Your daily cat and kitten news

[Cloo]

More moody tulip action

 

[rutabowa]

Radiator

Dont know how he can get so close, it is boiling hot and he sometimes just pushes his face against. You can tell he's had radiator time when he comes out of the bedroom with a bright red nose and bloodshot eyes.

 

[strung out]

Did he get his jab eventually?

Gorgeous creature, look at his little face!

In the end, yes!

I did jinx it though, when I recently posted about how he'd finally gotten used to his insulin routine and sat patiently for me each time. He's been an utter bastard ever since

 

[seeformiles]

The boys have mysteriously stopped fighting now they’ve successfully claimed our chairs and started watching telly

 

[fucthest8]

He had a great life with me, that he spent his last few days happy with me and mostly being cuddled, and that his death was kind and pain-free and dignified and done only after much consideration and from the deepest love and respect for him.

Quoted for posterity.

Everyone on this thread knows how much you love your cats. Be kind to yourself over the coming days and yes, remind yourself of the above often.

RIP Sonic.

 

[LeytonCatLady]

I still haven't "crashed", emotionally speaking, since his death. It's been a difficult week and I have spent a lot of it crying and cuddling him, I have no doubt that at some point soon I will find myself laying on the floor and wailing like a child.

If I get to that point and post about it here in the depths of grief, please remind me of the things I know - that he had a great life with me, that he spent his last few days happy with me and mostly being cuddled, and that his death was kind and pain-free and dignified and done only after much consideration and from the deepest love and respect for him.

You're handling this really well, and I'm glad you're aware that you did all you could for him. But there's no right or wrong way to grieve. Of course we'll be here for you any time, through your good and bad times.

 

[rutabowa]

Yes sending love.

 

[seeformiles]

I was going to keep Sonic's blankie (found a nice little red fleece just big enough for a long cat to help keep him warm when he was ill) for myself to cuddle when I felt low but maybe Jakey would find it a comfort if it smells of Sonic.

He is being extremely clingy and not quite right, bless him.

A good friend of mine who takes in and cares for older cats and strays remembers those that have passed on by creating a framed photo montage for each with paw prints and the cat’s collar included. Really helped her to come to terms with their passing. I myself have a bag with Buttons’ collar, a couple of whiskers and the fur from where they had to shave her for the injection - strangely comforting. Like you I’m not into tattoos but, were I to get one, it would be either a likeness or pawprint. Just about the only tattoo I’m certain I’d never regret.

 

[rutabowa]

Mine healed now.... it helped

 

[LeytonCatLady]

Any patch of sunlight...

 

[Epona]

They just moved away but left him but also cos now he's with us.

Their loss mate, he's a handsome bugger for sure and obviously very happy and well cared for with you (and he certainly looks in very good nick with his gorgeous physique and glossy coat, plus he looks well happy). If they didn't appreciate him then they don't deserve him.

 

[Numbers]

The 2 little ones earlier.

 

[Numbers]

2 hungry ones now.

 

[ddraig]

Kizzy fishing last night

 

[ouirdeaux]

The boys have mysteriously stopped fighting now they’ve successfully claimed our chairs and started watching telly

I don't understand why you think that the chairs are yours.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

found this while looking for something else today -



sooty lived with one of my neighbours until a few years back.

he never seemed entirely comfortable in daylight, but took his night patrolling fairly seriously (at that time i had a job that involved weird hours, and i usually met him when i came home in the early hours)

he apparently accepted retirement and becoming more of a house cat after neighbour had to go in to a home and he moved to one of her relatives.

 

[rutabowa]

Ffs this is getting ridiculous, guess I'm sleeping on the sofa tonight

 

[Epona]

I've realised that Jakey REALLY isn't used to being alone, he was always ok shut in the sitting room at night (or whatever time I was sleeping) with Sonic but he does not like being in there on his tod for hours (and I can't say I blame him) - tried to sleep earlier and was woken by him wailing so I let him in the bedroom while I was in bed for the first time in ages - I am fucking shattered atm because he didn't settle and was in and out of bed, having a funny five minutes involving high speed laps of the room incorporating the chest of drawers and top of the wardrobe, then he wanted feeding. (He had some dry food available but he is used to getting a pouch of wet at a particular time).

In fairness it was past his teatime (am nocturnal atm) so I got up and fed him in the sitting room, shut him in and went back to bed - he was quiet for a few minutes while he was stuffing his face then started wailing again so I am knackered.

