How many Mudcats have cats!?

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 19 Mar 18 - 08:12 PM

And on shelter. PussPuss seems to have more than one base but one place he goes is through a load of bramble and blackthorn towards a set of old pigsties. I don't know what is left of these but I'd imagine there would be a bit that could provide good shelter.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Senoufou
Date: 20 Mar 18 - 04:14 AM

It's really kind of you Jon to keep an eye out for these two waifs.
I look at our two stretched out on the sofa toasty warm and smiley, or tucked up into their soft blankets in their bed in the warm kitchen at night, and I worry about strays out in the bitter cold.

I know our Siamese, being a tropical type, need more warmth than British breeds (they only have one layer of fur, and are elongated in shape to lose heat) But even my British cats in the past hugged the log fire (in our last house) or plastered themselves against the radiators in the wintertime.

The feral cat you describe will be quite savvy, as you say. Let's hope the pigsties provide a bit of shelter for him/her.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 20 Mar 18 - 04:57 AM

In his last 3 years and in colder weather, Oedipuss would stand right by the woodburner and look at you in a way that said he expected it lit. When you did light it, he would stand sort of hunched facing it and appearing miserable until it put some heat out. He’d then flake out in front of it, moving back when he got too hot. From then on, if the stove was going well, he’d alternate between cooling off and lying down very close to it. He’d never opt for a mid position.

Mewan’s favourite indoor daytime spot at the moment is the windowsill in my parent’s bedroom. It can be good in 2 ways. The radiator is under the middle part so she can get some heat that way and it gets the sun (when we have any) until late afternoon. She will position herself left, right or middle depending on which part is the warmest.

She does like a bit of time outside in the afternoon if the weather’s fair though. The current ritual is that Pip unlatches the bedroom window, walks round the house, opens the window from the outside and the cat climbs on her shoulders. They then make their way to the bench in the field where the cat is given a treat. They sit together for a while then the cat makes her move. This can vary between her expecting to be carried back in to her wandering off and perhaps if its sunny, staying out for a couple of hours.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Senoufou
Date: 20 Mar 18 - 05:08 AM

That's so sweet Jon, getting carried on the shoulders out to the field!
The way cats interact with us humans, and their obvious affection for us, makes me even sadder for those with no home.

My sister in Perthshire and her daughter in Edinburgh each took in a cat from a charity shelter. Sister's one is called Mela and niece's one is Maxi. Both cats have become real characters, loving, rather wacky and happy. It just shows how they flourish when they trust their owners and are comfortably housed.

Ours adore a bit of sun coming in the window. They sit on the sofa back in the rays of sunlight and bask. Fortunately for them, we like to have the house really warm (it costs a fortune in heating oil, third delivery due this week!) so we all stew together happily.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 20 Mar 18 - 05:44 AM

Not specially warm here, S. I (as the setter of this Honeywell Evohome thing, not the purchaser of oil) try to keep most of the house at 18C while people are up and about although Pip can override any room. The exception is the living room which with Peter sat in a chair for long periods is set at 20C, a temperature the radiator in that room won’t make when the outside temperature drops close to zero.

If it gets below 20C, I light the woodburner and at the moment am doing that anyway in the period between after tea and bed time. That room can get a bit hot if I get a bit too carried away with the stove. We’ve had it up to 27C a couple of times this winter…

Mewan’s moves through (or sometimes is moved) to the living room in the evening. Her settling down spot is varying quite a bit but there is another ritual that comes after Peter has gone to bed and Pip has her (for want of a better term) “quiet hour” in there before also going to bed. Mewan has to have some time on Pip’s lap before (usually) deciding to settle down somewhere else. The cat then pretends to be asleep. By that I mean Mewan is soon alert if she hears a bit of kitchen paper rustle or Pip starting to get out of the chair. You see the final “goodnight” between them involves another treat...

