A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help!

[Jacks]

Here is my 'baby' (she's petite but a good hunter) Lara on one of the two occasions when she brought a pigeon home. She finds them in the grounds of a school across the road and must have scaled several fences with this in her mouth... RIP pigeon.

Another reason why I don't want her out at dusk or overnight...

Incidentally she's also been stuck 30 foot up a tree and in various other places

[Crewella]

Good grief - it's nearly as big as she is! She looks very proud, bless her!

Another little panther!

[Jacks]

Oh yes! She was very proud, and she doesn't bring them as gifts either, they are for her - all for her

The vet commented on her panther-like physique (she's between 3.6 a 3.8 kilos and said she's a 'real cat'. Still terrified of Mr Socks, however...

[Lyn from Australia]

Goodness, and she eats it too!! Is bird hunting something cats do at dusk and overnight? I thought birds "disappeared" at those times? I are you referring to the other little beasties who emerge as the sun goes down?

[Jacks]

Interestingly she doesn't eat them. In fact they are pretty much intact, as are mice - their necks obviously broken. I think she is a highly efficient killer in that that don't suffer, at least. She's never brought back anything alive or injured. She likes to 'worry' them for a while, then sit and bask in her success and when she loses interest we dispose of the offering...

Our birds are out here pretty early and late and cats are naturally crespurnal so I try to get them in before the light starts to fade.

The only one of mine to actually eat a bird was my ex-feral kitten who (literally) couldn't catch one to save her life, but grabbed a neighbour cat's prize, carried into the cat tunnel behind our sofa and proceeded to crunch it down - every scrap, apart from a few feathers. No mess at all. Amazing.

[Lyn from Australia]

When you wrote something like "they aren't gifts they are all hers" I thought you meant she ate them. At least if she kills them it is much better than cats that "torture" their victims and generally frighten them to death. Summer isn't a hunter, but she is attracted to birds as are all cats. Ages ago one of the other cats brought me a live sparrow. I managed to remove it from her mouth but in trying to be gentle the bird flew away, STRAIGHT INTO SUMMER'S MOUTH!! So far as I know, when my eldest cats were allowed out doors they always brought me their catches, and with only a couple of exceptions I think I managed to save them all - at the expense of having to stop work and hoping the boss didn't notice...

[andrewh1973]

Wow these postings make me realise how tame Arnie is by contrast really! So again he was kept in today as I was working at the office (working from home tomorrow that will surprise him!), he's had 3 hours out this evening from 6:30 to 9:30, he chooses to come back in at that time (I suspect his belly bought him back in really) but I've noticed he will hunt anything that moves as the sun goes down, flies, moths, crickets, mice and these past few days.. me also! He's taken to playfully grabbing me if I get too near but with those razor sharp claws I'm not as keen on his games as he is, though at least he seems to not be inclined to bite hard, does appear that he's clearly playing with me, which I find endearing really, shows I'm truly something to him now. For the past hour he's been playing (having demanded it) with wiggly string, and now he's finally sprawled across the middle of my bed as he realises it's bed time for me soon so time to take up as much as the bed as possible so I'm forced to curl up, all 6 foot 4ins of me, in a corner of my own double bed!

I've not ever seen Arnie catch anything but there are certainly fewer mice around here now so I'm assuming he's keeping them in check, there's also a couple of squirrels that frequent the residents car park here too though they leg it in absolute terror when either Snoop or Arnie emerge from the bushes to purse them, so I think Arnie probably has an established taste for fresh squirrel also! That's fine, I'd rather he didn't try and chew on me though, little scamp (the miaowing at him still works but I think it's losing it's shock and awe effect now!)...

Just to let you know my cat background, in summary: Arnie is my second cat actually. First puss was a beautiful, large (and very heavy!) and totally insane tortie and white called Shelly (1987-2000) who sadly died due to ill health (diabetes and kidney failure despite her relatively young age). Shelly was (and remains) the most intelligent, scheming and yet weirdly empathetic cat I've ever had the pleasure of being around, more like a dog in a cat's body really but also totally psychotic at times. An indoor only cat from birth, never liking being picked up, frequently exceptionally savage to humans, including me (she once attacked the postman leaving him needing 8 stitches in his hand... his own fault for trying to get back a letter he put through our door by mistake really!) she acted more like a feral cat who just accepted humans being around her even though she was socialised with other cats and humans as a kitten. She just decided during her kitten months that actually she hated the world and everyone in it and just carried on with it into adulthood! However, she would follow me around the house and was loyal to me, I had major spinal surgery when I was 16 in 1990 and for the 6 weeks I was in hospital (first 2 in intensive care) she spent all of it on my bed (apart from getting off to use the litter tray) and refused to eat most days until the 4th week (when I started to recover), seems she could sense that somehow. During the great storm of 1987, while still a kitten (I lived in London until 2004) she saved us from a gas explosion, my brother could not smell and was always the first up. The storm blew the gas fire out and downstairs was filling with gas. My brother would have likely got up and put on the light in the morning downstairs without realising were it not for Shelly insisting we get out bed during the night, she jumped on me and pulled at my covers (she'd never done that before) and frantically miaowing until I got up, clearly once I got to the top of the stairs I could smell the gas and things were ok, but that could have been so much worse. That and the fact I had her from a 6 week old kitten, meant she's always had a special place in my heart, she used to travel with us to Bournemouth on our holidays, we'd book a table on the train from Waterloo and she'd love the long train ride with the occasional stealing of cream cheese from the little packet of cheese and crackers we'd get from the buffet car. When I was a student she'd frequently sit on my desk and watch me work but never get in the way and her purr was the loudest, fullest purr I've ever heard (though Arnie comes very close, his is a very similar loud purr, maybe it's one reason why I've taken to him so quickly, his purring reminds me of her?). When the time came to say goodbye, I was upset for a week and took that time off work, I was that knocked over by it, even though in my mid 20s by then. I vowed to never have a cat again as losing them was too painful...

