E-mail :)

Hi Dakota Sioux,
Yep. Momma Kitty does have her own mind. She is
laying right here on the desk above the keyboard
looking at me with one paw on my hand. The other
night she decided it was time for me to quit typing
so she got down on the keyboard and layed out full
length across my hands and the keyboard. It was real
hard to type that way because she weighs 11 pounds.
As for teaching cubs I sort of do it like a momma lion
or tiger would. When they get too rough or shouldn't
do something they are doing I just lay my arm and
paw across their shoulders and hold them down on the
floor for a while so they can't go anywhere just like a
momma would do with them. They don't like that at all
but if I hold them down so they can't go anywhere or
move very well for a couple minutes they get the idea.
They have a fit for a while but they know not to do it
any more and if they be still then I let them up and they
can go play again. They usually yeowl and growl at first
but get the idea pretty soon that it don't do any good
and they are being stopped from doing what they were
doing so they just lay still and when they do that I let
them up. Every time they do it again I put my paw on
them and hold them down just like a momma would
do again. I don't hurt them at all just make them stop
by holding them in one place for a while so they can't
go anywhere or play anymore until I let them go. The
Hook lives at my friends house. She belongs to both of
us and he has a lot of money and his house was designed
and built for her too. She has her own room inside and a
1/2 acre outside play yard that attaches to her room on
the outside of the house and she also has a big swimming
pool inside the house just off of her room and the main
living room of the house with big glass windows and glass
doors looking into the pool from the living room. Sometimes
we go swimming with her. She really loves the swimming pool.

My grandcub and I sometimes have long talks at breakfast
time before he goes to school about what scares furry friends
and makes Momma Kitty nervous and how he should act so
she will trust him more. He is only 7 so sometimes he forgets
and moves too quickly which scares Momma but he is learning
to be gentle with her. Even though Momma has been living with
me for about 10 years she spent the first 4 years of her life as a
feral so she can still get pretty nervous sometimes. It took me
well over a year to gain her trust enough for her to allow me to
handle her. Your Mom is right. People with furry friends are much
happier.

Lion Tim only lives about 9 miles from me and works at the
same zoo (where Hobbs and the rest live) where I worked for 8 1/2
years. I was the big cat curator there. Now I am helping out at a big
cat sanctuary in Fallon, Nevada. I don't know how long a drive your
Mom would have to make but I can understand that your Dad would
want to go along especially if it is a real long drive.


We are all fine but I am getting over a nasty cold I think I caught
from the Grandcub because his whole school seems to have it and
he does too. I think he got it at his school and then I got it but I am
doing much better now.

Catmanwho


Hi Catmanwho,

Sorry it took me awhile to write back. I hope that your cold is
getting better. You might have seen on the Phoenix list that
mom has been having computer problems. It makes it hard
for her to help me with my e-mails. I like to get up on the
keyboard like Mama Kitty. I do it so I can turn on the computer.
It is a mac and it makes a funny noise and lights up when I put
my paw on the button. Last night I turned it on 6 times while
mom and dad tried to sleep. Dad told mom that he is going to
turn off the power strip tonight so that I can't have this kind of fun.

It makes sense that you hold down cubs when they misbehave.
That's a great idea to be like the big mama cat. I can see that cubs
would get very bored and learn quick how to behave in a good way.
I get bored if mom wants to hold me when I don't want her to. I'm
real nice and she doesn't hold me long. I like to climb on her and
make sweetrolls. I'm not a big lap kitty because I have lots of
energy and like to run around and play. I like to get on the bed
to take naps and I follow mom around the house. Sometimes I like
to flop on my back right in front of her when she is walking around.
I like her to pet my belly and I grab her hand and lick and sometimes
kick and bite for play.


Wow, Hook sounds like she has a great place to live. It sounds
really pretty and fun. I like water, too. I've never been swimming,
though. I like to turn on the faucet and wrestle with the humidifier
and my waterer. I like to wait for the dogs to drink and get the
water holder bubbling really good. I bet its lots of fun for you
and your friend to go swimming with Hook. She probably loves it,
too. She probably eats lots and lots of meat. I can guess because
I eat alot and only weigh 9 pounds.

I get my meat then I run to everyone else's plate to see if I can help
them out :) Nimbus is a bigeater and mom has to make sure he does
not eat the food of Love Scoobs (Velvet). She gets special canned
food because she doesn't like raw rabbit. She tries to bury it! Silly girl.
There is no dirt on the floor to really throw on top of it. Still, she acts
like she is in the cat box and paws the floor.

Mom's computer is working now and she is feeling better and will help me
write. She continued this e-mail from her draft folder. Mom says that
when she visits Tim the lion man maybe she can visit with you if you have
time. Maybe mom can come and visit you at work.

I better go for now. I look forward to chatting soon.

hugs from,
Dakota, Pixie-Bob