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.

Hahaha @Papergirl1968 that’s brilliant! Might watch it a few more times.

But you’ve also reminded me that as well as my other worries about the upcoming festive season (not for this thread) if we get a tree I’m going to be in charge of controlling Velvet! Oh no. Her alarming propensity to try to consume furniture, her ability to jump really high coupled with her clumsiness and her general determination to bring down anything that’s dangly, finally coupled with her frequent surfeit of energy resulting in random sprints that rival cheetahs in speed mean she’s going to be a proper menace around a tree. I may as well move my mattress in front of it and just proffer the wand toy for the whole month of December.

You could build a Perspex screen around it like someone has done on the video!

Sadly, I’m not sure I’d be up to it or my parents up to it physically. That also conjured up a mental image of me holding up a huge Perspex screen while the rampaging horde of Velvet actually probably cleared it in one bound, she’s an incredible jumper. She’d probably also concuss herself accidentally multiple times.

I’m sorry for bringing a more morose topic onto this thread but I’m having serious stress about something to do with Velvet and I don’t even know if it’s a legitimate fear. I’m quite seriously ill and therefore have my whole day and a couple of hours of energy at least to devote to her. Given that once she’s worn out she likes to snooze, and I have a very fluffy cat blanket on my bed, she spends quite a lot of time with me and I give her lunch, dinner, Dreamies for rewards and clean out her litter tray. She’s not quite confident to snuggle or get into someone’s lap but she’s a gentle soul as described upthread and enjoys proximity to humans. We will have naps next to each other and one of the best moments of this year has been her falling asleep next to me with my hand on her tummy. She sleeps on my bed when she can - we nap together - and unlike our previous cat she gravitates towards me. She’ll come to my mother’s call but she runs to mine, and I do all the playing, fussing, she eats treats from my hand.

I’m feeling super stressed because my sister is visiting in a few days, two actually. With Mr N, who was very large with a bullying temperament, he got on very well with my sister and mother (who have similar temperaments). I am feeling worried about whether Velvet, who is much smaller with a lovely gentle temper, will either prefer them suddenly or be frightened. My worry is heightened by my mother saying she wants to give velvet back to the rescue home (Velvet is a bit slow on the uptake but she has done nothing to deserve that but like me, honestly. Nothing) I don’t want my little baby snow leopard going back to the rescue centre and this sounds awful and selfish but it would hurt not to be her best friend any more. Mr N preferred my mother and sister. What if Velvet stops liking me? Sorry this is SUCH an insecure post but my life is so empty right now and even if it weren’t Velvet is utterly adorable.

To raise the tone, please see the photo: Velvet is convinced she is totally hidden.

What on earth would give your mother the right to take your cat back to the rescue?

I don't see Velvet suddenly preferring them to you. Being curious and interested, perhaps, if she's like that with other strangers. Or being shy, which I'd expect of most cats.

💐❤️

Your mother sounds like a very jealous and insecure person. She wants to take your cat back because she prefers you, and isn't a replica of her previous cat. Surely the joy the cat brings to her disabled daughter SHOULD outweigh factors like a kitten acting like a kitten?

Time to put your foot down my lovely. If your mother is the kind who cares about what others think of her you could try the old "what will people think of you taking my only comfort away?" trick. Emphasize the fact that Velvet is still just a kitten and will likely grow out of whatever behavior is currently irritating your mother (maybe not given her breeding, but mother doesn't need to know that). Play up on your own disabilities and how Velvet makes them seem not quite as bad, and brings you much needed joy.

To reassure you on one point, Velvet is NOT going to suddenly prefer 2 loud bossy women over you. She has decided that you are her "mum" for a reason, and I reckon part of that is because your nature and personality suit hers. More likely she will either treat your sister the way she does your mother, or retreat into your room as it will all be a bit too overwhelming for her.

Regarding the tree, I'll be doing my XMas public service announcement post later today which usually includes tree safety tips 😀

Oh Cecile, you have not reason to worry, Velvet loves you. Tell your mother she’s not going anywhere and mean it. She sounds coercive and quite frankly vile.
We are back at the vets. I was crying on way here, just feeling utterly overwhelmed and scared. Just waiting to be seen.

Oh dear Papergirl.
How worrying for you.
I hope you get better news about Matt today.

Thank you guys for such lovely responses! Sorry, I’ve been trying to keep my living issues off the thread so I should have been clearer, but I do actually live with my parents @Catsmere and my mother adopted so she is technically their cat, but I’ve been given responsibility for her and at the moment am basically her “mummy”. She spends almost all her time with me (I have a room which used to be the garage for which I pay rent from my sick pay, so it’s a sort of small annex). My mother is really not a pleasant person to those she doesn’t like and who can’t escape her and has said things along the lines of “Velvet is a rubbish cat and we should never have got her” for crimes such as us napping together on the same bed in the daytime, because I get exhausted easily, Velvet is a cat and so we both want to sleep, and of course Velvet should just have known she’s supposed to prefer my mother’s bed by default! She generally doesn’t like anyone, human or animal, who prefers me and particularly with horses still tries to be their “special person” even if I’m the one taking out their poo, being with them when they’re scared, riding/playing with them etc. She got Velvet in a bid to replace Mr N because she’s a Bengal like he was, which I warned her probably wouldn’t work out the way she wanted, because you can’t replace a pet. It hasn’t. Velvet’s a different cat with a different history. I very rarely deal in “shoulds” but even though I think we’ve got the best cat in the world for what to my parents is barely even small change, we should have got a different breed.

Right, sorry for the depressing tone! Hopefully a return to our regularly scheduled Velvet programming later today, although I might not be as upbeat as usual for multiple reasons related to The Visit.

Love to all the cats and humans on this thread! Hope Matt’s going to have a good day and no cat is going to mess with a Christmas tree before the PSA is out…

Here is DD's cat, Sebastian, in his Christmas outfit.

Sorry @Papergirl1968, I saw your post only after I’d posted. Sending hugs to you both and crossing fingers. They mean so much to us, don’t they? Hopefully the vet can help.

Paper - fingers crossed for Matt at the vet this morning. - hope all goes well.

Cecile - No idea how you can manage your situation better, but telling your mother what a cow she's being when she suggests rehoming Velvet might be a start.

Shell - Sebastian has my sympathy

@Papergirl1968 I hope things go well today.

I went to the fair yesterday with some friends to celebrate my birthday. I've been saying for weeks that I want someone to win me a giant octopus. One of my friends managed it, I was so pleased although may have not thought about how bulky a 6ft octopus is carry around between pubs. Norman (named after Mr Bates) has now been adopted by Raven.

Lol! I love the contrast between the broad grin of the octopus and the brooding angst of Raven. Congrats on achieving your dream of owning a toy octopus even if the glory was short-lived.

And the award for the least likely comment posted in 'the litter tray' this week goes to...
I've been saying for weeks that I want someone to win me a giant octopus 🤣.

@RumNotRun and as ever, we have a black cat perfectly demonstrating that "I'm pissed off" look.

@Grumpyoldpersonwithcats but who wouldn’t want a giant octopus?

I changed my energy supplier to Octopus a few years back, and they sent me a large pink & purple octopus! Mine is named Alphonse, although the official name is Constantine

I'm trapped at the kitchen table at the moment. A very happy, purring (and pacing) Sybil doing her best pirate cat impression on my shoulder.
I suppose she may be making up for an absence of octopi in the house?

Sorry Sybil but Raven and I aren't sharing Norman. Although we may be persuaded to swap him for TC.

Please PM me a forwarding address 🤣🤣🤣

How small minded to be jealous of a cat's favourite person Cecile.
There was a lady in the vets who was clearly vulnerable (mild learning difficulties, I think) but had brought her elderly cat in against her parents 'wishes because she thought she was in pain from possibly arthritis.
Matt has had several injections. It took the vet and a nurse to force several tablets down him too which made me feel not quite as useless (Matt wouldn't eat his tablet last night and scratched me when I tried to imitate the vet we saw previously, who made it look so easy). Today's vet said to forget the urinary food for now as the main thing is to keep getting his meds into him, and if he leaves half of his urinary food he's not getting the full dose.
The bill now stands at about £1,000...
This might be useful for others to know - I went on the PDSA website last night and it seems that those on DLA, PIP, WAS and certain other benefits - may quality for reduced cost treatment. It's no good to me today as it's closed weekends and would be further to travel and therefore cost more in taxis, but I might try it in the future.

Cecile, I don't think it is kind of your mother to threaten sending Velvet back to the rescue. She has clearly bonded with you and she is a pretty and characterful cat. There's no need for her to go back to the rescue.

Papergirl1968, I hope the vet can help Matt.

Norman the Octopus and Sebastian are giving the Litter Tray quite a Christmassy look with their red.

(Above message about the lady in the vets was just to show its not only your mother who is a nasty bitch, Cecile)

Matt has eaten some of the dog's breakfast and gone upstairs for a nap.