Ring Out, Wild Bells! As 2025 approaches, the Excellent Cats raise their game with a discussion on Tennyson's poetry

[TheBroonOneAndTheWhiteOne]

And while the cats are thus engaged, their human slaves are still finishing the turkey and Christmas pud, and idly placing bets on whether or not Kitty will use her new cat tree.

The only female cat I ever had before we got when I was about 8 so I don’t remember anything about her being spayed. Otherwise I’ve always had boys and it was much easier for them.

My vets were obviously very lax. I got waved off with a keep an eye on the stitches and let us know if there are any problems. I got Boris done first and he seemed to think he'd had a lovely day out, met some nice people, had a lovely nap and now he was happy to be home. I let him out the carrier and he greeted me and his sister and then started chasing his tail on top of one of the dining chairs while I was standing there going I don't think you should be doing that. He then fished all the chicken out of the chicken and rice the vets had told me to give him with his paw. He then meowed at me and kept running from his food bowl to me and back again until I caved and fed him one of his usual pouches.

Far easier! It sounds like you’re doing everything right though.

I’m lying on the sofa & Kitty stood on me just now & started kneading.

She’s never sat on me so this was a huge thrill - except that the oven alarm is going to go off in 2 minutes, so it was both a relief and a disappointment when she jumped up to her usual top of sofa spot.

I am sorry but this amused me

struggling to add image

It’s always the way - they show unusual affection 5 minutes before you have to leave the house, or just when the doorbell goes and then they startle and run away.

Neither of mine will sit on laps (though Whitecat does like to tuck in next to me on the sofa, but only if I’m alone in the house). I can lure them on with a lickylick but they jump off as soon as it’s finished.

Kitty definitely likes being close, just not quite that close.

My sister visited today & brought her a catnip licking ball which has been a great hit. There was a lot of blinking & purring & she’s now in a happy semi-drunken stupor.

The cats were sleeping in front of the telly anyway. I was given another rejected cat bed (that's two now) so put it there and the cats love it. It's fine - but when they stand up or stretch, it stops us from changing the channel 🤣

Ooh - where did she get that?

They are young though - I've found most cats become more lap orientated after they get out of he kitten phase. We can't sit down in our house with getting a cat or two attached...

I’ll ask.

@Allergictoironing you can get them on Amazon. I've ordered some, they'll probably get ignored by this lot.

Lenny has gone from looking tiny in front of your telly to mahoosive when defending his home!
Has there been any cat on cat skirmishes yet?
Have you ever identified what it is about your house that is so attractive to NMCs?

Have you ever identified what it is about your house that is so attractive to NMCs?

I thought we determined that ages ago - it's the beauteous Sybil.

Lenny has stopped attacking the TV now. Not sure his latest position is any better...

I got sent two packets of Whiskas Rest and Unwind cat treats - apparently they contain an amino acid which promotes calmness. My tribe clearly didn't get the message. They went BONKERS over the treats and are still hyper now, determinedly searching for more.

Toad says they're better than Dreamies but good luck getting anything that will stop him from being a psycho nutcase.

Whitecat was very pleased with herself this morning as overnight she managed to wriggle her front legs through the neck of her jacket so her top half was out and the neck opening was around her ribs. Fortunately the wound was still covered. The neck opening is tiny so it can’t have been very comfortable. I thought we’d have an almighty fight to manoeuvre her paws her back in but she was surprisingly docile, poor little mite.

How are her stitches looking?

I'm sorely tempted to get a female kitten, just so she can be spayed and I can put her in a red cardigan.
🤣

You don't need a female kitten. 😁
Monty aged 17 in a red cardigan when he had an op. He lived to nearly 21 so it was well worth doing.

@Allergictoironing I've just had these delivered.

3 Replaceable Balls and 3-In-1... www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DDTWY6ZT?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Toad, Raven, Fred, and Lex have all sniffed the catnip and silvervine ones and rubbed their cheeks on them. Vix has licked the cat sugary treat one a few times (after I moved it against the end of her tongue so that she could taste it first). After a bit of effort, I managed to detach them from the tray thing and have fixed them to the walls in a couple of places so fingers crossed that the cats will like them.

I'm in awe at the ingenuity of some of the cat 'toys'. (Others, less so... 😆)

We've been given some lilies for DH - he's not allowed to have them in the hospital because people are often allergic to them (also pointless since he's asleep most of the time and has a very crowded bedside table anyway but people think ill people need flowers I suppose).

I have put them in the office and shut the door. But should I just bin them? It seems a shame as I quite like lilies, but I have heard how toxic they are to cats.

Aww!

I’d have thought they’d be ok if Kettle’s never in the same room. Until they start shedding, anyway.