So I end up co-teaching a lesson with my cat and I got thinking

[classicsporthorses]

I know I don't have the most unique animals ever but man, the Lord certainly handed me quite a few.

Bubbles The Wonder Cat "appeared" on our farm the summer we moved in-2004. He was a young adult non-neutered male and he thought he owned the place the day he arrived. Super friendly from the get go. He's neutered now and still thinks he's the cat's meow.

This Gray and White cat, who has extra toes up front, honestly thinks 1. He's a dog, 2. He is my co-teacher, 3. He needs to ride around in the truck every chance he gets, 4. When he calls you HAVE to answer.

He sees me in the ring and I am like some beacon. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have had to hold this cat, in various positions he chooses to be in, during lessons. I put him in the house and he sweet talks someone into letting him out. Down the drive he runs to join me.

He's usually very vocal about it as in saying "what you started without me?", or "Wait, Don't do it that way", or my favorite "You know you're really not explaining that well, let ME do it". I must admit he does a great job at desentizing the horses to small moving animals.

He hears the truck, he comes RUNNING and he's in it.... IT'S HAYING TIME. This cat LOVES to get bounced around in the bed of the truck, of course in the winter, we let him in the cab and he has his own heated seat. Hmmm, who's training whom. We tell everyone who comes, don't leave your car door open or you may be taking Bubbles home by accident.

Anyway, We have other cats, something like 20 but he is unique among his breed, Any others have pets who are beyond the "ordinary".

[Thomas_1]

I've posted previously about a cat of mine. I do approximately 70% of lessons with him either standing in the middle with me or walking/trotting/cantering round next to the horse.

When he gets tired at the end of a busy day he lies slung round my neck like a fur stole!

He's always hanging around the yard when I'm down there and socialising with the horses.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a205/classic_carriages/DSCF0141.jpg

I also have another who sits on the carriage every time I get it out and comes for a drive with me

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a205/classic_carriages/DSCF0039.jpg

[sk_pacer]

I have a large grey and white neutered tom who thinks HE owns the blasted tractor. If he hears it start, he comes pelting across the yard as fast as he can waddle and jumps in - he figures if he gets in first he is safe. He also loves truck rides, either truck, so I do have to be careful when I leave the yard. He also rides on the quad, and it took some doing to convince him the riding lawnmower is not a vehicle he should be on. He also supervises every single outdoor job.......i can see where building the new deck and fixing a set of outdoor steps is going to be really interesting.

[Amwrider]

I have two barn cats, siblings. The male sometimes gives lessons with me in the evening.

The female loves to jump into any open vehicle which worries me when the farrier comes, the hay truck comes, people come to load up free manure....she has nearly gone away with people on a couple of occasions, fortunately they usually find her before they get all the way down the driveway...

[kdow]

I have two barn cats, siblings. The male sometimes gives lessons with me in the evening.

The female loves to jump into any open vehicle which worries me when the farrier comes, the hay truck comes, people come to load up free manure....she has nearly gone away with people on a couple of occasions, fortunately they usually find her before they get all the way down the driveway...

Pirate, my rotti-mix, is pretty much like that with cars, too. If someone pulls in when we're on a walk, he has to go see who it is and if they leave the door open too long he's likely to try to jump in. (He hasn't actually MANAGED yet, but I'm sure if we were on a farm where he had more chances to do so when not very closely monitored/on a leash, he'd be car and truck hopping like a pro. :) )

Both Pirate and Foxy also insist on going out to greet the mailman. If it's a nice day, they'll go with him on a bit of his round. (We live on a low traffic street, and where we are on the delivery path he goes a few houses down, crosses over, and comes back up. So they go with him, wait to cross, go back up, and then someone just goes over to collect them and bring them back home.)