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Senoufou
Date: 20 Mar 18 - 06:40 AM

There's no such thing as 'a bit hot' for us Jon - any kind of hot is just fine. We keep our sitting room at 27C all day and evening. It only goes off when we get under our 15 tog goose down duvet. I suppose our Siamese cats enjoy living here, as it's always sweltering. When our neighbour comes round for a cuppa, she gets redder and redder in the face (they have no central heating at all, just a wood burner)

Aren't cats funny with their rituals? Our SmokeyPokey loves to have his bottom gently smacked, it helps his stiff joints. Every morning at 6am I'm stood there in my dressing gown smacking his rear end for ages while gasping for a cup of tea.
Murphy has a secret hideaway behind the TV (I've put a little bed there right up against a radiator) and he shoots out of the kitchen when I get up and makes for his hideyhole.
At bedtime, I only have to clap my hands a couple of times and they trot obediently off to the kitchen to bed.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 20 Mar 18 - 07:21 AM

Yes, S. Cats all have their, hmm, “catty traits” but there is plenty of scope for “individualism” too. You do get to find what they really like, eg. Mewan is quite fond of having her tummy tickled – Oedipuss was too but in a different way, it was a trap with him – the grab with front claws and kick with back feet stunt. And they can develop these routines and expect you to play your part.

Of words/noises, a few Mewan understands are “No”(mostly taken notice of), “Come on” (asking her to move/a signal that she will be moved) and “eek eek” (food – a sort of imitation of a noise she makes). I don’t do it often but it can be quite funny when she is resting. The rest of her can stay still but you can try her name or these things and watch the different responses by her tail twitching.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 20 Mar 18 - 01:39 PM

Steve Shaw,
by all means, go on rejoicing in Liam Og O'Flynn,
and let us know what has developed,
sometime,
with the elusive stray cat.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Charmion
Date: 22 Mar 18 - 09:25 AM

Watson, our tomcat, likes to jump onto my shoulder and ride around for a while. When he wants to perform this stunt, he follows me around meowing loudly until I am correctly positioned beside the kitchen counter, the dining table, the stairs or a chest of drawers. Then he reaches up to grab my shoulder with his front paws, steps onto my forearm with his hind paws, and settles himself in the curve of my elbow with one arm around the back of my neck. His objective is to purr loudly while rubbing his face on the side of my head, periodically shoving his snout into my ear.

When Watson was younger and slimmer, he would launch from the floor like a rocket-propelled grenade, grab the front of my shirt with his front claws, and then haul himself up to shoulder level with the aid of his scrabbling hind claws. This manoeuvre, known as "climbing the north face of Mount Charmion", has left an indelible mark on my wardrobe.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Senoufou
Date: 22 Mar 18 - 10:19 AM

Bless him, and what a lovely name! I've always bought Siamese kittens two at a time, and my goodness they could climb up anything. Mainly the full-length curtains, so they could sit on the pelmet at the top. But also me, any handy tree in the garden and the washing hanging temptingly from the washing line. Siamese claws don't retract, so they were always ready for action at any moment. Like you Charmion, they left their mark on most of my clothes.

SmokeyPokey has been out briefly today, as it's actually 9 Degrees Celsius!!! He's had a jolly good wee on all the plants, tubs, posts, walls and so on. Now he's back indoors snoozing. Murphy peered out briefly but decided The Monsters would get him, so didn't venture forth. He really is a wimp.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 23 Mar 18 - 06:37 PM

Senoufou suspected that a stray cat has
"chosen" the Steve Shaw household.

How IS that stray cat treating Steve Shaw And Household, anyhow?

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 23 Mar 18 - 09:21 PM

I'll only keep this up for a couple of days but here is new stray waddling through. It walks back a different way so I can't get its face coming back.

Not seen PussPuss since the last time I posted here.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Senoufou
Date: 24 Mar 18 - 02:50 AM

Hasn't he/she got a beautiful, luxurious tail Jon?

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 24 Mar 18 - 11:05 AM

That tail is big enough to be a second cat.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 24 Mar 18 - 09:14 PM

S, I'll tell the cat that people have been commenting here and that we feel that such a "luxury tail" would be better purposed as a scarf.

Of course the cat will simply ignore such a remark...

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: GUEST,Senoufou
Date: 25 Mar 18 - 04:01 AM

Our two are funny when cuddled up in their cat bed for the night. Their tails are like whippy bits of wire, but they each drape theirs across the head of the other, winding it round their mate's ears and down his face. If SmokeyPokey is on my lap, he somehow pokes his tail up my nose! Can't think why, unless it's a Siamese mark of affection. Makes me sneeze!

