Menopause Matters Forum
General Discussion => This 'n' That => Topic started by: Katherine on August 25, 2023, 01:44:19 PM
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Dear ladies,
This is the new cats thread so I’ll try and remember everything I wrote on the last thread…
So we adopted a brown tabby … we think a bengal tabby as she has a leopard tummy and her stripes aren’t uniform but her coat is thick and stunning and purrfectly symmetrical… from the RSPCA when she was 1 and now she’s 3. She has gorgeous green eyes and little high pitched mews like a kitten.
She is such a sweetheart, follows me everywhere and knows when I’m upset and puts her paw on me and looks up at me. One of the loveliest things she does is when I’m sat on the sofa she walks along the back of the sofa and pushes her head into my neck. Once when I was lying in bed too tired to stroke her she was desperate for a stroke and started kneading me then pressed her head against my forehead.
I feel so lucky to be the mummy of such a special furry girl, she is my best friend and if I’m down she can often lift my spirits. I have loads of things I could tell you but I’ll save some for later posts. Xxx :cat88:
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Hi! We had two ginger tom kittens many years ago, part of a genetic study. Dad was unrelated, the Grandad and Mum ...... all ginger. 4 kittens born, 1 of which was a female. Tortoiseshells are always female unless they have a 'problem' ::) when they may be born with male genitalia as well.
Then we had a farm kitten, very gentle along with a quarter bred Siamese. When he sat in the sun his chocolate tabby stripes showed through. In the early hours if he was hungry, he would lift my eyelid with his lips - purring gently ;D
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CLKD I just love your eye roll emoji, it cracks me up. I love the part about your eyelids, they are so clever!
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Purring loudly. Of course I would giggle and that was it: his day had begun. He was very long, often forgot that he had a rear end whereas the small b/wh farm cat was petite. She could walk between cut glass champagne flutes and not move any of it: him however :o
Then we were adopted by a 'stray' - I think that he had been chatting to our two under the garage door and found a 'soft' spot ;D
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Nice to have this thread back.
Am still wanting to hear it Penguin has made a solid argument to get rescue cats(s) into her house!
Our old boy,long passed, was such a character. Once we were trying to hang a new door and I offered it up in position, and husband placed the screws into the hinges prior to screwing them in. Mad cat came along and using his mouth gently removed said screws one by one.... We also delayed putting a new sink in place as cat had decided to sleep in the basin for a couple of weeks. Any cats slave knows we will never remove them from such a happy choice of sleeping arrangements...
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That reminds me about 2 in the ironing basket ........ well I couldn't, could I ;D
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Oh. We know who the bosses are... And it's never ever a cat 'owner'😹
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No unfortunately- I've been following the thread but another two cats have gone missing in my local area and it's put us off again. Is this common do you think, cats going out and getting lost / not coming home for days / weeks? Another load of posters up and activity on local groups sharing pics etc. I wonder if these cats make their way home but the owners don't think to update their posts 🤷♂️ Tbf, my husband would agree to us getting one if I pushed, but likewise he also knows how worried and anxious I get about things, and I think he's envisaging sleepless nights while we wait for the cat to come home 🤣🙈
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Oh that's so horrible, especially the not knowing.
Our first two cats were also rescues and we lived in a busy road,so the rescue people said it would be fine r they lived totally indoors. These two lived to 19 and 21 years old! For indoor cats they do need a lot more interaction and activities, and indeed some cats, such as deaf cats, or those with a disability, are certainly best kept safer indoors.
I would never be able to sleep if one of ours went missing. I would be in pieces. But an indoor cat may work? Needs thinking about, you know, no fully open doors or Windows on hot days. Fly screens help there. And you may feel less inclined to stay out for long periods. And as I say, lots of extra stimulation, scratching posts etc.
Not for everyone, but works ok for us.
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Worked for us too when we lived in London and a flat with a balcony.
On the 8th floor though and the cat would stroll along the balcony ledge like an acrobat, my mum had her heart in her mouth every time and couldn't risk calling out to her in case she fell! I don't think an indoor cat would work for us now while our children are so young, they couldn't be trusted to shut the garden door behind them and we also need to let the dog in and out. However, I wonder if you can get those GPS tracker things like they do for dogs, clips to their collar and you can find them via an app. My dog walker has one for one of the dogs she walks that has form for running off. Guess it'd have to be very small to go on a cat collar though without it being too heavy/ awkward for them. I'd defo find that more reassuring.
