A Ferguson Update

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Alex Ferguson is getting along quite well.  He is a really fun, friendly, and quirky cat, and he fits in with the dogs and Henry nicely.  I thought I should do an update on Fergie since so many of you have asked about  his adjustment!

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Ferguson Facts:

 

He eats SO SO SO much.  I cannot put it into words.  I feel like I’m constantly refilling his bowl (like, several times a day).  He’s scarfing down tons of food every day, and then he tries to take more food off our plates if we walk away from the table.  He’s been de-wormed and all that, so I don’t think it’s anything health-related.  He just has a voracious teenage boy-cat appetite!  He was a little thin when we adopted him, so I’m happy to see him pack on a few pounds.

 

When we first brought him home, we put his litter box in our master bathroom so he’d have space to roam but we could separate him from the dogs until everyone adjusted.  Since we moved our bedroom stuff upstairs, I just never bothered to transfer his litter box into the laundry room (which is where Pippa’s box was), and now, he’s kind of taken over the master suite.  We put him into the master bedroom at night so he doesn’t meow at our upstairs bedroom door.   So essentially, he has his own bathroom, bed, and closet – we joke that it’s Ferguson’s “apartment.”

 

He’s begun to play with Henry’s toys.  This is kind of bittersweet for us because Pippa used to keep us up night by batting around Henry’s balls.  Ferguson prefers to push around Henry’s Matchbox cars – it’s epic!

 

Henry calls him Berguson because he can’t really pronounce F sounds.

 

He loves to cuddle and has a very loud purr.  Henry has learned the word “purr” thanks to Burguson – I mean, Ferguson. He lets Henry pet him, but Henry gets a little excited and loud.  It works better if Henry sits in my lap and then we pull Ferguson into our joint lap.  Ferguson loves it!

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Remember how everyone was having a terrible allergic reaction when we brought Ferguson home? Well, I think the reaction was more to the rescue facility than to Ferguson himself.  After several baths and a few very thorough brushings with the Furminator… no more sneezing!  Thank Goodness.  We were very worried for a while.

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The Furminator is pretty amazing – it gently strips away all loose fur and dander.  You just have to brush them outside or it’s a nightmare to clean up!   I want to get the doggie version for James.

 

So, all in all, we’re thrilled to have Ferguson.  I never knew how much of a cat person I was until we adopted Pippa, and it’s nice to have that kitty hole in our hearts filled with Ferguson’s sweet little face.  <3  <3  And it’s wonderful to find another cat that meshes well with dogs and a toddler (a steep order, for sure).  Pet adoption for the win!

 

Just a reminder:  If you participated in Ironman March AND finished the challenge in March and you want to be eligible for one of the prizes, email me a photo of your completed training plan –> caitlinjboyle@gmail.com.

{ 24 comments }

 

  • Jen W. April 2, 2014, 4:49 pm

    Ferguson is sooooo cute! Love the spade/shovel on his nose. Reminds me of a white chocolate Hershey kiss.

  • Tory @ tory of my life April 2, 2014, 5:34 pm

    I loooooove the Furminator! That brush is amazing and our cat’s love it just as much as we do! And Ferguson is super cute, although I may be a little biased because he looks a lot like my very first cat, Kidders 🙂

  • laine April 2, 2014, 5:48 pm

    He is so cute! I love grey and white cats. I was never a cat person either, until I adopted mine. Now I love them. I am so glad the allergies are gone!!

  • Joy April 2, 2014, 5:52 pm

    Yeah Ferguson! Thanks for this update. I’m so glad that he’s fitting right in with your family.

  • Liz April 2, 2014, 5:57 pm

    The furminator is the BEST!

  • Michelle @ A Healthy Mrs April 2, 2014, 7:02 pm

    So glad to hear that Ferguson is adjusting well! Pet adoption is a wonderful thing 🙂

  • Katie sB April 2, 2014, 7:35 pm

    This post warms my heart. 🙂

  • ali April 2, 2014, 8:47 pm

    I would highly recommend measuring out his food. I have a cat that I adopted from a shelter who was the same way – scarfed down everything I would give her. It ended up being that she really wasn’t hungry but worried that she wouldn’t have food (she was found on the side of a highway in the middle of a northern winter, starving and only 3 months old). She was skinny when I got her and within a year was 12 lbs when she should only be 9. It took a while of dividing her daily food allowance into three or four feedings, but they get used to it and it’s much healthier and free feeding. Also, my furminator is able to be used for both dogs and cats – the blade should be the same I would think? I’d give it a try on James before spending the money on another one.

    • Caitlin April 2, 2014, 9:07 pm

      Oh awesome idea regarding the furminator!! Thanks!!

