Our new Calico kitten

[RodISHI]

I don't have the camera or I'd put up a picture of her for y'all. She is cute as can be and a tough little cookie. In the last few days I have learned she does not like a few things. Loud noises bother her. Taking a poop irritates her to no end. She get's indignant about having to do that business and she growls and squalls the whole time she is in the litter box. She will walk on a leash but does not care for it ( more leash time is in order). She does not like road trips or riding in the car so we will be taking a few short trips every chance we get with Cali screaming and squalling until she gets used to riding in the car.

She is a very brave little kitty. She plays with Hos's tail and back feet. He is a two hundred pound Great Pyrenees that does not like cat's or kittens. We had a Siamese that was very jealous of Hos. Hos would walk by and the Siamese would sneak in a smack on the end of Hos's nose every chance it got with it's claws. Hos did not know until he was three years old he could woof and the cat would run. Since he learned cats run when he woofs it is an auto woof when he see's a cat to close to him and sometimes he runs at them to watch them scatter. He has been very good with Cali, I told him he has to be nice to mom's new kitty. I can't call her "the baby kitty" since of course Hos is the baby of the house. I don't wanna create any resentment there for Hos against Cali.

We named the kitten Cali. The first two days she tried her best to be cute so Hos would pay attention to her. She would sneak up on him and then bounce looking really cute and coy. It was not working he'd grgr at her and turn his head in the opposite direction. She got into his face and he woofed or grgr at her a few times each day. You would think that she would leave him alone and avoid him after that, she didn't. She started sleeping on the back corner of his bed. Each day she worked a little closer and closer to his tail. She now curls up on his back feet and plays with his tail. Until a claw gets carried away and Hos grgr's.

Yesterday I heard Hos crying and moaning downstairs. I went down to see what he was moaning about. Cali was smack dab in the middle of his downstairs bed. He could not lay down. A little later Hos was eating dinner and Cali thought he should share. At that point I gave her a big "NO!" and put her back into the living room. One can only expect so much out of a dog and his food bowl is his. She has not been trying to eat out of his food bowl since.

She can climb the stairs but she got in trouble for going into the bedroom and getting in our bed so she now has decided she likes the downstairs best.

I'll put pics up of Cali when Rod brings the camera home.

 

[strollingbones]

o we want pics....good for you...calicos are so purdy

 

[strollingbones]

 

[Diuretic]

We don't get many Calicos in Australia, they're a beautifully marked cat though, really lovely colouring. I've known two which were absolutely delightful cats with terrific personalities.

 

[JW Frogen]

We don't get many Calicos in Australia, they're a beautifully marked cat

We could if you would accept my offer to organise a Calico-Underbelly-Cat smuggling ring.

Hell Diuretic, you could be known as "Mr. Calico."

 

[Againsheila]

Ohhh, I want a calico kitty, I had one when I was growing up and she was great. We named her "Puff" after that cat in the Dick and Jane series....yeah, I'm old.

 

[Diuretic]

We don't get many Calicos in Australia, they're a beautifully marked cat

We could if you would accept my offer to organise a Calico-Underbelly-Cat smuggling ring.

Hell Diuretic, you could be known as "Mr. Calico."

The people at AQIS at Spotswood were fantastic with my wife's Calico, little they did they realise she was just the vanguard....

Forget "Cat Empire" - we're going for "Calico Cat Empire"!

 

[RodISHI]

Here is a few pictures I got this morning of Cali. She likes to run out the door whenever she gets a chance. This morning she explored a small tree. She would start to climb down and then she'd get sidetracked and start playing with the seed pods that rattle. She loves to play. Goes ninety miles an hour then naps and when she awakes she does it all over again.

 

[AllieBaba]

Just an aside..the kitten's cute...

But I don't tolerate dogs who get possessive over their food bowls. Particularly big ones. We teach them from an early age to share and share alike, no matter who approacheth. We can always give them more food, but you can't replace another dog, cat or kid who gets attacked because they get close to the bowl.

