Photos of Mr. Fuz: | General Photos | Spring 2003 | Mr. Fuz discussion Topics:
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Mr. Fuz is primarily an indoor cat. He lives indoors, but he loves to go outside. When he was younger we used to let him out - where he would stay for hours on end. Currently he is not allowed to roam outside on his own without being on a leash. We curtailed his outside free roaming privileges for several reasons. The primary reason is personal safety. We live in a residential suburban neighborhood, however the danger of cars is still there. Also the cat can get into trouble if left to roam outside unattended, he can be attacked by other animals, or be injured by people and cars. Another reason to keep a cat on a leash in the City of London is a new city bylaw that requires this. Several years ago we curtailed Mr. Fuz's outside privileges when he suffered an injury to his back leg. Coincidentally, we found out that the same day he had eviscerated four baby rabbits my neighbor's pet "bunny" had. They were dumb enough to let the baby rabbits hop around in the back yard unattended. The cat saw an opportunity and pounced. My cat's subsequent limp was not likely a result of the force exerted when disemboweling baby rabbits, but rather, we suspect, a hefty kick to the back side when he got caught coming back for seconds. We could not prove for sure how he was injured. The vet recommended making him an indoor cat. Mr. Fuz did not like that suggestion. A month or so after his leg recovered, we reached a compromise. Mr Fuz could go outdoors, but on a cat harness. We tie him up, using a cat harness and leash, in the back yard when he wants to go "Meo-Ouuuoootside." He wants to go outside quite often. He likes to rotate locations frequently as well. About 85% of his outside time is spent on a long (4 meter) leash, around the back yard in fixed locations. Otherwise we take him for a walk. In the summer we let Mr. Fuz pick a new location in the back yard about every 1-3 hours. In the winter, we let him go outside for only 20 minutes or so every few hours during the day. He is allowed out less than 10 minutes at a time if the temperature is below -10c. Mr. Fuz loves the snow, but the sever cold of a Canadian winter can be harmful if he is exposed to the elements for too long. From a young age we did try to teach him to walk on a harness and leash, but with great difficulty. One can not walk a cat like walking a dog. Cat's are not as compliant when walking on a leash. Walking a cat on a leash is not impossible, but it takes great patience. I can only tolerate walking him in the park for one hour once a week. Other family members take turns as well. A cat is not like a dog in many ways. A cat is a nervous animal and gets upset easily. A dog will generally go up to people and sniff them, whereas a cat will avoid people and especially those with dogs. When I walk Mr. Fuz in the park, if he sees a dog, he will fuzz up, arch his back, hiss, then try to run away. When he is in that state, the only option is to let him lead and proceed to a place where the cat feels comfortable. I let him cool off from his excited state before proceeding. If I pick him up when he is fuzzed up, he scratches and bites me in a panic. Not very pleasant. Even the sent of a dog will make his tale flair up like a Christmas tree. Walking a cat is a battle of wills. From the cat's perspective, I am not walking him, but rather, we are both inconveniently tied to each other, and I am intruding in his business. I am able to effectively walk the cat on a leash, but he usually leads. The best I can do is prevent him from walking in a certain direction, such as under a parked car, in a bush, up a tree or fence. I force him to stay on the side walk. If he wants to move he can either go forward or back where we came from on the sidewalk. A cat is a creature of habits. If I establish a routine and take him on a walk to a certain part of the park, the next time he will generally repeat the same path. Usually, however, a certain smell, or a curious dog will disturb the tranquil walk and I have to drag the cat, then eventually cary him back to a point where he will walk voluntarily on his own back home. We usually both end up tired and angry at each other if this happens. It takes patience to walk a cat, but in the end, he usually thinks the walk is a great deal of fun and worth the effort. There is a new stupid city bylaw that requires us to licence cats and keep them on leashes, lest Animal Control finds out and gives us a fine. Sometimes I think that the city is so hard up for money that they will eventually require people to have a licence for their pet fish and birds. The licensing of pets by the City of London comes under By-law PH-3. Its objective is "to provide for the regulation, restriction and prohibition of the keeping of animals in the City of London.” An organization called "Animal Care and Control" is contacted by the city to manage all animal regulations and licensing in the city as well as to enforce Bylaw PH-3, 2001. The organization patrols for stray animals and they manage wildlife problems in the city. London is one of the most strict cities in Canada in terms of animal regulations. I think it is because the city is filled with "NIMBY" complainers and the politicians at city hall are a bunch of... ( my cat's web page is not the place for a political rant about municipal affairs in London, for political issues please visit http://mike-pereira.com ) Here is a summary of the City of London's Cat control bylaws: Cat Identification Tags Cats not permitted to Trespass Stray Dogs and Cats For more information, visit the Animal Care and Control Website at
http://www.accpets.ca Mr. Fuz's favorite day is Halloween. He is a black cat after all. Everyone gives him special attention on that day, and the neighborhood kids find great amusement in meeting a real black cat on Halloween. On the other hand, we are very cautious with the safety of Mr. Fuz around Halloween, Friday 13th, and other days when black cats may fall victim to malicious people. We tend to keep him inside on those days and an eye on him the days before Halloween. Humane Societies actually warn people to watch out for their pets around certain times of the year. Many Humane Societies prohibit the adoption of black cats around Halloween, probably because people want them as novelty items, then return the animals afterwards. When properly supervised, Hallow'een with Mr. Fuz can be a fun time of the year!
Mr. Fuz has short hair, so he does not need to be combed as often as cats with long hair. We try to comb him roughly every other day. If we don't, then he starts to vomit up hair balls - not good and quite disgusting. Combing a cat prevents him from swallowing allot of hair, it makes his coat look shiny, slick, and groomed, and it provides a good opportunity for bonding. Mr. Fuz hates water and does not like baths. In the summer I give Mr. Fuz a shower about once a month. He gets shampooed with a veterinary recommended cat shampoo. When bathing a cat, be mindful of not getting scratched and don't get cat shampoo in the cat's eyes or ears - they don't like that. Once Mr. Fuz get's wet, he actually likes the shower - he tolerates it anyway, but not for to long. The goal is to get him in, cleaned up, and out as fast as possible. Then there is the drying, we use a combination of old towels and a blow dryer. In the winter, I bathe Mr. Fuz once every two-three months, and I am very mindful of the room temperature. During the summer, after a shower, Mr. Fuz seems eager to go outside and roll around in the dirt - strange cat. |
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