h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My friend's dog takes to waking her up in the night by licking her face.... and then trhows up. Having witnessed his being sick once (once... thank God!) I know why she is grossed out.

I'm convinced that Sunny makes himself throw up if we don't get up early enough for him (for brekky) by drinking tons and tons of water until it all comes up again. A couple of times I've drowsily heard him lapping up water in the bathroom . . . maybe about 6.30 . . . then a few minutes later . . .

You see, he *knows* this always wakes us up.

As for Azar sneezing . . . it's not the sneezing I mind as such, it's that he tends to blast me right in the face. Totally gross.

az

I wouldn't be surprised if he throws up on purpose to wake you up. Herman horks up a hairball every weekend morning at around 7:30, 8:00, and I'm sure it's a passive-aggressive thing.

Being licked on the lips by the cat would be icky enough... thinking about what he'd licked previously.

Charlie has a tickly spot on his his throat that, when we are feeling cruel, we tickle to make him sneeze! We think that because he lifts his head right back and purrs he must get nose dribble running back up his nose which tickles and makes him achoooo!

Trouble is, and this is where it literally does backfire on us, he invariably does a 'bottom sneeze' at the same time!

Tasha has now progressed from licking the tip of my nose as a sort of kiss when I come home to lightly sniffing my eyelids!! Oh boy does that tickle and make me giggle every time!

Awww, how sweet! Tasha and Charlies sound so lovable!

The bottom sneezes aren't so nice, though, are they?

Herman apparently has a "soft spot" just above his tailbone. If I scratch it very softly but quickly, he closes his eyes and does this rapid tongue-flicking/licking thing. He'll do it for hours. It's so funny.

Of course, if he catches me laughing about it, he turns around and bites the webby part between my thumb and forefinger. Ouch!

That'll teach you to mock a cat!

Just out of curiousity, does anyone know what it means if a cat drools a lot? A friend of mine has fallen in love with his girlfriend's cat, except for the drooling this cat does all the time. Usually on his shoulder, as the cat likes to sit there while he's reading or on the computer.

SC

Benjamin has taken to shaking his head vigorously when being petted. Since, when being petted he drools, these head-shakes are invariably very, very wet. He would never do this if he was further than a hand span away from my face, of course.....

Benjamin does the drooling on the shoulder wnile I am on the computer, too. It is about the only time when he is truly "cuddly" with me.

I am currently having my ears cleaned by a very attentive Lovebird.... It really is the oddest feeling. However, it is better than when he tries to snuggle in under my shirt using my bare skin for purchase... Ooooooo the toenails!!!!!

Does the cat which drools knead at the same time? Friends of ours have a cat who drools a lot, while kneading her "owners'" stomachs. Their vet says that drooling is seen in kittens while they're kneading their mother to stimulate the flow of milk. Drooling in an adult cat, while the cat is kneading, is sometimes a relexive thing related to the memory of nursing.


I've never had the opportunity to snuggle with a lovebird. My great-aunt Marie had a parakeet that used to walk on the top of my head, and those fingernails were scratchy. Lovebird fingernails must be even more so! What does having your ears cleaned by a bird feel like?

physchocandy, is herman more interested in male cats as that would be the spot stimulated should another male cat pay closer attention to herman. Most cats like that spot being itched scratched, drooling is a affectionate sign but check the cats teeth just in case.

Henrys same as hes getting older loves a good scratch massage becomes snakelike to crawl up close to hand positioning part in need of attention precisly then every so often here a loud click makeing you think you have just cracked his jaw, must be him shutting his mouth fast but sounds weird.

meant to add whilst working in a pet shop many years ago a pair of peach faced love birds brought a whole new meaning to P.M.T
Parrot Must Terminatemate. the pair had a dissagreement in the ight resulting in the female biteing the males head off almost literly, never looked at them the same again, think its fairly commen for the female to turn nasty.
But birds have most dexteratous beaks, and tongues, plus will like the wax in your ears both for preening and nutrional purposes

Elvis: http://public.fotki.com/Mudhooks/family_friends_pets/elvis/image191.html

The earcleaning isn't unpleasant. He sort of butts my ear about with his beak and then searches for goodies (not that I think there is anything to be found. I keep my ears clean) with his tongue which sort of tickles.

Sometimes, if he is particularly chummy, he will take some of his food and feed it to me. Nothing says love like a mouthful of masticated pecans.

Currently, he is clutching my bra-strap and and snoozing under my shirt. To get there leave welts from his toes, so I daren't move him. He'll just try and get back there again.

Hi logicus!

Herman's not particularly fond of other cats, in general, but he's never been around other males since he was a little baby kitten. The two female cats he lived with before he and his daddy moved into my place a year ago, used to beat up on him because he's a special needs kitty (he has cerebellar hypoplasia, a condition similar to cerebral palsy, which causes impaired vision, balance, and coordination, to say the least), and my better half says he's never done that tongue-flicking thing before, but that he's also never been scratched by anyone with anything resembling fingernails (mine do extend a teensy bit beyond the fingertip). I personally think it's because he's itchy- he's super furry and has had some dandruff on his back, and around his tail.

Masticated pecans don't sound all that appetizing. But lovebird snuggles do! Have we ever seen a picture of him? I don't remember having seen them.

Link to photos provided in the above posting...

Oh... apparently he has decided to feed it to me, too. Thank you Elvis. (Sign of love, you know.)

Durr, missed that link completely... but what a gorgeous bird!!

In't he though?!

More photos of cats at Caltech:

http://www.its.caltech.edu/~rowlands/photos/SecondTerm/CatPhotos/

All but one of them are of Chaucer, a cat belonging to one of the students in Ruddock House. "Darb Cat" is a cat living in Ruddock but belonging to a member of Dabney House (living in Ruddock since Dabney is currently located in temporary trailers where pets are not permitted). I don't know it's name or have much contact with it, as it is very skittish, due, I am told, to exposure to marijuana smoke last year.

Chaucer is clearly there on a heavy course of study ... in lounging! What a gorgeous boy he is. I've always been partial to ginger cats; my first cat, Pinky, was a ginger tom, a bit small and rough-n-tumble looking, not poised like Chaucer.

I see what you mean about the Darb cat, s/he looks very wary. Hopefully not due to sad experience.

If the students are allowed to have pets, what happens when they graduate and can't bring them home, or when the owners go home for a while at end of term? Who cares for them?
Just curious.

SC