PICS: One of my two cat

[phantomas]

Mimmi (the older of the two). A stray kitten who adopted me many years ago, who has the structure of a small dog according to his vet, who's temperamental but also protective of me (and possessive). We had to change the door handles in my house because he knows how to open doors. I take him for walks in the building common garden, with a body-strap kind of lead.
When I had my first cortison-intense IV treatment, once I was back home from the hospital, he would lie on my neck or my head and purrrrr and warm me up and soothe my headache.

I love him so. And he's damn intelligent.

My grandmother named him - there's a penchant in my family for naming cats with names starting with 'M'. There was Mao, when I was a toddler, then Mia, then Micci (the Mad Mad cat), then La Mimmina Egiziana (The Egyptian-looking Kitty, a slim, blue cat of incredible cat-class) and then Mimmi. (Two dogs along the path, also: Nada, when I was a teeny tiny tot, and Panna, whom lived all her life with us and whom to this day I dream of and love dearly).

The other cat, I chose his name: Zorro. He's all black. There'll be pics of him asap, too. :)



On the kitchen table...(the pics are a little blurry, sorry about that)

Comments

[inlaterdays.livejournal.com]

Kittyyy! He's a handsome one!

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

He's dashingly handsome :D

[krazykipper.livejournal.com]

That's one cute kitty you have there. *grins*

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

*shiny smile*
I miss him so. I want to take him here in the UK, but...I fear the move might irk him. He's not exactly young anymore (he's 15).

He cute. Me loves him. :)

[krazykipper.livejournal.com]

That is a little old to make a long move isn't it? He's looking good for 15 (from a photo anyway).

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly. He is in great shape - he'll need to have his teeth done soon, but apart from that, the vet sees him regularly and said he's fine.
Although, he hurt his hind leg two years ago (no idea how, we were in the country and he disappeared for a full day, only came back much late at night, limping), and Im pretty sure it was annoying him, recently. At the time, he had Xrays and a orthopedic visit and they didn't find anything.

I just really (and maybe selfishly) want him with me :(

Also, the younger cat is all grown up now and I think he may be looking to be the alpha cat, which would be upsetting for Mimmi. So maybe taking him away could be good in that sense....

I'm torn. :)

He looks good though, yes :D
Vet said he's a little bull of a cat ;)

[krazykipper.livejournal.com]

How hard is it to move a cat from Italy? If he's in good health, maybe one trip wouldn't hurt too much, and if there's dominance issues at home.

He's incredibly cute looking though. ;p

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

Thank you :D

There's no quarantine anymore, which is great, just a complicated series of exams that have to be conducted by labs certified by the Brit Embassy Office or something like that.

And he could be given something to sleep for the travelling, or to keep him calm...just, the idea that he woudl travel on his own on the plane (I doubt they'd let me have his carry box on the plane with me), it breaks me :(

I'll talk to the vet next time I go home, though. We'll see :)

[kavousi.livejournal.com]

sorry to butt in, but this is one subject I know well...

moving him at his age wouldnt be that big of a deal, but sedating him and/or flying in cargo would be. Geriatrics should not be sedated by pill or ever unmonitored...for surgery/denistry, they use inhaled/intubated anesthesia and they can bring them out of it immediately and monitor them the whole time. Slowing down the respiration of an elderly cat is setting them up for respiratory or cardiac failure and there is no test to know if that will happen or not, you will just open the carrier and have a cold, dead cat.

The sedation they give cats (animals) to travel does not make them sleep, it makes them very loopy. Quite often, it does more harm than good because the cat panics when its in a stange situation and can not even control its own body because of the drugs. They stopped recomending sedation for travel for all pets in the early 1990s. We do not even use that form of sedation at all anymore for cats, since we have the much safer and just as cheap alternatives now, but a sedated cat much be watched at all times. Even a young cat, if it kinks its neck wrong, they will suffocate or aspirate to death.

Shipping cats unattended by air is risky, I would say its straight out cruel for a senior. The air is too cold and the oxygen is not well regulated in the cargo area, an old guy cant compensate as well and the stress would be fatal or cause an immediate decline in health. Check out the stats of how many injuries/losses/fatalities each air line has for unattended pets, its pretty significant.

BUT... at least in the states and going over to Europe, you can have your pet on the plane with you, if you have a airline approved carrier (millions to choose from). It must store underneath the seat, but that isnt a problem. If he hasnt travelled, hard to know if he would be a good flyer or a vocal mico. If he is ok with travel, like being in the carrier to go to the vet, then the flight wouldnt be any riskier than that for him.

Going via train with him would also work and be less traumatic.

Don't worry about your younger cat usurping him... it has to happen and its natural. Its sad, but it happens to us all. The best thing to do is to stay out of it and let the shift occur, once its established, the fighting stops. If they co-exist fine like that, role with it, if not, make sure Mimmi can have a safe room, to eat/potty/rest with out the whiper snapper bothering him. The book, "Twisted Whiskers", By Pam Bennett is great for practical cat behavior.

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

*HUGS YOU LOTS*

See, that above, is exactly why I don't want him to travel in general and sedated and all alone in particular (for protectiveness, didn't know about the medical stuff). Italy to England by train is something like a couple of days travelling, that would be too much too, I think.

I need to check airlines and their regulations. He's a good traveller by car, doesn't particularly enjoy it, but once in, he settles down and naps until we arrive. (THE other cat, Zorro, IS VERY VOCAL!lol) I used to have Mimmi free in the car since he was a year old or so, then he just got too big for it to be safe. Not to mention regulations, erm.