...by 2004 I ended up living alone, no longer with any family of my own, moved to Manchester a year later. The demands of all that, changes in my life and fact that I often liked to go away meant I never wanted another cat until about a year ago really. For a while since then I've wanted a black cat, I read last year that they are the hardest unwanted cats to rehome as few people pick them. And then, just as I'm starting to build up my plans to leave the UK and just sold my flat here and taking on another cat would be the most stupid thing I could do right now, Arnie arrives into my life: shabby, scared, sick and injured and full of fleas but now an oh so confident, forceful, bossy and healthy looking cat. I'm not sure Shelly would approve as she hated all cats (she liked dogs, though) but she might be secretly pleased cat number 2 is proving to be as bossy and controlling as she always was and, in his own way, loyal also... I think Arnie has earned his title of cat number 2 not merely gained it by default having rocked up needing help. His cheeky charm hidden under his normal slightly scared tom cat persona means you can't help but love him! He's sleeping now, I think I should go and join him! Good night fellow cat folk!

[andrewh1973]

Here is my 'baby' (she's petite but a good hunter) Lara on one of the two occasions when she brought a pigeon home. She finds them in the grounds of a school across the road and must have scaled several fences with this in her mouth... RIP pigeon.

Another reason why I don't want her out at dusk or overnight...

Incidentally she's also been stuck 30 foot up a tree and in various other places

I'm just stunned by that photo!!

[bobbys girl]

Andrew, I smiled when I read you wanted a black cat. I'd always been a dog person until I found Willow. But her story starts a long time ago.

In the early 90's (we were still in England) I was chatting with a neighbour about her kitten. She had taken 'Holly' for her first check-up and bought 'Harley' home! (how many of us have done that?). I remember telling her, although I admired cats, I loved my birdies and my garden more (every cat in creation used my veg garden as a giant litter tray ) I said if ever I did have a cat, I wanted a sleek, black, Oriental-type cat - just something about them. I said it would call it 'Willow' - a name to suit boy or girl.

10 years on we had moved to NI and I was doing some decorating for a friend. It is a long tale and I have posted it before so the shortened version - some higher power (I'm convinced of that) arranged for me and a tiny, black kitten to meet at precisely the right moment on the road into town. Willow, (aka Medusa, Princess Tippy-toes, Rat Bag) came into our lives and changed them forever.

The only question is - did God put the thought of a black cat called Willow into my mind 10 years before or did he hear me taking and arrange the meeting 10 years later? Doesn't matter anyway!

I wish you every happiness with your lovely boy. It seems you were meant for each other.

[andrewh1973]

I'm not sure either, I think that Willow and you were clearly meant to meet so a lovely cat could find a good owner and so that you'd be driven crazy by the little furry bundle!

I wonder the same also about Arnie, clearly we were destined to meet and as each day has gone by these past few weeks, I can see we're bonding more and we're figuring each other out little by little. Today I've been working from home, much to his delight but instead of being difficult to get in before I go off to work, at the usual time I'm frantically calling him and looking like an idiot at the doorstep each morning, he's come calmly back in, had some more food and settled down for a morning nap on the bed! He's spent much of the day in doors sleeping and went out at 4pm but more than happy to be back in by 7pm.. he seems happy enough earlier...

arnie bed.jpg (99.32 KiB) Viewed 10471 times

He woke up an hour ago and I've been playing with him. As I write he's sitting by my feet playing with string (he found the length of string and bought it over to me, clearly demanding me to play with him with it again, I've been doing so for most of the past hour anyway!!). I wonder if the Feliway plugin I got last week is actually helping him to be more relaxed (he's not protested about not going out tonight, well not much, and he let me de-flea him this evening, normally that's a fight that ends with him looking like he's been sucking on a lemon given the expression on his face!) or if he's just getting used to life as a pet cat and finding the rewards of being a pampered puss are worth giving up demanding to go out at night for? (though that said he's just sat at the door for a bit wanting to go out, but I picked him up, put him on the bed, played with this toys and he seems happy enough to stay there!)...

Fingers crossed this marks a start of a more peaceful (though still very playful, ouch my hands!) Arnie!