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Raggytash
Date: 26 Mar 18 - 04:12 AM

That cat Jon looks just like my female cat Mouse, complete with "luxury" tail.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 26 Mar 18 - 10:18 AM

Interesting Raggy.

--
We are worried about Mewan, our remaining indoor cat who has what I think comes down to site injection sarcoma. In the end, we drew the line with 4 operations and unless one was to consider taking the cat miles for radiation and chemotherapy, that was the end of the line at least with conventional medicine.

The lumps have grown quite big but she has been doing very well, as said before, still enjoying her treats, her times out in the garden, etc. and generally being an older but happy cat. She must have had a right old go at the site last night though as she has ripped through the fur and into the wound. We've an appointment with the vet tomorrow to see where we go from here.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Charmion
Date: 26 Mar 18 - 10:41 AM

That's sad, Jon Freeman. We went through something similar with a cat name of Lucy, who died of mammary cancer at the age of 16; by the time her body finally decided enough was enough, I could feel lumps all over her torso. They're tough little creatures, cats.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 27 Mar 18 - 10:48 AM

Thanks Charmion.

Some good news re Mewan today. The vet is not over concerned about the wound and as things stand, we are still at the stage where we keep the cat while she is generally contented.

---
A brother has a bit of a "scaredy cat" at the moment. They both (and it bit my brother) encountered a 2m long carpet python visiting the bedroom. Apparently, the cat isn't prepared to trust the bedroom and has been sniffing around every where else in the house for the last day or two.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Charmion
Date: 27 Mar 18 - 11:48 AM

Having looked up "carpet python" on Wikipedia, I agree with your brother's cat. I'd stay out of that bedroom for life.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 27 Mar 18 - 11:59 AM

I think it's quite mild compared to some things they can get. Brother's instant fear when it bit him was that it was an Eastern Brown Snake.

But, yep I'd side with the cat and would be quite paranoid about shutting up the house where he is...

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Senoufou
Date: 27 Mar 18 - 12:08 PM

Good news about Mewan Jon. I'm pleased for you.

My word, those carpet pythons can grow to 9ft in length! (certain species). (Like Charmion I looked it up.) Luckily they're not venomous, but I imagine a nasty bite could become infected. Haven't the Antipodes got an enormous selection of venomous/dangerous stuff? Snakes, spiders, Portuguese Men-O'-War, great white sharks etc.

Have to say though, they are rather beautiful, but NOT in bedrooms!
It's funny but a silly UK house spider has me screaming for help, but snakes in W Africa, even very venomous ones, have never freaked me out.
Obviously I've been wary of them for safety, but I have no snake phobia.

I wonder how SmokeyPokey and Murphy would react to a carpet python? They really enjoyed prodding and tormenting poor Hissing Sid, the very long grass snake, in the garden of our last house.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 27 Mar 18 - 12:14 PM

I'm open to correction, but as far as I understand it, S. Australia has the most venomous creatures anywhere. New Zealand by contrast has nothing, and no native land mammals either, so I believe.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Senoufou
Date: 28 Mar 18 - 03:38 AM

I think you're quite right Jon. I've been enjoying the TV documentary series 'Bondi Rescue', which follows the activities of the lifeguards on Bondi beach.
Apart from grabbing drowning folk in the deadly 'rips' or currents, they seem to spend quite some time dealing with bluey stings (venomous jellyfish), yanking highly poisonous sea snakes out of the water (enough venom in one bite to kill dozens of people) even removing a deadly spider from a holiday maker's rucksack.
Add to that sounding the shark siren and resuscitating collapsed people who have dangerous heatstroke and dehydration, one is left puzzled as to why anyone in their right mind would even set foot on blooming Bondi beach! There seems to be a continuous procession of 'ambos' on blue lights making their way there.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 30 Mar 18 - 06:31 PM

Steve Shaw, naughty you,
we're over hear worried about you and the
stray cat that has been visiting you.
Has the cat continued to come?