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It’s true there’s a lot of things to consider, buy, adapt to, for example mine scratches everything despite having scratching posts all over the house. They also wake you up, cost a significant amount, etc. at first I found it hard to be honest but as time goes buy I love her more and nothing bothers me anymore, she is worth it as she gives me so much and I wouldn’t be without her. She only wants to leave the back yard at night but I don’t let her as it means leaving the gate open and also there’s so many risks. I plan to move to a rural area at some point then she can be totally free.
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Thats a good point re location, we are planning on moving in next two years and it'll be inland, ideally to some kind of small village from a large town. I think there'll be a lot less dangers there than where we live now.
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Sorry, but those of you long term members will remember my stories of owning a cat I'm sure. So here it is again.:
I thought I would tell you about a cat I once had called Fanny,¦ now I didn't name her that - it was an ex neighbours cat.
Fanny was ginger/white & black & ahe kind of "adopted us". She started sleeping by our open coal fire every night in the winter - so we started feeding her (probably a big mistake TBH). ;D
Well that was it, she wouldn't go home to her owners. I had a word with our neighbour who were more than happy for us to take Fanny in as she was obviously happier with us then with them - so that was it Fanny moved in!.
Well things started to get embarrassing, I would call her in at night by shouting at the top of my voice "FANNY, PUSS PUSS, GOOD GIRL etc etc, & although I didn't think it was very funny any guests we had staying were in hysterics & thought I was mad.
There was a day at work in the office where we saw a tortoiseshell coloured cat from our window on the building site opposite, - & there was a young lad in the office at the time & I said "look that's the same colour as my Fanny", he went bright red (& so did I).
Another time we were in a pub, & the landlord had called last orders. So he let his pet dog come out to the bar to say hello to the regulars & the dog started to sniff around me (as the do) & I stupidly said out loud "oh look he can smell my Fanny" ::) ::) ::)
When we went to our local, (yes yet another pub) the landlord use to ask what I'd like to drink & how my Fanny was. :o
But the funniest of all was when I had to take her to the vets because she had some sores on her back that were weeping. I saw a German vet who examined her & he said to leave them alone for a week to see if they would dry up on their own & to make an appointment for a weeks time.
So I took her back the following week as she was no better. The vet prescribed some cream.
When we went to pay the bill, the receptionist was giggling, so I asked her why, & she replied:
We had a right old laugh this morning as on the appointments list for today, the vet had written:
Mrs Cazikins, 10.30, check Fanny for sores.
When she gave me the cream, the words "apply to Fanny sparingly twice a day" were written on the packet.
Fanny is long gone now but she left a lot of fond & amusing memories.
:cat48: :cat48: :cat48:
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Oh my goodness Cazikins that’s fan-tastic ;D
Everyone, check out ‘bohemian catsody’ on YouTube, you will love it !
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Tnx 4 those reminders Cazikins ;D
There are in some areas [can't remember where] cats being poisoned :'( >:(
Microchipping is important.
Two cats last week in different incidences, crept in behind the front grill of cars and took a ride - both recovered safely ::)
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Oh gosh Cazikins just read your post and it made me laugh a lot
We have two black rescue cats Guinness and Murphy now 13, I’ve had cats all my life and wouldn’t be without them! Endless sources of amusement although lockdown was tricky as Murphy enjoyed my husbands zoom calls a little too much, every time a zoom call came through he was there on the desk blocking the view. Everyone got concerned if he didn’t make a meeting, he still races up to the office now and yowls outside the door if there’s a call going on! Weird boy!
Anyway great thread and light relief thanks Katherine :)
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Lesred I’m glad you like the thread. My cat is always trying to get on my desk but I won’t let her as she molts a lot and the fur stops my apple mouse working! She just wants to be as close to me as possible at all times , they do make us feel loved don’t they?
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Ours are exactly the same but you’re soo right about the moulting, black fur everywhere, I wonder if we can make something out of it ….. ::)
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Someone in our village used to spin dog hair ...........
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My aunt used to collect the hair her dog mounted, and then when he died she used it as stuffing for a cushion. I never knew quite what to make of that 🙄
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A Girl after my own heart. I've got hair combings from the cats somewhere as well as a small curl from the dog :'( 8)
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Aah a spinning wheel that’s what I need.. a cushion did cross my mind ;D
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I keep thinking I’ve got an eyelash in my eye or a hair off my head, but it turns out to be a cat hair. They get everywhere!
