Sunday, October 18, 2009

Albert's 5th Gotcha Day!



Welcome one and all to Al's 5th Gotcha Day celebration! We have quite a spread for ya'll - pizza, ham, tiny sandwiches, plus lots of cake and ice cream for dessert! Dig in and have fun!! 


It has been five, sometimes long years, since Mom found Al by the side of the road when he was a tiny kitten. (Read Al's life story.) Life with a deaf cat can be challenging to say the least. Al is a very sweet, cuddly, mischievous and endearing with people but with other cats he can be unpredictable and sometimes mean. Mostly we think the bullying is just him not knowing what is being said when we growl or talk to him. He just doesn't get our verbal messages and plows right in where most cats would head for cover!








He was a tiny guy five years ago that somehow managed to get himself into the darnedest places to nap. Now he is a large handsome mancat with stunning blue eyes. We are very happy to have him in our cat family - Pop especially has a soft spot for big Al. Make sure you scroll down to the end of the post ---Mom is giving away a neat gift for cat lovers!




Take this quizz and find out how much you know about deaf cats......

What’s Your Deaf-Cat IQ?
Test your knowledge about the needs of these special kitties.
By Erika Sorocco of the Cat Channel

Owners of deaf cats need to put in a little extra time and provide some special care for their feline companions. Take this quiz to find out how much you know about deaf cats, and the simple ways that help you and kitty adjust to the handicap.
1. When approaching a deaf cat, you should:
a. Sneak up behind her
b. Pat her lightly
c. Approach her from the front
d. Run toward her

2. Cats most prone to deafness are:
a. Tabbies with green eyes
b. Black and white with yellow eyes
c. Persians with blue eyes
d. White with blue eyes

3. The best way to keep track of a deaf cat is by:
a. Keeping her on a leash
b. Confining her to one room
c. Putting a bell on her collar
d. Following her wherever she goes

4. The most effective way to train a deaf cat is by using:
a. Toys
b. Affection
c. Treats
d. Anger

5. When playing with a deaf cat, the best toys are:
a. Feathers
b. Laser pointers
c. String
d. Balls

6. Deaf cats use which one of their senses the most?
a. Smell
b. Taste
c. Touch
d. Sight

7. What type of test would have to be conducted to see whether a cat is deaf or not?
a. FIV
b. ELISA test
c. BAER test
d. FeLV

8. When introducing a deaf cat to children you should:
a. Allow the children to grab the cat roughly
b. Inform the children of the cat’s situation
c. Leave the children alone with the cat
d. Let the children tease the cat

9. A deaf cat that is suddenly awakened may:
a. Purr
b. Lick your hand
c. Meow
d. Bite or hiss

10. Cats who are deaf:
a. Should be put to sleep
b. Lead miserable lives
c. Can lead happy, healthy, normal lives
d. Are mistreated

11. The best way to awaken a deaf cat that is sleeping is by:
a. Tapping a wall or stomping your feet
b. Petting her
c. Blowing on her fur
d. Picking her up

12. When interacting with other animals, a deaf cat should:
a. Be left unsupervised
b. Not be allowed to interact with other animals
c. Be supervised
d. Interact only with other cats

13. A deaf cat should:
a. Be allowed to live outdoors
b. Be kept indoors at all times
c. Be confined to one room
d. Be allowed to roam wherever they please

14. What emotion is often mistaken for aggression in deaf cats?
a. Fear
b. Jealousy
c. Stress
d. Guilt

15. Training a deaf cat is:
a. Impossible
b. Difficult
c. Possible depending on the circumstances
d. Simple with a little dedication and repetition

16. Separation anxiety is higher in deaf cats.
a. Maybe
b. It depends on the cat
c. Not at all
d. Absolutely

17. Informal sign language:
a. Can be learned by deaf cats
b. Is only useful to deaf humans
c. Can’t be learned by deaf cats
d. Doesn’t work for cats

18. Working with a deaf cat is:
a. Easy
b. Challenging
c. In-between
d. Hard

19. Deafness:
a. Only occurs in white cats with blue eyes
b. Can happen to any cat at any age
c. Is caused by old age
d. Only occurs in female cats

20. Deaf cats are:
a. Louder than hearing cats
b. Quieter than hearing cats
c. Completely silent
d. More talkative than hearing cats



Answer Key
1. C
2. D
3. C
4. C
5. B
6. A
7. C
8. B
9. D
10. C
11. A
12. C
13. B
14. A
15. D
16. C
17. A
18. B
19. B
20. A

If you scored:
1-5 Points - Good job. Keep on studying. Don’t despair, simply pick up a few books and fill your mind with every deaf-cat fact you can find!

5-10 Points - Congrats! You’re almost there! 11-15 Points - Give yourself a pat on the back – You’re on your way to becoming a deaf-cat expert.

16-20 Points - You’re the cats meow! There’s no question about it, when it comes to deaf cats, you know it all!

Erika Sorocco is a freelance writer living in Southern California . Her work has appeared in numerous publications both nationally and internationally.





Give - away!

To celebrate Albert's special day, Mom is giving away a free year's subscription to Cat Fancy Magazine - all you have to do is so leave a comment telling us that you are interested in the magazine and on Monday October 26 she will randomly pick a winner. Good luck everyone and thanks for stopping by!




23 comments:

Elin said...

Happy gotcha day!
Thanks for the party!

That magazine look interesting :)

xxxx

The Chair Speaks said...

Hi, I am glad your mom found Al. He looks happy and obviously very well cared for.
Most completely white cats are genetically deaf. Living with handicapped cats are never easy. It requires endless patience and is enriching as well as rewarding when the cat shows you absolute affection in return.

