Your daily cat and kitten news

[Epona]

Puzzle feeder huh? Why didn't the vet suggest that? Thanks Epona!

edit: too much choice!!!! so far I'm liking the feeding ball, there's a feeding maze but reviews were mixed. Will keep on looking. If anyone has any recommendations, pls share

The balls are supposed to be good. While you are deciding, you could go a bit Blue Peter - get the inside of a kitchen roll and punch several holes in the tube big enough to easily release the size of biscuit of whichever dry food you use. Tape paper over one end, put a serving of dry in it, tape paper over the other end. Call the cat for dinner and present her with this, watch her bat it around on the floor whilst dry food falls out a few bits at a time while she rolls it and pushes it around. Doesn't last long and shouldn't be left with a cat unattended due to the use of sellotape (which you don't want them swallowing, some cats like the adhesive on it so need to be kept an eye on), but it's worth a go on a day off work when you can remove it once she's finished - to see if she can work it out and have fun with that kind of feeding.

 

[Epona]

Dylan loves toast crumbs too. Not interested in any other human food.

When I make myself toast I sometimes have to stand up in the middle of the room to eat it because of feline interest, if I sit down they'll just climb up me. It's not so much the toast they are interested in as the butter, my lot would do anything for a lick of butter.

Sonic's favourite though out of all my lunches is scrambled eggs on toast, they all adore egg but he goes mad for it. I always put a tiny bit about half the size of the tip of my finger (small bit because I cook my own eggs in salted butter) to one side and will give it to him out of my hand if he is good whilst I am eating. He knows to sit quietly looking at me with great big pleading eyes whilst I eat, and leaps forward when I hold out the tiny bit of egg to him.

It's fine for cats to eat egg as a small occasional part of their diet or as a treat btw (and a small part of their natural foraging would include nest-raiding), as long as it is unseasoned, and if cooked, allowed to cool down, and only very occasionally - either whole raw egg, or cooked yolk or white or whole. Uncooked egg white is indigestible by itself however. But I do occasionally make the cats some plain scrambled egg (cooked without any butter or seasoning) as a treat, they were occasionally given scrambled egg by their breeder during weaning and it makes them go all gooey eyed and kitteny

 

[CRI]

Breeze had a busy evening, defending the garden from TWO interlopers before she could finish her tea.

 

[Epona]

Breeze had a busy evening, defending the garden from TWO interlopers before she could finish her tea.

I imagine that even though she's female she still outsizes the local mogsters by a bit, the looks on their faces are a bit "....fuuuuuuuck..."

Edit: forgot to say, she's in beautiful condition CRI

 

[Shirl]

Next door's daft cat squeezing into the pot of our olive tree.

 

[CRI]

I imagine that even though she's female she still outsizes the local mogsters by a bit, the looks on their faces are a bit "....fuuuuuuuck..."

Edit: forgot to say, she's in beautiful condition CRI

Ha ha, I'm both a bit embarrassed and a bit proud that she's so *ahem* assertive! Probably means getting another cat is out of the question, but a dog is possible at least.

Thanks - she's got to where she's not keen on being brushed, but she's not moulting as much, which is good. She still doesn't like having the jackets put on, but once on, she tends to forget it's there. While she was seeing off the other cats, it was like she forgot I was there - felt like a fly on the wall reporter embedded in "cat world."

Did you say your cats (or some of them) walk on leads as well?

 

[CRI]

Next door's daft cat squeezing into the pot of our olive tree.

Ah bless, looks so comfy there (not!)

 

[Shirl]

I don't think I've posed this before, it's next door's cats telling us their selfish owner has gone off for a few days and left them no food or access to indoors being suckers, we've been feeding them for the last week.

 

[CRI]

I don't think I've posed this before, it's next door's cats telling us their selfish owner has gone off for a few days and left them no food or access to indoors being suckers, we've been feeding them for the last week.

That's just shit. Why do people . . . Well, at least they've got you!

 

[Shirl]

That's just shit. Why do people . . . Well, at least they've got you!

I really don't get it. I've offered to go in and feed them. let them out etc. She says "no thanks"
I thought maybe she didn't want me in her home when she's not there but at the same time she offered to let my son and daughter-in-law and children borrow her house if they want to visit when she is away.

 

[oryx]

I don't think I've posed this before, it's next door's cats telling us their selfish owner has gone off for a few days and left them no food or access to indoors being suckers, we've been feeding them for the last week.

