Quilts & Cats

I decided to hand quilt this 12" Christmas Block quilt because the 20 blocks are all different and they just seem to want the attention.

As I work on the blocks, I remembered my partners and the simple conversations we had during the month we were paired. For the most part, many of the quilters make comfort quilts they give to children, families in need, and service men and women.

They talk about prices for fabric (it is a great deal more expensive outside the states), methods for quilting, and of course why they might be in the quilting group. Its been a great experience. Sometimes we talk about the animals in our lives.

My new cat, Rico, is not a cuddler and keeps his own company most of the time, but does follow me around the house. He settles down for sleep at night but wants out early in the morning. He likes my quilts for whatever reason. He is really a sweet guy who doesn't seem to bother things that he knows do not belong to him. Some quilts draw him more than others and I am not sure why.

Many folks do not want animals on the quilts they make. I am sure not to let him on anything going to someone who doesn't do cats. And I wash the quilt before sending.

Also a concern for me are the needles and thread. I had a cat who started eating on the thread & needle I had set down. We just made it to the vet, who put him under to remove it before the needle got into his throat. Danger_List.pdf. The biology of a cat is that the average person cannot take out a sewing needle if it gets swallowed. I've become quite vigilant with my quilting needles and pins since agreeing to have Rico. After reading that 'danger list' I realize that when you take an animal into your care, it really means CARE.

As a quilter with a cat, I know some of the harm that can be caused by leaving needles and thread out for a cat to chew. Sewing needles are sharp and can lodge in the mouth or the back of the throat. Going farther in, they can perforate the esophagus, stomach or intestines. If that happens, gastrointestinal juices, rich with bacteria, could leak into the body and cause septic peritonitis. 

The thread is also a foreign body that can cause severe intestinal lacerations & wrap around the intestines causing blockages. Just thinking about all this makes me want to go through the studio and clean up the loose, fallen threads, and just make sure the pins and needles are not laying around.

I no longer leave thread in a needle I am not using and have taken to keeping them all in small closed containers. For as much as I say this cat keeps to himself, I don't want to take the chance of him finding something and chewing on it for attention.