I am sure he will get used to settling down when I am sleeping (he is fine when I sleep on the sofa, he'll just curl up on my feet and purr until he goes to sleep so I am sure once the novelty of being in the bedroom with me in bed has worn off he'll be fine), if he doesn't I'm going to get earplugs and he can get used to being in the sitting room by himself for a few hours - I feel for him cos he's lost his best mate too and has never been alone before, but I do need to kip sometimes.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

another old photo of neighbour cat - this one is charlie (lives next door / downstairs)

she had just explained in some detail that her hoomans had gone out, she hadn't been fed for at least an hour, and was not impressed with it all

 

[donkyboy]

Chloe and Rogue taking a nap

 

[Puddy_Tat]

another old photo of charlie, interrupted while she was doing quality control on the bait food in the bird feeder...

 

[stdP]

Also please everyone else post some pictures and stories of your cats, I am wallowing atm (which is a normal part of grieving and ok and healthy up to a point) but I love hearing about and seeing everyone's cats and I don't want anyone to feel like I am hogging the thread or they can't post happy stuff about their cats - I want to see your happy stuff

I don't have a picture to hand (although I think my parents have one somewhere) but I do have a story of my first cat.

This was before the whole "rescue thing" became a Thing, but she was a rescue cat, in the mid-70s. My mum and her family had been feeding and looking after "spare" cats in their house since the 50s, and when my mum left home, got married and got a house the first thing it had to have was a cat. One day, a cat turned up, was fed, gave birth to some kittens. Mum-cat slouched off, kittens were duly disseminated to worthy homes, save one.

Not much later than this, I was born. My parents have a pic of me, aged about 3 weeks, having being brought back from the hospital and being duly inspected by the Resident Feline Inspectorate, me sitting there gurgling (likely incoherently) in my cot with that cat plainly wearing a "WTF in ever-loving Bastet is this?!" expression on her face. My mum said at this point the cat's character changed; like many of you may know, cats will often imprint themselves on a certain person and remain vehemently attached from that point on. This was the case with me. My entire childhood I was followed by this tortoiseshell, up to about the boundaries of 150yd from the house. When I was feeling shit, she'd wander downstairs and meowgle to my mother. When I wasn't, she comfortably slouch on my lap and have one of her three-hour purring sessions. Even when, in a fit of childhood curiosity/malice, I chopped off her whiskers with scissors and she had difficulty not bumping in to things, it was me she came to for looking after. I don't think she knew it was actually my fault, but I'd never felt such guilt in my life and did my best to guide her about and feed her until her whiskers grew back.

Once I'd grown up a bit and come to properly appreciate her companionship I came to appreciate her fluffy talents all the more. She had a peculiar stance on being laid-back vs. aggressiveness; she'd happily lounge on the patio and observe the birds seemingly with a degree of pleasure, but would chase away anything that dared interrupt this avian harmony in the garden. This garden, of my mum's making, was for the enjoyment of her, us and the birds alone. She loved to sit next to the bird table and watch the birds eating and chirping. Nothing was ever to interrupt this harmony for her. She was a permanent fixture sleeping at the end of my bed, even up until the time I had to construct steps for her to climb up there.

Whisky died at the grand old age of 21 - a happy mog right up until the end, when she had to be put down (acute renal failure again). I think I was about 15 at the time (I distinctly remember going straight to the vet's from school in my uniform) and the vet was a right cunt about it; took an unhappy mog right out of my arms, said something I didn't understand, jabbed a needle in her neck, and left this lifeless staring thing on the counter for me to look at and eventually weep. I think the only time I ever saw my father, a Gladstone clone hewn out of flint, also cry. The rest of the family knew what was coming but still burst in to tears when they saw the carry-cot come back empty.

Sonic looks and sounds like a right chip off of the ol' faithful mog block. At the very worst I think we can both say we shared some time with some thoroughly excellent cats whom we helped live a most excellent life. And I think even the most narcissistic cat would struggle to argue otherwise.

 

[stdP]

This is Her Highness, Replacement Of All That is Thy Givernworth'd Ham And Other Princessleyworth'n' Goodingontimes Plus Some Crunchybitz.

She's looking very serious but this is because she's just been awoken from a slumber without even a can of tuna to assuage her sleepitude.

 

[fucthest8]

My study buddy has decided we're working from the sofa today

 

[fucthest8]

 

[fucthest8]

....and finally

 

[Cloo]

found this while looking for something else today -

View attachment 305218

sooty lived with one of my neighbours until a few years back.

he never seemed entirely comfortable in daylight, but took his night patrolling fairly seriously (at that time i had a job that involved weird hours, and i usually met him when i came home in the early hours)

he apparently accepted retirement and becoming more of a house cat after neighbour had to go in to a home and he moved to one of her relatives.

