Hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats

[Grumpyoldpersonwithcats]

Continuation of previous threads.

"...........but I am a very bad cat slave as I have rarely done slow integration with any of my additions. They've just been let out of their cage and left to it............."

So have I and all has been well.
I think you should let Tobias out, Allergic.

No chance of that PaperGirl, house is well secured. Flatcats in all the windows I open, chicken wire AND cat netting for the french doors (can't afford the tailor made Flatcats for there), front door has an enclosed porch, back door is in a conservatory that still has the old back door leading into it.

Apart from chatting to neighbours through the netting, Girlcat has never had any cat apart from her brother in her space. Tobias is very nervous despite the work done at the shelter and is still funny about any contact - not aggressive, he's stopped hissing if I get too close, but shrinks away most of the time.

So I'm definitely going to err on the cautious side here. And I definitely want to be around when I do release him.

Oh yes, definitely be around when you release him.
I'm afraid I too have been a very bad cat slave by going out and accidentally shutting Matt in the garage for about four hours the other day. He was not happy!

One very tired prawn cat

You and Ollie are the most unshellfish people I know Rebel

I think I remember that Catnip has no effect on younger cats, but I could be wrong!

I'm another person adding to the chorus of let Tobias out. If Girlcat seems ok with him, he'll come out of his shell more easily when she shows him the ropes. Our failed foster kittens, Pooka and Spark are quite similar. Pooka rolls over for tummy rubs but Spark is still very shy and on alert most if the time. He loves our other cats and is at his most relaxed around them and he will accept some petting on his terms.

When I got Bertie, him and his two siblings had been found without mum and were completely feral. They'd been socialised a bit in rescue but were still terrified. I kept him in a crate in the lounge for a day or two (with a little den inside that he could hide in; then let him out! He hid for a few days but we were just really patient and let him take things at his own pace. Walt hid

With the feedback on here, and talking to my DSis, I've decided the Coming Out will take place next weekend. Girlcat is still very funny about that room since the Great Escape attempt & meeting him on the stairs & won't go near it.

CoasterGirl I do have an introduction cage that has been loaned by my DBro/DSil, but actually getting him down and into the cage would be a most distressing event for both me and him. Bear in mind that 6 nose touches, 1 ear touch & 2 toes touches (all split seconds only) are the total sum of our physical contact to date. Armoring up, grabbing cat, stuffing him in the carry crate & taking him downstairs to go in the cage would undo all the progress to date.

Tobias’ coming-out ball is on Sat!!! Smart thinking Allergic. No society launch has been more highly anticipated 😀

True story: my much older cousin went to a therapist after she was run over by a taxi and got the fear leaving the house. Therapist asked for her 1950s childhood summary till 18 so A rattled through it and finished ‘Then at 18 I came out in London’. Therapist LOVED it and referred her to a feminist support group where she and her DH turned up at the first session to regale the horrified lesbians with tales of ball gowns and champagne.

My much older cousin went to a therapist after she was run over by a taxi and got the fear leaving the house. Therapist asked for her 1950s childhood summary till 18 so A rattled through it and finished ‘Then at 18 I came out in London’. Therapist LOVED it and referred her to a feminist support group where she and her DH turned up at the first session to regale the horrified lesbians with tales of ball gowns and champagne.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 - Priceless!

Oh that is CLASS Lana, in more than 1 sense of the word! My mother "Came Out", though I would guess it was a bit of a poor affair as it would have been only just after the war I think.

Yes I did use the phrase intentionally, though of course there are no longer any balls to come out as he was neutered at the rescue so they have already come out IYSWIM. WHF Monday, with a shortish day (flexi build up) so that's an additional day to be around while they stalk around ignoring each other while trying to avoid each other.

Just been corrected by DSis, Mother didn't get to Come Out as when she turned 18 war was still on (she was in the Far East, war lasted longer out there), and ofc by the time they started up again after the war she was considered well past it (anything over 20 in those days).

Lick-e-Lix A WARNING

If you find a Lick-e-Lix in the box which is full of air, do NOT, do absobloodylutely NOT, under any circumstances, think it would be highly amusing to prod it with a fork.

