Magic treat dispenser?

We're pleased to report that, after following some of the great suggestions folks have sent, Meow Meow has gotten quite accustomed to her scratching post! With frequent play sessions around it and the discovery of a treat she likes, we managed to get her interested in hanging around the base in hopes of getting some string-chasing time (supervised) or finding a tasty nibble tucked into the fabric. One day, she just decided to try buffing her little claws on the microfiber. To her delight, there were no interruptions!


She hasn't quite figured out how to make treats appear at will -- I'm not always there to reward her -- but she's hopeful.


The habit isn't totally in place yet, so we're trying to stay consistent with the training. This may prove to be a little challenging in the immediate future -- Meow Meow goes to the vet today for some much-needed dental work. She'll be anesthetized and will likely have to have a painful-looking tooth taken out (she hasn't complained, but cats are good at hiding illness and injury). We're hoping she'll come through the procedure without complications. This does mean we'll also be delaying fostering until she's recovered, but we're looking forward to having a guest again soon!

News times two

Yes indeed, we have another update from Spaghetti and Meatball! Many thanks to their mom, Laura, who sent us these wonderful shots of the girls going about their daily business.

As you can see, Spaghetti and Meatball have their own room, complete with kitty condo:







Butler service is included (thanks to their dad, Adam):



Of course, the kitties enjoy having space throughout their new home, whether they're on the prowl ...


... at play ...


... or at rest.


So glad to see you both, lucky girls! Lots of love from our house to yours.

Cribbage is also a hit

Meow Meow can't count points, but she keeps an eye on the pegs for us.

This preference you have

... for cuddling on my lap only when I'm wearing my bathrobe, Meow Meow, is not at all conducive to productivity. If we both had our way, I'd never be able to leave the house!


Apparently, that's perfectly fine with you.

But MOM

I know you don't want to go to the dentist, Meow Meow, but those teeth need some attention. Showing them off here isn't enough.

Nibble, nibble, swat, swat

It's become clear that Meow Meow likes anything string-like. Strips of fabric, sewing thread, window pulls -- she'll play with any and all we dangle before her.


She's also discovered that she enjoys scratching the microfiber couches in our living room. We've offered her other textures via a carpet-and-sisal-rope scratching post and some mats she's shown interest in too, but the couches are still too attractive to her. So, after covering the targeted locations on the furniture with aluminum foil (which works great as a deterrent if you're dealing with the same issue), I hit up a local fabric store and bought some sueded upholstery nearly identical to what our couches are covered in (it's microns thinner). Wrapped the post in said fabric. Placed it prominently in the living room where we usually hang out, fastened string toys to it for added interest.

But without someone actually making the toys move, Meow Meow's pretty indifferent to them. And as I said before, she doesn't respond to catnip, so we don't have a truly effective way to draw her to the post. Playing with her toys near it hasn't quite done the trick to get her interested in the post itself.

Any suggestions, oh wise kitty parents? I have half a mind to figure out what treats she likes and hang them somehow from the sides of the post. That's going to require some creative engineering ...