Your daily cat and kitten news

[Rebecca Riot]

If the guy was that bothered about Charlie, he'd have at least got him microchipped so he could be tracked in the event of going missing. It's a legal obligation to microchip your cat now anyway, so as far as the authorities are concerned, he's a stray you took in. Enjoy your life together! What's more, we expect pics.

I was just about to echo the same about microchipping.

Wookey....I'd get him chipped and neutered ASAP if I was you just incase there's any dispute about ownership although I suspect the young lad will just assume he's wandered off and come to a sticky end which he would have done before long if you hadn't taken him.

 

[May Kasahara]

We are having an exceptionally chill evening.


Donut loves this blanket. The minute it comes out, he gets all friendly and demands to sit on whoever is under it. I think I reminds him of his mum. Anyway, he's currently tucked down the side of me, fast asleep.

And on the other side of me...

 

[Wookey]

I was just about to echo the same about microchipping.

Wookey....I'd get him chipped and neutered ASAP if I was you just incase there's any dispute about ownership although I suspect the young lad will just assume he's wandered off and come to a sticky end which he would have done before long if you hadn't taken him.

Thanks everyone for your support - he's getting down the PDSA next week for the snip and the jabs and the chippin. I just need to find a pal with a car, cause a kitten on two buses would be a twat of a trip.

They do your pets quite cheap at PDSA if you're on UC or PIP etc! So Charlie (stress on the second syllable of Charlie, as in the Charlie Bit Me clip of course, that's how he'll be known on the street, Char-LIE - not actually Charles. Unless it's Sunday.)

So I should be able to get him safe and sorted at least. I have felt really terribly conflicted between two opposing ideals I appear to hold; I wouldn't dream of interfering between a person and their beloved pet - but I'll also never be able to countenance neglect, well-meant, accidental or not. So cat wins. And I has new cat.

 

[LeytonCatLady]

So I should be able to get him safe and sorted at least. I have felt really terribly conflicted between two opposing ideals I appear to hold; I wouldn't dream of interfering between a person and their beloved pet - but I'll also never be able to countenance neglect, well-meant, accidental or not. So cat wins. And I has new cat.

I understand. I had a similar dilemma when I first had Lilith. She had been my housemate's cat until he moved back to Bulgaria and told me she was my cat now. I moved into his old room and when I tried to get her vaccines, I found out he'd got into debt with the vet and they wouldn't treat her unless I did it in my name. In the meantime, he'd been saying he might move back to London, in which case he'd want her back! I was really pissed off that he hadn't said it was only temporary catsitting when he knew I'd accepted a rent increase to move into his room, but up to that point might have let her go back with him as I felt bad for him due to his various problems which I won't go into. But when I found out about his vet debt, that was the decider. No way should he get her. So I get you about the simultaneous guilt of depriving someone else of their pet, and wanting to do what's best for that pet. Whatever I did, I'd have been letting down either Lilith or her previous human, and Lilith's needs were more important. He can always adopt another cat, but Lilith can't recover her health that easily if she gets sick and can't get treated due to his irresponsibleness.

 

[Orang Utan]

 

[seeformiles]

Vic on his favourite windowsill

 

[Agent Sparrow]

For the first time in years, Trillian has taken to climbing on the table. Here she is thinking about it…







I’m sure it’s partly because the kids have started feeding her bits of their food, but she previously just sat on the floor looking expectant. I don’t know if, as is often the case with human women, she’s giving less of a shit about social conventions as she gets older.

The other, more concerning idea is that she’s getting forgetful in her old age and is forgetting she’s being fed. I’ve been wondering about this for a while… Having said that, it started after she was accidentally shut in the kitchen for a few hours so maybe she just enjoyed having the freedom to jump wherever she wanted.

 

[Epona]

Love reaction for the gorgeous photo (she is utterly stunning, truly one of Urban's most beautiful and distinctive looking kitties!), not the thought that she might be getting a bit forgetful in her dotage.

Jakey was getting like that in his old age, he'd forget that he still had half a bowl of food left and I'd have to bring it to him and hold it in front of his face and he'd be all "oooh there's some food!" even though I'd only moved the bowl a couple of meters from where it had been all along. He did have a lot of age related health issues too though, and some of that was preventing him from eating very much in one go so I'd have to keep giving him small portions and remind him a bit later that he had some left by bringing the bowl to him.

If she seems happy (furious floofball vibes aside!) I would try not to worry too much, I think they have to be quite far advanced into Alzheimer's to be in distress - and it may not be that, a bit forgetfulness and declining senses (smell, hearing, sight particularly) might just be normal old age stuff and not necessarily a diagnosis of anything serious.

 

[Agent Sparrow]

Love reaction for the gorgeous photo (she is utterly stunning, truly one of Urban's most beautiful and distinctive looking kitties!), not the thought that she might be getting a bit forgetful in her dotage.

Jakey was getting like that in his old age, he'd forget that he still had half a bowl of food left and I'd have to bring it to him and hold it in front of his face and he'd be all "oooh there's some food!" even though I'd only moved the bowl a couple of meters from where it had been all along. He did have a lot of age related health issues too though, and some of that was preventing him from eating very much in one go so I'd have to keep giving him small portions and remind him a bit later that he had some left by bringing the bowl to him.

