Bluejake

more fun thompson facts: the vet says that unless we feed thompson one table spoon of food at a time, he'll start vomiting and getting d again! so we've been feeding him like 10 times a day, which basically means i've got to stop going to school, which seems reasonable. he also is supposed to get laxatone, for hair balls, which was also causing him to throw up, so that's another whole thing, and then the baths, because of the d, which we have to give him like 3 or 4 times a week. being a parent is so difficult!

okay jake. tell me about the bathing. how is this working for you guys? is thompson being difficult about it, or is it easy? i am asking because i am sort of curious and want to bathe my cat :) also, how is his shedding problem...isn't he a persian?

well, like all cats, thompson doesn't like to get a bath, but i find that doing it in the tub makes it easier. he's smart, so he tries to claw his way up and over your shoulder if you carry him into the bathroom, so I sort of pick him up like an inch above the floor and fly him in, while saying "whoooooo- baby is flying!" then, when we are in the bathroom, he is so close to the floor that he tries to go down, instead of clawing up my arm, so that works well. then, i get him on the floor of the tub, where his nails have no traction, and slowly drag him toward the warm, running water. once he gets a good dousing, he gives up, and actually seems to enjoy it. we do a similar butt-bath for times when he's dirty back there, but in the sink. i handle all the actual bathing, and my girlfriend karen is in charge of drying and combing (that takes about 45 minutes with a blowdryer).

thompson does shed, but we comb him once a day to keep him from getting hairballs, so that pretty much takes care of it. and of course, we shave his butt.

dude, we all love thompson =) well, maybe not the gothamist ;-)

as for the barfing and shedding - what are you feeding him? sometimes it's food that causes that stuff. before you say science diet, it's overpriced crap. I have some articles on cat nutrition if you want to read them. however, unlike posting a few pictures of your cat, this IS venturing into cat lady territory ;-) you'll start reading the ingredients on everything.

my only saving grace for knowing so much about feline & canine nutrition is that I used to want to be a vet.

hrm - last line of that comment got eaten. it was "at least you have a penis and will never truly be a cat lady."

To tell you the truth Thomson is one of the most important reason I keep coming to your page. I miss my cat so much and seeing him make me feel better.
And I know that cats are not supposed to be washed very often, they have a substance secreted by their sweat gland that is helping them in identification. A sort of self awareness. But this can also be a myth. I don't know.I used to wash my cat once per 2 weeks.
So, please keep posting your Thomson pics, not everybody out here is without a soul....Some of us love ( adore) animals and that does not make us stupid.I hope so..
Eu

Hey, I LOVE Thompson, I helped give him his first bath! What's even better about Thompson is how it forces Jake to be less selfish and think only about a five pound kitty cat.

Thompson's big half-brother Mingus is frequently bathed as well. It's no fun to find engrustations of poo on kitty's fur.

Thompson would also like to thank the nice people at Hermes for his complimentary Bruce Davidson poster, which he's been using as a tube for the last couple of days. I helped him out a little bit by taping the poster on the side to make it a little sturdier, but it was basically his idea. it's funny- thompson's favorite toys are all home made. Does anyone else have any other fun homemade cat toy ideas?

People who don't like cat pictures just have something wrong with them... I love cats, but I can't imagine spending 45 minutes grooming one, I think that is more time than I spend grooming myself every week.

something i thought i would never read. jake talking about the big runny D. at least it's not about himself.

Thompson is getting cuter with age. I can't believe that he takes the bath and blowdry so well. My cat would maim me. Have you tried feeding him hairball food or senstitive stomach food? That's what I have to give mine and it works, to a degree.

For some nice, mean fun: make a small roll of masking tape and place it on Thompson's back paw. He'll run around in circles shaing his leg. It's well worth the minor feline torture.

my cats love da bird (www.go-cat.com) but you can make your own from a fishing rod, tough nylon string, and feathers from the dollar/craft store.

Thompson liked the foil ball I made him.

And Jake talks about his own runny D from time to time. Hang in there.

he didn't like my runny-ness when i was sick. but i guess it's one thing when you're writing it and another when you're reading about it.

wow. thompson is a really messy eater. even messier than tien.

Thompson is one lucky cat. Seems like you love him very much. Hes the cutest thing too how couldnt you not. Love the pics, love the kitty! and ps jake with all the attention you give him of course he is able to love you back!

messy eater? wha? i'm not a messy eater.

haha he is the cutest thing. i think i'm going to try bathing my cat this weekend. i'll let you know how it goes! of course, there is NO WAY i can get away w/ blowdrying him. he would claw me to death (not to mention, i use the blowdryer as a way to make both cats get out of my bathroom). hm. my cousin forwarded me this HILARIOUS email/joke about cats + dogs. i will try to post it on here.

Pet Diaries

As seen in a dog's diary:
8am - Oh Boy! Dog food! My favorite!
9am - Oh Boy! A car ride! My favorite
10am - Oh Boy! A walk! My favorite!
11am - Oh Boy! A car ride! My favorite!
Noon - Oh Boy! The kids! My favorite!
1pm - Oh Boy! The yard! My favorite!
3pm - Oh Boy! The kids! My favorite!
4pm - Oh Boy! Dog food! My favorite!
5pm - Oh Boy! Mom! My favorite!
7pm - Oh Boy! Playing ball! My favorite!
9pm - Oh Boy! Sleeping in master's bed! My favorite!

As seen in a cat's diary:
Day 183 of my captivity...
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another house plant. Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded -- must try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair -- must try this on their bed. Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, in an attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was. Hmmm, not working according to plan. There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the food. More importantly, I overheard that my confinement was due to MY power of "allergies." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage. I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The bird on the other hand has got to be an informant, and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room, his safety is assured. But I can wait, it is only a matter of time.....

best/easiest/self-made cat toy:

take a 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper (or, really, any piece of paper) and repeatedly tear it along the 8 1/2 edge halfway down the sheet (i.e. you'll have a series of appx. 5 1/2 inch strips of paper still attached to the bottom half of the page). Then, roll the the page up, using the non-torn half as a handle, and position the strips like you were making a homemade brush.

Wiggle it in front of Thompson and I guarantee he'll go nuts for it.

is it just me or does he look like a charred gremlin when he's wet?

I LOVE Thompson being rinsed! He's too cute, the pitable wretch!

http://www.tubcat.com/
:)

How much does Thompson weigh? With hair, he looks like a Carnie Wilson before picture. Wet, he looks like he'd have an all access pass to the vomitorium during fashion week.

Howd he get his name?

thompson is named after thompson street, where we live. also, after richard thompson, the folk singer, sam thompson, who writes the blog samology.com, and tom ripley, the anti-hero of patricia highsmith's mystery series.

I can't believe that you can get your cat to bathe. I would lose an eye if tried that with either of my cats.

Also, whats with the unsolicited rip on Milwaukee in your original comment? :*(

Do you know where you got or what brand of duck and pea cat food you used on Thompson?

I think my Bombay has a food allergy and I can't find a good hypoallergenic brand.

Thanks!
-Sharon
sharonemery1@hotmail.com