This morning I was sleeping on my side and my cat walked along the side of my body starting with my feet, she now thinks I’m a fence it seems ;D
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My husband somehow got cat for in a sealed wristwatch face! How does that happen?
And Katherine, that's not a surprise. We all know cats do 100% all all over us. And we remain pathetically grateful for that fact!
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Has anyone watched ‘Bohemian Catsody’ yet on YouTube? You will literally be on the floor in stitches.
SarahT I wasn’t impressed this morning as I really needed to sleep but in general I interpret everything she does a sign of her deep love and obsession for me!
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On bless you for your naivety! 😹 But when they do those little chirpy greetings looking at you right in the eyes? That's got to be love.
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Chirpping whilst running towards anyone with tail up :-*
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Ha ha Sarah you haven’t met my cat, she is obsessed with her Mummy!x
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Mine has a different obsession...kI don't know how he does it, but every time I need to change the bed linen I stealthily creep up the stairs, even avoiding the ones that creak,and strip the bed. That's fine. I even get the pillows in cases and the sheet down. But every single time I get to the out the duvet in the cover job, he launches himself out of nowhere like a Ninja, and attacks the duvet, the cover,and rolls about, biting the cover before curling himself up,.with the happiest of puree and sleeping for 10 hours straight.
Every time!
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Oh that's brilliant, what fun for him! Does he ever crawl in or under the duvet and sleep there? We had a cat that used to do thar, there'd just be this little hump that youd have to be careful not to sit on, so cute!
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Mostly on top so he doesn't miss what's going on. ( i.e third breakfasts) but he does go under if it's really cold. You know you are in a cat household if there's a fur covered rug on the kitchen table and random cardboard boxes dotted about because of course they wouldn't use an actual cat bed...
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Mostly on top so he doesn't miss what's going on. ( i.e third breakfasts) but he does go under if it's really cold. You know you are in a cat household if there's a fur covered rug on the kitchen table and random cardboard boxes dotted about because of course they wouldn't use an actual cat bed...
Third breakfast??? That seems to imply he had a second? He's doing better than my puppy, who still gets lunch if we're home and a roast dinner topper on a Sunday!
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The cat next door had several breakfasts after his owner fed him at 6.30 a.m. He would then wander down the street and through all the cat flaps checking bowls, B4 back to us telling me that he was hungry ::) and yes, he got fed ;D
My small cat would crawl into the duvet cover when it was empty or full ........ again, that small lump breathing up and down :-*
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The cat next door had several breakfasts after his owner fed him at 6.30 a.m. He would then wander down the street and through all the cat flaps checking bowls, B4 back to us telling me that he was hungry ::) and yes, he got fed ;D
My small cat would crawl into the duvet cover when it was empty or full ........ again, that small lump breathing up and down :-*
That is soooo cute. I loved my cats in London. They were indoor cats. Had one until she was 21, amazing really.
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Yes our boy says several breakfasts, just in our home I add, whilst our little female prefers just the one and then biscuits as and when. We know never to ignore that pointed hungry state they give us, it's relentless so we obey as per their demand!
A friends cat used to two time her. She was her own cat sitting in someone else's house once and complained he came home smelling of 'some tarts perfume!'
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I’ve taught mine to come to me and meow at dinner time when she’s hungry which is really cute but this has led to dinner time getting earlier and earlier in the day! I love it when she ‘talks’ to me though. She understands certain words like ‘biscuits’. I sometimes wonder though how so many people can afford 3 cats, every cat owner seems to have at least 2. One is enough for me though, bless her little purry heart.
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Ours were kept indoors so we started off with 2: then another adopted us ;D
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What happened CLKD, did she keep coming to your house?
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We moved here with a quarter-bred Siamese [male] and a farm moggy, she was a gentle, sweetie: the Siam was quite simply, clumsy ;D. At the time there was a gap under the garage door and we believe that the stray [male] had been 'discussing' arrangements here :D. He was kept in a tea crate initially outside the back door, being his free self. Then he moved in during a particularly snowy few days 8). And stayed. However, the 2 boys had to be kept apart, fortunately our house is designed in a T so doors can be kept shut when necessary.
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Oh bless, I think cats know who the 'cat people' are :)
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Katherine a word of warning with cats getting used to a definite food time.... The clocks change and it all goes to pot! Take a me at least a week to stop saying ' but what's the real time?'
