How many Mudcats have cats!?

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 03 May 19 - 11:22 PM

We have a tuxedo Manx named Evie. She is 19 years old, sweet and affectionate. With age, she has switched from being and outdoor/indoor cat to indoors almost exclusively. She has a lot of "executive time" sleeping and resting during the day, and has become more nocturnal, roaming the house at night. We will miss her greatly when her time runs out, but she is in good health.
-Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 01 May 19 - 04:05 PM

Sorry to read that, k . I know Sen has known this point has been approaching for a fair while but it’s still difficult and I’d imagine the loss of Murphy leaves a bit hole. Glad Spirit is doing well though.

–
We are still “catless” here (and there has been no further sighting of PussPuss). Mum sometimes talks about getting on older rescue cat but I’m not sure that will ever happen.

The closest to a pet we have at the moment is a cheeky and sometimes noisy (European) robin who I’m sure would have something to say about cats. It will often approach the porch door when it opened and sometimes try to sneak inside. More commonly it perches close by, expecting to be given some morsel and is quite fond of a tiny scrap of cheddar cheese.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 01 May 19 - 12:48 PM

Permission has been granted me, through a PM from
Senoufou / Eliza, to pass on the news.

Murphy has been put out of his misery. He was just too poorly, so they said their goodbyes to him.
Everybody is grieving the loss of Murphy,
especially the last of the three Siamese cats, Smokey,
who is being extremely vocal about his distress.

In the meanwhile, every morning at 6 am,
"Spirit" aka "Sam, the Skull" waits outside at The Bench
at Senoufou / Eliza's home. His skinny days are long over and he looks quite plump.

Senoufou does not use the word "vulnerable" to describe
her feelings, that word is my interpretation.
"not in a good place" is how she put it.
You may rest assured that she lurks at the Mudcat
but still doesn't feel like posting.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 28 Apr 19 - 06:16 PM

come out, pussycats, come out …

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Donuel
Date: 06 Apr 19 - 10:05 AM

What's the story with the Manx tail?

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 04 Apr 19 - 01:46 PM

here, kitty kitty kitty . . .

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Charmion
Date: 03 Apr 19 - 10:14 AM

It's spring in Stratford (Ontario, that is), and the squirrels and birds are brisking about the life. Our two house-bound cats spend hours at the windows, taking in the show and making comments that probably amount to "Possibly tasty" or "Looks too much like work".

When the door is open, however, one cat never approaches it (despite her avian threats), and the other may stick his nose out but rarely tries to do more.

I think they prefer fantasizing about the havoc they might wreak, and manipulating their human staff.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 03 Apr 19 - 12:23 AM

We have a 19 year old Tuxedo Manx, Evie. She is sweet and affectionate, and as typical of her breed, bonds with her owners, and, as dogs will, she comes over when you call her name.
-Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 02 Apr 19 - 12:24 PM

I miss hearing about your cats.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 21 Mar 19 - 06:41 PM

parody from the Prairie Home Companion:

To all the cats I've known before
Who wanted to come in my door
And then they turned about
And wanted to go out
So they could come back in some more ...

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Donuel
Date: 19 Mar 19 - 06:01 AM

our cat is named Brexit

He meows to go out but when we open the door he just sits there undecided.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 18 Mar 19 - 04:54 PM

A moment of meditation and prayer
for those Mudcatters
who had to say goodbye to a beloved cat in the last year or so.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 16 Mar 19 - 03:18 PM

Indeed, Stanron, I have no doubt
that cats get to places
that most of us humans
don't even think of as places . . .

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Stanron
Date: 16 Mar 19 - 06:30 AM

Just noticed, for UK cat lovers mainly, Horizon at 9 pm BBC2 tonight. 50 cats were fitted with small cameras on their collars and their movements were traced and analysed. Shock and horror in feline suburbia.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 15 Mar 19 - 07:06 PM

Thinking of Senoufou's Murphy.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 14 Mar 19 - 12:13 PM

Come back, Senoufou, come back . . .

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 09 Mar 19 - 06:12 PM

keep those cats and kittens coming

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 06 Mar 19 - 07:51 PM

Now, Senoufou/Eliza,
I suspect it is difficult for you to resist lurking
on thread about cats and about
those of us who have a, shall we say, weakness for cats.

It's your call entirely,
but when your Murphy needs you to do that very last thing for him,
you know where to find us --
and we want to know when it happens,
so that we can send you all the long-distance affectionate intentions
that we wish for you.

Of course, if you post to us BEFORE Murphy declines any further,
that's more than all right with us!

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Charmion
Date: 06 Mar 19 - 12:59 PM

The fatal attractions of cats to motor vehicles are among the many reasons why our cats live indoors, never going out.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 06 Mar 19 - 09:32 AM

Well, I don't recall that episode,
but I have had real life experiences with
cats in the engine fan belt of an auto.
And then there are wheel housings.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 06 Mar 19 - 09:18 AM

There was a House episode about a cat that stayed warm...

