Zilli just took his cast off.
I heard a sharp, not exactly pained, MEOW! and went downstairs to investigate. Zilli was sitting about three feet away from his cast, licking his paw.
I think the little shit outsmarted it. Judging from its location–right next to the bookcase, where I’d seen him lying with his leg under it earlier–I think he figured out that if it was slipping he could get it off, and I think he put his leg under the bookcase and scraped it off. As
I have put the little monster into his cat carrier, because there’s absolutely no other way to prevent him from getting around, and while he may be all right (although his poor little leg is rather shriveled-looking) I would rather not explore his okay-ness by having him doing normal cat things like stairs and jumping and climbing. Right now his primary interest (not that I can blame him) is washing his foot. I think I’ll let him do that for a while, but I expect I’m going to have to put the horrible collar on him after a bit, because there are raw spots and I don’t want him to damage himself.
I have this idea that
That’s too funny, but at the same time would be frustrating me badly. Now that he’s done it once, I wonder how long it will stay on when/if the cast its replaced.
Bobtails are a two edged sword though. Hana has realized that getting her thyroid pill means getting a cat treat after so she now gets excited by and tries to open the medicine bottle when I have it out.
They are the only cats I have ever known who can put two and two together to figure out a problem.
Wow, that’s pretty fiendish! It’s a good thing my cats don’t read LJ, or Zilli would be a terrible influence on them!
Now that he’s done it once, I wonder how long it will stay on when/if the cast its replaced.
That’s exactly my concern. Oi.
Oh yes. These are smart cats. We used to have a stereo cabinet with a fairly sticky magnet that kept the glass doors closed. Fairly sticky, like: it took a certain amount of effort for a *human* to push it hard enough to make it pop open. We kept the cat toys in the bottom of this stereo cabinet.
One afternoon we came home and were bewildered to find one of the cat toys lying in the middle of the living room. “Didn’t you put that away?” we said to one another, and then, “Well, we thought we had,” and so we put it away and didn’t think much of it.
Until the next time it appeared, at which point we started suspecting the cats. This happened periodically, and then one day we caught them at it.
Lucy, the bulkier of the two, leaned her body weight into the door and then scooted back to pop it open. Zilli, who was lying in wait, stuck his paw into the door so it couldn’t close. Then Lucy went in and got the toy so they could play with it. It took *maybe* ten seconds, and was a *totally* cooperative effort.
Ted and I just *gaped*. Can you *imagine* these cats with opposable thumbs? O.O
It’d be best if your cats didn’t break any legs!
In fact, now that I’m thinking on it, I bet it didn’t ‘slip’ at all. I bet this was a sustained attack.
Stupid damned smart cat.
Wow. I am in awe of your kitty’s brains!
Hope he doesn’t do himself any further harm, though, until that leg is sound again!
My cat has three legs. He got shot and they amputated it. The danged creature was running around less than a week after the surgery, and jumping so much the vet and nurses were very worried he’d pull out his stitches. They also said they’d never seen an animal recover his abilities so quickly after an operation.
Dunno if he’s smart enough to pull off a cast, but he is a convincing enough actor to limp for bites of turkey sympathy whenever my dad opens the fridge (despite the fact that he can still take down rabbits, squirrels and birds).
Also, in other news, I saw this at the bookstore today and squee-d in delight.
The border’s in southern illinois loves you!
And baby-safe latches leave enough room for cat-paws to reach through. You’re just doomed.:-)
oOoOohhh…..poor Zilli! Even worse, poor Kit!!
And I thought MY cat was devious! Glad I only have a Maine Coon – even so, she’s a handful! Good luck, I’m sure he’ll be fine.
Seriously? Yah. I read your posts in reverse order and when I saw the ‘slip’ one, I was betting he’d been working at it.
Woah, now that is a good story! But I’m only mildly surprised. JBTs are just so smart it doesn’t seem wrong that they tag-teamed the door to get at the toys.
Lucy and Zilli aren’t related, right? I count myself lucky that my girls are sisters. They have so much sibling rivalry they rarely put forth a joint effort on anything other than grooming each other and sharing a lap when it’s really cold out.
I quite agree! I have told them this!
That is *such* the classic Bobtail maneuver, too…
Yeah, and judging from the way he’s favoring it, I’d say re-breaking it is *also* such a classic Bobtail maneuver. ARGH!
The vet is not going to believe this.
Remember to tell the vet repeatedly “Yep, that’s a Bobtail!”
(poor hellbent-on-self-destruction kitty…)
hmm, clever kitty…
Regrettably, yes. :)
SQUEE! *beam*! Thank you! EHEHEH! *beams*!
I don’t know if Maine Coons are known for their deviousness (I’d have to ask), though I do know they’re supposed to be smart and that they trill wonderfully. Zilli grew up with MCs, and trills, and taught all of the Bobtails he then went to live with how to trill. Lucy doesn’t trill as *much* as Zilli, but she will trill. :)
Bobtails, however, are known for being devious. :}
I’d sort of like to rattle my kitty’s brains right now… :)
Are you *sure* they don’t read LJ?
Are you *sure* they don’t read LJ?
This is the problem with cats. They are very clever but not really clever enough. Sigh. Good luck keeping him calm and quiet in the carrier and I hope the vet treats him with the respect due a confirmed escape artist.
Try to leave me some optimistic illusions!
It sounds good on PAPER to have a smart pet. It just doesn’t work out as well in PRACTICE. I so sympathize and hope he’s feeling better soon.
Hana? You have a kitty named Hana also?
*happy dance* That’s the first time I’ve run across another kitty with that name.
*laugh* Now the question is: is yours a Hana-flower or a Hana-nose?
Mine started as the former. As a kitten and subadult cat she had breathing problems, possibly something congenital. She’d make these wheezy snerk sounds whenever she breathed in. She has mostly outgrown it though and she’s now more of a Hana=flower.
She’s a Hana-flower.. she’s a delicate looking little thing, but then she pulls out the claws/thorns. :)
Hee, I bet!