Aw, he looks like my childhood cat who was a big black moggo.

 

[seeformiles]

I don't have a picture to hand (although I think my parents have one somewhere) but I do have a story of my first cat.

This was before the whole "rescue thing" became a Thing, but she was a rescue cat, in the mid-70s. My mum and her family had been feeding and looking after "spare" cats in their house since the 50s, and when my mum left home, got married and got a house the first thing it had to have was a cat. One day, a cat turned up, was fed, gave birth to some kittens. Mum-cat slouched off, kittens were duly disseminated to worthy homes, save one.

Not much later than this, I was born. My parents have a pic of me, aged about 3 weeks, having being brought back from the hospital and being duly inspected by the Resident Feline Inspectorate, me sitting there gurgling (likely incoherently) in my cot with that cat plainly wearing a "WTF in ever-loving Bastet is this?!" expression on her face. My mum said at this point the cat's character changed; like many of you may know, cats will often imprint themselves on a certain person and remain vehemently attached from that point on. This was the case with me. My entire childhood I was followed by this tortoiseshell, up to about the boundaries of 150yd from the house. When I was feeling shit, she'd wander downstairs and meowgle to my mother. When I wasn't, she comfortably slouch on my lap and have one of her three-hour purring sessions. Even when, in a fit of childhood curiosity/malice, I chopped off her whiskers with scissors and she had difficulty not bumping in to things, it was me she came to for looking after. I don't think she knew it was actually my fault, but I'd never felt such guilt in my life and did my best to guide her about and feed her until her whiskers grew back.

Once I'd grown up a bit and come to properly appreciate her companionship I came to appreciate her fluffy talents all the more. She had a peculiar stance on being laid-back vs. aggressiveness; she'd happily lounge on the patio and observe the birds seemingly with a degree of pleasure, but would chase away anything that dared interrupt this avian harmony in the garden. This garden, of my mum's making, was for the enjoyment of her, us and the birds alone. She loved to sit next to the bird table and watch the birds eating and chirping. Nothing was ever to interrupt this harmony for her. She was a permanent fixture sleeping at the end of my bed, even up until the time I had to construct steps for her to climb up there.

Whisky died at the grand old age of 21 - a happy mog right up until the end, when she had to be put down (acute renal failure again). I think I was about 15 at the time (I distinctly remember going straight to the vet's from school in my uniform) and the vet was a right cunt about it; took an unhappy mog right out of my arms, said something I didn't understand, jabbed a needle in her neck, and left this lifeless staring thing on the counter for me to look at and eventually weep. I think the only time I ever saw my father, a Gladstone clone hewn out of flint, also cry. The rest of the family knew what was coming but still burst in to tears when they saw the carry-cot come back empty.

Sonic looks and sounds like a right chip off of the ol' faithful mog block. At the very worst I think we can both say we shared some time with some thoroughly excellent cats whom we helped live a most excellent life. And I think even the most narcissistic cat would struggle to argue otherwise.

Reminds me of my childhood cat Felix. He was a stray black & white Tom who turned up one winter’s evening in the late 60s when I was about 3 months old. My dad let him in, he curled up by the fire and that was that. He was a bit of a rough diamond who, being un-spayed, used to disappear for a few days and return with shredded ears and all manner of scratches. He was attached to my dad more than anyone else - although when he got older he would climb on to my bed first thing in the morning and occasionally piss himself but I didn’t mind as he was lovely and warm. He eventually went downhill and died in my dad’s arms one stormy night. It was first time I ever saw my dad cry and, as for me, I refused to come out my room for 3 days since I’d never known a time without him. I was 13 when he died but we had no idea how old he really was as he was already fully grown when he arrived. A sort of bittersweet coda was that, as he was un-spayed, we saw lots of young cats who looked just like him for several years after his death

(RIP Felix - you grumpy but loveable old bugger )

 

[polly]

I'm so sorry Epona and poor Jakey. Of course you acted with love but it's so, so tough to make that decision and be the one who is there with them. It sounds like he had the best life and most painless end possible. Grief ime is a funny thing that comes and goes as it pleases, and you just have to go with it. Which it sounds like you're doing. Sending you love xx

 

[polly]

I don't have any new photos of our new cat but have just had a few of Oshawott printed so that I can be reminded of her. This is one of her in my desk chair which she appropriated, often when I was still in it.