[mkevent]

My barn cat now (who found us) follows me to the pastures, helps me fill water tubs, sits on my shoulders sometimes when I clean stalls and reminds me that it's cat treat time whenever I grain the horses. And she is a total princess but one heck of a hunter! She too, reminds me of a dog!
I had a barn cat-tall, lanky black and white male that was friendly-would come in the stalls and stare at you until you petted him. One day I was busy thinking about a thousand other things and must have absentmindedly ignored him while he reminded me that it was time to fill the cat food bow.
He walks down the barn aisle to face me, stops two feet in front of me, and in his loudest voice, goes MEOW . MEOW . MEOW and then turns his tail and walks away in a very pissed off manner. I've never been yelled at by a cat before!! It did work, though-I went right in and filled his cat food bowl!
I've never understood why people hate cats!

[Amwrider]

I've never been yelled at by a cat before!!

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

[mvp]

OMG Want Em!

Send them over for proper worshipping and inclusion in all things they desire.

Apparently you can't get a good cat for love, money or multiple trips to the SPCA. They have to find you. We should all be so blessed.

Seriously, when a cat likes you it's like God saying you are all-in-all a good person. A cat is like a character touchstone. They have no reason to lie about who's worthwhile and who is not.

[kdow]

.
He walks down the barn aisle to face me, stops two feet in front of me, and in his loudest voice, goes MEOW . MEOW . MEOW and then turns his tail and walks away in a very pissed off manner. I've never been yelled at by a cat before!! It did work, though-I went right in and filled his cat food bowl!


Our old cat did that! Not just for his bowl, either. If the dog needed food or water you'd get a lecture, also.

(That was the cat that figured out how to play the answering machine messages back, too. I guess he liked the sound of voices when he was home alone?)

[RacetrackReject]

We had a cat that would play the answering machine as well. He was my roommate's cat. We think it started because his name was Chip and my friend Chip would call often and leave messages on the machine talking to Chip the cat. You know "Chip, hey Chip, it's Chip! How are you doing buddy? Here kitty kitty. Chip, I'm stuck in the box, come help me out! " etc...

I have ended up having a ton of cats at my house. I owned none when I moved in, but the previous owner left all of theirs. All said and done, I found 21 kittens in the stables the first spring. That number was paired down greatly by natural selection (roads, critters, wandering toms, etc) and by giving a few away. I started spaying the rest, but 2 of the mother cats belong to the neighbors, so I can't really spay them. They wouldn't bother me if they would leave their kittens at home, but no such luck. In this last week, I have seen both of them carrying their kittens across the pastures from their house to mine. I now have 7 kittens at my house. And yes, they help me do everything. They even have my Jack Russell conned. He loves on them and licks them all over like they are best friends.

[classicsporthorses]

Glad to hear you all have wonder cats too. Today, even with the rain and wind, Bubbles had to supervise chores. I used the cart to carry the hay out to the pasture-It's like a big garden cart, and of couse you know how has to have a ride on top of the hay.

Nothing like having to pull and extra 12+ pounds on top of all of that hay.

One of our house cats, Cinder, she's the spokescat for telling us that the food dishes are empty. The funny thing is she'll start if Her dish, the plastic one what was a kids cereal bowl, it empty. Now the other ones can be full but if "Her's" is empty we get followed around the house getting yelled at.

Our other barn cats, okay they started as barn cats and 4 of the 6 barn cats are now house cats are pretty spoiled too and honest to God I think they tell the neighbor cats or hobo cats too.

But alais it's only Bubbles who acts so "non-cat like". Thankfully he's also the best mouser we have, the others are pathetic.

[mkevent]

This thread is hilarious!
My older daughters boyfriend was telling her the other day how she and I have a wierd sense of humor. He then said that all he'd have to say is "cats" and we would both break out in fits of laughter. Unfortunately, that is true-when she told me the story, we were both laughing hysterically. I blame it on the icanhascheezburger.com website-cats do have a wicked sense of humor!
I think it is especially funny when in an entire room full of strangers, they pick the one cat hater in the bunch to sit on his/her lap! And they know that person won't kick them off because there are too many witnesses-so the cat sits there, purring and all smug-obviously pleased with its deviousness!

[2DogsFarm]

This thread is one of the reasons 2 Dogs Farm has no dogs.
Don't get me wrong - I grew up with dogs as a kid and as an adult had a lovely labmix for all the 17 years he lived. But I had cats too - as many as 3 in a 2BR apartment at one time.

