New Critter

[Crow]

This is Buddy the Shaitan. He's a huge guy and very laid back for being a member of his sorry species.

1st pic is of him at the rescue, the one that prompted me to go meet the fella. I figured that nothing could possibly look that bad in person. 2nd pic is of him tonight after taking up his station upon my couch. I think that I'm going to need a larger bed. He's taking over mine.

[Raphael]

This is Buddy the Shaitan. He's a huge guy and very laid back for being a member of his sorry species.

1st pic is of him at the rescue, the one that prompted me to go meet the fella. I figured that nothing could possibly look that bad in person. 2nd pic is of him tonight after taking up his station upon my couch. I think that I'm going to need a larger bed. He's taking over mine.

Has Thirsty piddled on his food yet?

[Crow]

Nope, but possums and cats greet each other in a similar manner. Hissing.

[rogue06]

Nope, but possums and cats greet each other in a similar manner. Hissing.

I'm picturing an upcoming cage match.

[Crow]

Possum would win. Cats have nothing in their arsenals to match the mighty possum fart.

[Teallaura]

He's beautiful.

I still harbor a deep anti-possum grudge after one destroyed my Miracle's eye after he got out.

[Crow]

Buddy the Shaitan has turned out to be remarkably well behaved. He uses his litter box faithfully and does not fling either the litter or his deposits out of said receptacle. He does not destroy things, which is likely due in part to his being declawed. He observes my interactions with the possum and the legless lizards, but other than approaching and smelling one of the legless lizards he shows no interest in the other animals and does not torment nor abuse them. (very rare for a cat) And he knows the word "No!" He only has to be removed from an inappropriate area (dining table, counter, stove, etc) one time and told "no" and he stays the heck off!

Buddy seems to labor under the delusion that he is a dog. He comes when called. He greets and is sociable toward strangers. He follows me around and wants to stay close. I've had to pull a chair up next to me computer for the guy so that he doesn't try to sit in my lap while I type.

Buddy the Shaitan2 001.JPG

Tomorrow I am taking him to the vets to get checked over and get a date set up to have his teeth scaled. The best part of that is that it is free! Because I got Buddy from a rescue they are picking up the tab for everything.

Altogether, having Buddy the Shaitan has been a far different experience than any of my past dealings with cats. Most of them that I've gotten have arrived half-dead, pregnant, or richly populated with fleas and have gone on to claw the house and furnishings to shreds or pester the other animals or walk upon surfaces that I eat or prepare food upon or invade the garbage cans. So far, Buddy has only one regretable tendency. If I can just get the little devil to quit using me for a kneading surface when I'm trying to sleep.....

He's worth every bit of the $80 I plopped down for him. I can't say that for a whole lot of critters, especially cats.

[Teallaura]

Put his bed next to yours - he might reconsider using you as a mattress.

[Crow]

He checked out his bed. He checked out mine. He quickly decided that the one I use is far superior to his own (I suspect that it's because he can knead me more easily from my bed than from his own) and he claimed it.

I ended up relocating his bed. It's next to the kitchen table. Buddy likes to hang out there when I'm eating, and he doesn't beg or bother me. He just likes to be close.

Buddy's bed 002.JPG

[Teallaura]

Humans make nice, warm mattresses. Congratulations on being a kitty mattress!

[mossrose]

You may have to remove the Shaitan from his name!

[Crow]

When a cat that weighs 15lbs + insists on repeatedly leaping upon you and commencing to knead on you while you're sleeping, it fits.

[Catholicity]

You bought a cat named Buddy, its how my cat also named Buddy, behaves. You are the mattress and he comes when you call him. Have you taught him how to play fetch? Mine ironically plays fetch....When yours does that, congrats, your cat is now a dog.

[mossrose]

Every Siamese cat we ever had would fetch.

[Teallaura]

My dog Buddy doesn't fetch...