At last - I have cats!

[Allergictoironing]

Well not quite yet, but as soon as the logistics of getting a few days off work so I can settle them in has been sorted, fitted around days when either my DSiS or SiL can come with me to collect them.

Now madly ordering Stuff on line for them like a large cat tree, litter trays, beds, feed bowls, brush/grooming mitt, carry basket(s), litter, food, window screens (they will be indoors only cats).

So what have I forgotten? I've been wanting this for years, and planning seriously for months, and now it's a reality my mind has gone blank!

Leopard I can't even SEE them half the time (under the sofa), and when I can they are tucked away in the shadows doing their best to look like a lump of black coal in an unlit coal cellar!

Look up Linton & Lassa on the Rolvenden Cat recue web site, I think they are still on there.

Watch out for tails in bad light. (Standing on them.) Most cats will curl their tail close to their body but my own old lad is so relaxed around the place that he'll often leave his (dark) tail lying out. If it wasn't for the fact that his body is pale, and I know his habits, I'd have had that tail a dozen times by now!

Last night's breakthrough was when I was sitting watching the TV, and I heard the unmistakable sound of a scratching post being used. I got up about 20 mins later to go out of the room & had a sighting of a cat half out from behind the sofa near the tree/post, and they didn't immediately dash back! In fact they were still there when I came back into the room a couple of minutes later.

Sounds as if your approach is suiting them.

The best tip the cat rescue lady gave us about settling a nervous cat is ignore them. It might seem counterintuitive but cats that cross each others' territories but don't want to fight make a big show of ignoring each other. In cat language it means 'I don't see you as a threat and I have no plans to attack you'.

From their perspective, these cats are on your 'territory'. They are probably worried that you will want to chase them away. The most reassuring thing you can do is ignore them completely, as this tells them in language they understand that you don't mind them being there, don' see them as a threat and are not a threat to them.

(Plus cats can't bear being ignored by their staff humans. It enrages them. They will come out and demand things just to reclaim their position as centre of the universe.)

They are gorgeous! And yes, quite soon they will want the staff to come to order.

I am mostly ignoring them (apart from feeding, tray cleaning etc) with the occasional look down the back of the sofa in the vain hope that they aren't directly behind the recliner bit so I can use it. Oh and the odd placing of Dreamies at the ends of the sofa of course - I'm a great believer in bribery when it comes to pets .

I think they are doing as well as I could possibly expect, as they are eating, drinking & pooing with all the poo in the litter tray not in random parts of the room. They do talk to each other occasionally in a conversational tone with no apparent stress or aggression even with me in the room. For just under 3 days I think they are doing pretty well .

My two met one another for the first time last night...
Enjoy them cats are tops 😻😻

How cute Mouse!

Ahh yes The Paw
My big black cat Tom ( who I am convinced is a different relative of hollingurst's Ollie !) will offer his if I ask!

Aww mouse - and is that some sort of feline chaise longue?

Well we've had a massive breakthrough tonight. My best friend came round & we were watching the boxing of all things, and he suddenly said "your cats are out". They slowly encroached further into the middle of the room and at different stages both actually ate in front of us; they also had a pleasant half hour or so lounging on different levels of the cat tree. They are fascinated by the TV, and of course they won't have seen one before they came home with me.

I have accused the best friend of using Feliway for aftershave .

I'm sure they only did it to prove me wrong, after I'd told him they were unlikely to come out in front of people for a few weeks.

Brilliant!

A few years back, Seniorboy had a little brain incident and became frightened of the silliest things. I put the telly on in the bedroom almost continuously and although I had almost square eyes - lots of box sets - he seemed to like it very much and it eased him considerably. I think it was the continuous and predictable noise source or something.

These are the two I worried about as they were so nervy. I think we might have progress

Have they discovered the bed yet? If mines up in the day I ask him if the beds on fire.

Seniorboy would only be up in the day if the bed was on fire!

Although, to be scrupulously fair, he might allow himself to walk to his rug if I had provided sufficiently strong sunshine that day.

I don't think they are into the bed yet. Still spending the daytime behind and under the sofa, but tell tale black fluff on the top of the sofa & my usual sitting place suggests they do like soft things to sit on.

Congratulations on a long life of cat servitude

Congratulations on the new additions to your family. Can I ask, how much is it to rescue 2 cars from Rolvenden Rescue Centre Allergictoironing?

Also can I ask everyone, is Pet Planet the best place for equipment, food, etc?

They don't have a set adoption amount at Rolvenden. I gave Ruth £160 for my two, but that was purely my choice and she'd suggested that around £50 per cat is typical; the receipt says £60 adoption fee & £100 donation. If I'd had to count every penny of the adoption fee, I wouldn't have considered myself to be in a position to adopt.

They come micro-chipped, neutered, injections, flea treatment & worming, and mine had claws clipped & ears cleaned while they were at the vets . Oh and they come with a little hand knitted blanket from their pen so you have something with their smell on it .

Lassa has sat on the back of the sofa (far end from me of course) reasonable contentedly with me in the room, though I didn't try getting up & walking past until she'd decided to move off by herself. Linton still has a panic attack if I move when he's not hidden under or behind the sofa.

Maybe try and use a verbal clue or two for them? Sort of announce that you're going to move with some phrase such a 'cuppie tea'?

I do that with Seniorboy at least - since his eyesight grew dodgy - and as long as you're consistent with the meaning of the phrase, they should be fine with it.