Bug Whisperer

Leo says hello to me every morning. Something he started from the first day we had him. It’s not so much a sedate, peaceful "good morning" but rather a "Hi! Hi! Hi mommy! Pet me! Pet me! HI HI!!" But for the rest of the day, he’s almost silent. He never makes a noise at Star no matter how much she may hiss or grumble or growl. He never says hello to Greg, either in the morning or when he gets home from work. He never says hello to anyone else, but that’s mostly because he has usually run off until they are safely inside.

　

There is apparently only one other thing that makes him become vocal. Bugs. Yes, bugs. I’m not sure if I should be insulted or what, to be, apparently, in the same category as bugs..

　
I started putting things together the other night when I heard an odd meow from behind my shoulder. I turned and sitting on the back of the couch, in one of his favorite spots, was Leo. But he wasn’t talking to me, he was looking straight up and making a soft little ‘meh meh meh mehOwOw’ I looked up to where he was looking and there was a bug on the ceiling. He kept talking to it in that same soft half meow. I wonder if he was asking it to come down lower so he could play with it. It declined this invitation, much to my dismay.
　
I know I’m not the only person who doesn’t like bugs. I SERIOUSLY don’t like bugs. I’ve woken my husband up in the middle of the night to kill spiders on the ceiling. I have a very good reason for doing so, and it’s not just because I’m too short to reach the ceiling even if I stand on the bed.. We have rough ceilings. Spiders are clumsy. The rough ceilings make them clumsier. And I sleep with my mouth open.
　
Leo does not share my aversion to bugs. He can spot them anywhere. We had some kind of beetle get in a few days ago. He was in bug heaven! I thought he was playing with one of his feather bits until I heard his odd little bug whisperer voice and saw what he really had.
　
He had the beetle on The Chair and it must have been dead because it never moved even though he kept batting at it with his big ol’ mitts. Being polydactyl gave him some kind of super bug grip or something because he would give it a swipe and then look at his paw where it was held with all those extra toes. He lost track of it for a moment and Greg swooped in and removed it from the toy collection.
　
I had heard this odd little way Leo has of talking to bugs before but never put two and two together to realize that he only does it for bugs. Mostly he talks to them when sitting in the window or at the door at night when they are attracted to the inside lights. Thankfully most of them are outside and thwart his efforts to ‘get to know them.’

Tonight he was nearly climbing the screen door because some bug was perched up higher than he could reach.

I see you up there bug!

I'm comin' ta get ya!

Yer days are numbered..

 ...As soon as I figure out this force field that is..

Can you tell that that is her paw over her nose? Do you think she smelled something?

I'm sleeping with one eye open..

　
      mawiesner said...
I had been watching the new show Cat from Hell on Animal Planet, and I got a few good ideas from that.
I also purchased a new cat toy for Sunny... it's called Cat Claws Feline Flyer.

　

We just got cable and started watching that show too! He does have some great ideas and we plan on trying a few.
That toy sounds very much like ‘da bird’ which my cat’s had always loved until Star. She has never been interested in toys that fly or wave around in the air. But if you drag something along the ground, she’s instantly alert. I figure if she were a hunter, she’d not be hunting birds, but would be a great mouser. Anyway, our da bird got broke a few years ago and since she never liked it and was an only cat then, we never replaced it. I will now as soon as possible because Leo loves loves loves when I make the kitty teaser fly!
　
      Random Felines said...
I like the idea of the harnesses - it keeps everyone safe but allows them to use the same space.
I haven't use the feliway diffuser, but I have heard good things about it - something to consider.
　
That is my hope for the harness idea, they’ll see each other, and know that there will be no attacking, that they are safe even if they are close.
I did use the diffuser, you can see my update on how that went in my archives on May 26^th. I credit the diffuser with bringing Leo out of his shell and becoming bold enough to stand up to Star. Though that did lead to him being more aggressive so I can’t say I’m entirely pleased.. It had no effect on Star.
　
　
      mrsnmo said...
I tried the Feliway defuser and it didn't seem to help, but I've heard in some situations it can. And play with Leo as much as possible.

Same here, as I said above, the diffuser didn’t help things at all for us. I do play with Leo, and he plays by himself with his toys and bugs, but I do plan on getting more teaser type toys. He’s chewed the feathers off the sparkle ball on a string and I don’t think just the long fleecey one is enough of a challenge.
　
Thank you all for the advice. At this point with the kitties, I can use all the help I can get! I feel kind of helpless with this situation even though I’ve had kitties nearly all my life and you’d think I should know what I need to by now.