SeaThreePeeO said...

Happy 5th Gotcha Day Albert!

What a fab party! xxx

The Kitty Krew said...

Happy happy Gotcha Day, Al! It's a good day to be gotcha'd, today is my 4th Gotcha Day. :) Come by our party if you get a chance, too, and thanks for having us to yours.

The Mommy is interested in your magazine giveaway, she's never gotten around to subscribing to that one though she's thought about it. Thanks!

Purrs and hugs,
Roxy

The Furry Bambinos said...

Happy Gotcha Day, Al! Thanks for inviting us to your party! We are happy that you are well-cared for, and loved!

And thank you very much for the gotchaversary wishes!

Purrs,
Padre, Panda Bear, Meerkat, Cookie, and Caramel

Annie Bear said...

Happy Gotcha Day, Al! I would love some of that ham! I'm so glad your mom found you!

That's really nice about the magazine subscription. My mama is definitely interested.

Purrs,
Lucy

The Island Cats said...

Happy Gotcha Day, Al!! Thanks for inviting us to your party! We're having a real good time!

And we learned some things about deaf cats. Our mom took the quiz and she couldn't believe that she only got 3 wrong! We think this shows that deaf cats really aren't that much different than hearing cats.

We already get Cat Fancy so we don't need to enter the contest, but we think it's really nice that your mom is going to give a subscription! We can't wait to see who wins it!

Lisa Kolosey said...

Happy Gotcha Day Al! Thanks for sharing your feast!
It sounds like you are one lucky kitty to have humans who've taken the time to give you what you need. I've been reading back posts to learn all about your bully business because our Snafu seems to be just like you...and I want to know if you ever calmed down!
Tell Mom we are also interested in Cat Fancy!
~Lisa Co9T

Anonymous said...

HAPPY GOTCHYA DAY, AL!!! You sure are a lucky dude that your mom picked you up that day, 5 years ago!!! And, we took the quiz and got 11 right. Not bad for not knowing much!!! Enjoy your day and thanx for having us offur to celebrate with you!!!

The Monkeys said...

Happy, happy Gotcha day, Al!! You went from adorable little kitten to a gorgeous and handsome mancat!

Daisy said...

Happy Gotcha Day, Al! Tiny sammiches are my favorite!

We already get Cat Fancy. It's a great magazine! I'm glad some other lucky kitteh will get to enjoy it, too.

Jans Funny Farm said...

Happy Gotcha Day, Al. You sure found the perfect home.

We only got 14 answers right, so we still have a lot to learn about deaf cats.

This is a nice party. Jan won't share her pizza with us so we're really enjoying it.

A year's subscription to Cat Fancy? What a neat giveaway. We don't get it so we'd love to read it -- if our name is drawn, of course.

The Creek Cats said...

Happy Gotcha Day Albert, you handsome mancat! You have the most beautiful blue eyes!
We took the quiz and got a score of 13, not too bad.
We would enjoy the Cat Fancy Magazine. Our mom always reads them when she takes us to the vet.

Thanks so much for inviting us to your big party, Albert! Now, we're gonna go snag a piece of pizza! Nom nom nom!

JC said...

Happy Birthday !!!

I took the quiz and I did pretty good. I had a blind cat when growing up and my Dad's white cat was sort of deaf ... we never could tell if she heard a little or was just crabby.

I'll go read his story ...

CCL Wendy said...

Happy 5th Birthday, Al! I've always had a soft spot for you since I met you (Booga, Booga!). You've got quite the purrsonality!

We've brought some nip to share with efurryone, too. Dante, Dylan and Domino want to get down and party with you, big guy! You are indeed one handsome mancat.

After looking at the quiz, I think mostly it's common sense, but not everyone is endowed with that, so it's good to have tips.

We like Cat Fancy, too, but we're Canadian, so I think it would cost more and we don't expect you to go to all that trouble. It's very kind of you to offer it up for folks, though. Thanks.

Cat with a Garden said...

Happy Birthday to Al!
The test about deaf cats was very interesting. In Germany breeding of two pure white cats is forbidden, it's counts as ill-treatment of animals, because of the high probability of deafness. But some silly unknowing private persons do it here anyways.
Al looks stunning! He's a lucky guy to have a good home. Unfortunately we can't enter in the give-away because we live in Germany. But this magazine sounds very interesting, we wished there was something like it here.
Purrs, Siena & Chilli

Charlemagne and Tamar said...

Happy gotcha day, Albert! We're sorry we're late - we hope that you had a great day with lots of treats and cuddles and fun!

Charlemagne and Tamar

Noll's Nip said...

Happy gotcha day sweetheart. You are very handsome and special. I love Cat Fancy. My sister shares hers with me, so here's wishing everyone else good luck.

Cory said...

Happy Gotcha Day handsome Albert! What a wonderful party you are having. Thanks for inviting us.

Ellen Whyte said...

Happy gotcha day, Al! We'd say meow but as you're deaf, we'll send you a squeezed shut eyes cat kiss. Great quiz.

Zoolatry said...

Happy Happy Gotcha Gotcha... Maggy and Zoey are swooning some over handsome Al. And the ZH is thinking that the day 5-years ago was a really really great day for all.

Baby Patches said...

Hai Al! I hopes you had a pawsome Gotcha day! You had ice cream?!! Oh boy did I miss out, dat momma has been purrty busy but she remembered to tells me to comes visit today. Momma really liked da info on deaf cats she has never talked wif anyone who has had one before.

Happy Gotcha Day! Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrs

Anonymous said...

From all of us Good Cats (we have Gotcha Days too!) a happy 5th Gotcha Day to you, Albert -- may you have many more!

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