Get A Compass! The Excellent Cats embrace a new rallying cry

[TheBroonOneAndTheWhiteOne]

........... even though none of them understand what it means.

@Grumpyoldpersonwithcats Hopefully nothing! I found it while emptying out my desk the other day and haven't put it away yet. Best do that before bed!

Couldn't find a 'mice sliding down pole' gif so I hope this is a good substitute!
How is the rodent deterrence going today @Breadcat24 ?

@Pudmyboy Thank you - that monkey seems to be having fun.
Have taken down the bird feeder, and left the humane trap out stuffed with food.
So far no mice/rat things caught, some sad looking birds coming and going what where has it gone and a bored Micia who enjoyed watching them

I wonder how long you can leave it before trying the feeders again, or are you done, now, till Autumn?

@Pudmyboy I am not convinced they will move on. I hope I can catch some and relocate. Otherwise they are probably just in their nest shagging making more mousey ratty things

Hopefully Micia will sort them out in the future, if she is allowed out?

Well.

Today I started sorting out the garden.
I've tidied things up, washed all the plant pots and swept the flagstones.

It looks a lot better.

Now I just need to learn what to do with the actual plants

Oh, and the wet lettuce Widower came round to help me.
He had surgery 8 weeks ago (nothing major) and is walking with a stick "because it still hurts"

FFS I pointed out that if he'd had a caesarean, he'd have a baby to look after, as well as himself, from the word go. He wouldn't have a free arm for a stick.

I'm such a bitch.
🤣

Finlay has been awol for a few days (tracker on so not worried) now home and I’m enjoying his company until the next time

Even managed to help with latest Lego builds

@JaceLancsthose Lego builds are fantastic!

The new window nest (well, actually the third one) has arrived and has been used. At one point Toad and Fred were both on the same one, but they have now decided they like having their own beds. For one day at least!

I've possibly just wasted £50. Toad has been very annoying tonight so I looked at the cat wheel things online. There's one for £50 which had surprisingly good reviews and videos, so I had vouchers from surveys and playing games, and decided to risk it. The wheel should arrive on Monday. Fingers crossed that at least one of the cats enjoys it!

Every now and then I find that two apparently unrelated spheres of my life surprisingly connect.
To explain (and probably risk mockery here) I need to confess that I do have a typically (but of course not excusively) male MN 'hobby' that should never be named because it's 'outing'.
Anyway (completely unrelated to the above of course 🤣) there is a quite active model railway forum called RMWeb - which I have recently joined.

Since joining I've discovered two threads which you may enjoy.
https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/192441-rmweb-might-be-interested-in-what-mumsnet-has-done/
And even better...😻
https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/157254-on-cats/page/292/
Ah well - if I ever get banned from MN, I know where I'll end up for catty conversations.

Matilda has decided that my cardigan makes a good cat bed.

I'll be interested to hear what your cats make of the wheel @RumNotRun I've always wondered if Boris might like one, since they only go outside occasionally under supervision.

I see your four are attracting the admiration they deserve, Grumpy. Are you going to share the epic tale of Gizmo’s Journey?

Hipe you spotted Guzmo further down the thread 😻

I did!

I have been busy with lots of music related stuff recently. DD did a concert at RAM with her clarinet quartet which was brilliant.
Then she and I are doing a concert this week in Glastonbury (not exactly 'playing Glastonbury' but as near as we're likely to get).

Herbie was a lapcat half an hour ago!! First time he's actually fully settled on my lap. It may have had something to do with the coffee with cream which I was drinking at the time because he got off when I'd finished it!
Oh well, it's a start.

Yep. On his swimming pool cover.

He got in my way yesterday. Several times.
There was I, sweeping the flagstones and trying to make the garden look tidy, and everywhere I turned, there was Gizmo.

He was trying to trip me up.

He only stopped when I pointed out that if I was taken to hospital with multiple injuries there would be nobody left at home to feed him.

@Grumpyoldpersonwithcats
I see that the toy train enthusiasts have got the measure of MN.
🤣

I thought you'd like that - it made me laugh 🤣.

@Grumpyoldpersonwithcats my DS has been a model railway/train enthusiast from very young age, I spent hours making papiermache scenery, cats we've had took great delight in watching/derailing engines 🐯

@Grumpyoldpersonwithcats quite rightly they appreciate your lovely cats. I used to fake interest in model railways to spend time with my Grandad, was always relieved when summer came around and he then got obsessed with tomatoes! Now if cats had been involved with the railways I could have become an enthusiast.

Oh bugger - I was planting tomatoes in the greenhouse this week. I seem to have morphed into your grandad 🤣.

That site seems to love cats as much as these threads, I find that surprisingly comforting!

Same here. I was really surprised and pleased to find a cat thread there, and very impressed by the quality of comments. And my introductory post got 31 upticks and has been marked as 'a popular post'. 😻