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 05 Mar 19 - 06:58 PM

I hope you can hear Killer the cat meow

in this video on her Instagram account.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 05 Mar 19 - 04:35 PM

Edna the cat, who made the national news broadcasts when
she was evicted from the San Francisco fire station and
its paramedics/EMTs who rescued her,
was particularly partial -- even when she was a feral kitten and
hid from humans --
to Station 49's ambulances. After they had come back from being driven all night,
Edna would march over to them, climb on top of them,
and absorb the heat from the ambulance engines.

Station 49 complied with the eviction notice from the boss,
by the way,
as one of the paramedics took Edna home,
where Edna is warm, well fed, and loved.

It's the EMTs and staff members at Station 49 who are miserable.

I ought to make a blue clicky link to the article with
footage from New York Fire Department's Station 57.
Theirs is also a female cat, and she is called Killer
because she is a proud hunter of mice and rats.

And her Meow, on video, made me crack up laughing.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Charmion
Date: 14 Feb 19 - 03:46 PM

Our cat basket spends the winter atop a forced-air heat vent on the sitting room floor. It is occupied pretty well all day by one cat or the other, often by both. At night, of course, they sleep with us.

The demise of the cathode ray tube deprived many a house cat of a rightful perch. I never owned a television large enough to accommodate a full-grown cat, but my first colour computer monitor was a behemoth that provided both snooze space and an observation post where the cat could supervise me at my work. That was a great arrangement that pleased both of us.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Donuel
Date: 12 Feb 19 - 12:52 PM

Abraham Lincoln's favorite animal was the cat.

food for thought

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Donuel
Date: 12 Feb 19 - 11:34 AM

Going back 40 years you probably had a cat on top of the TV getting warm.
But with the death of the cathode ray tube, cats can't warm up on a modern thin TV. After all small animals lose heat more quickly than large ones.

So I give you the 'Cat Throne' that looks like a padded serving tray with a safe heat source for our modern day cats in winter and has a clean designed décor.

We used to say "she was warming her liver" when asleep atop an old TV.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Charmion
Date: 12 Feb 19 - 10:13 AM

My cats have always had names typically given to humans. They sometimes acquire a nickname -- Gabriel became Grabber because of his behaviour with respect to ankles on stairs, for example -- but I like them to have the same dignity of identity that I expect for myself. Isobel, currently in residence, came to us with the name of Cupcake, which we changed because we thought she would grow out of it fairly quickly. She did.

I'm glad Sam the Skull is fitter and less stressed. Every cat should have a knee to snooze on.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 12 Feb 19 - 08:35 AM

I had a cat named Garlic...

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Senoufou
Date: 11 Feb 19 - 11:53 AM

Those are very impressive names Special12K. They make my feeble efforts over the years at naming cats (Smokeypokey, Minty, Murphy, Sam, AndyPandy etc) sound pathetic.
I actually sat on The Bench out the front this afternoon. The sun was warm (hooray!) and there was no wind. Sam the Skull amazingly sat on my knee and dozed off, after having hoovered up a snack.
He's quite heavy now and looks in very good shape.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Special12K
Date: 11 Feb 19 - 11:44 AM

Me and my wife have one cat named Bombay Sapphire. We used to have another cat that was named Jäger.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Senoufou
Date: 10 Feb 19 - 11:33 AM

Yes, Murphy is fourteen Jon, which is quite elderly for a Siamese. His late brother Minty had medical problems too. Their genetics were probably flawed - sometimes pedigree cats haven't enough 'out-breeding' and it weakens the strain. Their breeder was very reputable though.

I remember buying them as kittens, two tiny litter mates at £300 each (!)
I nearly bought their brother Kinky as well, but that would have been not far off £1000 - and Kinky had a kink in his tail.

I think SmokeyPokey realises something's wrong with his pal. He snuggles up to him in their bed and licks the top of his head quite tenderly.
Our churchwarden came round to see us a few days ago, and SmokeyPokey instantly climbed on his lap and wrapped a friendly paw round his leg. Luckily, the chap adores cats (he has one of his own) and was enchanted. Phew!

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 10 Feb 19 - 10:36 AM

Pleased to read the "intruder" is still doing well.

Perhaps fading memory (I mean I can't remember when you first mentioned it) on my part seems to suggest that Murphy has had a pretty good innings since you decided TLC was all that was left. Maybe that's a consolation but still, the decision is going to be hard when you reach that time.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Charmion
Date: 10 Feb 19 - 09:16 AM

Oh, Eliza, yes it breaks the heart. That’s the last thing they do for us.

Watson climbs into my arms like that. He takes a position on a counter or piece of furniture and leans meaningfully, meowing loudly, until I come close and stoop toward him. Then he puts his hands on my shoulders and waits for me to scoop up his hind end.

When he was younger and thinner, he would fling himself straight up in the air in the general direction of my chest, expecting me to catch him. This practice took quite a toll on my wardrobe.

