Davis Islands Today

A relationship column for cats and their humans…
By Lisa Kane DeVitto

Mittens and Moppet are two mature kitties who live a comfy life in the Tampa Bay area. Their goal is to give back to society by promoting harmony between cats and humans, and they want to answer YOUR questions. Write them through LDEVITTO[at]earthlink.net or use the contact form at DI Community News.

Dear Mittens & Moppet: I am having some serious issues with my little kitten, I hope you can help! I have an approximately 8-9 months old Calico kitten named Bella that I found high up in a tree when she was about 7 or 8 weeks old and it was love at first sight! Now this is the problem, right when I get home and sometimes during the middle of the day she is the sweetest kitten you have ever met… however for the remainder of the time she is a little mini terror! She knocks over and gets into everything in sight including ALL picture frames that are sitting on table and dressers she has a need to be on the highest spot in the apartment and she has an obsession with light sockets and a plant which she has completely destroyed! And on top of it all she is a chewer, I thought I found a cat not a dog! Please help me, I have never had a cat before and need some if any help to keep my mind at ease! Morgan on Harbour Island

Mittens says: Welcome to the wonderful world of felines!! You have told us a lot about what Bella is doing, but we don’t have details about what YOU have done to make your apartment a suitable home for a creature whose ancestors lived in the jungles and who still has lots of hunting and climbing instincts. Your home is now Bella’s territory, and she needs to survey it from a nice high place, not to mention scamper through it for her exercise. Some essentials are a tall cat tree with multi-level perches, and at least once scratching post. Bella probably would enjoy a “cat tunnel” that she could race through or some cardboard boxes. Many felines delight in the good smells of plants, harkening back to our outdoor ancestry. Smart humans will get some plants just for the feline in the house, but be careful: many plants are deadly poisonous to cats. The ASPCA website has a list — www.aspca.org. We do love to chew, just as we would upon catching live prey (we bite off mice heads, you know). We need toys, but many commercial toys have small parts or strings that can come off and choke us. Be very careful. Our dear human reads up on toy safety at www.myhealthycat.com. Electrical outlets are a problem: use plastic covers for unused receptacles, sturdy cord covers, and block access with furniture in strategic locations. Other dangers in the home are cleaning solutions, pesticides, pesticide-sprayed plants, thin plastic bags, pills that fall on the floor, etc. There is much more than we have time for here, but we hope we have given you a tail flick in the right direction – you can learn from other cat-lovers and also do some reading. You will want to give Bella her regular veterinarian visits and discuss all your concerns with the good doctor.

Moppet says: Whether you are human or feline, the basics of sharing a home are working out the joint spaces, accommodating each other’s behavior patterns, and learning when to give each other attention and when to leave each other alone. One accommodation you should make is to move your photos to less accessible spaces and either kitty-proof or hanging up some of your plants. It is probably natural that Bella is a “tiny terror” for part of the day; as a kitten she has more energy now that she ever will in her life. She probably so loving when you come home because she is glad to see you, and because you pet her. Make sure that her bursts of activity are not caused by boredom or because she feels ignored. At times she may just need petting or some playtime with you, and of course, she needs she needs her own toys. . Whenever problems arise, remember above all that we felines are very sensitive creatures. Harsh corrections and shouting are destructive – they only make us afraid. Meeting our emotional needs and re-directing our attention to constructive playthings are the best way to establish a lifelong loving relationship with us. We are as fascinating to read about as we are to live with, so we hope you will take the time to learn more about kitty health, physiology, psychology, communication, and all the other mysteries of the feline species. Lots of purrs to you and to Bella.

Health Note: In addition to your own veterinarian, you can contact the Humane Society of Tampa Bay with behavior questions – 813-876-7138 or email to petbehavior[at]humanesocietytampa.org

Copyright, Lisa Kane DeVitto, 2008. All rights reserved.

Davis Islands Civic Association News

Dear Island Neighbors:

All Davis Islands residents are invited to the Davis Islands Civic Association Annual Meeting & Celebration scheduled for Wednesday, November 12, from 7 to 9 pm at the Davis Islands Garden Club, 81 Columbia Drive. Doors open at 6:30 pm.

We are very pleased to report that the South Davis Trail is getting much closer to reality. The highlight of the meeting will be a presentation by Ms. Laurie Potier- Brown, from the City Parks & Recreation Department, on the concept layout for the South Davis Trail. The design consultants will be present to answer questions, and they will display drawings. This is an opportunity to ask questions and to comment. So, if you live near the proposed trail, or plan to use it, and you would like to have input, please plan to attend. It is very exciting that the plans for the South Davis Trail have advanced to this phase and we thank the Parks and Recreation Department for making this special presentation.

Also at the Annual Meeting, we have invited downtown museums with capital projects underway to provide displays and information for us, a little “mini-museum walk,” so that we can see the new plans. We will also be honoring local residents and outgoing board members for community service, including a special recognition to our Young Islanders for their outstanding work. Refreshments will be served and children are welcome.

I want to especially thank the following outgoing board members: Rudy Fernandez, past president and past Parks Committee Chair who is moving off the Islands; Bobby Bobo; Vince Palori; past president Henry Gill; and, long-serving treasurer Pat Wolfe, for their contributions to Davis Islands for many years. We welcome new board member S. Kristopher Kral, who has been elected to fill the vacancy created by Rudy Fernandez’s move.

If you have questions, or need information about the annual meeting, please email us at davisislandscivic@gmail.com or call me at 813-259-9744. Meeting information will be posted at www.davisislandscivic.com as well as in our Fall Newsletter.

Sincerely,

Lisa K. DeVitto, President