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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
Soubriquet · 06/10/2022 12:35

Kenwouldmixitup · 06/10/2022 12:30

Cats are much less trainable than dogs but can learn a few manners.

Ya think! ☺️

They are very clever.

Clever enough to make you think they are trained…only to then prove they aren’t.

midlifecrash · 06/10/2022 13:14

I have only got one cat, and so in the main managed to impress on her that she can’t get on the table (and she’s older now so doesn’t try). The thing I found to watch out for was when she climbed lovingly into my lap at dinner time, aiming to stick her nose in the butter if it got within her reach.

Fluffycloudland77 · 06/10/2022 13:54

Ours goes batshit for Tesco turkey thigh joints with salt and pepper. Haven’t bought one since.

YesitsBess · 06/10/2022 19:40

OP firstly this thread is splendid and I love it.

Secondly, a cautionary tale. I asked some friends at a well-known rescue for their least friendly cat, because I don’t like cats but needed a workshop cat to take care of rats. I was assured this one hated everything and everyone and would likely never venture inside. I present exhibit A below.

We then had a lodger who we liked very much. When she moved we stayed in touch and she told us she had been given a farm kitten, she then had to move so I agreed to host the kitten temporarily. I present to you exhibit B (Gary, who couldn’t work out where the open door was so used to yell at whatever window you were near, but somehow managed to drag in an entire SEAGULL at 6 months of age).

I appear to have cats
I appear to have cats
Soubriquet · 06/10/2022 20:07

Cats have a way of worming themselves in your heart.

I remember my dad. He hated all animals really but we had cats. The smallest one Tabitha had him wrapped round his paw.

He used to feed her ham when he was making his sandwhiches for work because she would claw at him until he did it.

GobbolinoTheWitchesCat · 06/10/2022 20:37

@YesitsBess Gary looks batshit! 🤣😂🤣🤣🤣

GobbolinoTheWitchesCat · 06/10/2022 20:39

@Soubriquet my cat has recently decided the way to wake me up for breakfast is to stick a single claw up my nose to hook my nostril!

Gingerwarthog · 06/10/2022 20:47

Dear God @YesitsBess
Gary??

Gingerwarthog · 06/10/2022 20:49

@YesitsBess
Is he alright now?
Any more up to date pictures of Gary?
Preferably chilled out with cat nip

MaffsMover · 06/10/2022 21:07

Gary, are you ok hun?

YesitsBess · 06/10/2022 21:13

Gary was the sweetest, weirdest little cat you could ever meet. I have precisely no photos of her not being utterly mental. She would follow me and the dog to the pub - but only to a point about half a mile away. She would then stay in a bush and howl until we returned.

She very much enjoyed her stay with us. I’m still recovering 6 years on! Here she is destroying all my seedlings with a cobweb on her head from climbing up the fucking CHIMNEY. That’s literally the most sensible photo of her. Enjoy!

And OP count your blessings, could be worse, you could have a Gary!

I appear to have cats
ChecoPerez · 06/10/2022 21:21

I've been lurking in this thread and oh my god, I lost it at Gary 🤣🤣🤣🤣 @YesitsBess we need more pics!!

YesitsBess · 06/10/2022 21:32

I think Gary may be a thread of her own! I don’t want to derail from Kevin, Perry and Mimmi who I am hugely invested in.

But here she is eating fuck knows what insect (at least it wasn’t a seagull that time).

I appear to have cats
Gingerwarthog · 06/10/2022 21:32

Hmm...@ZestyDragon
Could Cat 4 be ...Gary ... in tribute to the original posted here?

Gingerwarthog · 06/10/2022 21:34

What happened to Gary??
Did she go back to her original owner?
Did she have kittens?
Is she happy?
I need to know!

YesitsBess · 06/10/2022 21:37

Gary was spayed whilst she was with me as original owner vanished back to her home country. At the time I couldn’t afford insurance for that many animals so she went through an excellent rescue whilst staying with us as a foster and now lives in Brighton, I imagine the Seagull population has been nicely under control since…

Gingerwarthog · 06/10/2022 21:45

Aw. Quirky old Gary in quirky old Brighton chasing seagulls down the lanes. Yay

Summersdreaming · 06/10/2022 22:08

Love this thread!

I sleep on my side and my little bugger of a rescue has decided the best way to wake me up is to bite me on the arse!! He's the sensible one too. I may also have a Gary in training 😳

NowYouListenToMeFella · 06/10/2022 22:08

Love this thread. Kevin, Perry and Mimmi are adorable and I'm loving their updates and their moving in and making you love them. Can't wait to hear more.

Gary's screaming pics have cracked me up.

HeechulOppa · 07/10/2022 01:20

Oh I can’t wait for more updates! I also have two Dreamies dislikers, the heathens! I get girlkitten1 next week so maybe she’ll be normal.

OnTheRunWithMannyMontana · 07/10/2022 07:47

Ivy and Betsy are both on diets after a ticking off at the vets so we don't do dreamies.

However I did get them some freeze dried sprats from amazon that they go absolutely crazy for!

crumpetswithjam · 07/10/2022 08:01

I woke up absolutely miserable and this thread has cheered me up so much!

MaffsMover · 07/10/2022 09:01

Gary living her best life in Brighton has made me smile internally. God love that cat. The perfect place for her I’d say.

I am concerned about Mimmy, how’s she doing? Poor wee thing with all her litters of babies. How are you doingZesty? I’m sure you’ve enough to be doing with moving into your new home.

User14379 · 07/10/2022 09:44

cat no 4 is my favourite

Fluffycloudland77 · 07/10/2022 17:43

Gary needs her own thread or a tv mini series with dramatised re-enactments with a subplot of a catholic girl falling for a Protestant farmer with a lot of land for cat rescue and a big aga for tray bakes.