My son made it a point to get down on the ground with his pit bull (who weighs about 75-80 lbs now, has a head like a grown bear) when he was eating, and as a result, Snoop NEVER gets offended by kids, cats, or people around his food.

He knows there's always more.

 

[RodISHI]

Just an aside..the kitten's cute...

But I don't tolerate dogs who get possessive over their food bowls. Particularly big ones. We teach them from an early age to share and share alike, no matter who approacheth. We can always give them more food, but you can't replace another dog, cat or kid who gets attacked because they get close to the bowl.

My son made it a point to get down on the ground with his pit bull (who weighs about 75-80 lbs now, has a head like a grown bear) when he was eating, and as a result, Snoop NEVER gets offended by kids, cats, or people around his food.

He knows there's always more.

Cali has to learn manners. Hos is not so much as possessive more like intolerant of her taking over his bowl. At two hundred pounds he is not a pretty eater. His ears are bigger than the kitten. She's not afraid of anything and very obnoxious. Hos has even shared his bed with her but she gets to biting on his tail or his feet and that is more than I expect him to tolerate (he gurfed at her but she ignored him. It took a hefty swat from me to get her to quit biting his tail. She has poked holes in my hands with her sharp teeth.) Hos is nine years old I don't expect him to change at this point, kitten would have to go if she caused to many problems for him. She has her bowls and he has his. I would no more expect him to share his bowl with her anymore than I would share my plate with her and Hos is not allowed in her food either (He would eat it all if he had the opportunity). He eats twice a day, it's not like we have a dry dog food bowl around all the time (he has a special diet).

 

[RodISHI]

Update on how Cali is doing.

So I am not really a cat person. We have had cats over the years but they were always outside cats. The moment I'd get to feeling sorry for them and let them in the house they would in turn crap in the house plants and end up back outside. So I bought one of those insulated igloo cat house's we carried with us for years for the cats.

Cali is different she has been a house cat from day one. I decided after the first couple weeks I truly hate cleaning a cat litter box so we started toilet training the cat. It has been working fairly well she uses the toilet basically with an old bowl full of litter placed under the seat. Each day I put less litter in it. She is not yet big enough to stand fully over the toilet so I still have the litter bowl there for her.

She has also became a good mouser (she has caught three so far, one in the house. Good deal i hate to put out the special mouse food..) Bad thing is she eats them when she catches them and they give her the runs. So the other day Cali has the runny poo. I get into the bathroom and see Cali's bowl is covered with toilet paper. I ask Rod, "Did you put toilet paper over Cali's poo?" He says "What?" Again I repeat did you cover Cali's poo in her bowl with paper? He says no she has the runs though. ( Did not know he was paying attention to the cat so well). The day before I had discover poo paw prints on the toilet seat and had to clean it off. This time she was not taking any chances on poo on her toes she covered it with tp. I knew she was a smart cat.

 

[Truthmatters]

lol

 

[Truthmatters]

Just an aside..the kitten's cute...

But I don't tolerate dogs who get possessive over their food bowls. Particularly big ones. We teach them from an early age to share and share alike, no matter who approacheth. We can always give them more food, but you can't replace another dog, cat or kid who gets attacked because they get close to the bowl.

My son made it a point to get down on the ground with his pit bull (who weighs about 75-80 lbs now, has a head like a grown bear) when he was eating, and as a result, Snoop NEVER gets offended by kids, cats, or people around his food.

He knows there's always more.

I am so glad to find agreement with you AB.

A dog should be taught that you can take it dish away at any momment and that anyone can stick their fingers in the bowl and play while they eat.

Its a safety thing.

 

[California Girl]

Friend of mine has a Bengal. She's adorable.

 

[Sunni Man]

Question: Are Calico Cats Always Female?

Many people are surprised to hear that the vast majority of calico cats are female. Why is this? Is it possible for a calico cat to ever be male? Learn about the genetics of coat color in this feline FAQ.

