Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
arete
Trad climber
Estes Park, Colorado
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2005 - 03:53pm PT
|
Lois
"I wish we could talk less about politics and more about BEARS"
me too. I think I will just quit posting to political forums on this site. This is after all a CLIMBING web site. Most of the political blather bores me anyway. I get more than enough of it from the bad news. Bear stories are better.
I don't feed the animals any more, but I too have been guilty in the past. Up in Rainier park, you could put some gorp in your hand and hold it out and the grey jays would land right in your hand to eat it. I have an old photo somewhere of a friend with jays in his hand and on top of his head.
I have 2 pedigreed abyssinian cats and they are truly amazing. Hunters to the end. I agree that animals don't "forget" to hunt, but many sophisticated animals like bears learn to hunt from their mothers. The behavior is more instinctive in cats. When the mother bear just teaches her cubs to raid campsites, they never truly learn to survive by hunting.
|
|
Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2005 - 04:27pm PT
|
I have an abby too...But she's more of a 4 lb toothless sleeper than what I'd call a natural born hunter.
|
|
Ouch!
climber
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2005 - 04:32pm PT
|
One time down in Tennessee, some guys were building bridges in the Smoky Mountains Park. They camped out at night and this big old bear would raid them every night, stepping in their faces and generally making a mess. They finally had enough of him so they baited the trunk of an old Hudson Terraplane and waited. When the old bear climbed in they hit him in the head with a hammer. He keeled over and started quivering so they finished heaving him in and got him closed up, then they took off. When they got down out of the park near Vonore, Tenn., The old bear came to and came right through the back seat of the car. They bailed out and the car ran over the bank and rolled. The old bear lit out for parts unknown.
|
|
Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2005 - 04:59pm PT
|
I've speant time with 5 different Abbys. I house-sat for a couple with 4 of them, 2 young males, 1 young female, and one old female, for about a year. I've had my kitty, Little Girl, for about 6 years, and she was 2 when I adopted her.
Little Girl loves attention and can be very 'in your face', but she really doesn't need much. She's sociable, but also is the more aloof of my two cats. My other cat (the fat Ocicat, Sid) is slower to get to know you and less demanding, but he's the one that sulks if left alone and really wants to be cuddled and sleep in the middle of the bed.
Little Girl is not very vocal, but this is partly because her meow is often soundless. The males that I cared for were so lout that they simply could not be ignored. If you were going to put them behind a door through which they wished passage, you'd best not be trying to sleep on the other side of it.
In general, I'd say that the Abbys liked to hang out near me and were happy to climb on my lap, but none of them have really been very into getting picked up and handled. Like I said, they don't NEED you to pay attention to them, but they will, however, feel like it is their right to climb all over you if they are in the mood for you to give them some.
My other generalizations about Abbys and who should NOT get them is that all of the ones I've been around have been natural climbers with little respect for your authority. In other words, I've never succeeded in keeping my cat off the counters and furniture. I can snap my fingers and point to the floor, and she'll jump down, but two seconds later, she's back on them. If you want a very compliant cat, there are probably better breads.
Abby's are prone to oral infections. This was an issue with the old female that I cared for and my own cat. My own cat has lost most of her teeth and will need to have the rest extracted and has been treated many times for the infections. It is painful for her to eat at times. Pure breading often leads to medical problems, so you might just want to adopt a barn cat that was hatched the old-fashioned way or visit your local spca. My kitties were pound rescues. Even if the cat breader that you go to is reputable, there are so many cats in need of homes that creating new ones for profit is maybe not the best industry to support. Any sweet kitty in need is best kind of all.
