye. When I turned my head properly to look, it would always “melt” into the floor or furniture. And it particularly seemed to like to run along my piano keyboard.

Since my dad was terminally ill and I was under a lot of stress, I put it down as a figment of my imagination. Then my friend Rosemary brought her mother to visit. I had never mentioned my little ghost to either of them.

As I was making tea, Rosemary’s practical mother suddenly piped up with: “Did you know you have a ghost cat?”  She went on to cheerfully relay how she had seen it run into the dining room and “melt” into the floor.

That’s when I first realized my ghost cat might be “real”.  (It was eventually seen and commented on by 4 or 5 incidental visitors.)

Now, a ghost cat is the sort of paranormal phenomenon I don’t mind at all.  I even invited it to come and live with us, when we moved. It didn’t. I think it was part of that particular house, which produced two other paranormal experiences while I was there. (In spite of that, I have to admit, it was one of the most pleasant houses I’ve ever lived in.)

They do say that animals sense supernatural phenomenon.  But having had a Siamese (namely, the Minkmeister) I now have another explanation.

I think they just like suddenly freezing and staring intently at Nothing with their hackles raised (usually while one is watching “Ghost Hunters” or “Most Haunted”). Every self-respecting cat automatically knows, it’s fun to scare the bejabbers out of your owner on a dark and stormy night.

Besides which, Minkey is a little softie, for all his attitude. At the first sign of a real ghost, he’d probably run up my shirt and hide!

Babies and cats DO go together – and Leo and his pet cat, Flea, are living proof. 

Leo is a rambuctious, happy, little (human) bundle of energy who just turned 2-years-old  the other day. Flea is a lot older and wiser, and as gentle with his human toddler buddy as Leo is with him.

It’s all about parenting. I’m sure that left to his own devices, Leo would happily grab Flea and traumatize the heck out of the poor old fellow. However, Leo’s mom devotes unlimited time to teaching Leo how to relate, share and consider the feelings of other living beings.

I’ve seen living proof of  this myself in the way Leo interacts with Lily, the younger baby his mother provides with full-time day care 4 days a week. Lily is as fair, quiet and gentle as Leo is dark, loud and rambunctious – but the two of them outdo each other in affectionate cooperation. It’s really lovely to watch them being generous with each other (though Leo does like stand beside Lily and open his mouth wide, when she’s getting fed her dinner).

Besides, even though Flea has never actually met Minkey – Leo has.

And when it comes to babies and cats, Leo is the only baby in the world that Minkey isn’t afraid of.

My friend Abi and I concocted this cartoon, back when Minkey and Elli were going through their terrible twos.

13 years later… Now we know: It’s permanent.

A few years ago, I went through art college and managed to land a Fine Arts Advanced degree With Honors.  I have to admit, however, that Minkey is a more creative artist than I’ll ever be.  I came home from school one day to discover that Minkey had somehow got a sheet of paper I’d been using to make a charcoal transfer from, and had Adapted it into his own interpretive piece of artwork. 

He seemed to be busy smudging it. I was hugely entertained – till I saw the focal point of his piece de resistance. 

A tiny fieldmouse, dead. I didn’t know whether to be more horrified that a mouse had made it in from the winter snows, or amazed because Minkey was doing a Salvador Dali.

I sent several photos of his antics to my drawing teacher, who didn’t deign to reply.

Personally, I think he was just  jealous.

I wrote this on a Valentine’s day years ago, after Minkey tried to wake me up at 4 a.m. by dropping tinfoil balls on my chest and screaming affectionately in my ear….

Valentine For A Yowling Siamese Cat, 4:00 a.m.

Romeo and Juliet
would not have died,
had they a pet.

A puppy to be fed and brushed
would not have left them
quite so crushed.

And if not that, at least a cat
to occupy and plain distract
from morbid thoughts of death and gloom
—A Siamese would leave no room,
its plaintive love-song not denied
by man or beast (lord, how I’ve tried!)

A Siamese — cannot ignore it —
just expects you to adore it.

Copyright 1997, M.F.Miller

From Guest Blogger Skadi:

Malinka was rescued during a terrible thunderstorm some years ago. It took her two weeks to come out of hiding and begin to trust.  She quickly learned that dogs could be warned off with the dreadful Siamese Hiss, which ones does showing as many sharp, pointy teeth as possible.

As soon as she became used to other cat and dog members of our family she began to relax. Her message was: “I’m Malinka and I’m the baddest girl in town”. Nothing was safe from her, and she knew all the ways to draw attention to herself. The bed became her Queendom, and any other cat coming up was subjected to the savage leap and rush, paws and claws before her, to knock her rivals off the bed. Then she would roll.

It became impossible to read a book in bed. As soon as I started, this wicked seal-painted she-devil’s face would pop up above the book, and puncture it with a fang before disappearing again. Many is the time I came home to find a new or cherished book, with corners neatly chewed off, and numerous puncture holes in the front cover.

I named her for an old movie poster: “Malenka the Vampire”, showing this fierce, yet free, woman, her mouth open to display large and wonderfully fake vampire teeth. It suited the temperament of our Malinka perfectly, Although there was definitely nothing false about her little vampire fangs. But in all this, we love her; how can we not?

Skadi

It seems Minkey has made some NEW friends, whether he knows it or not.  He has never met Malinka, but we are honored that she has come to “visit” our pages. The next post will be her story.

I would love to hear from other cat owners about their special friends. “Guest bloggers” are fun!

And yes – that’s Malinka, (left) doing what Siameasles do best.  Taking over her owner’s house.