But you gotta love a cat - low maintenance pets extraordinaire.

I am now "down" to one housecat and one barncat. Once the housecat goes (she's 10 now and still looking good) there will be no indoor cats.
Think of it: a house without cathair tumbleweeds, clothes w/o cathair velcroed to them.

In the meantime, my barncat is One of Those.
She insists on being fed before the horses and will tell me all about it if I make that mistake.
She demands laptime after I finish barn chores and heaven help me if I add a chore to the usual routine.
She will eat mouse sushi but turns her nose up at any canned food except Whiskas and then it must be Choice Cuts shape and poultry flavor.

[Cincinnati]

classic, We had a cat that could have been the twin of yours in behavior. Sparky showed up one day at our barn and promptly made himself king. He helped me clean stalls, turn-out the horses and even rode the "whoopee machine" (hydralic lift) while we painted the 3 story barn. He was a hoot.
Then one day he was gone. Vanished. :( Sometimes we get those special animals to humble us and just make our lives enjoyable.

[jen-s]

OMG Want Em!

Send them over for proper worshipping and inclusion in all things they desire.

Apparently you can't get a good cat for love, money or multiple trips to the SPCA. They have to find you. We should all be so blessed.

Seriously, when a cat likes you it's like God saying you are all-in-all a good person. A cat is like a character touchstone. They have no reason to lie about who's worthwhile and who is not.

AMEN! Cats are the best and to be loved by one is so very special. I may not have my hearthorse right now, but I definitely am owned by my heartcat!

[Lori T]

I have 2 sisters, one calico, one orange, both rescues, and a black one eyed sweetie who showed up one day.
The orange is always laying in the hay while the horse eats. If they are in their stall, she is on the ledge of the front and loves to grab at their ears while they eat, which they really get annoyed about!
The calico runs out to greet me every morning when I pull into the driveway. Lies down in front of my car then either jumps in if I open the door or runs behind..obviously she doesn't do this to the feed truck or anyone else or she'd be run over by now. Loves to ride in the car..one day I was pulling in and my daughter was leaving...oblivious to the cat in the back seat looking out the window! Once she snuck into a trailer dressing room and ended up 40 miles away..I realized when she didn't show up at dinner what had happened...thankfully the people who drove off with her were kind enough to bring her back!
All 3 follow me everywhere and I have also had to teach while holding the calico...why, when I teach does she suddenly demand my attention?

[Thomas_1]

We had a cat that would play the answering machine as well. .

Tell me about it. This one also answers the phone!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/flodden_edge/pearlonphone.jpg

Also got one that helps by taking printed documents out of the paper holder at the front of the printer!

At this rate I won't need staff.

I've always said that Dogs have owners and staff have servants.

[jen-s]

Mkevent--You are so right about how cats choose the one person who isn't a cat person. Mine, who is not a fan of men, found it quite entertaining to lavish all sorts of attention on my ex-boyfriend who not only didn't like cats, but was also highly allergic! Come to think about it, she also seems to give special attention to another friend who is also allergic. That sort of perversity is part of why I love her so much!

[Pirateer]

My cat chose me as well.
I went to the Animal Control to check out an adorable Beagle who had been claimed by its owners before I got there.

Walked out through the Kitty room and was mewed at by a little group of kittens. Two were shy, and hiding in the back, one was putting his little paws through the cage BEGGING me to take him. His little brothers were cute, but man, the paws! I took him home that night and he has since convinced many DOG PEOPLE that they were "THIS CAT" people. In fact, he might be part dog. He herded the Pugs, my 80lb Lab puppy is terrified of His Magesty....Converted my mom who now gives him treats just like the 3 dogs..

The sound of the cookie jar opening brings running 3 labradors and a white cat. All four sit for cookies :)

[SUECLOUDY]

Anyway, We have other cats, something like 20 but he is unique among his breed, Any others have pets who are beyond the "ordinary".


