Poop & Scoop

In the above image ideally would be how we would like to teach our cats to use the loo, and pull the flush. However,I think that's just asking for a little too much, personally I wouldn't want to share my toilet with a cat anyway.

So to the nitty gritty.

To start training your kitty, lift them into the litter tray first thing in the morning, after meals and before going to bed.  Praise your cat, give a little treat if you like for her hard work.

Most important of all is a clean litter tray.  There are many litter products out there, I especially like the wood based pellet types but there are numerous types to choose from.  I also like to use litter box liners, then all you have to do is pull the bag together and throw away - job done.  Also useful to have a poop scoop for in between bag changes.

And that folks is the way forward for a happy crapping cat, of course it's much better if they go outside.

Micro-chipping Your Cat Or Dog

Why Microchip

As the image above says 1 in 3 pet's will not return home without identification.  The microchip can undisputably track your pet back to you - the rightful owner.  And unlike a collar tag which can be taken off or lost your details can be tracked back to you.  Cat's can feel disorientated when moving house or just lose their way home and for these reason's alone is why it's a good idea to get your pet's  micro-chipped.

What Is Micro-chipping

The microchip is placed using an injection between the shoulder blades and is almost the size of a small grain of rice.  Prices can vary, we got our two cat's done for I think it was around £20 each, it was a reduced offer at our local vet's.  The process didn't take more than five minutes and there were no allergic reactions which I was a little worried about.

The vet will then give you the information of the on-line website in connection with the microchip, then you just log-on to the microchip website, fill out yours and the microchip details on their database and voila - done.  As simple as that.

Also when going for a routine check-up your pet can get scanned for their temperature as well,  making it a lot less stressful for your pet.  They can also link the chip together with a cat flap which will let your cat in and out, this is optional and can be done at a later date - don't know about you but would certainly save a lot of window and door opening - you know what I'm saying, cat's can be indecisive at the best of times.

When To Microchip

The recommended age for getting a cat  chipped is 10-12 weeks depending on size and a good idea to get at the time of their routine vaccination, you can always discuss the options with your vet.  

Stray Or Not A Stray?

How do you solve the problem of a stray cat?  How can you tell if they are?  Firstly are they friendly? If so then in all likelihood they may have a home where they're loved and better to let them be.  But what if they're not friendly.  Then the possibility is that they're probably homeless.

We have a cat that turns up routinely everyday without fail.  Our stray is a bad tempered badass, or maybe just not from a very loving home.  I'd like to think it's the former, better a badass than an neglected cat. 

We feed him wet and dry food but he especially loves milk, he prefers it to anthing else.  Tom, that's the adoptive name we've given him (I know original but very apt) is a scruffy soul.  He's a black cat, I'd say about 8-10 years old, he doesn't have any signs of illness but does have an unkempt look about him and he doesn't like me touching him.  At first he'd hiss (he's not the type to mess with) but now he just quickly moves out the way as if to say, what do you think your doing!  He has entered the house unbeknown to us on hot summer days, when we leave the back door open to let some cool air in, he'll amble in leaving his beautiful scent - having his full tackle is another clue that maybe he is a stray.

But sometimes we mistake him for Marsbar our beloved black cat as at first glance you can easily mistake them for one and the same - like twins.

Question is do we keep feeding him indefinitely.  I don't think we've adopted him so much as he's decided we're now his family but it's the effect it has on our other cats, it causes territory problems, no real problems yet just a bit of hissy fighting but we don't want our boys upset, they want a home to feel like their home and not intruded upon by some chancer.  Do we take him in, shall we have him neutuered, what if he's happy roaming?  It's a toughie.

I don't know what the outcome will be but we will help him all we can.

Marsbar & Tom, on the right - last year.

This isn't our first encounter with a stray about two summers ago, again leaving the back door open, this cat walked in, as he caught my eye, I looked at him and I have never been so shocked at what I saw, emaciated, patchy fur, he had a tumor on his face the size of a golf ball.  I opened up a can of tuna gave the lad some milk and took him to the vet.  He's having a long sleep now.   Do these poor cats just get lost, or do people just not care.

Feline Friend

I'm writing a poem,

A dedication to my cat,

Who's extremely proud

& getting fat.

She's black & she's white,

With pink padded paw's

& when we cuddle,

She'll knead with her claws.

No longer a kitten,

But a feline of leisure,

Has funny odd moment's,

In my memory I treasure.

Awakes me at morning,

Sitting on the flat of my back,

Meowing politely for breakfast, 

A nice fishy snack.

A once nimble creature,

With really good balance,

Approaching her ninth life,

No longer swings

on the valance.

Sometimes she's hidden 

in the oddest of places,

It's just natural cat instinct 

to be so curious,

Then I'll playfully tease her

till she swishes her tail,

making her incessantly furious.