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Senoufou
Date: 31 Mar 18 - 03:00 AM

If you want a really good laugh, go onto Youtube and type in 'Mrs Brown calls Rory back'. It's only a short clip, but I've watched it dozens of times and it always creases me up!

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 01 Apr 18 - 09:06 AM

"Our cats learned to turn the taps on by pushing the handles across (the taps were like those that surgeons use, with a lever to push with their elbow) We had to pay a plumber to change the taps into old-fashioned ones that need screwing round,

OT but this prompted me to change a pair of taps you turn round and round for extended lever ones for the washbasin in the bathroom. It’s sometimes (varies, some just use hand gel) used by a nurse who dresses a wound on my back and can be used by various other visitors, eg. support for dad as well as ourselves.

I’ve also fitted a thermostatic mixing valve for the hot tap (they advise hot water storage at 60C these days and that’s enough to scald) to eliminate the possibility of nasty shocks and a new waste (click clack rather than old plug) this weekend as well as redoing one length of silicone sealant. This together with the (long standing) Deb soap dispenser and a recent fitting of a blue roll dispenser, I think just about completes my efforts for this corner of the bathroom. Maybe it’s a bit unusual for domestic premises, I don't know but I think this better reflects our own needs.

As for cats, I don’t think I’ve known one try to use any sink but we always have bowls of water available. The other thing I’ve known them go for and I think one needs to be careful with is water for houseplants. Sometimes, they have seemed to prefer water that’s a bit “off” to fresh water/

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Senoufou
Date: 01 Apr 18 - 11:23 AM

You sound very handy Jon. Great that you've adapted your bathroom for your needs.
Our little spoiled horrors always have a lovely stainless steel bowl of fresh water, washed out and re-filled several times a day. But they much prefer the tap (and our water is very hard and chlorinated) In summer, they'll lap water from a manky puddle in the garden after it's rained.
I actually miss the old levered taps, (so easy to open and close) but we've long since accepted that we're under the control of our Siamese masters...

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 01 Apr 18 - 11:57 AM

I know the Norfolk water, S. Limescale builds up quickly… I much preferred the sweet Welsh water that came from the N Wales lakes to taste but I think both areas use a lot of chlorine these days and hard water is supposed to be better for you… Pip won’t drink the straight tap water here and hates it even in a cup of tea. One of those under the sink filters and a little tap at the kitchen sink has been the best answer we’ve had for that It’s slow to fill a jug or kettle from but it removes whatever she finds offensive to the taste.

No accounting for cats' taste though...

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Donuel
Date: 01 Apr 18 - 12:07 PM

Copy Cat videos

https://theconcourse.deadspin.com/how-americas-largest-local-tv-owner-turned-its-news-anc-1824233490

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Donuel
Date: 03 Apr 18 - 06:56 AM

Internet cat videos are second only to porn

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 03 Apr 18 - 11:01 AM

Donuel, that video of videos has something for everybody on it.
Said another way, there is something to offend everyone.
Some of the little video clips did not amuse me.
Those that did, though ... tears of laughter.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Bill D
Date: 03 Apr 18 - 12:03 PM

""Our cats learned to turn the taps on by pushing the handles across (the taps were like those that surgeons use, with a lever to push with their elbow) We had to pay a plumber to change the taps into old-fashioned ones that need screwing round,"