  • Sara @ LovingOnTheRun April 2, 2014, 8:53 pm

    Just so you know – one of my cats is a “heavy eater” as well. It was fine for a while but then she started to gain weight pretty quickly. The vet said that “if the food is there they will eat it” (obviously) so now I have to feed them in the morning and not and no longer allow “food grazing” all the time. All cats are different my other one just eats what he needs and walks away. Just something to keep in mind 🙂

    • Caitlin April 2, 2014, 9:06 pm

      I know! I’m kind of afraid it will backfire on him. I’ll get him up to a good weight and then go into maintenance mode. 🙂

    • lauren April 2, 2014, 9:55 pm

      I’ll echo the above two comments! When we adopted our kitties momma was still nursing her son and seemed skinny even though she’d been in foster care and out of the shelter for a couple weeks. I’m scared to even take her to the vet and find out if she has gained since the last time now! We feed them a set amount but with the two of them she just eats her son’s food after she eats his. No surprise he’s nice and fit while she’s pushing the limits of normal/average.

      • Mary April 3, 2014, 12:45 pm

        I 100% agree with the above 2 comments, start measuring his food ASAP! I adopted my cat Chloe after she had been brought to the shelter from a family who CLEARLY overfed her. She was almost 14lbs when I brought her home and 2 years later I have her down to ~12.5lbs (my vet says she should be closer to 10lbs). Its so easy to have a cat gain weight but it is reeeeeally difficult to help them lose it!

  • Bec April 3, 2014, 12:02 am

    Kitties will eat themselves silly! Give him half a cup or so in the am and again at dinner time. Free grazing cats can end up with lots of weight related health problems. My kitties still try to steal food, but their weight is under control.

  • Catherine April 3, 2014, 12:31 am

    He is so handsome! And he looks very healthy. I personally found that my cat (found as a stray) constantly ate at the beginning. Then she started leaving food. I never had to monitor her weight or anything. But like humans, all cats are different. As you learn more about him, you will be able to make the decisions that you feel are best. 🙂

  • Reenie April 3, 2014, 10:27 am

    Awwww ~ ~ “Burgeson” is so cute!! I can’t believe how much he looks like Pip!!

  • Melanie April 3, 2014, 11:16 am

    Yay kitties! He is so cute! Love his markings! Sooo glad he is part of a great family now! I just lost a kitty in February and I miss her terribly! But I still have 4 others at home with us that I love dearly. Funny I grew up with dogs and now have cats – never thought I was a cat person either but I am definitely a cat lady now 🙂 I tell my husband he is a cat man but not sure he thinks that’s funny. My kitties love my toddler too! So glad my son is growing up with animals too – so important I think for kids to be comfortable and not scared of cats and dogs.

  • Kendra April 3, 2014, 12:08 pm

    So glad to see a shelter animal with a comfy new home!
    I use the furminator on my dogs and it’s a godsend!! I believe the only difference between the cat and dog Furminators is the handle, so I would go ahead and just use the one on both animals. No need to spend more money! 🙂

  • Joy April 3, 2014, 1:03 pm

    Ferguson is such a handsome kitty! How wonderful that he fits in so well with your family already.

    I have two cats and can’t imagine my life without them–they bring so much love, curiosity, and just plain joy to my life.

  • Kristina April 3, 2014, 2:07 pm

    He’s such a handsome boy!

  • Jolene @ Homespun Heritage April 3, 2014, 7:33 pm

    I was going to refer to him as Purrguson! Cats are fun….most of the time. We have two and they got into a scrap at some point and one cat has a corneal ulcer now….not sure if we can save the eye. Stinkers!

  • Luv What You Do April 3, 2014, 10:28 pm

    What an adorable snuggle picture!
    So our kitty (who turns one this weekend) eats EVERYTHING! I don’t know what to do with myself because he LOVES meat, almond butter, hummus, fish, and even stole an asparagus off my plate. It’s crazy! Some days I have to put him in his room just to eat my dinner.

  • Amanda April 4, 2014, 11:06 am

    I’m so glad you are posting Ferguson updates! My cat died about 6 weeks ago and I keep thinking we need to adopt soon. My husband is happy with our two dogs and is putting me off big time about adopting another kitty! I’m living through you at this point with Ferguson, haha! He sounds like such a perfect cat for you guys and I love that he has his own “apartment”! Such a cat 🙂

  • Kathy April 5, 2014, 10:38 pm

    He is soooo cute! Happy to hear he’s fitting in so well. I would echo what others have said about measuring his food. Our rescue cat was a total hoover with food when we first got her and she plumped up really fast. Now that panic about getting enough food is gone but it’s so hard to get weight off a cat. We have an awesome timer dish that we scoop 5 small meals into every night. We preset the timer for the intervals that made sense and it turns automatically throughout the day. Here’s a link in case you’re interested

    http://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-5-Meal-Electronic-Pet-Feeder/dp/B000GEWHNS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1396751847&sr=8-4&keywords=automatic+cat+feeder

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