I am so glad to hear someone else has as many cats as my husband and I. Even though ours are all neutered, the dairy farm next door does not neuter and we trap and neuter everything we can get. Our "clowder" of cats that we own consists of a little over 20, but are all well taken care of, even after we were to pass on.
Anyhow we have an orange neutered male named Copper. Copper was feral and spent the 1st two months in our downstairs bathroom until we could tame him and his brother Goldie.
Copper turned out to be the most unique cat we have ever owned.
Three days ago I caught him on the Kitchen Counter taking small Dog Biscuits out of the bag, and batting them around on the counter until they fell on the floor and the dog scooped them up. He must have done this several times, until we clipped the bag closed. Then when I went to get something out of the refrigerator, he decided that he wanted to pick out something different for himself than normal cat food.
Cats can be very innovative at times, and I give them a lot more credit for getting their way then people think.

[Hear_my_echo]

Reading this makes me wish that I had a cat. :)

[jen-s]

Hear_my_echo,
What part of the country do you live in? I'm sure we COTHers can help you out! We're champion enablers, you know! :cool:

[Guin]

A house is not a home without a cat. My current one (yes, he is an only-cat) will NOT eat human food. Fresh chicken? Steak? Tuna fish? He acts like I'm trying to poison him. Fancy Feast and Meow Mix ONLY. I tried Purina crunchy food once, and ended up bringing the rest of it to the barn. Mr. Kitty is a particular feline! I wish he would stop bringing home the baby bunnies, though. Last summer he wiped out an entire litter. :no:

[pony grandma]

I had a young male cat show up, hugging the front door, one night last winter. He had to have been dumped, he was totally an inside cat (that doesn't happen out here in yummy we have barns territory!). I brought him in and lo and behold this young male cat LOVES dogs. My daughter has a Wheaten terrier aptly named Brogan. He and this cat started rolling around on the floor together, he lets the dog hold him between his front legs and chew on his head and ears. He grabs onto the dog's back leg fur and the dog drags him around on the floor in circles. He has run across the room and jumped up on top of the dog's back. That was it for me, he's a keeper!! b/c the terrier was a big pup and the buddy-up really helped keep his puphood saner. So he's named Tommy O'Reilly as a mate for O'Brogan.

I have never seen a cat allow a dog to completely maul him like this one does. The Wheaten does have a very gentle mouth. They are the best of buds. And Thomas now enjoys the farm life and his barn hunts. I have never met a cat as smart as he is. He comes running like a dog when you call for him. He follows us back thru the fields, on the trails in the woods. Score 3 dogs 3 cats now. horses 5.

[Lilykoi]

Had a little calico cat that had been dropped off at the barn. Lucy was declawed and couldn't have weighed more than 7 lbs. Anyway, the best hunter I've ever known.
She would drag gophers across the hunt field and lay them at my feet while I taught.
Looked like Elsa the Lioness bringing home the kill. Long time ago but a great little cat.
I still miss her.

[Hear_my_echo]

Hear_my_echo,
What part of the country do you live in? I'm sure we COTHers can help you out! We're champion enablers, you know! :cool:

Aw, that's sweet. :) I would love a cat, but hubby is horribly allergic to them, to the point of not being able to work. So unless I get rid of hubby, it's not on the cards. Actually, there's an idea..... :eek::winkgrin::lol:

[jen-s]

Aw, that's sweet. :) I would love a cat, but hubby is horribly allergic to them, to the point of not being able to work. So unless I get rid of hubby, it's not on the cards. Actually, there's an idea..... :eek::winkgrin::lol:

I actually got rid of a boy (boyfriend, not husband) in part because he wanted me to give up my cat and didn't like that I spent a few evenings at the week with my horse. :eek: The official reason was much more complicated, but I'm honest enough to admit that my cat and horse was as important to me as the other challenges the relationship faced! Haven't regretted it for a minute. ;)

[Arcadien]

I have many beloved cats, but in tune with this thread is my cat nicknamed the "Barn Manager". He supervises just about everything going on at the barn, including following me through all chores.

The horses all love him. After all, they know when the Barn Manager is prowling about, so is "mommy person" so good things for horses are likely happening too, lol. Only trouble, he is quite territorial to other cats, so most of my "pride" stays closer to the house - don't wanna get in trouble with Barn Manager, y'know.