It will not end well. It will end up on the walls. It will smell like death.

This has been a Public Service Announcement.

🤮

That’s RANK Yes. What a hideous experience.

Dyou know Allergic I know two people (RIP) who came out a bit before they went to Ceylon as it was - specially early. They came out with Unity Mitford. Aieee - the cringe. They said she was a nutter.

Neither of these two ladies caught a glimpse of Ratulet, the 🐀 Nancy claimed lived on her shoulder, all Season long. I don’t think DM missed much - that 30s scene wasn’t much fun with Hitler looming, although the toffs were way more petrified of Reds under the four-poster Beds. War was much more stimulating.

DGM eloped 😆

Not sure if I would consider spending her teens in a Japanese POW camp, being passed off as much younger than she was for obvious reasons, as "stimulating"! At least she & her mother came out alive, unlike her father.

She probably would have come out in around 1945 if things had been different I think.

Apparently some so-called "Deb" has set up what she is calling Queen Charlotte's Ball, but it isn't recognised by the Royals and it seems to be more a networking thing between the very rich rather than a marriage mart for the upper classes as it used to be. It seems one of the criteria for taking part is planning to go to Uni - very few of the upper class females in the old days would be seen dead at a Uni, those were for middle class/upper middle class Blue Stockings who were less likely to make a decent match!

Ouch, 💐 for the POW camp.

The season now isn’t real, which is saying something given how unreal the original
was. Russian industrialists and that prob love it tho.

How is Tobias?!?

Seems settled in his bedroom at the mo. Eating well, doesn't grab for the chicken as much as he used to, though he did hiss at me this evening when I got a hand a bit closer than he wanted to his foot. But the eyes are a fair bit softer & less wary, and I can't be sure but I THINK I got a blink out of him yesterday.

Still seems to be living in his igloo. I've noticed however that his Molly's Mouse moved from inside the igloo to on the bed & back again sometimes. His other toys are untouched, I'm thinking he probably doesn't know how to play bless him. Girlcat is getting even more clingy, I think she's jealous! No WFH for the rest of this week, but we're still on for Saturday morning for me to leave his bedroom door open.

Haven't had a pic of the orange royalty lately though - presumably he's in fine fettle?

Looking forward to hearing how Tobias's coming out goes, Allergic. They'll find their own way. Matt and Socks aren't friends. They'll never curl up and sleep together and I have to watch for Matt stealing Socks' food but they tolerate each other.
May I ask a non-cat question? Baby granddaughter is due in six weeks and dd2, 18, wants a hyphenated name. Either Elsie-Mae or Sofia-something. I posted on Baby Names and most responses were that hyphenated names were chavvy and generally awful. Are they really that bad?

I think hyphenated names can be really sweet and tbh the child will probably drop half of it when they are a teenager anyway 🤣🤣

Plus this is mumsnet where suitable baby names are not what everyone would chose

I know a few Ellie-Mae's I think just avoiding Jo as a middle name would be a winner.

I like Sofie-Rose tbh because I think either are lovely on their own

@Papergirl1968 for full disclosure I am very working class and the sort of schools my children have gone to have a lot of hyphenated names. My kids weren't mainly because their names are very long to start with 🤣🤣

Excuse me, I'm an occasional lurker on this thread, don't butt in because I'm currently in a cat-free situation, but re the names: how about giving two names that would hyphenate well but without adding the hyphen? So you can use both names but they're not stuck with the double barrel if they'd rather not. DGD2 has just such a name. To anonymise, let's say she's called Elisande Mae so her family can address her as Elisande, Ellie or Ellie Mae according to taste/mood. The full first name is usually for telling off though 😉

@Anniegetyourgun that's a good compromise. My friend always calls her daughter Eleanor Rose but she tends to go as Ellie at school. I call one of my daughters Lexie-Lou as a pet name but she's always gone as Alexandra at school

I tend to agree with @Anniegetyourgun. For me the biggest issue with hyphenated names are that they are (even now) a bit cumbersome to use on forms etc. So two names (that could be hyphenated) to use are fine, but I wouldn't bother to hyphenate them. And I think Sofia (or possibly Sophia spelling in the UK?) is a lovely name.