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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

I appear to have cats

329 replies

ZestyDragon · 20/09/2022 21:32

Hi all, I am posting here for some advice please. I moved into a small country cottage three weeks ago and it appears that the previous owner left their cat behind 😮 One of the neighbours told me a few days later that they had left him behind. He had mostly been living outside but is slowly moving in - actually maybe not that slowly seeing as he is asleep on the sofa beside me right now.

So....do I just try and get him to a vet for a check up? I am assuming that he has been neutered but actually I don't know. Also will he need vaccinations etc?

Secondly - there are a LOT of cats around - the neighbour down the road is a farm and have 14....so when a mummy cat and baby were hanging around I assumed that they were from the farm. Turns out that they do not and now they seem to live in my shed.

So I have gone from no pets to one house cat and two ferals that basically appear to have moved in. I'm feeding them all but I am worried about the mummy and baby - the mum let me stroke her once and her belly seems kind of large. Could she be pregnant again?

I have wormed and flea-dropped the indoor boy (Apparently his name is Kevin) - should I do the same for the others?

First pic is the baby - he likes to hiss for attention at dinner time.

Second is Kevin - who is in the bad books for stealing a piece of chicken.

Third is mummy - I am worried about her potentially being or getting pregnant again.

BTW I am in NI.

I appear to have cats
I appear to have cats
I appear to have cats
OP posts:
Thread gallery
48
MsGrahamCheese · 14/10/2022 22:22

"Cat glitter" I love that 😍

You all have magnificent moggies :)

verdantverdure · 14/10/2022 22:43

Kevin is positively majestic!

Soubriquet · 15/10/2022 09:27

Saw this…thought of you

I appear to have cats
picklemewalnuts · 15/10/2022 11:10

Love it!

picklemewalnuts · 15/10/2022 11:11

I have a lovely dog who doesn't like cats, and an okish husband who's allergic. I'm just biding my time...

TheLongRider · 23/10/2022 08:23

Any more news of Kevin and Perry?

IsFuzzyBeagMise · 23/10/2022 13:25

I'm just chiming in to say what a lovely thread this is and to wish Op well 😻

Original poster
ZestyDragon · 29/10/2022 17:18

Hello all!

It's been a while since I checked in but I had family staying plus dogs, a horror tooth removal and I am still wiped out from Covid.

So the family plus a westie and a scotty came to visit. I very carefully split the garden in two at the side of the house and the barrier lasted....oh....two minutes? Turns out westies are very good at burrowing. Anyway Kevin FREAKED OUT! He pretty much moved up to the farmer for a few days (apart from breakfast and dinner times). Mimmy and Perry stayed put and in fact it was quite entertaining to see her put the doggies in place. Mimmy can really growl. So everything settled down and Kevin and the doggies took turns in sleeping in my room. Def not at the same time....We did have an incident where Perry came in and sat under the table which drove the dogs mental but really Mimmy and Perry give no shits.

Kevin had his second lot of vaccines and the vet asked how the strays were - I explained that they did like to come and sit inside as long as I am not there (like all of the cats sitting on the sofas). He said I should just give in, three cats is fine and they will all have stockings hung in front of the fire for Christmas 🤔He may be right on this.

During a cat discussion at work yesterday one of my cat mad colleagues was delighted to point out that I no longer call them "the cats" but "my cats". He also pointed this out to everyone else who agreed.

The cats also seem to be obsessed with my bed. If I have the back door open one of them will sneak into my bedroom. I have to keep the door shut.

Also this picture below- I can't really touch Perry stillbut he likes to sit at the other end of the sofa. He is there now about two feet from me on his own.

BTW has anyone had a cat that learned to open the fridge? I swear that they are trying.

Lastly the farmers dog just strolled in this afternoon -through the kitchen, into the living room, looked for a stroke and left......wtf is going on here??

I appear to have cats
OP posts:
Soubriquet · 29/10/2022 17:23

That is an adorable picture

And your work colleague is right. You can’t call them the cats anymore. They are clearly your cats.

Perry will eventually soften up and he will be the softest soppiest cat ever and loving cuddles

Fundays12 · 29/10/2022 17:33

Love this picture. You definitely have cats as they have adopted you. They look very comfortable on your couch.

LeMoo · 29/10/2022 17:37

That's the best picture!

Word has got around that you're a soppy sod and the dog is taking advantage 😁

I used to have a cat that could open the fridge! Lol

Pixiedust1234 · 29/10/2022 17:41

Hello Mrs Doolittle. Just wait until the farmers chickens start visiting 😂

DobbyTheHouseElk · 29/10/2022 17:45

fantastic. Love this.