So glad to have some fellow cat lovers here! And thanks to Mods for allowing this thread - I know it's a bit of a cat love thing here, but hey, how many horse people don't have (or like) cats?

Arcadien,
who has a cat door cut in the wall of her house, and who is likely feeding more cats that she knows - but who fixes, spays, flea medicates, & give shots to, all she can catch!

[Reds-n-Greys]

I have a *large* (he swears he's just big boned) barn kitty who turned into a house lump, who much perfers to spend his time with one of my sons.

However, yesterday was a tramatic day for me ~ my beloved lab, Holly had emergency surgery for pyometia (and yes - I am kicking myself from one side of the room to the other for being a terrible dog owner!) Anyway, himself could tell I needed him last night and attached his large self to me for the entire night - it didn't matter what room I was in, he was there curled up beside and/or on me. It was very comforting ~ well, except for this morning when I awoke gasping for breath with his 20+ pounds curled up on my chest. But he knew...what a good kitty!

[lcw579]

R&G, hope Holly is doing well today. Glad to hear you have such a "fluffy" kitty to comfort you when you need it most. Must be a very special cat - I think he deserves some tuna for dinner tonight.

[LearnToFly]

our barn cat, (http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v197/221/0/9422221/n9422221_36727789_4038.jpg) who is affectionately known as "Cat" has to spend her life living above ground because the 5 barn dogs aren't very cat friendly and make chasing her a sport (http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v197/221/0/9422221/n9422221_36727790_4366.jpg). BUT, she is Elvis's cat. They sleep together, she perches outside his stall during the day, and follows us when I take him out to the field. And I'm pretty sure he is just obsessed with how soft she is, because half the time he is just rubbing his face all over her. (http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v197/221/0/9422221/n9422221_36727796_6035.jpg)

[pooh]

I'll add in our barn cats to the "has to teach lesson "mix. We have three cats who insist that they must help with all barn activites -- whether it is sitting in the ring supervising the lesson, running and positioning self thoughout the ring to allow us to practice steering, or laying on the mounting block to observe my riding skills.
Then while mucking stalls - they insist on standing on the side of the wheel barrow or parading around the top of the stall to make sure it is done correctly. During haying - they ride on the bale to make sure each horse gets the correct amount of hay.
I have been seen walking out the the field to get my horse with a parade of cats behind me, then they proceed to follow me back in and assist in grooming tasks, they even have to be picked up so they can snuggle with my horse before we get ready for a ride.
Best thing has to be the fact that they all coming running when called and will follow me throughout the riding ring ( course they know when they get called it is usually feeding time)
There are a few of us who typically spend time with the cats, and boy do they search us out when they hear us show up at the barn.

[Seven-up]

The barn cat where I kept my first pony fancied herself as BFF to all the horses. For some reason she was really attached to my pony. She would wait for us to feed hay, and she'd hop down from the rafters into the hayrack, and curl up and sleep in the hay. Pony would munch, and the cat would slowly migrate down as the hay was eaten out from under her. When the hay was almost gone, cat would wake up, and walk down pony's neck and back, and curl up on her butt and go back to sleep. It was a common occurance to find the cat curled up on my pony's rump fast asleep.

Unfortunately, the cat was not universally loved. She made the mistake of walking across the stall door of my mom's horse. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him grab her by the scruff of the neck and fling her across the barn!:eek: She learned to stick to hayracks and pony butts after that unscheduled flight.:lol:

[Airamennyl]

I have 3 house cats, a calico-tabby named Bella, who likes to keep to herself, but on occasion is very affectionate. Baxter is my big black cat.
My little Jaspurr Jax is a Javanese, which is basically a long haired siamese. I had always wanted a cat that was more affectionate.

I adopted Jaspurr at a cat show as 1 yr old and got more than I bargained for. He is the most loving lap cat you could imagine. I can hold him forever in any position. He professes his love quite vocally. But sometimes, the love won't quit. He intensely gazes at me with love in his eyes, will stand on his hind legs and put a paw on either side of my shoulders and try to "make out" with me. Sometimes I think he was a dirty old man who was reincarnated into my kitty.