|
|
arete
Trad climber
Estes Park, Colorado
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2005 - 05:09pm PT
|
Lois: These are the first Abbys I have ever had, but I did some research and can also tell you about my two. I have a "Red" male and a "Ruddy" female. The male is mostly yellow with white on chin and chest. The female is the same colors underneath, but the ruddys have a band of black or dark grey on the outside of their hais which gives her coat a beautiful shiny dark sheen. The male is much larger -- I don't know if this is a trait of the breed or just a happenstance, since they came from the same breeder and have numerous common ancestors. Abbys are reputed to be very active and people oriented without being "lap" cats and I have found that this is very true. They seldom want to sit still in my lap but do like to sleep with me, and they love both taking and giving attention and affection. As for active, let me tell you .... the are ACTIVE. The usually want to be involved with everything you are doing. My male learned early on how to open the kitchen cabinets and I will come home to tuperware rolling all around the kitchen floor. They spend hours chasing each other and my dog. The female is more shy and when unfamiliar people come to the house, the male is right there wanting to make friends while my girl hides under the bed for a while, but not long. She soon emerges and joins the party.
One bad trait the breed is known for is bad teeth. But I have had mine for 3 and 2.5 years now and their teeth are fine so far. I feed them dry food specially formulated for healthy teeth. I am very happy with both of them and would recommend them to anyone who doesn't mind a highly active pet.
Melissa: yes my abbys have the run of the house too. Very spoiled I know. Also, they are both much less vocal than other cats I have had and their meow is usually very quite -- a trait of the breed.
|
|
arete
Trad climber
Estes Park, Colorado
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2005 - 06:51pm PT
|
Lois -- I forgot to mention, both my abbys, especially the male, have the habit of "nipping" me when they want attention and I am busy. This is just a little "love" bite though and they never bite very hard -- just want to get my attention. Also, neither of them mind being touched or petted anywhere like most other cats that I have had. Another trait of abbys from my research is that they are supposed to be very trainable, like to be walked on a leash for instance. I have never tried this though.
|
|
caughtinside
Social climber
Davis, CA
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2005 - 07:32pm PT
|
A friend had one, and it had some problems and had to get an eye removed.
An interesting breed, but I have yet to hear of a healthy one.
What about a Maine Coon? They are much hairier though.
|
|
Fluoride
Trad climber
on a rock or mountain out west
|
|
|
Jul 14, 2005 - 09:55pm PT
|
Heh, I love how the bear 46 thread has evolved into a civilized discussion about the Abyssinian cat breed!!! This is one of the most amusing thread hijacks I've seen in a LONG time.
FWIW I have an Abby mix, and Melissa's descriptions are pretty accurate. Especially always jumping on counters, cabinets, furniture...they'll climb on anything and no amount of stern "NO" will ever cure them of it.
|
|
Gripper
Mountain climber
Nor. Calif.
|
|
|
Jul 28, 2005 - 01:06am PT
|
How dare a bear sniff or touch a holier than thou's
haul bag! After all, climbers were here on earth or in Yosemite
before bears.I've heard the cry many times echoing off the walls,"Get away from my haul bag, I was here first!"
|
|
dirtineye
Trad climber
the south
|
|
|
Jul 28, 2005 - 07:28am PT
|
I hvae a 7 toed cat, spayed female, pure-bred mutt, acts more like a dog than a cat, and comes from a line of insane cats but mine is not too bad on the cat psycho scale.
Kitimus Kat lives outside, was trained (yes trained) successfully from an early age to not give a crap about sneaking indoors.
Kitimus Kat is also trained to sit on my shoulder, also from an early age.
She is about the most loving cat ever. Once or twice I've been really pissed at her, and she knew it, so she came around making with the apology meows to let me know she was sorry and that she wanted everything to be cool.
I think this had something to do with rescuing her from a tree when she was a kitten, and giving her a lot of attention.
This cat would usually rather be petted than eat. She's kind of stupid though-- always wants to get in cars, but HATES to ride in them. She's a lousy fighter (gets her ass kicked by all the other cats in the area, or runs like hell) but a great hunter.
Kitimus Kat is irreplaceable.
In her youth.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!