Toasty280 · 29/10/2022 17:49

It will be the farmer visiting next
Do we need to start buying our hats for the wedding?
Another ggeg?

Toasty280 · 29/10/2022 17:50

But it would be a gorgeous green eyes farmer not gardner...

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 29/10/2022 18:05

Is the vet as lovely as I imagine him to be?!!

As for dogs wandering in - you are evidently
marked up as a ‘right human’ as opposed to a ‘wrong human’. ‘Right humans’ are a very rare species, so word travels fast in the animal kingdom. Basically Mrs Dolittle !! The dogs was probably just checking to make sure the rumours of a ‘right human’ were true.

love the photo!

NeverDropYourMooncup · 29/10/2022 18:47

You have The Mark.

It's on your forehead, invisible to everybody else, but blazing neon bright to animals, small children and other likeminded souls. It's even vaguely similar to the M of a true tabby's brow, but finishes the word,

M

U

G

Dog is checking out where the cats have moved to, he's followed them by scent, checked for signs of the annoying yappy things he's heard about from Kevin and thought he'd say hello whilst conducting his inspection. He may be back if they've told him about the snacks. Daily.

lljkk · 29/10/2022 18:59

Thanks for thread, OP. x

TheLongRider · 29/10/2022 19:04

Yes cats can learn to open the fridge, and doors and bins! You'll need a child lock on the fridge and a heavy block on the bin.

Fluffycloudland77 · 29/10/2022 19:19

Our Bengal could take the kick boards off. Came in handy when we had the floor tiles and we couldn’t get one piece off.

Perry will come round.

IsFuzzyBeagMise · 29/10/2022 19:53

Thank you for the update ZestyDragon.
The picture is adorable. The cat on the left (Perry?) looks rather like one of mine, but a mega fluffy version. He only likes rubs on his terms.
My dh's cats used to open the fridge door. They had to put a child safety lock on it.

Original poster
ZestyDragon · 29/10/2022 20:38

Thanks for the replies and support all.

So the farmer....erm....no. An example of an early conversation where he was telling me he didn't like a local town where I lived for a few years because it is full of divorced people. Readers - I am a divorced person....

The vet - actually he is rather attractive if I am honest. He has this dark auburn hair but he looks to be mid 30s so about a decade younger than me. I did open bumble last week with the idea of dating and then had a change of heart because I would then need to talk to these men. I had a second change of heart when I realised I would have to put the lights on my Christmas tree myself this year and was quite horrified and wondered if I should get a boyfriend for the season. However male best friend says he will do it (he has seen me near enough throw lights on the tree and can't bear the idea) - BUT I had an idea. I could just get a new tree with lights?? Yes? Genius idea I think....

@Soubriquet - I think Perry might come around to me eventually but he is still very nervous. I think ham might win him around though.

Those of you saying they could learn to open the fridge - you have put me in fear. I need a lock. As it is I made a mistake of leaving wheaten bread on the counter when I was at work one day last week and there were crumbs EVERYWHERE!

@Alphabet1spaghetti2 and @NeverDropYourMooncup whether I am a right human or a mug I seem to be seeing a lot more cats ambling around the place. My three are obviously used to all the farm cats and don't seem to be bothered if they saunter over.

I've posted the following - a picture of Fly the dog (yes her name is Fly but the farmer assured me that he rescued her with that name it is not one he would have chosen - his others are twinkle and star so I am included to believe him). She is very friendly and does wander into the garden to say hi. This was the first time she came in. She is a bit strong smelling though and Kevin ran like the wind (Perry did not).

An attempt to fridge rob - I know its bad that my first reaction was to take a photo but I was laughing and I promise I wiped down the fridge afterwards.

Also Kevin and Perry and currently flying around the living room play fighting. Mimmy tends to sit on the mat inside the kitchen door if I am around. If I am in my office she will come in and sit on the armchair or my bed.

I appear to have cats
I appear to have cats
I appear to have cats
I appear to have cats
OP posts:
Pixiedust1234 · 29/10/2022 20:48

❤

I am insanely jealous. You really need to adopt me. Apparently you have plenty of unused cat beds i could sleep in...

IsFuzzyBeagMise · 29/10/2022 20:50

Lovely floofy cats and Fly looks sweet.

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 29/10/2022 20:51

Loving the vet description - is he tall enough to help put a star on the new tree….. which btw will probably become a favourite haunt of several new cats..