Answer: First off, what is a calico cat? A calico cat is not a breed of cat, it is a color pattern. To be called "calico", three colors must be present: black, white and orange. Variations of these colors include gray, cream and ginger. A "true" calico cat has large blocks of these three colors, a "tortoise shell" or "tortie" cat has a mix of these three colors (blended/swirled together more than distinct blocks of color). Be sure to stop by the Calico Cat Gallery on the About.com Cats site to see photos of a variety of calico cats.
Now that a calico cat has been defined as a cat with three colors, the question is: why are they nearly always female? The answer is in genetics. Coat color in cats is a sex-linked trait, a physical characteristic (coat color) related to gender. Female animals have two X chromosomes (XX), males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome (XY). The genetic coding for displaying black or orange color is found on the X chromosome. The coding for white is a completely separate gene.

Since females have two X chromosomes, they are able to "display" two colors (orange and black, or variations thereof) and white; creating the 3-color calico mix. Since males have only one X chromosome, they can only be orange OR black. It is more complicated than simply having the color genes -- it is a complex process of dominant and non-dominate genes interacting on the X chromosomes, but that is the basis for coat color in calico cats. For those of you interested in the detailed coat color genetics, please see the "Related Reading" articles at the bottom of this FAQ.

Can a calico cat ever be male? Yes, in rare instances. In this situation, the cat has two X chromosomes and one Y chromosome (XXY). Cats with this chromosomal configuration are usually sterile (not able to breed). This is similar to a condition in humans called Klinefelter's syndrome, or XXY Syndrome.

Interesting calico cat fact: on October 1, 2001, the calico cat became the official cat of the state of Maryland in the United States.

Veterinary Medicine, - FAQs

 

[StarchaseR]

I took my dogs to Petsmart today. They like to ride in the car, see the other dogs, and get pets from people who think they're adorable (they are!). Today was adoption day. I love cats as well as dogs, and I saw a calico cat up for adoption that I REALLY wanted. She was so sweet and pretty. Her name was Skittles, but I knew if I brought her home, I'd be in the doghouse. Damn. I wish I'd stop thinking about her. Maybe having a cat is just not in the stars. Wait! I'll go look!

 

[BridgieBridge]

Congrats on your new kitten!!!!! She is cute!

 

[AllieBaba]

Question: Are Calico Cats Always Female?

Many people are surprised to hear that the vast majority of calico cats are female. Why is this? Is it possible for a calico cat to ever be male? Learn about the genetics of coat color in this feline FAQ.

Answer: First off, what is a calico cat? A calico cat is not a breed of cat, it is a color pattern. To be called "calico", three colors must be present: black, white and orange. Variations of these colors include gray, cream and ginger. A "true" calico cat has large blocks of these three colors, a "tortoise shell" or "tortie" cat has a mix of these three colors (blended/swirled together more than distinct blocks of color). Be sure to stop by the Calico Cat Gallery on the About.com Cats site to see photos of a variety of calico cats.
Now that a calico cat has been defined as a cat with three colors, the question is: why are they nearly always female? The answer is in genetics. Coat color in cats is a sex-linked trait, a physical characteristic (coat color) related to gender. Female animals have two X chromosomes (XX), males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome (XY). The genetic coding for displaying black or orange color is found on the X chromosome. The coding for white is a completely separate gene.

Since females have two X chromosomes, they are able to "display" two colors (orange and black, or variations thereof) and white; creating the 3-color calico mix. Since males have only one X chromosome, they can only be orange OR black. It is more complicated than simply having the color genes -- it is a complex process of dominant and non-dominate genes interacting on the X chromosomes, but that is the basis for coat color in calico cats. For those of you interested in the detailed coat color genetics, please see the "Related Reading" articles at the bottom of this FAQ.

Can a calico cat ever be male? Yes, in rare instances. In this situation, the cat has two X chromosomes and one Y chromosome (XXY). Cats with this chromosomal configuration are usually sterile (not able to breed). This is similar to a condition in humans called Klinefelter's syndrome, or XXY Syndrome.

Interesting calico cat fact: on October 1, 2001, the calico cat became the official cat of the state of Maryland in the United States.

Veterinary Medicine, - FAQs

Here's another weird factoid....yellow kitties are always male.

 

[☭proletarian☭]