Baxter is shy when strangers come over, yet one day the Kirby carpet guy was at our house for a demonstration. I noticed the guy sneezing more, watery eyes, I guessed he was allergic to cats. Baxter noticed, too, because he came out of hiding and rubbed and loved all over the Kirby guy. It was hilarious. Of course, it didn't help to get him to leave any earlier!

[sk_pacer]

My little Jaspurr Jax is a Javanese, which is basically a long haired siamese. I had always wanted a cat that was more affectionate.

I adopted Jaspurr at a cat show as 1 yr old and got more than I bargained for. He is the most loving lap cat you could imagine. I can hold him forever in any position. He professes his love quite vocally. But sometimes, the love won't quit. He intensely gazes at me with love in his eyes, will stand on his hind legs and put a paw on either side of my shoulders and try to "make out" with me. Sometimes I think he was a dirty old man who was reincarnated into my kitty.



I love that name!!! However, he MAY be channeling his namesake, the character Jasper Jax from General Hospital - a blue eyed Aussie womaniser!!!LOL

[Vandy]

My barn cat is fairly normal, although she did dive-bomb a former boarder from her perch atop the stalls once though. Interestingly, it was the boarder from hell who was about to be asked to leave - guess the cat didn't like her either :lol: Had never done it again and has never done it since. I can still hear ex-boarder's screams in my head :lol:

Last night my recently acquired house cat opened the cabinets in my kitchen, removed a brand new loaf of bread, and spread the pieces all over the counter/floor. He really likes opening all the cabinets, which is done quite loudly late at night while we're trying to sleep. If this keeps up, he may be a barn cat very soon.

[pj]

Never been a cat person although my oldest daughter always had a cat when she lived with us BUT...one day about four years ago I went to our little neighborhood store and in front of the store was an old man with a cage of kittens in his truck. In this cage sat an adorable little fluffy gray with the biggest blue eyes. I told the man I didn't want a kitten but could I hold that one for a minute. :lol: He handed me the kitten and it hung on to me purring like a freight train and staring at me with those huge eyes. Well how do you leave that behind? Brought her home and she was on me EVERY single second that I was in the house. It was nothing to be standing and have her suddenly climb up my back to my shoulder. The kitty climbed me so much my skin was in shreds. Looked as if I had some horrible disease. People told me to get another kitten for her to play with. Checking internet I found a cute little black male who was on death row in the pound two countys away. Called them and told them I was coming to get him. He was twelve weeks old and had been in the pound since he was six weeks old. Having him here did save my skin but Meda (the gray) STILL is MY cat. She must be with me every min. Can't go to the bathroom without her, can't sit down unless she is in my lap. She is also my helper. We have an amazon that she is very fond of. The amazon was here when both cats came so they accepted it as part of the family but when we brought our forty five year old blue crown conyor in the house Onyx (the black cat) thought he was fair game. After I corrected him One time for trying to catch the conyor Meda took it on herself to make sure he NEVER bothered that bird. He would stalk that way and she'd jump him and whip him all over the room. He learned very quickly to "Leave That Bird Alone". Anytime we correct Onyx for doing something if he does it again Meda steps in and trains him for us.
I guess Meda really did choose me as the time when I picked her up is the only time I've ever seen her friendly to strangers. Usually when anyone comes in the house other than dh or me she "poofs" and is gone.

[Puddin Pie]

Not at the barn, but at my daughter's school is a rooster. "Ned" has taken up residence at the school. They think he lives a few houses down, as someone keeps chickens. He is a beautiful, multi colored rooster. He is obviously fed well at school. One of the administration staff gives him a piece of whole wheat/oatmeal (I asked!) bread morning and night. No wonder he sticks around. I was working at the book fair last week and had to go outside to use my cell phone. Evidently he followed around behind me while I talked, looking as indignant as a rooster can look "pay attention to ME" -I never even saw him. The next phone call I could not hear the other end of the line due to his crowing.