My new kitten and I have a lot in common. For one, he and I both used to live in a giant pile of Jeep parts. Two, his favorite color is, naturally, orange, which happens to be the color of my favorite thing: rust. And Three, his grooming tendencies are quite similar to mine: They need work. Anyway, here’s an update on the Jeep Cat.
First, allow me a short moment to whine a bit about how expensive cat care is. I dropped $250 on the first round of shots for Jaws, who’s name results from a hole he put in my friend’s finger when she went to pull him out of my rare manual Jeep Grand Cherokee for the first time. He’s since apologized, as he’s a gentle-natured kitten, but his name remains.
The next round of shots will probably cost another $250. You add the litter box, cat carrier, food, and all the other stuff I’m having to buy, and this Jeep-cat is literally going to cost more than many actual Jeeps that I’ve owned over the years.
Those Jeeps, though, never ran quite this well, though:
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Socializing a feral kitten is tricky. Once it’s tasted the sweet, sweet nectar that is humanlessness, it tends to prefer to remain far away from The Most Flawed Of All The Species. I get it.
Luckily, Jaws is a mere nine weeks old, so there’s hope for him yet. I mean, just look at him idling at 650 RPM in the video above. Perfect air:fuel ratio, ignition timing dialed in! He’s come a long way from when I brought him home for the first time (shortly after the biting incident that he wants us to forget); he cowered in the corner and didn’t want to hang out with anyone:
Eventually he did start eating:
And when my friend and I took him to the vet, he was very kind — barely even meowed, really:
As the weekend progressed, Jaws became bolder and bolder, eventually exploring my apartment like he owned the place
After leaving two steaming piles on one of my blankets, Jaws figured out the litter box entirely on his own (I did place him in there so he knew it was there, but otherwise potty-training was insanely easy — borderline automatic!) [Update: NEVERMIND. He tried pooping on my blanket just now. -DT]. :
My friend and I gave Jaws a much-needed wash two days after applying anti-flea medicine; he smells a lot better. The pile of parts he’d been living in wasn’t exactly sanitary. Also, the possum that had been eating his food probably didn’t help, though I’m told those eat ticks and other bugs:
Anyway, here he is as of this morning — living the dream:
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He’s come a long way from living in here:
I’ll try to foster the other three kittens in the litter if I find them in the parking lot (they left the Jeep a few weeks ago). Then I’ll try to find them a good home. Until then, I’ve got Jaws to take care of. He’s a handful, but also not — an incredibly gentle, kind, fun little rust-colored furball without an ounce of aggression in his bones. He’s awesome.
From a proud cat daddy x4:
– Never ever declaw
– Get them used to their paws being touched
– Vaccinate and deparasite yearly
– Get a playmate (extra $ spent on food/vets but less on replacing stuff)
– Make your apartment cat safe
– Educate yourself on cats (best food for them, learn their behavior and how to interact with them, etc.)
– The moment the cat seems sick, RUN to the vet. They hide symptoms until they are very sick
– Get a reliable cat sitter – you CANNOT leave a cat alone, they are very sociable and feel bad without their human
We grabbed our second cat back in 2016 because of my first and dearly missed MX-5. It really cheered me up to make the rear end slip on my way to work, so I used to take a shortcut through a supermarket parking lot with SMOOTH concrete pavement.
One day I left home for work unusually early because I woke up way before the alarm, and did the parking lot routine.
At the stop sign before exiting the parking lot I looked right, and saw a black thing on the left lane. Garbage bag? Fuck, a kitten!
A car ran over it, and before a second car could follow, I had gotten out of the car and stopped the traffic like the guy in Tienanmen square with the tanks.
The cat was unharmed and frozen in place.
I grabbed her, drove home, my partner took care of the rest while I took the other MX-5 to work. The vet had to pull her out of the car, she was hanging for her dear life to the carpet. Now she is our Puma and she is the cuddliest of our cats.
Well, don’t run to the vet every time- call them 1st and they can help decide based on symptoms, & usually just get next available appointment. The thing is, is to be educated & know the cat & what to do because yes, DO run to the vet if you know it is something that requires emergency care. Also good to ask when they can see you starting w/ regular vet, then there are some that are open later/weekends that are cheaper than emergency vet; which is good for after hours/late night. So there are three different options usually based on each specific situation/event.
Also, you can definitely leave cats alone (not kittens) even easier than dogs
Should have named him jeep
David, absolutely congratulations and thanks for adopting. Cars are lovely companions and wonderful to have around. Plus, they adopt you not the other way around. I didn’t have a cat until I was 50 and found an abandoned kitten on my beach access.
Yes, cars (& cats) ARE lovely companions and are wonderful to have around
Best post ever
Hobgoblin, shots of hot Sriracha
Vaccine queen deem church socks hostage
Nine weeks awesome
Hides in a slipper
Look in her eye like she might be a wizard
Cold met a cat lady in a parking lot
She got the heroes of tomorrow in a cardboard box
And probably hoarding forty more in the corners of Fort Knox
Swapped 20 on the spot and copped the warlock
Back at the haunt, found God in the hamper
Briefs on her head playing look-it with a panther
Good around misery and golden era samplers
Jeopardy and Wheel at the heels of her handlers
Bet more than a pet to worship
It’s an M.D recommended sense of purpose
Here to bat around keys in the means to euphoria
Soon to be held, the greatest of all warriors.
Being adopted by a cat is wonderful. Believe me, I know.
Four Cylinder Purring ? Oh dear….
Tell him I said Pss-pss-pss!
And once again we have proven that the only function of entire internet is cat videos.
Missed opportunity to name the cat Ferris/Ferrous..
Awwwwww!!!!! Keep us posted on his progress.
If you’re going be adopted by a cat, an Orange-‘n-White is a great option. Specifically a male. In my personal six-cat-owning-experience, males tend to be easier in general and more social. Some advice and a related personal request: Hold Jaws and touch/handle his paws a lot while he’s young, so he gets comfortable with it. That will make cutting his nails much easier (most cats don’t like their feet touched). PLEASE do not declaw him. You’re cutting off the tip of his fingers & toes (imagine if all your fingertips were cut off at the last knuckle). This is convenient for you but usually leads to a lifetime of pain, fear and anxious behavior from the cat.
Anyway, Jaws is a cutie! Looking forward to seeing lots of his hijinks as this site slowly morphs into The Catopian and his control becomes absolute.
I love those ribbon toys. I mean, my cats love them and I find them easy to get the cats engaged with.