Cats Herd You

A Solution for Cats Knocking Stuff Down

I got a camera to watch my cats when I was out of the house, but to get it to reliably trigger when they walk across the floor, I needed to put it at the edge of the shelf.

black and white tuxedo kitten and Canary camera

That posed a problem. Not only is the edge of the shelf a dangerous place to put a camera, it is also right above one of the cat water bowls.

Canary camera and water bowl

It’s not like that shelf is a low-traffic location, either. It’s a key access point to one of the only windows in the house that faces west. That window features some good bird watching, too, so it has always been a regular hangout for all of the cats.

one-eyed brown tabby cat looks out vertical blinds

I remembered reading about a special, removable putty you could use to hold objects in place, so I did a few searches and found Quake Hold museum putty. Maybe everyone in California already knows about this, but those of us in Florida never got the memo about this stuff.

Quakehold and Canary Camera

So for folks who never heard of museum putty, it’s inexpensive stuff used by museums and I guess people who live in earthquake-prone areas to keep knickknacks from falling down. It isn’t much to look at. It’s an off-white putty you work with your fingers to soften.

quakehold sample

You can work it to whatever shape you need to fit under the base of your breakable object, then smush the object you want to stay put down onto it and let it cure for 24 hours. That’s pretty much it.

Quakehold holding Canary camera in place

For my camera, instead of round dots of the putty, I made a little putty snake and fit it around the base of the camera before smushing the camera down into it. I was worried that there might not be enough surface area of the camera in contact with the putty, but it has stayed put for a month now.

Closeup of Quakehold holding Canary camera in place

Since the putty started helping keep the camera in place, the camera has seen a lot of traffic, especially from Ashton. Video taken from the camera shows her jumping up and down directly next to the camera, often close enough that you can hear her rub against the camera as she jumps. It also captures her sitting directly next to the camera, pressing against it in ways that would have dislodged it if it hadn’t been secured.

Ashton isn’t shy at all about leaning on the camera, even when she knows she is being watched. If it wasn’t held in place somehow, I’m sure the camera would have toppled by now, probably while I was taking this photo.

one-eyed brown tabby cat leans against web camera

Thank goodness for Quake Hold! It costs under five dollars, and I can’t believe it has taken me this long to find out about it. Hopefully some of you reading will break a few less knickknacks or other valuables now that you know about it, too.

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Scratcher Face-Off

Cupcake: * wiggles excitedly *

black and white tuxedo kitten approaches orange tabby cat

Newton: Hi, kid.

Cupcake: Umm… Hi, Mr. Newton! What are you doing?

black and white tuxedo kitten approaches orange tabby cat

Newton: I was sniffing the catnip, before I was interrupted.

Cupcake: Catnip is icky. That’s OK, you can have it all to yourself.

black and white tuxedo kitten looks at orange tabby cat

Newton: Where did you go, kid?

black and white tuxedo kitten plays as orange tabby cat looks on

Cupcake: I’m right here!

Newton: Hey, don’t scare me like that. And don’t stand on the catnip.

Orange tabby cat looks into hole while black and white tuxedo kitten looks on

Cupcake: Why all the rules? I liked it better when I was going to pounce on him.

black and white tabby kitten looks over shoulder

While the Kitten’s Away

Ashton: Some of you have asked how the rest of us are doing while Cupcake is out having adventures, so we thought this was a good time to update you.

one-eyed brown tabby cat on sofa back

Ashton: While Cupcake is visiting with her fans at the local coffee shop…

black and white tuxedo kitten sits on edge of table

Ashton: I’m enjoying not having to watch my back all the time.

one-eyed brown tabby cat sprawls on sofa

Ashton: What do you think Cupcake is doing right now?

Pierre: She’s probably eating a second breakfast.

black and white tuxedo kitten sniffs plant leaf

Ashton: No fair! Do you really think so?

Pierre: I don’t care. I am going to enjoy napping while she’s gone.

gray tabby cat sleeps on sofa

Ashton: As long as she’s somewhere else.

Pierre: You could be somewhere else if you won’t let me sleep. Maybe you could go with her next time.

Ashton: I don’t think so.

black and white tabby kitten on leash

Newton: Don’t tell the others, but I kind of miss her when she’s gone.

mediumhair orange tabby cat laying on bed

National Check the Chip Day

We’re sharing this message again because tomorrow, like every August 15, is National Check the Chip Day. This is a great reminder to all of us that getting your cat microchipped isn’t the only step in the process in giving her a much better chance of getting home.

check the chip day

Cats have a 20 times higher chance of being returned to their owners after entering an animal shelter if they are microchipped, but just having the microchip isn’t enough. That chip must be readable and the information must be up to date so the call about your kitty can find you. That’s what Check the Chip Day reminds you about.

First Step: Get Chipped

If your kitty isn’t already microchipped, don’t worry, it’s a simple procedure that can be done at your veterinarian’s office. Check with your local rescue organizations and spay-neuter clinics to find reduced-cost and sometimes even free microchips at events in your community.

animal implant microchip. photo credit: depositphotos/vetkit

Microchips are a little larger than a grain of rice, and your vet implants them under the skin with a large-gauge needle, much like your cat getting a vaccination. Instead of injecting a fluid, the needle places the microchip.

Second Step: Get Registered and Keep Contact Information Current

Register your microchip, and keep it up to date if your contact information changes. Sometimes the veterinarian or organization who chips your cat will register your cat for you, but it’s best to follow up and make sure the paperwork got to the chip registry if you don’t handle the registration yourself.

If you move to a new address or get a new phone number, don’t just tell your friends. Tell the microchip registry, too!

gray kitten and laptop. photo credit: depositphotos/fotoluxstudio

This is important because one of the leading causes of microchipped pets not being able to get home is not being able to find the current contact information for the pet’s home.

When you and your microchipped kitty move across the country, your old vet who implanted the chip may lose touch with you. If your microchip isn’t registered, the last person the microchip company knew had the chip was your old vet, and a call from an animal shelter trying to get your cat home only finds your old vet’s contact information. You don’t want someone trying to reunite your kitty with you to hit a dead end like that, so keep your contact information up to date with the chip registry. That way, it will be correct when your cat needs you most.

Third Step: Check The Chip

Check the chip! Microchips are implanted between the shoulder blades. When Ashton was a bony, little kitten, you could feel the chip, about the size of a big grain of rice, if you scritched her shoulders just right, just past the end of her neck at her shoulders.

In rare cases, a microchip can migrate. Pierre’s chip has migrated about two inches so you can feel it when you rub his shoulder blade. This is unusual enough that when our vet felt it, he called in some vet techs to feel Pierre’s chip so that they would recognize a migrated chip if they felt one.

checking for implanted microchip on cat. Photo credit: depositphotos/ivonnewierink

A migrated chip doesn’t hurt your cat, but it can mean that if someone passes a microchip scanner over your pet’s shoulders, the scanner’s electromagnetic field may fail to energize the chip. This can lead to the microchip not being detected. To be sure this hasn’t happened, ask your veterinarian to scan for your cat’s chip as a part of their routine veterinary exam.

That’s what Check the Chip Day is about: making sure your cat’s ID is ready when needed. Did you have your cat’s chip checked the last time you visited the vet together?

References and further reading:

OSU Research News, Microchips Result in High Rate of Return of Shelter Animals to Owners
AVMA, Microchipping of Animals

Photo Credits:

depositphotos/vetkit
depositphotos/fotoluxstudio
Wikimedia Commons/Joel Mills
depositphotos/ivonnewierink