She sounds so much more clever than our boy. He is 8 and either a) doesn't recognise his own name or b) more likely- just plain ignores us!
I dread the thoughts of us coming across a needy stray as we couldn't resist a sad little soul. In the years we have rescued dogs, cats, swans, jackdaws,
Horses... They do 100% know animal people and we can never not help. We had a white body is in our garden a few weeks ago, but try as we might we couldn't catch it. Hope it can fly free until the inevitable happens. There was also a peahen which turned up every year in a town car park. Liked crisps!
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Sarah she is so clever, almost human like sometimes. When I'm cooking I'll turn around and she is sat looking at me with an almost human like expression, like she love me so much, and then she quickly looks away, as if she is trying to hide it. And once I was in bed really tired and I caught her looking at me as if really worried, again when she saw me looking she quickly looked away. In terms of meals there's no strict time, but dinner time has been gradually getting earlier! Same with my family about rescuing animals. I think they have all the same emotions as us, except guilt maybe ;D
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Oh bless her. They do pick up on our moods and emotions.
Our boy cat sometimes forgets himself and goes all stupid and purry before remembering himself and running off doing that embarrassed paw kicking thing!
As humans we are trying to lose some weight, and our meal times seem to be getting earlier too!
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Sarah your boy cat sounds adorable! Isn’t it amazing how they have such different personalities! We’ve only ever had girl cats. I got a girl cat as I wanted one that would follow me round and be affectionate and that’s what I got. I was lying in bed this morning feeling rubbish and turned to look for her and she was lying there staring straight at me with such a wise knowing look, as if to say ‘I know how you feel, and I’m here, and you’re going to be fine.’
Wherever I am she is usually with me or watching me from a distance, unless she is having a nap.
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Even on my lap when I sat on the loo :o like I was going to be there all day for her benefit ;D.
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My cat comes to the loo with me too CLKD. She sits next to me on the floor or cat loafs. I feel like she’s guarding me or something!
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Wish we could share pics on here, I'd love to see all your cats! Unfortunately our puppy has discovered cats are fun to be chased, so the neighbour's cat who used to happily sleep on our decking, no longer can as the dog goes mental barking 🙈
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Cats usually stand their ground :o ;D. Cats love tails ............ funny when they discover their own :D
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The cat on the street which sees our pup when she's on a lead, arches her back and points her tail straight up on the air. All her fur seems to stand up too. She defo stands her ground and I have to drag pup past her. Cat in the garden very timid though and freezes, then scarpers. Funny when garden door is closed though and cats stroll past, nose in the air. Pup goes mental bilut can't do anything 🤣
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I wouldn't drag the pup .......... does she bark? And cat does nowt except fluff up? A learning curve: treats when pup stops barking and then when she stops being interested. Our dogs weren't allowed to chase our own in the garden, a wanderer across the plot though was a different issue :o
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I wouldn't drag the pup .......... does she bark? And cat does nowt except fluff up? A learning curve: treats when pup stops barking and then when she stops being interested. Our dogs weren't allowed to chase our own in the garden, a wanderer across the plot though was a different issue :o
That's a good idea, yes growls and barks and pulls really really hard towards the cat.
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What do U walk the pup in, a Haltie and lead with a collar? Lots of treats; when she stops barking, then walk away and back to the cat. She'll get the idea that treats may be better than barking ;D
?? photos ??
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I would happily send a photo of my beloved cats, or any other passing cat tbh. But I would withdraw my self from this forum if it involves selfies!!
My girl cat scared the bejesus out of me last night. I wandered into the bathroom half asleep and almost screamed when she crawled out suddenly from under the bath! My best bet is she's hunting the wolf spiders that come in now all the field crops are well and truly up.🕷
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From under the bath :o - we have a wooden surround so that nowt can go underneath. What's a 'wolf' spider ? Is that what we call 'autumn spiders' with the big webs in which they sit, plonk in the middle?
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What do U walk the pup in, a Haltie and lead with a collar? Lots of treats; when she stops barking, then walk away and back to the cat. She'll get the idea that treats may be better than barking ;D
?? photos ??
No we need to get a halti, I read about them this week. She has been recovering since being spayed though so it's all been on hold.
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That's 1 issue out of the way, well done.
So practice with treats, some find a clicker useful too. I'd love to watch the cat when Pup arrives ;D
I may have said already: I knew a dog that would chase a cat which would sit with his tail hanging down the brick wall: he knew exactly when to lift the tail so that the dog couldn't reach ;D. The dog never did learn ::). Cat knew exactly what it was doing ..........