I used to work in a small bookstore with its own resident cat. It was quiet and simply spent most days wandering about or sleeping on some shelf. The owner, a very feisty little lady who thought of herself as equal to any man OR beast, came up to me with a look in her eyes that said she had a tale to tell.
   It seems that since she was the one who closed the store at night and often stayed late to do accounts, etc., she also had to deal with feeding the cat and cleaning cat box.... and putting 'kitty' in a safe place for the night, as he would often entertain himself by "rearranging the shelves" and other interesting nocturnal pursuits.
   Her solution, finally, was to lock him in the small bathroom (WC) for the night with a small bed, litter box, and water dish. Fine for a few days, but as she related to me, she began finding him in the morning, OUT of his prison and back to his old habits. This happened over & over and she couldn't figure out how he was getting out.
   Finally, as she explained, she decided to go in with him and wait...... so she took him in, shut the door firmly, sat on the closed toilet and waited. The cat sat there for awhile, looking at the door, then looked up at her as if bothered by her presence, then hopped up on her lap and went out on her left knee and reached (it was a very small room)for the door knob....except, there was no 'knob'. The inside knob had been removed, or broken... or something... and there was only the extended mechanism the knob was supposed to fit on. (I had never thought much about it... I and other humans would simply grasp the mechanism and twist.)
    So... the cat stretched out one paw, extended a claw or two, caught those claws in a slot in the knob mechanism and swung off of her knee and hung with its full weight from the slot... which turned the system just enough to turn the cylinder and pop the door open about an inch.... then he dropped to the floor and fiddled with the door till he could pull it open.
   The solution? Because the door swung inward, it was useless to block it from outside, so... a trip to the hardware store for a complete new knob set with an smooth inside knob with nothing for clever claws to grip.
If I remember correctly after all these years, it only took the cat a few days to learn how to get out, but 2-3 weeks for the owner to solve the problem.... which makes some point about cars, I guess..

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Senoufou
Date: 04 Apr 18 - 04:06 AM

Hahaha loved that story Bill!
Cats are extraordinarily clever at getting what they want. Our little Minty used to scale up the kitchen shelves like a mountaineer, then reached down and tip the packet of special treat biscuits onto the floor. This enabled the lot of them to gorge themselves silly, then puke up their excesses, leaving delightful piles of sick for me to find in the morning.
They reminded me of teenage lads out bingeing on lager and coming home to spend the night being sick into a bucket!

SmokeyPokey could always find a way to push up the slider which locked the catflap. We eventually changed the system and he was stumped. He howled and yowled every night until he twigged we weren't giving in.
One needs nerves of steel to deal with Siamese cats!

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 05 Apr 18 - 12:45 PM

Bill D: "makes some point about cars, I guess."
Did you mean, about cats?

Raggytash,
how are your English cats doing
with the new cat-flap security in place?

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: keberoxu
Date: 07 Apr 18 - 04:41 PM

here, kitty, kitty, kitty . . .

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Bill D
Date: 07 Apr 18 - 11:19 PM

Keberoxu...Urg,,, yes cats. Who put that r so near the t?

I also once had 2 Siamese...male & female. When some mischief was done, we had only to yell: "I'm gonna get a cat!" and the guilty one would run.
One Thanksgiving, we had bought a frozen turkey and needed a day to defrost.... so... put the turkey, still in plastic wrap, into the cupboard on a platter and closed the door. We had to go out that afternoon, and came home to check on 'progress'. Went in the kitchen and noticed the cupboard door very slightly (an inch or two) ajar. Hmmm... thought I had close that. Suddenly, a furry tail swished down in the opening and back up again! I yanked open the door and the male Siamese was crouched there, knawing on the half-frozen drumstick, having chewed right thru the plastic. I yelled and he ran.. or flew.. in a couple of bounds, out of the room, while the female just sat there, grooming her whiskers. "Who me? I didn't have anything to do with that."
(Yes.. we trimmed the drumstick and ate the turkey. He had barely broken in.)

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Raggytash
Date: 08 Apr 18 - 02:45 AM

Keberoxu, my cats seem to be much happier now they don't have to share the house and food with interlopers. I have not witnessed the main culprit trying to gain entrance, I presume he's given himself a headache trying to get through the flap!



Thanks for asking:-)

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Senoufou
Date: 08 Apr 18 - 03:57 AM

Very glad Raggytash that the electronic catflap is working so well. Cats get freaked out when uninvited 'guests' come into their territory. Ours would wee on everything in sight to mark their ownership of the place when the Cat From Hell used to get in.

I bet those Siamese would have munched through the entire turkey if it hadn't been frozen Bill. Our certainly would!
We put de-frosting meat actually inside the unheated oven overnight to protect it. But once or twice we've forgotten it. Stinky 'off' meat chucked in the bin, grim faces and a rummage in the freezer for something else to defrost.

Had a lovely hour yesterday sitting on The Bench with SmokeyPokey. The sun was shining, it was 16 degrees and so many people came to sit and chat I was rather hoarse when I finally came indoors. My husband said hopefully, "Does that mean you can't talk anymore?" Cheeky thing!

