Reasons we love our animals

[Janie1962]

Out of my 4 cats, only Tigger will swish her tail every time! Mind you, her tail is always on the move - she's like a dog in that respect. She's blind - was thrown from a moving car when she was about 4 weeks old. Bit of brain damage, too. (However, it's not really noticeable in our house!) and when you cuddle her, she always puts a paw on your cheek - she's very affectionate and incredibly playful. She's 7 now and still acts like a kitten!

 

The others might respond if they're in the mood........or hungry!

[honeybee13]

Daniella, I don't remember having a cat that swished its tail when called. I thought that meant they were cross?

 

Our cat sticks her tail in the air [if she's listening] and looks at you or maybe even moves towards you on a good day.

 

Good question though.

 

HB x

[Undercover-Elsa]

The olnly time my old girl swished her tail was when she was getting fed up of being groomed.

 

If I called her she used to go "Hmmm?"

There was a definite question in the sound

[meemok]

This thread is so nice, I thought I'd share about my cat, Socks.

 

We've always had pet cats since I was little, but he's my own first pet.

 

He's 12 on 7th July, and I've kinda had him since the day he was born, as his mum was my old housemates cat, and he came with me when I moved.

 

The kittens slept in a big box with their mum, and we took turns sleeping on a blow-up bed next to them for the first few weeks (mum had 'problems' with her 1st litter )

He always used to climb out and I would wake up with him sleeping on my chest or on the pillow. He still does this sometimes, although he's bigger now and has been known to roll over covering my face with his belly which is not the nicest way to be woken up

 

Although he's an old boy now, he still acts like a kitten. Everything is a game, and no shoelace or shiny object is safe.

Christmas decorations are a no-no as he climbs the tree and steals baubles, then throws them. Also, people often find keys, pens, bits of stationery and cigarette lighters hidden in their shoes.

 

He'll climb up anything that stays still long enough, although his dismount skills are not what they used to be. I have had to help him down from the top of the shed 6 times so far this year, and my neighbours were shocked to find him pawing to be let in their window after climbing up the big tree in their yard.

 

He has brought me a few birds and mice, but they weren't badly injured and were taken back outside. His favourite things to chase are moths and daddy long-legs, but he tends to eat them after a while.

 

He does have his naughty moments.....

He likes to hide at the foot of the stairs and pounce on people as they walk down. My ankles are sometimes scratched and have tooth marks, and there is a box of plasters permenantly on the hall table because of this.

Once, he was lying in wait on the stairs, and lashed out as I walked past the bannister rail resulting in me having antibiotics shots and a stitch to hold the corner of my eyelid on!

 

He tried to get me in trouble with the law before too. A policeman knocked on the door doing some canvassing, Socks flew out the door, clung on to the officer's leg and started biting him

He did that to the postman once, but he was wearing shorts (rightful punishment for a grown man wearing shorts I reckon)

 

Recently, my mum has not been well and get stressed & panicked a lot, but he will jump on the sofa with her and when she sits stroking him she gets calmer. I dunno how he knows, but he does, and it seems to help. She loves sitting in the garden with him too and watching him try to catch bees in the flowers.

 

He used to respond to his name kinda like a dog does, now I mostly just get a quick glance or his ears twitch, but if I get the bag of catnip treats out and crinkle the packet, he magically appears in the kitchen within seconds.

Then I get loads of fun watching him roll around dribbling, kicking and following catnip trails round the house

 

Sometimes I catch myself talking about him like he's a person, but I don't care. I think he's awesome!

 

(one of the rare moments he stayed still long enough for a picture)

[honeybee13]

Hello there. What a lovely boy and amazing for his age. How is a cat can be all cuddly one moment and going for the jugular, so to speak, the next?

 

Thank you for posting his story for us. I loved it.

 

HB x

[Undercover-Elsa]

Haha, he looks a little devil...but so cute and he knows it!

What a character...I guess that's why we love cats so much, their capacity to suprise and their mood swings keep us on our toes!

[honeybee13]

Hello there.

 

I'm so sorry about your dog, what a terrible shock for you. I know you'll feel better in time and maybe you'll tell us a bit more about her when you feel able to write it. We like photos too, although I haven't managed to produce one yet myself .

 

Take care, HB x

[citizenB]

10 Canine Commandments.pdf

 

That's better - 10 Canine Commandments

[honeybee13]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]29390[/ATTACH]

 

That's better - 10 Canine Commandments

 

Oh dear, where are the tissues?

