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Animal companions in our happy homes

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  • And? Are you dancing around the room in delight?
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    Hope it went well, Daisydaisy!
  • Ha! Well, it turned out not to be a virtual home visit but the foster carer telling me how scared the cat is and showing me her hiding behind the sofa! And assuring me that she’s not deaf (she’s white with yellow eyes which sometimes comes with deafness). I’m sure that, given lots of time and peace & quiet she’ll settle in. So I’ve asked to reserve her, and I think the process has begun. She might arrive at the weekend, which gives me time to unpack all the cat comforts that I put into the garage thinking they’d not be coming out for a few years!
  • BoogieBoogie Heaven Host
    That’s super news @daisydaisy!
  • Excellent! Does she come with a name?
  • On a lighter note, back in September in a moment of weakness we bought Minnie a squeaky ball for her second birthday. It had a *really annoying* squeak. "Never mind," we said, "it won't be long before she breaks it." Six weeks later it was still going strong... then she lost it under the sofa. We all breathed a sigh of relief.

    A few days ago, she found it again and we realised we'd forgotten how annoying the squeak was...
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    You want to borrow Glen, my friend R's wee dog - I understand he can demolish a toy almost before it's out of the packet ... :mrgreen:
  • Oh yes, squeaky toys. The best gift you can give someone else’s pet or child.

    This cat comes with the name Feather, which is an ok name but of course we all know cats all have 3 names: I just need to discover her particular, peculiar and more dignified name. Maybe she’ll let me know in the weeks while she’s settling in.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    When we were employed by a friend's cat, David always addressed her* as "fatso".

    * the cat, not the friend ... :mrgreen:
  • jedijudyjedijudy Heaven Host
    Oooh, daisydaisy! I have a feeling that you and Miss Kitty will get on very well together!
  • I do miss having a cat - the last one lasted 20 years then, due to changing circumstances, we decided not to have another. But the best solution of all is to borrow one - luckily our son lives nearby and needs a cat sitter on a regular basis. Also, in our small close, there are several cat owners happy to share. And, of course, we are more than happy to oblige.
  • HuiaHuia Shipmate
    E the 5 year old who lives across the road wants a cat, but her parents say no so she came over to spend some time with Aroha as part of her birthday treat. Aroha wasn't too sure of her, (she hasn't has much contact with children) and didn't want to perform, but E was happy to pick some daisies in the lawn to give to her. In the school holidays E will probably come over with her mother a few times so she and Aroha can get to know each other better.

    Thinking about it later I realised how it could benefit Aroha if I get ill and can no longer care for her in that at least she will have had contact with kids and be easier to re-home. (I hope it isn't for years, but with the speed and lack of care from some motorists around here anything could happen.)
  • Piglet wrote: »
    You want to borrow Glen, my friend R's wee dog - I understand he can demolish a toy almost before it's out of the packet ... :mrgreen:

    Oh, Minnie can too when she feels like expressing her inner wolf. She can eviscerate a cuddly toy in less than five minutes and destroy a biro with a single bite. But she can also carry a live bird in her mouth for several minutes and release it unharmed (just traumatised and covered in slobber). She's being careful with her ball because she loves it so much.
  • Daisy Daisy, I am sure you will give her a good home. What a treat to have a new kitty for the Holidays. Trees and shiny balls and such not withstanding.
  • HuiaHuia Shipmate
    I just got an email from my brother in Chicago. His cat is also visited by neighbouring children who want a pet. :smiley:
  • Much rejoicing in the North East household! Big Ginger's owners are moving house today! No more Big Ginger!

    He has been less of an issue for the past three months because another new cat, a sleek wee black girl with blue eyes, moved into the street. Big Ginger has been focussing on her, including chasing her up a tree from whence she had to be rescued by her unimpressed owner.

    He was still occasionally jumping onto our windowsills to glare in menacingly at Elizabeth. This always triggered her into yowling, and sometimes triggered her into being sick and / or peeing on the carpet.

    Farewell Big Ginger! *happy dance*
  • BoogieBoogie Heaven Host
    That’s really good news @North East Quine !

    We have a lovely tortoiseshell visitor in our garden but she never comes close due to dogs! 🐾🙂
  • jedijudyjedijudy Heaven Host
    I'm happy for both Elizabeth and you, North East Quine!!
  • HuiaHuia Shipmate
    I hope Big Ginger is moving to an otherwise cat-free neighbourhood.

    E's mum has told me that it would cost $21 for her to take E to the Cat Cafe in town for a chance to interact with the cats there,
  • I don't know a lot about cat psychology, but Big Ginger appeared to be defending his territory against newcomers such as Elizabeth and the little black cat, Vee. Perhaps he will be a nicer cat in a new home where he hasn't established a territory?
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    If he's going to be the New Cat on the Block, maybe the local felines will give him a taste of his own medicine? :naughty:
  • BoogieBoogie Heaven Host
    My pup, Echo is still with his boarders as we are in quarantine for two weeks.

