<p>“I am bookmarking this thread because I am excited to hear about your adoption!”</p>
<p>Me too! Rooting for the calico team :)</p>
<p>Thank you all so much! I officially made the proposal today to my coworkers and two of my supervisors. Our director seemed at least somewhat open to it–asked a lot of questions and didn’t shoot it down–and she is one of the people who will ultimately need to approve it, so that’s a good thing! </p>
<p>We use a furminator on our 110-lb Labrador and he LOVES it. </p>
<p>This is all wonderful advice! I spent pretty much all day doing my own research online and looking at different cats on the humane society web site. Lots of potentials if the policy does indeed get approved :)</p>
<p>Fingers (and toes) crossed! </p>
<p>1214mom, the job is going very well!! I found out today that my boss is taking me and one other professional to the national Residential Curriculum Institute in October which is a really great professional development opportunity! I’ll also get to go to three other conferences for free as part of being the co-advisor for our Residence Hall Association. AND my department will pay for my membership to the American College Personnel Association! I’m very, very happy here 
the cat would just be the icing on the cake.</p>
<p>I’ve tried Google and can’t find it, but there’s a very funny list out there about 10 things to do before you get a cat …the instruction that I remember most vividly was: Place a pile of cold oatmeal on the floor just inside your bathroom door. Make sure to step on it in the dark when you use the bathroom at 3AM.
Cats are wonderful, I hope your plan is approved.
Have you made it out to Colorado National Monument yet? It’s beautiful. </p>
<p>dragonmom, not yet! I am driving out to the Denver area in September to see some family, and I’m excited to see more of the state since I’m juuuust on the Western edge.</p>
<p>What floored us was the NS EW road system. We lived at an apartment at 32 and 1/8 road…</p>
<p>Hahaha yes! Thankfully I live on the side of town that doesn’t utilize that much, but it’s definitely different form what I’m used to.</p>
<p>The best part of the drive Glenwood canyon to vail pass, but the rest is pretty nice… Can you ride with someone else so that you can just absorb the scenery? It’s just one jaw-dropping vista after another. Your first experience should be as a passenger.</p>
<p>Unfortunately no 
But I’ll enjoy it nonetheless!</p>
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<p>Every cat on the planet and I can’t stop laughing at this comment and at the thought of teaching a cat to sit on command. You don’t train cats. They train you–to indulge their every whim, tolerate (nay, embrace) all their quirky behaviors, and accept that the “right thing” for a cat is whatever the heck he feels like doing at the moment, whether it’s circling your ankles adoringly or pretending you don’t exist.</p>
<p>Cats don’t live in social packs like dogs so they don’t pick up social cuing behaviors that we call training. And many cats are basically wild animals, meaning a big chunk of their genes are from actual feral cats. The pure breeds with specific characteristics have had their genes modified over time - but more for appearance than for behavior. Dogs have been gene modified for behavior. If you have a tabby or any blend of domestic short or long hair, your cat is significantly a wild animal. If you want a similar-ish experience with dogs, you have to get a mostly pure wolf … and then watch it eat your furniture. You can buy nearly pure wolf hybrids. It isn’t recommended for regular people. Gene modified dogs are pets. Cats are more wild beasts that choose to live with us. </p>
<p>LOL. I would have very little interest in training a cat to do tricks.</p>
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<p>People train their cats to use a toilet. I didn’t think it would be so hard to teach a cat to sit, stay, or come. </p>
<p>As for the food, do splurg and buy the better quality food. They eat less of it and, umm, the poop is “better.” </p>
<p>Cats care about toileting; they’re quite picky. But they don’t care about you wanting them to sit or stay.</p>
<p>Many cats have trained themselves to appear when they hear a can opener, though.</p>
<p>My cats usually (80% of the time) come when I make a specific sound that I trained them to associate with food. “Here, kitty, kitty, kitty” can work, too.</p>
<p>Cats have such distinct personalities! My new tortie is a people’s cat - she comes out to greet anyone who comes through the door or rings the doorbell. Her brother runs away and squeezes his body under the sofa as soon as a stranger (to him) comes in. The tortie is a fearless creature! She sat on my shoulder, somewhat terrified, but did not run away and watched with curiosity as I blow dried my hair this morning. I would not try to do it with her brother or my older cat. :)</p>
<p>Our late labrador, even when she could barely move, would come bopping into the kitchen when she heard the breadboard being pulled out after dinner, because that meant H was making his sandwich for the next day & he always shared a bit of meat & cheese.</p>
<p>Its important they have enough fresh water, especially if they will mainly be eating dry food.
Our cats drank much more water, with their own bubbler.</p>
<p><a href=“http://t.petco.com/product/8820/Drinkwell-Pet-Fountain-for-Cats.aspx”>http://t.petco.com/product/8820/Drinkwell-Pet-Fountain-for-Cats.aspx</a></p>
<p>Bunsen, it really is amazing how different they all are! With most of the dogs I’ve met, I’ve known at least some semblance of what to expect based on breed. With cats, who knows?!?</p>
<p>A few stand out to me. Some of my former house mates in college got a cat named Annabelle when they moved off-campus. She was super playful and friendly. I stayed at their apartment overnight once without either of them there and she wanted nothing more than to snuggle with me. In the morning, I took a shower and was standing at the vanity getting ready. Suddenly, there was Annabelle on my shoulder! I’d never had a cat sit on my shoulder before and it both scared me and tickled me to death.</p>
<p>My “aunt” who was my surrogate mom in Indiana had a black cat named Cleo. Cleo, for whatever reason, ADORED me. Whenever I would go and visit, she would be my shadow. She would streeetch herself out so that her back paws were on my knee and her front paws were on my shoulder and just purr, purr, purr. In the mornings (usually around 7:30) she would crawl into bed with me and tap my face with her paw (gently) until I woke up and scratched her. She also loved to knead, but her paws were so small it HURT!</p>
<p>My best friend in grad school and his boyfriend had two cats: Nora and Coheed. (Coheed was actually his roommate’s, but long story short they ended up taking care of him.) Coheed wasn’t much of a people person, but he’d say hello once in a while. Nora never warmed to me and was very aloof, but had a great sense of humor when she would play with Coheed.</p>
<p>EK, I’ve been looking and looking at those “fountains” wondering if I should plan on investing. Apparently it’s worth it.</p>
<p>Bwa ha ha - training cats? Vlad, haven’t you ever heard something difficult compared to “herding cats”?</p>
<p>Actually, one of the things I love best about cats is their wildness. As Lergnom said, domesticated cats are basically wild animals that have chosen to live with us. I read somewhere that cats essentially domesticated themselves, that they chose to move closer to humans and they pretty much controlled (and still control) the interaction.</p>
<p>I like that. I like having a small wild animal living with me, and I like their self-sufficiency as much as their companionship. And I agree BB - individual cats have so much personality! </p>
<p>FYI. I adopted an adult cat from a shelter. Awesome cat that lived for 21 years. So just make sure you are in it for the long haul. On average inside cats live a lot longer than dogs. </p>