Nah, they don't fight, luckily, is just the younger usurping Mimmi (like, settling in the favourite nap places and such). Mimmi had a short period last year when he would bite bits of fur off, the vet gave us a thing to plug in that allegedly would calm him down a little, some stuff in the air...I asked my brother to let him use his room alone, as you said, as a safe place, with his own food and water, and that seemed to made the trick. I mean, I love him and I know him, I can see when he's happy and relaxed and when not, so it was easy to find out he wanted some private quiet time.

I'll look for that book, thank you :D
And THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the advice! May I come back to you to check info or with questions?

[kavousi.livejournal.com]

Please, any feline or sleep quandry you have...ask away! I have my 51 criminal abuse rescue kitties and one pitbull, all living together in harmony. When I moved 3 years ago, I had 81 cats... natural attrition has taken 30 to kitty heaven over the past few years, but just glad they got rescued and lived well with me.

What I always ask when I have a cat relocation question is this, am I doing it for the cat or for me? If its for me (often a valid reason), am I going to cause more potential stress to the cat by taking him or leaving him? Will the end justify the means?

My cats are free to roam my 3 story house, but the kitchen is just for my old ladies, who can come and go...but if they need quiet time to lounge in heated orthopedic beds and just do their thing, they have it. Most are near 20 yrs old... my youngest cats are around 10.

A scene from my bed...
Plum (long haired tortie), Phaistos, Hallie, Moxy, Baxter, Trinity and my 3 legged Katcina, with Beatrix the pitbull.

[kinseymill.livejournal.com]

Awww...che puccio! :) :) Io adoro i mici.

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

E' bellissimo :D
Non e' esattamente di buon temperamento, e; caratteriale, ma le fusa che fa! Cigola e ronfa allo stesso tempo, giuro.

Io adoro mici e cani allo stesso modo :) Se Mimmi non mi avesse adottato, avrei preso un cane (dopo essere finalmente riuscita a convincere mia madre, che non si e' mai ripresa dopo che Panna e' passata a miglior vita nel paradiso dei cani).

ma adoro entrambi :)

[griva-x.livejournal.com]

Mao. LOL. It's one of the best cat-names I've heard. Two other long-time favs are Behemoth and Bootlace (in Russian it sounds as "shnurok" which IMHO is funny).

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

Well, the story goes like this...

Mao was found, and taken in. Was believed to be a male cat, and his full name was Mao Tse-Tung. At some point, after a summer trip to the country, Mao gave birth to Ming and Fuong, two adorable kittens all black like Mao was.
It was thus concluded that Mao was indeed a female cat *G*

I LIKE bootlace/shnurok, great name for a cat :)

[griva-x.livejournal.com]

Ha ha, so the Korean Communist party leader's namesake turned out to be a pussycat. :)

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

Yessss.

Erm *G* :)

[siluria.livejournal.com]

Awwwwww, bless! My grandma had a cat just like that called Sam :)

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

Heee :D

I believe they are called Europeans Cats (they're not exactly a breed, but...something like that, a recurrent enough type of stray cat).

:D

[foxestacado.livejournal.com]

Such a beautiful cat! He looks very regal and actually poses for the pictures. Very nice!

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

He's got a pretty good sense of dignity, yes :D

I hope my brother will take better pics soon. Happy you like him. I love him so :D

[seagray.livejournal.com]

Oh, my, he looks HUGE. Such a fine looking cat indeed! I love his white booties, lol!

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

He is quite on the muscly side of things, 6 and a half kilos of cat. The vet said he's in perfect shape, muscles, not fat on him :D

*smiles happily* pretty booties, yes! and MASSIVE paws! He has a way of tapping me on the side of the head when he wants something (no claws, he knows he doesn't need to use those), quite funny.

:D

[jebbypal.livejournal.com]

He's pretty.

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

Yessss, he is :D

[kavousi.livejournal.com]

He's lovely and does have a very stocky/bulldog-esque frame. Not fat at all, just built like a little brick house.

European cats are so much more compact than most American cats... its just like with cars!

He looks very robust and healthy, and I'm sure you have seen in my journal that these geriatric cats can thrive well into their 20s.

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

built like a little brick house

lololol
Yes, that's him :D
He lives a sheltered life, which helps of course, and having another cat int he house means they do some running and mock-fighting and so keep in shape (plus, we play with them as well), so I hope he'll get to his 20s in good conditions and I want to do my best for him.

:D

[kaylie-2.livejournal.com]

That's a beautiful cat! Such an interesting face too!

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

:D
*preens on behalf of cat*

He's got a heck of a personality *nodnod* He gives me 'kisses' (when in a good mood, ahem), not licks, proper kisses :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_elvie/]

He looks so lovely and distinguished, like my first cat Tiger, who lived to the grand old age of 20!

Here is my baby girl Millie - eight and a half years old and still with the 'I OWN YOU!' attitude - and she does own us! *facepalm*

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

HEEEE, sprawling Millie :D
No one sprawls like a cat ;)

She lovely :)

I plan on getting Mimmi to 20 as well (providing he's healthy and happy, that is), like Tiger :D

They OWN US! They DO *nods*

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

A cat just like Mimmi, wearing a blue collar, was wandering around outside our house looking lost, yesterday. He wouldn't let me pick him up. Eventually he mewed piteously at a neighbour's cat who sniffed him and led him through their fence. After that, I don't know!!

Lovely colouring - and the pics aren't blurred!

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

Yes, they are quite common, as a type of fur colours and stripes (don't know the proper cat-terms, lol), the neighbours here have one just like him :)

Ah, cat-support is nice ;)

Glad you like him :D

[lorelei633.livejournal.com]

Cutest cat EVAR! *hugs him*

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

Yessssssssssss :D
*is silly-proud of cat*

:D