The Very Eventful Lives of the Excellent Cats

[TheShellBeach]

Calling all cats and their overworked slaves - join us as we grudgingly accept that every day is National Cat Day as far as our moggies are concerned.

@nettie434 😘🐱

Shell - great to hear your lad is all moved in and your ban has been lifted!

Question for everyone: how much do your cats sleep and how old are they? Munchkin is 9 and seems to spend most of the day and night fast asleep, waking up half an hour before I do and then a few times a day to eat/use the litter tray/chase foil balls around. There are usually pre-bed zoomies for five minutes or so.

She's not been here a fortnight yet so I'd imagine some of it is to do with getting used to being here, but I don't know if this is within the normal range or I should be asking the vet to test for thyroid function at her vaccination appointment tomorrow. Still eating well but puked bile again today (and ate biscuits immediately afterwards 🙄). It might also be that my house is quite cold. Any thoughts?

@catsmere your photo really made me smile! Velvet doesn’t give two shits and will just walk across a trackpad or keyboard, but she loves television particularly Bake Off or the Boys (what can I say, she has eclectic tastes. No interest in House MD today). All cats I see on this thread are glowing with health and very beautiful, please give a special cuddle/chin scratch from me!

@CeciledeVolangesdeNouveau if I had a keyboard I'm sure Phoebe and Daisy would be busy posting messages on MN! When I had a desktop computer Katie used to type emails. As it is they just like sitting on the iPad when it's lying down, presumably for the warms.

Phoebe likes telly too, especially Time Team.

@twobluechickens Phoebe's 9 and Daisy's 6, and they sleep most of the day. Iirc it's normal for cats to sleep about 16 hours a day (or as I read once, "all cats need at least 24 hours sleep a day. Some need more.")

Shady with a hand for size
And denting my chair

Back in my youf, our cat used to love watching the snooker, as did we. Long shots of things rolling excitingly along across the screen - what's not to love?

@twobluechickens we don’t know how old Velvet is but we think between about 10 months to 2 years. She’s a very energetic breed but has two to three energetic sessions of play and just random sprinting every day and is fast asleep the rest of the time. Our last cat got to 17 years old at least and he was still doing a patrol for about one hour twice a day. We’ve had younger Siamese - even sleepier. Cats are crepuscular/nocturnal meaning you won’t see most of their activity. If you have the means definitely get your little friend checked out but I don’t think you have reason to be scared yet :)

Bit sad this evening because my mother has said Velvet won’t ever be as good as Mr N. Here is V kidnapping some Dreamies -what a clever little girl :) I really love her.

Thanks @Catsmere , that's reassuring.

Hand for scale here (she's 3.5kg) while administering tummy rubs.

Thank you too @CeciledeVolangesdeNouveau - also very reassuring! She's definitely crepuscular (such a good word).

@twobluechickens what a sophisticated little beauty! Velvet sends small cat solidarity. But a lot of sleep is normal :)

@Catsmere that photo of Phoebe on the lovely bedspread is just glorious. You should sell it for tablet-advertising purposes (cat not included).

I reckon that 16 hours sleep a day sounds about right, but of course there are many different types of sleep - totally zonked out, light doze with tail waving, eyes half shut but off like a rocket at the sound of a cupboard opening in the kitchen, etc.

Toby Toad is missing and I have no idea how. Occasionally he likes to explore the front forecourt when I put the bags out but he never goes far and I always notice him. I would have bet money that he didn't go out earlier and I had seen him inside since, but I've just put food down and he didn't appear. He NEVER misses meals. I've rattled a tin of dry food inside and outside the house as again he never fails to appear if there's the slightest possibility of Dreamies, but no sign of him.

Finley likes to watch YouTube and surfs the web

Here is naughty Velvet stealing some Dreamies today

Well that worked

Oh ffs

Panic over! I took catnip outside and sprinkled it on the doormat while I walked round the block. On my return he came over from next door's front forecourt but he seemed quite wary. I think he may have wandered a bit too far and then forgot where he lived. Clearly he ignores me but responds to catnip! I know my place in his affections 🤣

Ah that's good news RumNotRun, phew.

Soccer was my girl's love! She'd chase the ball across the screen.

On the question of sleep, is anyone else addicted to watching cats twitch in their sleep?

I reckon cats must have an amazing dream life, as well as their waking life.

@RumNotRun A Wise Woman sprinkles Certaine Herbes on the threshold, Processes Round the Block, and lo, the Familiar manifests.

Let's hope the neighbours weren't watching

@twobluechickens she's adorable!

@JoanOgden 🤣🤣🤣

@JaceLancs 😻😻😻

@RumNotRun phew! I was always so scared when any of mine didn't come home when called. While I'm sorry P&D are stuck in such a small unit, nothing would persuade me to let them be indoor-outdoor cats again. Much too risky (and the council here is quick to send wardens around).

He went straight to his food plate and ate like he had been missing for weeks. Funny little beast.

He often will come out the front if I'm pulling up weeds or something but stays quite close. Similarly if I take him into the garden, he'll explore a bit if he's on his lead, but if he's not then he sticks by my side and will lean on me if I'm sat down. I didn't realise he was missing for a couple of hours so I think the trauma of being outside has probably put him off going out again for a while.

Speaking of sleep, Phoebe's snoring under the bed, and Daisy's dozing - she was just woken by the loud twittering of birds outside but has decided it's not important.

And now it's time to wake up, do some cute, and have a wash.