You know you're an over protective cat mum

[TheGirlOnTheLanding]

... when you're tired and yawning and dying to go to bed but are waiting up for his highness to come in through the cat flap before going to bed.

(In my defence, it's chucking it down and I'd quite like to intercept him with a towel before his muddy wet paws have made their mark all over the cushions and floor but also I just want to make sure he's home safe and dried off.

At Midnight?

Haha! Yup.I've been there, half asleep on the sofa at 2.30 as I can't go to bed unless I know my beloved girl is home!

I also know I'm cat mum when my cat is sprawled over the middle of the sofa and rather than disturb her I squish myself on the end cushion and leave her snoozing.

At midnight Cozie.

I've been out the back and called him a few times but I suspect he's hiding under a bush somewhere, if he's got any sense. The deluge is positively biblical.

Ha! Yes, Pinky, been there too. In fact, a few nights ago DH and I were sitting on the floor watching tv because BiteyCat was stretched full length across both cushions on the sofa (he's a big lad and needs his space.) We know our place, clearly.

When The Lodger moved in with us, he had to agree to some conditions eg House Rules, pom-pom relinquishment and curfew. (My list was a lot longer. ) Curfew meant out after breakfast and back - for the last time - after tea.

He accepted it with extremely good grace mainly, I think, because he knew he could go out after breakfast. No way would I have waited up for him until the wee small hours!

Normally it's a brief late venture outside for his bedtime ablutions (he's the first cat I've owned who'd rather pee outside in the rain than use the litter tray) but tonight the rain was rather more dramatic than usual and hit turned into an extended visit. Back in now though, and towel dried and settled for the night (and the cat flap locked till breakfast.)

My cat won't pee in the tray either! About once every six months, normally if a guest comes round, he pees in there.

Dh has gone out in the car at 1am before now looking for asbo. Asbo has a knack of appearing just after he's pulled off the drive.

He told the neighbours I make him do these things. I don't.

You know you're an over protective cat mum when you go outside, pick up the cat from the back wall and carry it inside. Because it's too scared to walk past next door's kittens sitting guard outside the cat flap.

Awww. How old is it?

abig

Abig - is your cat this nervous about everything or is it just the kittens that cause the wobbles?

Abig -

When your kitten starts shivering after being spayed, so you make her a blanket tent with a cuddly hot water bottle inside.

When you're late for work and you're following Her Highness round with a litter tray because you need a wee sample!

You know you're an over protective cat mum...

When a new cat moves in across the road so you go out of your way to speak to the new neighbours purely to find out what this new cat's about, what's his game, what does he do in his spare time?

This does come after my docile cat was attacked twice, and terrible, by two newcomers though. He doesn't seem to understand body language

This is obviously after I've picked out all of the yuky bits in his favourite meat because he won't eat any other food and only likes bacon taste, not the actual bacon... Ok I need a life.

They're both two year old boys, quite fat well built, perfectly happy to face up to other cats of similar size but are absolutely pathetic at walking past these 2 smallish (at least half their size) female kittens. The pair of them will sit out there starring mournfully across the back yard, glancing from the kitten(s) to the cat flap to me.

Ah. Female kittens.

When you spend Sarturday evening working out a menu plan so the cat doesn't get fed up with the same food. It took me ages as there's 10 varieties!

When I heard my neighbour "That scabby looking Siamese thing better not come into MY garden!", referring to Little Monsieur. He never leaves our courtyard, just sits on the wall, smelling the breeze. and dog shit wafting in from her garden

Let's say, I took it very personally, and the air turned several shades of blue that afternoon.

How could anyone look at my little prince and call him "scabby"? (He's a Devon Rex, so has curls on most of his body, and peach fuzz covering the rest.)

Oh my goodness, yes: diss the cat babies at your peril! (I can never feel quite the same again about friends who are 'not keen' on cats... I try not to let it show.) Poor Little Monsieur, hope his self-esteem wasn't too bruised.

My mother rang me today to say she was going to the shop for birthday cake candles and I said she could have some of mine, I bought them recently for MiffleCat's birthday cake

My mother (worse than I am) asked if I made a catfood cake for MiffleCat, or a cake cake for us. I said cake cake but we did sing Happy Birthday to her. I may have even taken photos.

PS My mother always buys MiffleCat a birthday present...and wraps it. Clearly there is a loopy catmother gene which I have inherited.

When you put sun cream on her ears because they're so pale and you don't want her to get cat cancer.

When you run out into the busy town centre street in your saggy trackies, bed-hair, waving dreamies in one hand and his tracking device in the other. Between 8 and 9am, when there's loads of folk about on their way to work.

Little bugger must have legged it through the door when I was taking a food delivery. Which means he spent the night in the rain.

The miscreant is safely asleep next to me now.

MiffleCat perhaps is hankering after an attractive bonnet, if your mother needs some ideas.

TheGirlOnTheLanding. I don't think his self esteem was damaged. He's gorgeous and he knows it.

Pic as proof.

Rubbish I love the attractive bonnet! I really enjoyed the "my cat looks like a little lion" thread recently! Sadly if I tried to put something similar on MiffleCat she would take my face off. Plus she has too much very floofy fur to fit into a bonnet

PS My mother bought her a very expensive catnip mouse which MiffleCat disdainfully threw under the sofa with a fuck you look. DH suggested we keep an eye on CatsNet for a "MIL bought me a patterned rather than striped catnip mouse for my birthday present...AIBU to go NC?"