Liked 'cos the cats are gorgeous and look like two of mine - one still with us, other (ginger & white) sadly deceased.

Not liking your neighbour's lack of care for them - that's a disgrace.

On a lighter note, one of ours (not the Shirl's Neighbour's Cat Lookalike but the other one) has turned twenty today.

 

[Shirl]

Twenty today happy birthday oryx's cat

 

[Geri]

When I make myself toast I sometimes have to stand up in the middle of the room to eat it because of feline interest, if I sit down they'll just climb up me. It's not so much the toast they are interested in as the butter, my lot would do anything for a lick of butter.

Geri has climbed on the table and licked butcher's toast when his back was turned more than once!

 

[Manter]

Wow! 20 is a grand old age. Happy birthday oryx cat!

Shirl people are utterly, utterly baffling

 

[Epona]

Ha ha, I'm both a bit embarrassed and a bit proud that she's so *ahem* assertive! Probably means getting another cat is out of the question, but a dog is possible at least.

Thanks - she's got to where she's not keen on being brushed, but she's not moulting as much, which is good. She still doesn't like having the jackets put on, but once on, she tends to forget it's there. While she was seeing off the other cats, it was like she forgot I was there - felt like a fly on the wall reporter embedded in "cat world."

Did you say your cats (or some of them) walk on leads as well?

Nah, I don't really have anywhere outdoors to take them, no garden. Jakey's breeder did try him on a harness a few times before he came to us, but I know him and can well imagine how it went, he tends to take "the path of least resistance" and goes completely floppy when he's not keen on something, so I think it was just like having a completely floppy immobile wailing sack of potatoes on the end of a lead. They are all happy enough indoors, my place isn't massive but plenty of climbing space/hidey holes and vertical exploration on the bookcases which line most rooms means it's a great deal larger for them than it is for us.

 

[Epona]

I don't think I've posed this before, it's next door's cats telling us their selfish owner has gone off for a few days and left them no food or access to indoors being suckers, we've been feeding them for the last week.

Why have pets if they are not going to look after them?

 

[Epona]

On a lighter note, one of ours (not the Shirl's Neighbour's Cat Lookalike but the other one) has turned twenty today.

Awww, happy birthday to your cat! I hope mine last that long in good health

 

[Manter]

Idiot cat escaped from his lead today (I think we need to get a new one....) and bolted next door, under a fence at the back and onto the estate behind us. The Northerner caught him just as he tried to skip into the power generator room. <<sigh>>

My heart was in my mouth for the whole of his adventure, he really wouldn't last long in the High Trees estate

 

[Puddy_Tat]

On a lighter note, one of ours (not the Shirl's Neighbour's Cat Lookalike but the other one) has turned twenty today.

 

[Epona]

Idiot cat escaped from his lead today (I think we need to get a new one....) and bolted next door, under a fence at the back and onto the estate behind us. The Northerner caught him just as he tried to skip into the power generator room. <<sigh>>

My heart was in my mouth for the whole of his adventure, he really wouldn't last long in the High Trees estate

Manter - is it you with the Bengal or am I remembering that wrong? Glad his adventure was short and ended happily!

 

[Manter]

Manter - is it you with the Bengal or am I remembering that wrong? Glad his adventure was short and ended happily!

Ragdoll.

He does periodically bolt, but rarely goes v far. I think he does it for his own self esteem mostly 'I am a big bold jungle hunter/killer, I only stick around here because it suits me. Honest' . And he rarely goes further than next door's garden. But he was chasing birds, in the sun, having a whale of a time bouncing around and sort of forgot where he was. He'd have lost the bird, realised he had no idea where he was and freaked out

God knows why I agreed to such a ridiculous cat. I adore him, but FFS....

 

[CRI]

On a lighter note, one of ours (not the Shirl's Neighbour's Cat Lookalike but the other one) has turned twenty today.

Happy birthday old chap(ess). Extra tuna rations I hope!

I think it was just like having a completely floppy immobile wailing sack of potatoes on the end of a lead.

I love the thought of this. Assumed this would be the same for all cats on leads, but was pleasantly surprised (although she walks like a dachsund while wearing her harness!)

Idiot cat escaped from his lead today (I think we need to get a new one....) and bolted next door, under a fence at the back and onto the estate behind us. The Northerner caught him just as he tried to skip into the power generator room. <<sigh>>
My heart was in my mouth for the whole of his adventure, he really wouldn't last long in the High Trees estate

That would have scared the ever-loving shit out of me! The dog I had as a child was like that. If she skipped the lead, it usually ended with a rugby tackle about half a mile away and mucho embarrassed as everyone in the village was watching the spectacle by then.