 

HB x

[Janie1962]

How's this for devotion?

 

A few days ago I had a migraine-type headache - was sick, felt as if my brains were trying to escape through my eye sockets etc. All I could do was lay on the settee all day with the blinds closed. My dog laid by my side every bit of the day, only leaving me when he needed the garden a couple of times! He even ate his meals next to me - he brought his kibble, mouthful by mouthful, from his dish to the settee and then ate it!

 

If only the two-legged members of my family were so caring!

[honeybee13]

They're very sensitive, aren't they? I think the dog is probably more patient than my OH, but don't tell OH I said that please!

 

I tripped over in the street recently and our Teddy, who normally runs off without much encouragement, stopped in his tracks because the lead went slack and waited to see if I was OK.

 

I hope you're feeling better now.

 

HB x

[jackieandwayne]

Hmm.. Tazzy has a way of letting me know what he wants - I have a sprained ankle, so I ask him to fetch my slippers. He comes back with my boots!

[honeybee13]

Sorry about your ankle, J&W, I hope you feel better soon.

 

If I sent Teddy off to get my slippers, I have no idea what he'd turn up with!

 

HB x

[honeybee13]

I meant to say that if Teddy turned up with any kind of footwear, I'd think it was a stroke of genius.

[citizenB]

I meant to say that if Teddy turned up with any kind of footwear, I'd think it was a stroke of genius.

 

 

[Desperate Daniella]

Hi,

 

I know that if you are on this thread you must love cats.

 

I have been looking on all the "lost and found" animal sites for my friend's cat who disappeared last year. As he spent most of his time with us my daughter was devastated so I have continued to check every week.

 

A couple of weeks ago a lady posted on gumtree about a cat that had been found abandoned in a bag in the Portobello Road. She is looking after her at the moment but can't long-term because she has an elderly unwell dog. I can't take her either because I have an elderly frail cat.

 

The cat, really just a kitten of 7-8 months, desperately needs a good home. I contacted the poster to recommend the wonderful Mayhew Home in North West London, but they are full.

 

I have emailed absolutely everyone on my address list and asked people to forward the email on, but no success so far.

 

If any of you would like a young kitten, tabby and white splodgy, short hair, or know anyone who would - family, friend, colleague, - please let me know and I'll let you have the contact details.

 

It would be so lovely if she could find a home for Christmas.

 

DDxx

[jackieandwayne]

I can't as the dog would kill it. However, now then, Daniella! I too have had elderly frail cats, and it seems to me that every time I introduced a young cat into the group, it gave the oldies a new lease of life. Either they had something to hiss and side swipe at, or they changed nature and became kitten like, seemingly forgetting their age and ailments. In any case, however it went, they all settled down to their evening meal together!

 

Just thought I'd say like! With your big soft heart an' all!

[Desperate Daniella]

Cleo was the third of three cats when I got her and she so hated my big old boy that she would walk down the road and sit in a tree whenever I went out,. She was so happy when he went to the Rainbow Bridge. She got on with the remaining cat and when that one sadly departed I did get a kitten to keep her company and the kitten (now cat) worked out well because, as you say, it gave Cleo someone to boss around and she became the No. 1 cat which made her very happy.

 

However, she nearly died last year and she was clearly unhappy when there were three cats.

 

I would love to take this kitten but I can't make Cleo, who has always been a somewhat moody cat, miserable. She was a rescue who had been abandoned in a flat and before that fed only on remainders of takeaways. If she is unhappy she wees on beds, or carpets. I really don't want that again.

[jackieandwayne]

Worth a try though LOL X

[jackieandwayne]

I mean worth trying to tug your heart strings! Not take a cat when you know it won't work!

[Desperate Daniella]

I was about to say it was worth your trying to re-train your dog to love cats.

[jackieandwayne]

He wouldn't hurt a cat if I was around, because he knows it isn't what I want. Hence he is ok at mum's with her cat (who incidentally just strolled through the front door in April this year, dreadfully thin, and decided to stay!). However, border collie left to its own thinking, with a cat in the house, well, I wouldn't like to bet what the outcome would be. At they very least one very stressed cat. Now the African grey, well he's another matter, Taz is terrified of him, because he learnt early on that things with sharp beaks generally hurt!

[honeybee13]

Well done that parrot.

 

HB