Irritations forgotten, 

she'll sit on my lap.

I tickle her chin 

and scratch her back,

To the soft mellow sound

of her purring.

Psycho Killer Cat

My human has lately become a little perturbed by my fellow feline and has begun to call him psycho killer cat.  What ever can she mean?  Surely she must know that as cat's we cannot tolerate such things as mice and rat's -  freaks out when we chase them round the garden, seems quite distressed with the squealing the little blighters make - we find it fun!  She caught Marsbar & I tossing one around the garden a few days ago, came out flapping her arms all about the place.  Fair play to him he wouldn't give up his plaything so easily, but humans are a lot bigger and holding onto him prising his mouth open to reluctantly let the poor creature go, still alive the vermin managed to run to safety.

The face of a psycho killer cat (butter wouldn't melt).

In the face of it, it is just natural instinct for cat's to find prey, it's in our blood.  The Egyptians thousands of years ago cottoned onto our hunting skills and used us to there advantage by domesticating us to save their crops from rats and mice, they even mummified us for the afterlife, we were seen as a symbol of grace and poise.  

Snooze time, till next time...

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Where have all the lions gone?

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Thoughts of a Meditator

Meditation for cats is vitally important, it helps us gather our thoughts, clear our minds, reflect on the oncoming day, and plan our tactics of our next hunting spree; don't you just love it when we leave all those body parts on your doorstep?

For a cat, the beginning of every day (including weekends) are our thoughts on breakfast; which is maybe why it's a good idea to lock us out of your bedrooms.   Yes we can be warm and furry, but if you want a full nights sleep, you will be up at the crack of dawn unless you shut us out.  My favourite tactic for awakening the dead is a bit of door banging for a prolonged period of time and have been known to keep this up for a couple of hours, that's unless I manage to open the door.  Of course it's every owners obligation to feed us, only with good cat food - purrlease!  Followed by our first constitutional of the day, whereupon we can be out (weather permitting) for a few minutes or a few hours.  In this first outing we do our rounds, marking our territory, spots of sunbathing, birdwatching, climbing, snake hunting, mouse catching, catching up with the locals (other cats), of course if it's raining it's a quick shit in a hedge & a dash back to the house without ruining the fur.

First stage

This first stage of meditation usually starts with a little yoga, some  positions are a little   unflattering but needs must, starting with a cat pose   leading to a more flattering pose the 'corpse pose'.

       

                                               Corpse Pose (Moi).

Second stage

of our daily meditation... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

                                     zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

                                     zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

      ...momentary lapse in concentration but a good time to change sides...

Third stage

By now it's around 4pm, and shall begin pestering you for food, your legs are beautiful!

Thank you for taking the time to read my deep thoughts on meditation, until next time...

When We Were Young.

I started my new life with my present humans (H) when I was around 10 weeks old.  I have to say, I was very nervous at first in my new surroundings.  I'd hide out of reach under the sofa, this lasted for a few days, I wouldn't go near either of my new humans.  Never having had much interaction with any before moving to my present home, only with another lady in a rather peculiar smelling  house along with her funny cat (a Siamese, I hasten to add), my mum, brothers & sisters who all one by one disappeared, which left me feeling a little sad.  So moving to my new home, took me a few days to settle in. However, it was play that helped me bond with my new companions, the usual stalk, jump, & my personal favourite, catch and kill the hand.  The final clinch to friendship was jumping on her gut on all fours, (I found H's weakness), I began to think "hmm this human isn't so bad," and ever since we have been firm friends  - on my terms you understand.  At this time the human had an elderly cat, but she was no fun.  The more I grew the more playful I got with her, (I can see some would view it as harassment), not fair on the elderly cat and assured it was not mine.  (H) worked hard at keeping us apart, in hind sight I don't think H would have adopted me with such an elderly queen.  Sadly the old cat died not long after I arrived, she'd reached a grand old age of 20, which in cat years is about 96, give or take a few years.

Now I had run of the whole house and two humans all to myself.  This however did not last long, Marsbar turned up & not unlike athletes foot, he was really rather irritating and hard to get rid of.  Not being from the same litter I found it hard to accept him (it is my gaff) & even to this day I struggle with him in my territory but on the whole we do get on - he's tolerated.  You see the difference between me and Marsbar, he's a very friendly, outgoing, snuggly, cuddly, ray of sunshine.  I, on the other hand am much more aloof, I am Alpha Male, a one person cat and I certainly don't do cuddles or even tolerate (for any amount of time) being picked up.  Belly rubs are fine though, as and when I need them.  Oh! and he meows a lot.  Attention seeker if you ask me.

Cat Fact

When a cat feels the need to rub your legs they're rubbing scent onto you, marking their territory if you like, a way of saying "that be mine", but usually it's more a "I want something - now".  Or maybe it's just their way of saying I love you.

Till next time...