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The Ask Maya archives
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Please note: Maya's opinions are not always those of the management!

Ask Maya for the 4th week of January, 2003
Ask Maya for the 5th week of January, 2003
Ask Maya for the 1st week of February, 2003

More "Ask Maya" archives on pages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10

Ask Maya for the 4th week of January, 2003:

Dear Maya,

I have been collecting questions for you, but was afraid they would be too stupid to ask ...

1. My friend, who has dogs, wants to know why panting works to cool off. She knows it DOES work (for dogs), but she wants to know why and how. Maybe this is a more physical than spiritual question, but she wanted me to ask you anyway. Maybe she's on to soemthing, maybe there is a spiritual answer. I don't know.

2. Why are so many cats and dogs afraid of thunderstorms? It seems strange to me because haven't they co-existed for millenia?

3. HOW do you purr? When I was in school they told us that no humans have been able to figure out how the purr vibration is produced and that every theory humans had come up with had been proven wrong.

More questions to come...

-Jodi

Dear Jodi,

Thanks for all the questions. Let's see what I can tell you.

1. Panting for dogs works the same way it does for humans or cats, except a little more so for dogs. It's your basic oxygen exchange and evaporation thingy. Is it spiritual? Well, I hestitate to call dogs spiritual (just kidding -- it's a dog/cat thing), but sort of. Dogs like panting because it's obvious (and dogs are generally nothing if not obvious!), loud, smelly, and it looks like they're smiling!

2. Hell-o? Have you ever been caught out in a thunderstorm? Just because we've lived with them for centuries doesn't mean they aren't dangerous and startling. You'd think all humans would feel safe in them, what with the houses they build and all, but they don't always. Plus, it's a mistake to always feel secure in the face of nature. Ever see a tornado?

3. Ancient Chinese secret. Ha-ha-HA! No, seriously, if I told you, I'd have to kill you. Hee! But really, there's a thing I move in my throat/chest, and it's both a physical movement and a spiritual/energy one. It has to do with breath and meditation. I can't completely describe it, but suffice it to say it will remain one of cats' little mysteries for some time now. (And I certainly hope some humans aren't stupid enough to go dissecting cats willy- nilly to figure it out, although I wouldn't put it past them, and I'm sure they've done it in the past.) One last thing though... humans can ALMOST do it. Just meditate, relax and focus a healing, warm energy vibrating through your chest and throat chakra areas (also known as heart and communication)... do you feel it? It feels kind of tickle-y, but also really good!

I look forward to your other questions, whether they're stupid or not! Ha ha ha!

Purringly yours,

- Maya The Cat

Ask Maya for the 5th week of January, 2003:

Dear Maya,

I have some more questions for you ...

4. I had a cat who loved opera. She would wrap herself joyously around the radio and purr whenever opera was playing. My gf and I hated opera but we would sometimes play it so our cat could enjoy it. Ii was just wondering if you could comment on if there are any special qualities to opera that are healing in general, or if this was jsut a personal thing. My other cats aren't interested in opera, but I always had a feeling there was some REASON why Oogie (the cat) liked it, besides just that she had that kind of taste.

5. Can you think of anything a cat might like for a present besides food or toys? My Jean-Max doesn't care much about food or toys, but I want to give her a present as she will be 16 in November and I want to do seomthing special. Don't tell me to ask her myself because she usually says stuff like: "oh, no, nothing, Idon't need a present, thank you." But then when I do think of the right thing to do for her she gets really happy. I thought maybe another cat would have good ideas that I can't think up for myself. I already have catnip, and plants she can graze on, and places she can stretch her claws.

6. What's your favorite color? What kind of music do you like? What would you do if your partner wouldn't do their share of the chores?

Thank you for your time.

Mundanely,

-Jodi

Dear Jodi,

Here are your answers, my friend.

4. Well, I'm not the one to ask about types of music humans make, being deaf and all, but I'll wing it. The truth is, yes, animals have different kinds of tastes. Some like different sounds and vibrations better than others. Mom tells me that her last cat, Ellie, only liked the groups Indigo Girls and Phish, and hated everything else. Mom then jokes that Ellie was obviously a hippie lesbian, and thinks she's really funny, but she's not. Those humans - - always categorizing things!

Anyway, it could be that that type of music just really appealed to Oogie, or fit well with the vibrational frequencies she liked. It could also be that perhaps in the past she was an opera composer or singer -- did you ever think of that? Maybe you should ask her!

5. While it is true that some cats are not big on material possesions, and feel that they have all they need already, you may be able to find something that suits her. I, for example, never thought I'd enjoy a laser pointer so much, never actually having seen one before. Also, I was looking for someone to be my student and scribe, and along came Gretchen! So, that was a gift for her, but also a present, in and of itself, for me -- because talking to yourself and two stupid cretin cats all the time certainly gets boring!