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That's 1 issue out of the way, well done.
So practice with treats, some find a clicker useful too. I'd love to watch the cat when Pup arrives ;D
I may have said already: I knew a dog that would chase a cat which would sit with his tail hanging down the brick wall: he knew exactly when to lift the tail so that the dog couldn't reach ;D. The dog never did learn ::). Cat knew exactly what it was doing ..........
I think this cat down the road is similar, sees the pup coming and then taunts her.
Will buy Halti tomorrow. Need one with safety clip too as she may wriggle out of it. Making liver cake to use as high quality treats, I've heard they go nuts for it. Will blend in hubby's nutri bullet and stay out of the house while it's cooking 🤢
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And apologies everyone, I know this thread is about cats not dogs , I'll stop now 🙈.
Although do need to pop over to the Christmas thread for my weekly bulletin about how many Fridays until Christmas 🤣
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My cat really really wants to go out at night at the moment but it’s just not sensible where I live, so I leave the window at her favourite window ledge open upstairs and she lies there looking out of the gap, bless her. I have to lock her in the living room overnight because if I let her roam she ‘hunts’ all night round the house and I get no sleep. Does anyone else have to do this? I would love for her to sleep on my bed
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And apologies everyone, I know this thread is about cats not dogs , I'll stop now 🙈.
Although do need to pop over to the Christmas thread for my weekly bulletin about how many Fridays until Christmas 🤣
Penguin feel free to post about dogs, it can be an animal thread instead!
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Wolf spiders are the HUGE ones that seem to stalk me. Massive scary things. My cats can hear them from one room to the next and try to heighten before I ( well, husband as I am so scared) gets them outside to safety.
Katherine, strangely although our cats are indoor cats, and have free reign, the never come into the bedroom until they hear us begin to wake up. Then the girly starts howling for us to get up.
You can get very secure window screens ( may be expensive) in order to have full doors or Windows open but secure for your cat. The cheaper ones we have on our very high windows which they can't reach so are safe.
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My godmother had two siamese cats and they used to scale her velvet curtain. Never saw them do it, but would have loved to!
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Fortunately ours never climbed the curtains nor went up the chimney.
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BBC News : Flintshire cat burglar caught red handed after crime spree - worth a lookC ;D
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Fortunately ours never climbed the curtains nor went up the chimney.
Omg chimney hadn't even thought of that. We use our fire in winter, I'd be constantly cat searching.
Still want a cat!
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We have a dog thread ;)
Always have a collar with tag on with phone number. A lot of people are using K9 harnesses too. As an aside, I met a skunk recently, with a harness ......... out in public :o
have a lookC at the Flintshire cat ;-)
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Wolf spiders are the HUGE ones that seem to stalk me. Massive scary things. My cats can hear them from one room to the next and try to heighten before I ( well, husband as I am so scared) gets them outside to safety.
Katherine, strangely although our cats are indoor cats, and have free reign, the never come into the bedroom until they hear us begin to wake up. Then the girly starts howling for us to get up.
You can get very secure window screens ( may be expensive) in order to have full doors or Windows open but secure for your cat. The cheaper ones we have on our very high windows which they can't reach so are safe.
Her favourite window ledge looking down onto the street only opens a couple of inches so she’s ok there. I think she just likes going on an adventure at night, I’ve let her a couple of times and she comes back so full of life and seems happier. It just means leaving the back gate open which wouldn’t be a good idea as there’s a lot of late night activity where I live. When I move to a rural area she will have free reign.
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I let her out today at dusk knowing she wouldn’t go far as it was raining, bless her. I think she feels better though!
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M9orning. Do U wait until she skips back inside?
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Anyone else with black cats? I deliberately wanted black rescue cats as these colour cats ( and dogs ) are harder to rehome.
Our two beauties are almost 8 years old now. They both have small white patches of fur on their necks, but our boy cat also has quite a few long single white hairs on his coat too. Never noticed that on any other cat I have met. And I make it my mission to say hello to any cat\dog\wild bird or whatever comes my way so have met a fair few.. ;D
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Black cats/dogs are difficult to re-home but make as good a pets as the pretty colour variations ::). Years ago a friend had a farm yard full of black cats ........ they somehow kept appearing ;D - word got round that she was a soft touch for them.