We had friends in for dinner last night, and Watson entertained the company by ankling everyone during the cheese course. (He likes cheese.) Fortunately, the guests did not arrive until after we had flung him off the table for the last time. Isobel made a fleeting appearance — most unusual for her. I think she lets her brother take all the risks, showing up later when the tumult and shouting are over to nab the best spot on the sofa.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Senoufou
Date: 10 Feb 19 - 03:29 AM

Sam The Skull is still faithfully hanging around every morning waiting for a snack.
I lifted him up recently, and he weighs a lot more than he used to. Being a British cat (an orange-eyed white) he naturally grows thicker fur during the winter months, and I wanted to ascertain whether he was also heavier - he is!

I sadly have to report that Murphy is deteriorating rapidly now, and I think we'll have to have him put to sleep quite soon.
It's heartbreaking - every evening before I usher the two of them into the kitchen and snuggle them into their beds on the counter top, he climbs into my arms and stretches out across my chest with one paw on my face. He's so thin and light, and every time I feel we're saying 'goodbye' to each other.
It breaks one's heart doesn't it? :(

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 09 Feb 19 - 05:29 PM

I still miss the cats.
The cats, knowing them, don't miss ME,
but I still miss the cats.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 29 Jan 19 - 02:05 PM

Cat free zone here X. I can still shed a tear over Furball, Pip/mum still misses Mewan (and collectively there are a fair few before but not as much in memory) and as things stand PussPuss could be counted as "missing presumed dead" but you never know with him...

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 29 Jan 19 - 01:58 PM

It's cold. We need more news
about our furry friends.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Charmion
Date: 09 Jan 19 - 11:01 AM

Sixteen pounds of kittenish tomcat is a big deal. I can imagine the thumps and banging when he pursues the phantom mouse right into the baseboards, as happens here when our overaged kittens get going. I've never seen a dog climb the curtains or stop his claws on the back of the sofa, though.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 09 Jan 19 - 09:15 AM

This one washed up under our house this spring. Now he's close to 1 stone and still kittenish. Ok, so, he's a dog, to quote Bill Murray.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 09 Jan 19 - 08:05 AM

We had a big fluffy Ragdoll (called Phoebe) for a short while. She didn't go floppy, and was quite lively and affectionate. The problem was that she had no idea about where to pee. She would just sit up straight anywhere (like on our bed), adopt that faraway stare, and pee on the spot. We called her Peebee while she was with us.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Senoufou
Date: 09 Jan 19 - 07:57 AM

If anyone managed to pick me up, they'd get a hernia!

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Charmion
Date: 09 Jan 19 - 07:31 AM

Not personally, Mrrzy, but I know what they are.

I find it a little odd that breeders would perpetuate a dangerous trait like the Ragdoll’s limpness on being picked up. Not everyone is kind to cats, and they need the ability to squirm loose and light out for the territories. As do we all ...

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 08 Jan 19 - 11:43 AM

Anybody know a Ragdoll?

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Stanron
Date: 08 Jan 19 - 03:53 AM

Don't worry. This beast is feline.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Senoufou
Date: 08 Jan 19 - 03:51 AM

Hahahaaa! My last post was number 666!!! Mwahahaaaaaagh! :)

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Senoufou
Date: 08 Jan 19 - 03:49 AM

When I draw the sitting room curtains at 6am, there sits Spirit on the bench. I put my hand on the window and he puts one paw up against the pane where my hand is. It's like a cat version of a 'high five'!

I let him come inside (just in the hall) and he has his snack on the mat. The other two are plastered up against the radiator behind the TV in their new bed (very soft and comfy - they love it!) so there's no trouble. They're shut in the kitchen all night and can't wait to get to the sitting room.
Murphy is up and down health-wise. He seems to have put on a tiny bit of weight, and he's eating, drinking and using the litter tray as normal. We've decided to wait before having him put to sleep, he's not in any pain and cuddles on my lap in the evenings (much to SmokeyPokey's disgust) We're monitoring the situation.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 07 Jan 19 - 08:46 PM

Well, Donuel and Thompson,
when I read further on St. Nicholas, what I read is
that he placed the gold in the ladies' BOOTS by the door,
and not indoors in their stockings --
but am I mistaken?


Anyway, please resume gossipping about your pet cats. I miss them.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Thompson
Date: 20 Dec 18 - 01:33 PM

Considering that most ladies in the time of St Nick owned only one pair of stockings, his placing gold in them is even more questionable.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 20 Dec 18 - 01:13 PM

Fortunately cats are better at making sense of human talk than humans are at making sense of cats. But they manage to train us to get by eventually.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Donuel
Date: 18 Dec 18 - 08:59 AM

I had a cat Natasha who had the same trick as the real Saint Nick.
She would leave gifts of coins in my shoes stuffed with socks.
The real St. Nick had a large inheritence he gave away with haste.
For ladies with no dowry he placed gold into their stockings.

Its been 1,500 years and I wonder why no one has asked what he was doing in ladies underwear drawers in the first place.