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Stanron
Date: 08 Apr 18 - 07:21 AM

If I want to defrost some meat I take it out of the freezer and put it in the fridge for 24 hours. Is that wrong?

Mind you I don't have cats. Did anyone else see that episode of QI where Alan Davies described how his cat learned how to open the fridge, stole a defrosting chicken and had it halfway to the cat flap before being discovered?

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Bill D
Date: 08 Apr 18 - 10:00 AM

Somehow, we never even thought of the oven for defrosting the turkey.... but we were 'only' gonna be away for a short while.....and we used the 2nd shelf of the cupboard. I'm sure that if it had been overnight, both cats would have had their fill of turkey.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Senoufou
Date: 08 Apr 18 - 01:35 PM

Our kitchen is small, and our fridge is tiny. There's no room in it for a defrosting chicken or joint of meat, so the oven is the best (and most secure) place.

I don't know how our cats have the brass neck to pinch food. They live like kings. In addition to their sachets of proprietary cat food and Iams biscuits, they get delicious slices of the best chicken breast while we submissively eat the legs. They get roast pork, best beef, lean mince, in fact every kind of meat imaginable.

While we're eating our meagre rations, we get gently poked and prodded by a strategically aimed Siamese paw. And the ear-splitting chorus of "Gimme!" every two seconds.

When my husband visits his family in Africa, he tries to tell them about the choice food our cats are given and they all refuse to believe a word of it.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 08 Apr 18 - 02:43 PM

The new stray's visits are unpredictable but it has been persuaded into the porch. A picture here.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Raggytash
Date: 08 Apr 18 - 03:01 PM

Hi Jon, She looks very much like my Mouse, a long haired Tabby, very beautiful cat indeed.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 09 Apr 18 - 03:22 AM

The fur on this one is quite matted Raggy. It could be she's let herself go a bit in her life as as a stray but I'm wondering do you have to brush your very similar cat a lot?

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Raggytash
Date: 09 Apr 18 - 03:35 AM

Mouse is not that fond of being brushed although I do so. Another long haired cat I had (an absolutely beautiful Grey and white cat, who died last year aged 17) loved being brushed, I could brush her for ages ............ before being bitten !

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Senoufou
Date: 09 Apr 18 - 09:13 AM

What a beautiful cat Jon! And her expression - trying to be aloof, but underneath one can see her yearning to be loved. Like that song 'Memories' from the musical 'Cats'.

Long-haired cats do indeed need a lot of brushing, or their fur gets tangled in knots, which are best cut off with scissors if a cat has been feral and got her fur in a bit of a mess.

I used to show my British Shorthair cat Gussie, and all the owners at the GCCF shows would sit and natter while the judging was going on. Those with longhairs had an impressive array of tools for preparing their cats' coats. (The longhairs were officially called Persian.)

Luckily my Gussie only needed a quick brush and smooth-over. He was jet black with deep orange eyes, and he won several Firsts, finishing with Premier medal (highest award for a neuter)

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Raggytash
Date: 09 Apr 18 - 09:17 AM

Yesterday I saw my cats nemesis slinking under the gate next door. It looks like he has had a trip to the vet, one leg was shaved. I know I should not be but part of me was rather smug that the little b*****d had got his comeuppance.

Subject: RE: How many Mudcats have cats!?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 12 Apr 18 - 09:32 AM

After a couple of days absence, the new stray turned up last night. She was by the sliding doors as I was drawing the curtains. I went to the porch and called her before getting a dish and a pouch of cat food. She was next to me by the time I turned round. I gave her the food and closed the porch door.

She gobbled the food, and welcomed a bit of a fuss. I even persuaded her into the kitchen to accept a bit of chicken although she wary of that room. She didn’t want to go back outside for a while but asked for more food. I think it was about 45 minutes and 3½ pouches before she decided it was time to move on.

Don’t know when she will turn up again and I’m probably out with Pip this evening so wouldn’t see her if she did turn up at the same time today but she seems even more of a cat that could be persuaded to settle down somewhere in time.