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I think with some people it's the superstition of witches and black cats. Also they don't photograph as well as other colour variations so are not good for social media postings! Unbelievable that some people can be so shallow.
I think I too would become like that lady on the farm....😹
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Shallow fits the bill.
If 1 is colour blind would it matter ::)
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M9orning. Do U wait until she skips back inside?
Yes, I keep an eye on her and leave the door open for her til she returns.
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I love black cats! I just got a new velvet quilt for my sofa and my cat loves it. Instead of lying upstairs on my bed she is on the quilt all the time, it’s adorable.
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My friend got a velvet chaise longe made just for cats! It's so posh and they do love it. I gave in with proper cat beds. Ours prefer, our bed, human sofas, behind the curtains ( don't ask) or the middle of the floor in everyone's way because the best patch of sunshine is there. And of course we tiptoe around them...
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Dogs have owners, cats have Staff 8)
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I once read someone said that the Egyptians worshipped all cats as for and goddesses. And cats have never forgotten this.
Clearly a cats slave then. 😾
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Although black cats were seen as dangerous in the Middle Ages :'(
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Mine are only dangerous when they wind around my feet when they hear me reach for their tin opener at breakfast time!! 😹😻
They have had had press haven't they?
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Cats totally are goddesses. Mine can read my emotions and comforts me. She can be a cute furry angel one minute and a super agile hunting ninja the next. Far superior to all creatures in my opinion. ;D
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For anyone who loves cats this is a must
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXezLv_5RaY
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😹😹😹
Loving this!
Surely based on every single cat that has ever owned me! Xx
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I love the bit about them not knowing whether they want to be in or out the door! The story of my life, opening and closing doors!
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It's the ability to squeeze into a box half there size that rang true for.me. Our male cat somehow got himself to fit in to a teeny box. He kind of loads to the corners,head under so he looked completely square! Nutter. Takes after his human mummy....😹
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When I open my bedroom drawers she has to get right in one of the drawers despite them being really shallow. She is a true contortionist.
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Our small Girl would crawl up the back and get into drawers, I could have pulled her head off had I opened the drawer quickly :o :( :'(
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Was just watching Bohemian Catsody and there is a Menopause Rhapsody and other ones too!
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Katherine - very very clever 8) - a bit too much catawalling ......... ;D
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Hi ladies, I need your help. My cat is keeping me awake at night and my job and health are suffering from lack of sleep. She does want to go out at night but then wants to come in at 2am. I keep her in anyway for practical reasons and usually let her go to sleep with me, she then wakes me between 2 and 5am so I lock her in the living room but then she wakes me at 6 by jumping up at the door handle repeatedly until I get up and feed her. I've tried wearing earplugs but don't get on with them. I've tried wrapping a towel round the door handle but she pulls it off. I'm considering wedging the door handle shut from the other side but worried she will injure herself if she jumps up then the handle doesn't move. It's driving me mad and you would think it would be simple keeping a cat away from door handles but it's not! I think even if I fed her before bed or put food in the room she would still wake me up as she understandably doesn't like being locked up. Any suggestions would be gratefully received.
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She's a cat. A free spirit. Mine would wake me around 5.00 ish by pulling my eyelids open with his lips, all the while purring. Loudly. Giving in was the way to feed him then go back to sleep. How do you know that she wants in in the early hours? Our neighbours' cat would tap paws on our windows ::)
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I'm not sure there's an easy answer to this. Do you have a cat flap? My four have access to outside night and day purely because keeping them in meant no sleep for anyone! Looking at the security cameras they are usually most active between 2 and 6 a.m. I go to bed around 12.30 and they are all in having just had their supper looking settled for the nght....but then they are off on adventures. They do wake me just after 6 but that's my waking up time anyway.
Taz x
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Also will she settle if the food/water is in your room?
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I don't have a cat flap, I'm renting and it's not a suitable area to let her out at night and she gets really panicky if she can't get in. I guess I could put cat biscuits in the living room with her water. I've put tin foil round the door handle as she doesn't like that so it might deter her from jumping and also I'll just have to wedge the door handle. I just cannot handle sleep deprivation on top of everything else. I'm self employed and if I don't work I don't have a roof over my head. I've hardly worked for a week, its torture trying to run a business on no sleep.
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Cats are nocturnal and expect their Slaves to be too.
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Is this new behaviour Katherine? How long have you had her and how old is she?
Taz x
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Ours come upstairs at night. We take their collars off and up they go.