Breeze's birthday next week. Wonder what that will be like!

 

[Epona]

Ragdoll.

He does periodically bolt, but rarely goes v far. I think he does it for his own self esteem mostly 'I am a big bold jungle hunter/killer, I only stick around here because it suits me. Honest' . And he rarely goes further than next door's garden. But he was chasing birds, in the sun, having a whale of a time bouncing around and sort of forgot where he was. He'd have lost the bird, realised he had no idea where he was and freaked out

God knows why I agreed to such a ridiculous cat. I adore him, but FFS....

Ah sorry, I know someone here has a Bengal - daft thing is I've seen photos of your cat recently and it's obviously a Ragdoll, I'm just having a forgetful moment and getting muddled up I assume he's had the snip? Hopefully if that's the case even if he makes a dash for it he won't go too far, and will be more interested in where his dinner is than anything else.

 

[Manter]

Ah sorry, I know someone here has a Bengal - daft thing is I've seen photos of your cat recently and it's obviously a Ragdoll, I'm just having a forgetful moment and getting muddled up I assume he's had the snip? Hopefully if that's the case even if he makes a dash for it he won't go too far, and will be more interested in where his dinner is than anything else.

Yup, he's snipped and microchipped. And usually very closely supervised, it just went a bit wrong today....

E2a and he does normally do things like walk to the end of the path then pretend to be really interested in a stone, sneaking looks at you over his shoulder to see whether you're going to come and get him. And then purrs like a train when you do- as I said, it's some sort if attention and self esteem thing. But today he was having such fun skipping after his bird.....

 

[Epona]

That would have scared the ever-loving shit out of me! The dog I had as a child was like that. If she skipped the lead, it usually ended with a rugby tackle about half a mile away and mucho embarrassed as everyone in the village was watching the spectacle by then.

Me too tbh, I can post reassuring things but if one of mine got out I'd be in pieces, they don't know what a car is or anything.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

But today he was having such fun skipping after his bird.....

Would he have had any idea what to do with it?

Of the two mogs I used to live with, one was frankly not the brightest star in the feline firmament. As far as I know, he only caught a mouse once, and I think he wanted to keep it as a pet...

 

[Epona]

Yup, he's snipped and microchipped. And usually very closely supervised, it just went a bit wrong today....

E2a and he does normally do things like walk to the end of the path then pretend to be really interested in a stone, sneaking looks at you over his shoulder to see whether you're going to come and get him. And then purrs like a train when you do- as I said, it's some sort if attention and self esteem thing. But today he was having such fun skipping after his bird.....

I used to have rabbits and I'd put on a harness and lead to let them go exploring in a supervised manner, they always seemed to be able to get out of the harness though, a quick jump and twist of the body and they were away. For some reason though, rabbits can be quite good about coming to you when you call them if they are used to being called.

 

[Manter]

Would he have had any idea what to do with it?

Of the two mogs I used to live with, one was frankly not the brightest star in the feline firmament. As far as I know, he only caught a mouse once, and I think he wanted to keep it as a pet...

He caught a fly today, and there was this panicked stare at his paws, then at me, then back at his paws again. Then he'd lift one paw, the fly would escape, he'd chase it, catch it again, stare at his paws in a panic, look at me... And so repeat. V funny. But we call him idiot cat for a reason

 

[Epona]

Would he have had any idea what to do with it?

Of the two mogs I used to live with, one was frankly not the brightest star in the feline firmament. As far as I know, he only caught a mouse once, and I think he wanted to keep it as a pet...

My indoor only cats are really quite savage with anything that looks as though it could be eaten. I had a fine old time once chasing Jakey aorund the flat with him growling and a big mouse clamped between his jaws, I didn't want him to eat it in case it had been poisoned so had to take it off him before he swallowed it. It looked a bit like the Keystone Cops, me chasing him round the flat!

 

[CRI]

Breeze has these moments when she treats toy mice as if they were real, with a rather bloodcurdling yowl and everything. Allegedly, Herbie (RIP) caught a mouse as OH found the lower half of one in the kitchen and there were no other potential suspects! Herbs seemed bemused by birds when they flew into the garden, but nothing else. If Breeze spots one, she flings herself at it and a couple of daft blackbirds have had close calls as a result.

I'm waiting for the day the mouse she brings into the bed to greet me in the morning is a REAL one