So, just setting aside a bit of time each day to play, pet or talk with her might be a nice present, if you haven't already done so. Just see what she prefers. Also, catnip never hurts!

Mama G also says somebody mentioned building an altar to your kitty, and I think that sounds like a great idea. Come to think of it, why isn't there an altar to ME? And don't tell me that puny Buddha-kitty sculpture in your office is it, Mama G, because I ain't havin' it. I'm sure you can be MUCH more creative and large-scale, thank you very much.

By the way, wish Jean-Max a happy birthday for me. 16 years is a long lifetime for a feline. I bet she has a lot to say.

6. a.) White, like my fur, of course. b.) I like the "music of the spheres" - ha, ha! - i.e., the vibrations of the Universe. Also the feeling of the wind in my fur and the thrumming of the air conditioner beneath me! and c.) I don't have a partner, I stand alone. But if you mean what would be my advice to someone whose partner won't do what he or she is supposed to, I would say: bite them. Ha ha HA! I slay myself, I really do.

Anyway, best wishes, and all that. Thanks for the questions -- hope this helped.

- Ms. Maya, Queen of the Windowsill (and don't you forget it, MAURICE!)

Ask Maya for the 1st week of February, 2003:

Dearest Maya:

You are so beautiful. I have a Cat who is almost as beautiful as you are. Her name is Grace, and she is very pregnant. The problem is her new and awful habit of going potty on every piece of fabric in my home. I understand that kitties like to make a "nest" when they are with child(ren) so they'll feel more comfortable, so I have put blankets and old towels under the bed where Grace spends most of her time. She will nonetheless mark my comforter, my sofa, and she even pulls the kitchen towels off the rack to use as her litter box. I love my cat, but even you must admit, O Wonderful Queen, that this is unacceptable and disgusting to humans.

Do you have any advice for me and Grace?

Thank you so much for your consideration in this matter.

-Elaine in Fort Worth, Texas

Dear Elaine,

Thank you for the compliment. It is SO true, isn't it?

Also, good name for your cat. A proper cat is most often graceful.

Now, let's see what I can tell you. I've offered advice on cats spraying and peeing where they shouldn't before, but this sounds like it might be a different situation. Your cat is pregnant, and, whereas cats pee where they shouldn't for a number of reasons (not the least of which is stupidity, in case you've never met my house-mates), this opens up a whole new can of worms!

Now, I've never been pregnant, and I never want to (and fortunately, by proper arrangement, I have been "spayed" so that I can't, thank goodness), but I do know something about it (hence, I know it's not for me!). First of all, you're dealing with a kitty who is full of stress, hormones and, need I say it, kittens! The most important thing to do, first and foremost, is to take her to the vet, to make sure she's okay. Now, I don't like going to the vet, myself, but we all appreciate proper medical care. In a case like this, you want to make sure she does not have cystitis or another bladder infection which could turn into a complication for her pregnancy.

If that's not the problem, it could be a number of other things. Some cats (and I'll not name names... MAURICE and LITTLE, STUPID ONE!) pee as a reaction to stress. She could be freaking out due to being pregnant in general, or due to some other stressors in the house. Is there something new that might be frightening her, or that she might have to protect her territory from? In addition, she might be marking her territory because she's anxious for her kittens. Maybe she doesn't want to risk anything coming too close to and threatening them, so she's laying out a border in advance!

Also, there could be some other physical reasons. Her extra weight could be making her feet more sensitive (not to mention her private parts could feel funny). This might mean she'd prefer a softer absorbing surface, such as the material she's using. If this is the case, softer litter, such as scoopable sand or even shredded newspaper might help, especially combined with eliminating the smell of her urine from all other areas with a hormone-neutralizer. You can buy these at pet stores, I am told. They seem to work okay, or better than some of the other stuff people usually use. Oh, and cats don't like citrus, so you could also spray affected areas with natural orange oils or other citrus sprays, to keep her away.

Finally, it could be that what's happening to her is just like what happens to humans -- her bladder is being smushed by all those kittens! In this case, she's not going to give a rip WHERE she pees, as long as she relieves herself. This may require other treatment, such as the dreaded water spritzer when she misbehaves (unpleasant, but effective... my moms are very anti-violence, but I'm a strong proponent of the appropriate phsyical dissuasion, when necessary... how do you think I keep those other cats off my chair and windowsill?). If that doesn't work, you may have to confine her for awhile, at least until she has the kittens and the pressure tapers off. Trust me, she's probably not thinking much about anything but what's going on in her body right now, and her offspring, so don't feel bad but don't expect her to pay much attention to what you want for the time this is going on!

In the meantime, keep fabrics off the floor (unless they're junk stuff) and cover what you can. Normally I find cats who do this sort of thing offensive, but you've brought me a case where I can see it may be something she really can't help. Good luck and I hope you can come to an agreement,

- Maya the (Wonderful) Cat

More "Ask Maya" archives on pages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10

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