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She stays with me until around 3am-5am but then wants to play and isn’t content til I’m awake too by scratching the headboard,etc, so then I have to put her in the living room.
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Has she got lots of stuff to keep her occupied like the climbing frames and boxes to dive in and out of? Mine love their tunnel. Has she always kept you awake?
Taz x
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Ours loved an upturned box with handle gaps, 1 in the box the other prowling and pouncing ;D
It's not an easy problem to solve, she's set in her ways and knows how to wake you Katherine.
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She stays with me until around 3am-5am but then wants to play and isn’t content til I’m awake too by scratching the headboard,etc, so then I have to put her in the living room.
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I know it's not a long term solution, but if you work from home are you able to adjust your working hours so you can start really early, finish early and then get a super early night until you find a cat solution. Sounds sad but I am usually asleep by 9pm because I never know what time memopause / dog / kids are going to wake me up.
If this is recent, I wonder if she has got confused with the clocks changing? And can cats take any herbal sleep supplements? Something to reset the sleep / wake cycle? Although perhaps its normal for them to be up in the night, I don't know.
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Has she got lots of stuff to keep her occupied like the climbing frames and boxes to dive in and out of? Mine love their tunnel. Has she always kept you awake?
Taz x
She does have plenty to keep her occupied, I think it’s just being in her own and being hungry. I’m going to feed her right before bed and wedge the door handle.
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She stays with me until around 3am-5am but then wants to play and isn’t content til I’m awake too by scratching the headboard,etc, so then I have to put her in the living room.
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I know it's not a long term solution, but if you work from home are you able to adjust your working hours so you can start really early, finish early and then get a super early night until you find a cat solution. Sounds sad but I am usually asleep by 9pm because I never know what time memopause / dog / kids are going to wake me up.
If this is recent, I wonder if she has got confused with the clocks changing? And can cats take any herbal sleep supplements? Something to reset the sleep / wake cycle? Although perhaps its normal for them to be up in the night, I don't know.
I think they naturally wake early but she’s going to have to fit in with me if it’s going to work. I’ve tried to put her first but she doesn’t have to work and can sleep all day so I need to
Look after myself . I’m going to take your advice Penguin and wedge the door handle. She has water, litter box, toys, cat tree, scratching post, bed, view onto the street, and I’ll give her overnight biscuits too. I do want to start going to bed early like you Penguin, it’s my ambition as I want to start going for walks before work.
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If she is constantly hungry then she needs a vet check up as there may be underlying health issues i.e. thyroid.
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Has she got lots of stuff to keep her occupied like the climbing frames and boxes to dive in and out of? Mine love their tunnel. Has she always kept you awake?
Taz x
She does have plenty to keep her occupied, I think it’s just being in her own and being hungry. I’m going to feed her right before bed and wedge the door handle.
Mine do munch on biscuits in the night. I can hear them although sometimes it's one of the sneaky visitors ;D
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Well thank goodness the door handle wedge and tin foil worked. I slept 7 hours straight and feel more human today! Thanks for your help ladies. X
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Good news! I've never slept that long 😁
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I would normally only sleep 3-4 hours in one go then up for the loo but I was exhausted. Hoping for another good sleep tonight. Got some work done today too thank goodness.
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I’m a cat lady through and through! Have two cats a big black boy called Gerard who is a complete wimp and adorable and a mini long haired girl who is all colours and totally kick-ass! (Naturally!) I volunteer at a local cat rescue once a week too and all the cats I’ve met over the last 11 years have been astonishing and amazing. Love love love all the cat stuff! They really are the most fantastic friend, especially at our time of difficulty. Xx
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I’m a cat lady through and through! Have two cats a big black boy called Gerard who is a complete wimp and adorable and a mini long haired girl who is all colours and totally kick-ass! (Naturally!) I volunteer at a local cat rescue once a week too and all the cats I’ve met over the last 11 years have been astonishing and amazing. Love love love all the cat stuff! They really are the most fantastic friend, especially at our time of difficulty. Xx
Oh that’s fantastic and I totally agree, mine is just my best friend! She follows me everywhere, she is so sweet, and entertaining and when I’m upset she knows, and lays on me or puts her paw on me and looks up at me with a certain look in her eyes, she knows! I love her more each day bless her.
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My little girl sat close by purring gently when I was very ill. Like "It'll B OK".
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The foil is still working thank goodness. We have established a regular morning routine and she seems happy. she slept on my lap for the first time ever yesterday evening. she is very jumpy and wary being from a neglectful home so it was so nice.
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hi Katherine
I would cross this into the good news thread too! 😻 It hard to try to get through a day with little or disturbed sleep. So your new routine seems to benefit both of you. We always have rescue animals and when they do something such as choosing to sleep on you, that's a due to her trust, and you have instilled trust that in her with your own kindness and love. Having animals in your life is a full relationship just as with people, we all make mistakes and sometimes haven't a clue what we are doing, but the hard times are so worth it for a sleeping happy cat and her slave, oops sorry, owner. X
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Hi Sarah, I agree it’s so satisfying when you see that they trust you. It’s taken 2 years for her to sleep on my knee and well over a year just to sit on my knee.x
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Ladies I just have to tell you this. It is both hilarious and unnerving. When I’m in the kitchen doing my pelvic floor exercises on my own, my cat starts meowing at me urgently. If she is upstairs or in another room she will appear quickly and start meowing at me. I don’t make a sound except maybe slightly louder breathing so how on earth does she know? My app has the sound off. It’s a mystery!!
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;D : because U R on the floor doing strange actions and they have acute hearing for catching mice so she'll be aware of any alteration in breathing
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I’m stood up doing them, she can’t see me, and I’m just stood holding my phone! I guess it must be the slightly heavier breathing but oh my goodness if she can hear that from
Upstairs! Also why the urgent meowing? It’s so funny. I now have to lock myself in the bathroom to concentrate on doing them! ;D
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That's funny. Pelvic floor exercises shouldn't alter your breathing though. The whole thing is to do them without showing any sign that you are. Are you over-enthusastic ;D
Taz x
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I tend to breath in as I squeeze as it helps me squeeze harder. It’s not that loud though taz!!
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;D cats are strange creatures. I have four asleep here on the sofas. Only two are actually mine ;D
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So true. They do like to adopt people! I just did the exercises making sure not to make any breathing noise and sure enough she didn’t appear. She has taken to meowing at me when I’m on my phone in general though!
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Attention seeking :-\ ......... :cat88:
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I think she is a bit jealous of my phone CLKD. Her meows are getting more demanding and loud too and she is only 3!!
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My friend's cat would walk among the ornaments when she was on the land line ....... and when I visited would monopolise my lap whilst we chatted, nudging nose under my chin. I would have moved the ornaments!
Whilst gardening yesterday the neighbours' kitten kept me company, having mad moments up and down trees, chasing round the garden; seeing her tail which of course needed to be tackled ;D
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Oh that’s the cutest thing when they chase their own tail. Mine looked at hers today like she was thinking about it ;D
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;D
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Does anyone else’s cat head butt them? Also when I kiss the top of her head she presses her head against me. Bless her!
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Mine does that all the time. I looked it up the other day , it's a sign of affection.
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If they rub their face around a human it's to add their scent i.e. make the human part of the group.
One of mine use to run up the stairs and push her head through the banisters at eye level to me if she was being ignored. :-*. We would then head rub.
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Mine does that all the time. I looked it up the other day , it's a sign of affection.
She is so loving, I’m a lucky cat mum.
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If they rub their face around a human it's to add their scent i.e. make the human part of the group.
One of mine use to run up the stairs and push her head through the banisters at eye level to me if she was being ignored. :-*. We would then head rub.
Bless! Mine likes to sit in the stairs too and she likes to attack my fingers through the rails ;D
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Our female cat head buts our hands. She also sits weirdly with me. Kind of leans against my hip, curls almost upside down but puts her head I to my hand and a leg over my arm! Possessive much?! 😻
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I kind of gave my cat a massage today like a kind of half scratch and she was in bliss, wish I’d thought of that before. That’s so cute what you said Sarah, cats ate just the best. Mine still surprises me to this day. Her meows are getting more demanding, not like an ask but like tell!!! ;D
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Dogs have owners, cats have Staff
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So true CLKD!! ;D
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We have been adopted by the neighbours' kitten/cat. I know when they are out or if there are visitors making too much noise next door ;D. She's soon under the fence and with us in the garden or in the kitchen. She now has a bed under the kitchen unit; a box in the utility room and knows where her treat bag is.
This afternoon I obviously had fed her enough so she sat by the pantry door staring at the handle. Intently. No 'open sesame' though so she put her paw underneath, trying to open as it's often ajar. Purring gently in the hope that ;D