Hi Toni!!!! I'm noodling around here, waiting for my bread to cool on the racks :) Everytime I see a thread about a cat chewing plants, I remember when I posted the same thing as well a few years ago. Boy, the kinds of plants I can have is limited to "would Bud chew this". So I currently have peace lillies, shcefflera's, both the Hawaiaan and the umbrella (my favourite style). I couldn't resist buying a 10" pot that was on sale for $4. It's a large spiky thing, (a dracaena?) but alas, Bud thought the tips looked tempting. So I have it in the spare room on top of a pail of kitty litter on the table in front of the window! Hopefully out of Bud's reach. I thought the plant was immune to his taste buds, but he was crunching on it the same day I bought it when it was on the livingroom floor, which is where I had imagined it being. Upon looking at the peace lily I see that he's found it! Note the chewed tips. A friend gave me some spider plant babies, so I had them rooting on the kitchen sill. Bud doesn't go up there, so they were safe. They were, until I planted them in some small pots, and one was upside down in the sink. I now have them hanging in the window, and 2 are i the bathroom on top of the over the toilet cabinet. Smudge was rubbing his face on the pineapple top that I have growing. Silly boy! I was afraid he'd poke his eye on the spikes! If I see him doing it again (I admonished him) the pineapple will go out in the trash.

We use the crystal type litter and find there is very little smell, especially if we scoop the....er...solids....out and flush them. Our cat's litter tray lives in the laundry. Sounds like Bushido has an issue with Lauren. As others have suggested, it might be her scent, but with cats it could be anything :-) I'm not sure he's peeing on her clothes to mark them: when out cat does that sort of thing it's to let us know she's PO'd about something. I'd let Lauren deal with her laundry by herself if she's going to leave the clothes here the cat can pee on them. A few late drying sessions and she might feel it's easier to put the clothes in the hamper. Out of curiosity, why does your dryer take three times longer to dry? Lint trap or vent need emptying? I ask because we recently stayed in a vacation apartment and couldn't get over how long the dryer was tasking until DH checked the lint trap and discovered we wee the only tenants in forever to do so.

I had a kitty that I got from the Humane Society before my first baby was born, she was such a sweetie, we didn't notice anything amiss until the baby started walking, she started out swatting at his leg every time he would pass by her (almost like she was laying in wait for him) well one day as he walked past her in nothing but a diaper, she reached out grabbed him by the leg with both front feet and sank her teeth into his chubby thigh, I was horrified! she went to my brother and sister in laws that very day, as they had said they never intended on having any children. Every time he would visit them when he was older she would just hiss at him and run and hide. Well they had their first baby last March and are expecting their second this March (busy little beavers) she has to be around 15 now, and I haven't heard anything about her being bad to their baby, sure hope she is too old to get up the energy. Would hate for them to have to do something about her, but I know my brother, I am surprised they haven't already rehomed her to be honest, guess she is on her best behavior!

Dance, it sounds like you are new to cats? I've had a couple yowlers and remember our female, growing up, wandering around at night doing the same thing. I've always associated it with their crazy playing and mock-hunts. I'd hear my male yowling and walking around and he'd show up with his mousey-mouse in his mouth : ) Sometimes they'd take to a romp too, after hearing this. Nothing to worry about when I've been around it. I always enjoyed hearing my guy warble : ) and knew he was on the prowl. As a one year old now, maybe Fergus is just playing rough. The boys do like to wrestle rough. It may not actually be biting as you might be thinking, as with a dog. It can hurt though. Some do need to be taught to be gentle. My one guy, I put the sheet over my hand so I can let him wrestle with my arm and chomp on me, lol. Then it doesn't hurt! We both love it, though, and he knows that's when it's ok to play rough. Sometimes, also, you can be petting them and they'll grab you in a "love" bite (sometimes followed by licking). They're really not trying to hurt you. Overstimulation maybe. They might even grab at and latch on to your ankles when walking or doing the steps, which is just their idea of playing. They get wild-eyed spook spells and race around like wild cats. They're nuts! and just having a good time : ) I had a cat that was rather big. He didn't like to be picked up either but I found if I would lift him and bring his back end up and around on his side to lay across my arm (held in that Indian style across my chest) -- he loved it! He never liked to feel contained or trapped (caged until 7mos) and he was also big so probably a bit uncomfortable being held. Snuggliest guy that could be though : ) who had to have my arm around him at night. My other cat loves to be held over the shoulder like a baby, lol. They're as different as people! Yes, some cats are more vocal than others. I do love it when they talk : ) Hope something in there helps and makes sense to you : )