we have a cat!!!

[kea]

the downstairs of our house is open plan, with a metal spiral staircase leading up to the landing - so the only door we could close is the bedroom door!

Photo (cos he's soppy ) was all for having her sleep in our room when we first brought her home, but i convinced him to leave her downstairs and not encourage her up, and that has worked well - she knows that she sleeps in her basket at night, and we don't have to take her downstairs at bedtime. it's just in the mornings when she's awake and wants us to be awake too ...
i thought that, by not feeding her til about 9ish (in the mornings), it would prevent her from waking up and nagging us for breakfast straight off - which is has done. but she still wants attention as soon as she wakes up!

i'm glad to hear that it wouldn't be too harsh to keep the bedroom door closed - if there were 2 cats then i wouldn't worry cos i know they can keep each other company, it's just cos she's on her own that i worry she'll be lonely.

 

[dogmatique]

It's more personal choice, I think. Our two usually sleep on the bed with us, we don't mind them.

I don't see why they shouldn't be allowed to - but as I say, personal choice - just make sure you get her into whatever routine you want as soon as poss.

They get really used to what time you get up though - ours start tapping us with their paws about 5 minutes before the alarm is due to go off.

But: they seem to have learned that we have a lie in at the weekend, and don't disturb us on Saturdays and Sundays! No really!

The most annoying thing though, was when they went through a phase of standing at the bottom of the stairs and miowing to be let out at 6 am.

Soon put a stop to that.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

But: they seem to have learned that we have a lie in at the weekend, and don't disturb us on Saturdays and Sundays! No really!

Early contender for the most unlikely story of the weekend

 

[LJo]

Yeah, it's whatever you feel comfortable with. Mr LJo has asthma and although cat fur doesn't seem to be a trigger, we just thought it was best to have the sleeping-place as the only place in the house not covered with cat hair. Our cats can go anywhere in the house apart from the bedroom and the utility room.

The funny thing is that now (and this may be another contender for unbelievable cat story of the week) their favourite sleeping place during the night is just outside our bedroom door, at the top of the stairs. They never make any noise to be let in. Like they're guarding us or something...

 

[kea]

rofl
ok well i might try keeping the door closed overnight for a few days, and see how it goes. any opinions on the 'lonely' thing? am i just being overly smothering?!

edit: incidentally, what happened to the 'things you say and sing to cats' thread? think we might need to resurrect/recreate it - Photo has been coming up with some classics!

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Ici

 

[kea]

marvellous i was worried it might have been deleted.

 

[dogmatique]

Early contender for the most unlikely story of the weekend

You should hear them talk about their time in the navy...

 

[LJo]

rofl
ok well i might try keeping the door closed overnight for a few days, and see how it goes. any opinions on the 'lonely' thing? am i just being overly smothering?!

Hmmm, tricky one. If you are worried because your cat greets you weeping and wailing when you get home or if it gets all upset when you leave the house, set up a webcam. You will find that as soon as you leave, the cat will happily wander over to the sofa and sleep until you return and it can entertain itself by making you feel guilty some more.

I think our cats miss us when we're not there - when we go on holiday, for example - and they would certainly miss each other but it's all to do with what the cat is used to.

 

[kea]

she doesn't seem particularly aggrieved when we leave the house, or when we get back home. she comes running for attention when we come in, sure, but she doesn't seem dissatisfied.
will i be able to tell if she's lonely/bored? my mum said that we'll know cos we'll get home and find the entire house has been turned over

 

[Donna Ferentes]

I think cats get very disturbed when their environment changes in any way. This includes the temperature going up or down, the furniture being moved about, people coming in who weren't there previously and people being absent who are normally present.

 

[kea]

dunno what you mean donna. you mean us simply going out the house will upset her?

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Can do, yeah. Certainly possible if you do so for a longer period than normal.

 

[kea]

well now i'm feeling a lot better about having to go to edinburgh for work next week

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Yeah, it does have that effect.

 

[kea]

cheers for your positive thoughts donna.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

It's who I am. It's what I do.

 

[blamblam]

Hey wow congrats guys!

It looks well cute - have you dressed it up yet?

I think our cats miss us when we're not there - when we go on holiday, for example

Ha ha all cat lovers think that

 

[SubZeroCat]

Aaawwww!!! She's so cute!!

I'm well jealous kea

(however, we have two cats here and about 100 in the neighbourhood so I can't complain )

 

[kea]

have you dressed it up yet?

i don't think Photo will let me
i'll just wait til he's out mwahahahaha!
and she's a she, not an it

 

[kea]

She's so cute!!

i was woken up this morning by her staring me in the face ultra-close-up, miaowing - 'when are you getting up??! come on, lazy people! i'm awake, worship me!'
and she's STILL cute

 

[SubZeroCat]

i was woken up this morning by her staring me in the face ultra-close-up, miaowing - 'when are you getting up??! come on, lazy people! i'm awake, worship me!'
and she's STILL cute

Yeah, maestrocloud's cat (Lil) has been sleeping on my bed lately and when I get into bed she wakes up, starts purring loudly and comes over to me and lays her head on me and settles to sleep. Aaaaww

The best was when I was lying on the sofa watching TV once and Lil was curled up on my thighs and Chloe (ngeru and LDR's cat) was curled up on my tummy! Double cute!

 

[blamblam]

i don't think Photo will let me
i'll just wait til he's out mwahahahaha!

Yeah yeah gwan doit. You can put the pics one of those sick websites where people do that

and she's a she, not an it

Sorry!

 

[Agent Sparrow]

Aaawwww!!! She's so cute!!

I keep going back to page one just to peek at it again!

(I miss our stray cat )

And yep, it definately needs to get dressed up and put on "stuff on my cat" (well, when she's a little more settled in and stuff)

 

[SubZeroCat]

And yep, it definately needs to get dressed up and put on "stuff on my cat" (well, when she's a little more settled in and stuff)

Me and ngeru did this to Chloe....

Err we put a brightly coloured stretchy headband round her head and a plastic bead necklace round her neck....she didn't like and tried to run off but kept tripping up on the necklace

We tried to get it off her but she was trying to get away, we were concerned and yet we could not stop laughing and ngeru got some pics

Before anyone starts - she was fine, she gets spoiled rotten with cuddles and praise so don't get all RSPCA on my arse..

 

[LJo]

Kea, your cat will be fine with you going to Edinburgh.

Cats are drama queens. They make a great big noisy fuss, then they go to sleep.

 

[kea]

And yep, it definately needs to get dressed up

i think we'll let her settle in a little first. perhaps as a christmas present, tho ...
last year i got Photo's parents' dog (small, terrier/daschund type thing) a father christmas hat and scarf to wear on christmas day. he looked HILARIOUS - and Photo's mum loved it!

 

[Phototropic]

Your are NOT dressing our bloody cat. She is a feirce hunter not some sissy namby pamby thing.

 

[kea]

She is a feirce hunter not some sissy namby pamby thing.

apart from when you're calling her your pookie wookie ickle darling

 

[Phototropic]

I deny all charges.