If she seems happy (furious floofball vibes aside!) I would try not to worry too much, I think they have to be quite far advanced into Alzheimer's to be in distress - and it may not be that, a bit forgetfulness and declining senses (smell, hearing, sight particularly) might just be normal old age stuff and not necessarily a diagnosis of anything serious.

Thank you. Yes, I suspect any memory issues are only really in this sort of ball park, bless her

 

[RubyToogood]

Carrie on her favourite windowsill. Although she likes all of them really. She makes a point of having a nap on the office windowsill after dinner.

Vic on his favourite windowsill

View attachment 459117

 

[Agent Sparrow]

Epona , I’m so sorry to hear about Jakey btw. Sending you all the love. x

Although the kittens are GORGEOUS!

 

[Agent Sparrow]

View attachment 459102

A future laureate in the making!

 

[Agent Sparrow]

Wookey
You've got balls...I'll give you that.

Charlie will have a lovely life with you.

Charlie won’t soon though

 

[Epona]

View attachment 459102

More realism based version:

Long ago there was a cat,
Who swallowed a ball of yarn;
And when the vet produced the bill,
The human said god damn.

 

[LeytonCatLady]

 

[Epona]

Agent Sparrow - I've just had another read of the last page, and it made me think - does she have any known (or been tested within the last 6-12 months for) thyroid issues?
That can be a massive factor in increased appetite and interest in food/begging/food solicitation and theft activities and is really common in senior/elderly cats.
I can't recall whether you've mentioned anything about this previously wrt her health, apologies if it's already been discussed.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

View attachment 459126

that's not the look you want at the start of your annual appraisal meeting...

 

[Agent Sparrow]

Agent Sparrow - I've just had another read of the last page, and it made me think - does she have any known (or been tested within the last 6-12 months for) thyroid issues?
That can be a massive factor in increased appetite and interest in food/begging/food solicitation and theft activities and is really common in senior/elderly cats.
I can't recall whether you've mentioned anything about this previously wrt her health, apologies if it's already been discussed.

Yes, it’s very possible she’s got an overactive thyroid, and on advice from the vet we’re monitoring her weight on increased food. But she is definitely gaining weight on that regime so

Also hard to tell as she’s always been a greedy guts!

E2A: also one of my childhood cats had an overactive thyroid and I remember there being increased chattiness and zoomies. Trillian is becoming more chilled out if anything.

 

[story]

I need to install a microchip triggered cat flap.


Any tips and tricks, things to know and avoid before opening the box and diving into the instructions?

Is it dead easy or is it frustratingly annoying?

The microchip pairing thing seems to me like something that is potentially easy to fuck up.

 

[ddraig]

Good luck!
Not that hard when we did it but got to make sure putting right "end" in the door, RTFM basically
The pairing was a bit of a pain and took a few passes through the flap (good luck with that part!)

 

[stavros]

We are having an exceptionally chill evening.

View attachment 459085
Donut loves this blanket. The minute it comes out, he gets all friendly and demands to sit on whoever is under it. I think I reminds him of his mum. Anyway, he's currently tucked down the side of me, fast asleep.

And on the other side of me...

View attachment 459086

How many of Private Eye's readership are feline?

 

[story]

Good luck!
Not that hard when we did it but got to make sure putting right "end" in the door, RTFM basically
The pairing was a bit of a pain and took a few passes through the flap (good luck with that part!)

I’m considering getting the pairing sorted before installing it. Do you think that’s a good idea?

 

[Pingety Pong]

I’m considering getting the pairing sorted before installing it. Do you think that’s a good idea?

That's what we did - we just put it on the floor and coaxed our cat through with a few Dreamies. We had to do it a couple of times before it worked but it only took a couple of minutes.

 

[story]

Done!

By torchlight.

I got fed up with myself and didn’t want it to go another night,

Pairing it was easy; and like you, I coaxed him through it a few times before installing it, which was a doddle once I remembered the issue I’d had with the old flap and made the necessary adjustment.

Cat was a bit nonplussed at first. I think he’s liked having the gap rather than another pesky door to get through. So I posted him through to go out, and then sat down near it, encouraging him while he peered at me through the plastic door and pretended he had no idea what a cat flap even is. Within 90 seconds of my walking away from his diva nonsense he came through on his own.

We can rest easy tonight knowing the intruder can’t get in.



I’m now wondering if it’s a neighbour, or a cold hungry stray, alone and lost in the night, seeking succour and sanctuary…..

 

[oryx]

he peered at me through the plastic door and pretended he had no idea what a cat flap even is. Within 90 seconds of my walking away from his diva nonsense he came through on his own.

That is so cat.

 

[story]

That is so cat.

So much innit!

 

[LeytonCatLady]

Not allowed to leave my bed just yet.

 

[Cloo]

Weirdo.

 

[StoneRoad]

Weirdo.

View attachment 459292

hahahahha !

Hilli used to do that, and would often play with a ping pong ball in the bath - the shape of which meant it would come back to her, no matter how / where she batted it !
{at two in the morning it was a surprising noise to wake you up}

 

[seeformiles]

Lil' Bob regrets he can't see me today: