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.

That sounds positive👍

@Papergirl1968 agree with the vet. ❤️ to you and Matt.
Thanks for the anecdote. My mother is generally much nicer to animals than people and is still nice to Velvet to try to bring her over to her side, as it were, apart from verbally, which obviously is only going to affect her humans (I chat with Velvet in Cat, I’m probably saying something along the lines of “sorry, the mouse is not available due to problems with the supply of cat toys but I’ll get back to you once I’ve climbed the curtains” and she’s probably saying “no, you don’t understand, I’ve only had five meals today. Starvation is imminent :(“ but we both have fun.) She certainly wouldn’t delay or deny a vet visit though.

Everyone! It’s time for the amazing exploits of Miss Velvet (sorry I’ve been spamming this thread today but I’m quite anxious and Mumsnet and the cat are good distraction material.

Velvet has been out today but she has both left and re-entered via the catflap! A huge advance in her learning. While she was out, the neighbouring cat examined the surroundings of our house… she took a while, probably examining everything from here to the next town. Once she got back she was rewarded with a large number of Dreamies, then snack, then lunch (her diet is going to be reduced but while she’s learning she gets lots of food rewards). She’s now asleep on my bed after one more fantastic feat, she started her nap against my leg, then fell over when I removed my leg with no change to her somnolent state. She then didn’t stir at a Hoover being used in the poorly-insulated room upstairs. However, as soon as I’d tiptoed to the kitchen and opened a sachet for her lunch who should miraculously appear? You’ve guessed it.

I'm sorry to hear of your troubles, Cecile and Papergirl. Thank goodness for cats, eh.

Munchkin has had a couple of short forays into the back garden today. Ate some grass, inspected a few plants, tried (and failed) to get through the hit-and-miss fence. I sat and froze ate my lunch on the doorstep so she had sight of me. Then was quite happy to come back inside and have some lunch. So I'm calling that a success. Now she's got an idea of the garden layout she should be OK to go a bit further and find her way back. Only thing is it means I'm on door duty.

Cat flap delayed until next week (my fault, forgot to buy the glass adapter) but we'll try going out the front then, so she gets her bearings. I am more concerned about the front because my road is very narrow with lots of parked cars and people drive quite fast along a blind corner. I've got a reflective collar but she absolutely refused to let me put it on a few days ago.

@twobluechickens I'm glad you survived Munchkin's first foray into the great outdoors.

Only twenty posts left on this thread.
It seems to have gone really quickly.

Actually there are only nineteen posts left after this one.

@twobluechickens ah, the first forays outdoors! Sounds like Munchkin is only a week or so behind Velvet. You have the exact same fears as I have re cars, but unfortunately we have to run that risk with an independent animal like a cat.
Re the catflap, I don’t know how yours works but is it an option to prop it open? Velvet’s quite easily transitioned from me following her around the neighborhood with her favourite toy, to going out with periodic calling for her but no following and being let in, to using the catflap which has been progressively less propped-open, all in about a fortnight.

And now there are only eighteen...... time for a new one, methinks.
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_litter_tray/4955053-christmas-with-the-excellent-cats

@CeciledeVolangesdeNouveau we have a beefy neighbourhood Bengal who will be straight in and spraying so I'm going to just let her work it out herself. Now thinking I should also get one fitted at the rear so she's got easy access out there rather than me having to be door sentry (@YesItsMeIDontCare is absolutely right that I should have waited until the flap was fitted, now puss expects me to open the door according to her whims). Sigh. Better call the glazier for a new quote 🙄

We've never managed to get a cat flap fitted (it's a council house) so we're up and down like yoyos letting Linney in and letting Linney out.

In summer we leave a window open for him but it's too cold now.

I would leave a window open but I'm in a bungalow and mine open at the bottom, and it would be an open invitation to the neighbourhood cats (I've already had two NMC experiences).

I've just put a collar with a bell on her. She hates it and is giving me absolute daggers but has accepted some Dreamies so hopefully I won't be murdered in my sleep. Fingers crossed she'll get used to it in time. Perhaps if we do a trip out the front she might forgive me.

Oh god @CeciledeVolangesdeNouveau , I thought you lived with your boyfriend. I’m so sorry, what a horrible situation.

If there’s room for another post - Daisy on my chair last night.
(except it didn’t work!)

Try again …

Gorgeous picture of her.

Thank you! It was the first time she sat on the arm of the new chair, and I was chuffed that she looked up at me when I grabbed the phone. (She was waiting for me to get Mum to bed and then come to bed myself.)

Long time (presently cat-less) lurker here. Thank you all for the stories. I'm on catch-up so I know this is from a while back, but Cecile....your post brought back a memory.
A school-friend's dad was a vet in Cambridge, and treated a canine college cat I wonder if it was the same one?!

@rivermum do come and join us on the next thread (link above).

Have (I think) tagged her in.

Christmas tree has arrived and been placed in Velvet’s designated room. It is not very big. How this can possibly end well I have no idea. Back to the other thread though!