    I’ve been organising Tatze’s social calendar - lots of people are very willing to take her for a walk. She’s just gone very happily and waggily with my friend’s daughter, who I know very well but Tatze has never met her before. They are off for a walk in the woods and I’m jealous!
  • daisydaisydaisydaisy Shipmate
    edited December 2020
    She’s arrived! Just over a week since I decided that the cat-shaped hole in my home needed filling, and I have a beautiful white kitty hiding under a sofa. She’ll be able to explore in her own time - I must be patient!
  • HuiaHuia Shipmate
    How exciting. Have you named her yet daisydaisy?

    I found it difficult standing back to allow my kitten (who is now 2!) to explore, but it definitely paid off in terms of her settling in.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    Happy new pussycat, Daisydaisy! :)
  • jedijudyjedijudy Heaven Host
    Congratulations, daisydaisy!
  • Yay Daisydaisy!
  • She’s already eaten biscuits from my fingers and is now exploring her new home.
  • She sounds like she has decided this is home. Happy for you both. We are moving to a senior mobile home park with a fully fenced in back yard for Molly. I was very happy about that, then yesterday I discovered that the mobile home park has it's very own lovely small park where I can walk Molly with benches, and poop bag disposal as well. So happy to find this little gem will be ours to enjoy.
  • So the newly arrived cat has taken note of the warning from the rescue organisation that she’ll hide for a few weeks - now I’ve discovered her hidey hole I can leave her in peace apart from deliveries of food & water, hopefully without a repeat of the scratches when I discovered her.
  • Has she disclosed a name yet?
  • Not yet - I’m considering Bianca (she’s white) or Amber (I think her eyes are this colour - difficult to tell in the dark!). But am still waiting.
  • It would seem she's a bit of a night owl - at about 10:30 she came down to explore (including walking over my lap) and play. And she looks like a Bianca, I think.
  • LydaLyda Shipmate
    I lost my old cat (18+?) Ming, that I inherited from my dad. It was pretty sudden. Three days ago he seemed fine and then he stopped eating and became very lethargic. The vet thought it was some kind of organ failure. I took him to be put to sleep this morning. I interred him in my garden under a rose bush.

    Besides being a very sweet kitty whom I loved, he was an important connection to my dad. This is hard.
  • @Lyda, you have my sympathy. This is hard on two fronts for you.
    And @daisydaisy you know that cats are naturally nocturnal, right? Though they can be trained to be otherwise, and in any case sleep for a larger proportion of the time than we do!
  • @Lyda my heart goes out to you - such a hard loss for you.

    This cat is certainly nocturnal! Last night she was being entertained by scratching noises in the roof space - a rodent control will visit tomorrow.
  • Lyda, I am so sorry.

  • BoogieBoogie Heaven Host
    So sorry for you loss @Lyda 🐾🕯
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    So sorry about your cat, @Lyda. RIP Ming.
    daisydaisy wrote: »
    This cat is certainly nocturnal ...
    I told you on FB that she was descended on one side from an owl ... :mrgreen:
  • I'm so sorry.
  • jedijudyjedijudy Heaven Host
    I'm so sorry, Lyda. This must be a double heartbreak for you.
  • So sorry Lyda. I had the same experience with my cat Sybil earlier this year, she was my mother's cat and I took her on after my mother died, so I know just what you mean.
  • Very sorry for your loss Lyda, I am glad you were there to care for kitty Ming once your father has passed. I am sure she felt content to continue being loved and cared for.
  • LydaLyda Shipmate
    Thanks for your kind words, shipmates. I wasn't looking forward the day when this would happen. I think I'm in for another stage of mourning for my dad.

    My dad loved Ming very much, and I assured him that Ming would have a good life. I inherited my dad's house, so Mingie didn't even have to move.
  • What a good life Ming had so she could stay in familiar surroundings. Cats really don’t like change. Holes in my legs vouch for that. But the owl-ancestry cat did so well earlier in the evening, coming voluntarily onto my lap and demanding fussing which went well until she remembered that it was hands involved. Thankfully I could see that coming so managed to avoid that attack. But upstairs is where she is most terrified and attacks the most. But it’s only day 3 and she’s doing really well, unlearning bit by bit whatever her life held before. Today she’s trying out windowsills, seeing her surroundings..... and probably other cats.
  • @Lyda sorry for your loss.

    @daisydaisy a few years ago when we still had gerbils, the white one was called Bianca... after Bianca Castafiore from the Tintin books. Does your cat show any signs of being interested in opera?
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    edited December 2020
    @daisydaisy - is she scared of hands because she was mistreated by her previous human*?

    * I use the term loosely, as IMHO anyone who mistreats an animal isn't a fully paid up member of the human race.
  • Today’s name under testing is Pixie. It seems to fit her well. @Piglet I think she’s had some horrible treatment in a previous home. It’s terror in her eyes when she attacks my ankles. Thankfully when she’s downstairs she’s the perfect cat, currently curled up asleep on my lap, occasionally waking up to demand fuss, although now and then she snaps at my hands. It is really early days, and the woman at the Cats Protection League has been astonished at how quickly she’s got this far because she had a bit of a reputation. There is no rush, and she’ll get there in the end.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    She's fallen on her paws - she probably doesn't quite believe she's had the good fortune to get you as her human. :)
  • Aww thank you - I hope she realises soon so my ankles can recover from the claw attacks.
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