[PeanutsFriend]

Hello. I caught up on this thread. Welcome.
I think your life will be greatly enriched by Arnie.
I adopted nine cats. Only one is a black female, Ray.
I have two tabbies tho. they are black cats in disguise.
Altho Willie I am in dought. Cowboy is, I parted his hair to see.
My Muezette was a marvelous hunter, she was a black and white long hair. Almost as good as Lara. She is dead now. She died of old age.
The cats aren't allowed outside now. Here in the US, they are tough on cats. They will catch them and put them in their animal prisons.
Jill

[andrewh1973]

(OT but how do you get images to appear inline!? I tried using the Img button but it just says it can't get the image size and refuses to proceed)

[PeanutsFriend]

I forgot to post little willie.
Now Willie is 13 now so he is old boy.

[PeanutsFriend]

If they are too big they won't post. I make copies of the picture I want to post on my computer and resize it to a smaller size

[bobbys girl]

Andrew, you can resize pictures using the free to download 'picresize'.

Just been watching 'Wild China' with my OH. We are both too exhausted to go to bed - He's spent all day tiling the kitchen and I spent half the day decorating and the other half cleaning up the mess! We are sitting here like zombies and Purdy is sitting between us taking in the whole programme. She especially liked the hamsters and the Golden Eagle - ears pricked, whiskers and end of tail twitching. She is a funny girl.

Since we are sharing pics of our 'strays' here's one of dear old Tommy in his fav place, on the car roof!

rsz_021.jpg

Tommy

(222.99 KiB) Not downloaded yet

[andrewh1973]

Andrew, you can resize pictures using the free to download 'picresize'.

Just been watching 'Wild China' with my OH. We are both too exhausted to go to bed - He's spent all day tiling the kitchen and I spent half the day decorating and the other half cleaning up the mess! We are sitting here like zombies and Purdy is sitting between us taking in the whole programme. She especially liked the hamsters and the Golden Eagle - ears pricked, whiskers and end of tail twitching. She is a funny girl.

Since we are sharing pics of our 'strays' here's one of dear old Tommy in his fav place, on the car roof!

rsz_021.jpg

Awwww cute!!

It's ok, now I know the problem was the image being too large I just resized it using paint.net (sooo much better than MS paint!)

[andrewh1973]

So it's been two weeks since he last wandered off and he went out at 8:15 this morning and yes indeed, he's wandered off again. I get a call at 10:45 from my usual spy in Weaste to tell me he's been spotted there again, I head off there again and it's taken me over an hour trying to get him into the carry box. I try the luring him with a bit of string trick, no he's wise to that. I try crunchy treats he loves in the box, no, he wants the treats but he's going nowhere near the box to get them! He's lead me on a merry dance from garden to garden before allowing himself to be cornered and I grab him as he goes to jump over a 3ft fence. Oddly he could have then easily bitten my hand to get free but he doesn't, he allows me to walk to the car, open it with one hand and put him in the box. He had ample opportunity to bolt then. Once the door is shut he settles down and seems relaxed and resign to the inevitable trip home. Doesn't miaow once on the drive back.

Get him in and instantly he's gone back into "hungry loving cat" mode, purring and headbutting me as he wants food. I feed him, then he gets back into the carry box and seems to want to be taken back there again!! Instead I put the carry box on the bed to try to encourage him to settle there instead, I bend down to try to encourage him out and instead of a purring cat walking out, an angry paw comes flying out to swipe me around the face. A few moments later he walks out, purring and wanting more food. I feed him again, he eats half and then settles down on an armchair to wash and is now curled up in a tight ball sleeping.

I really can't figure him out!

It's weird because 2 days ago, he was coming when I called him, seemed very relaxed and contented here, was defending this flat against other cats and whenever he sees me, his tail is straight up with the tip bent over, so he does seem pleased to see me. When I walk around the car park he'll run around (or ahead of me) like an excited kitten. Today however, he was running away from me when I walked near him, only put his tail up briefly when I called him name and had this general air of indifference or even dislike towards me while over in Weaste.

I note that he's done his wandering off on days when the weather has been windy, cool and very cloudy. He never wanders off on sunny, warm days. I also note that last night he was once again getting into a scrap with the neighbour's cat and a few others also (all are male cats). Over in Weaste, I'm told, there are mostly female cats. Could either of these things really be factors? I sense that they might be but not sure which or why.

As much as I love him (and I truly do), I'm wondering if the kindest thing would be to have him rehomed, perhaps he needs to go into a multi cat household of females? He clearly is not 100% happy here, something is leading him to wander off and yet, right now, he seems peaceful and contented. I'm really not sure what to do. I just wish he could talk to me and tell me what is wrong...

[Crewella]

I hope you don't mind me saying so, but I think you're taking his reaction to you a bit too personally. I have no doubt that my Daz loves me, he follows me around, loves a cuddle and clings to me for comfort when he's scared (he came to me as a terrified stray tom cat), but when I went to retrieve him from a rare foray into next door's garden a few weeks back, he hid under a car and it took me ages to coax him out. I think that when they're in strange territory their wariness level goes up naturally - home and security are you IN your garden. When I moved house earlier in the year and first started letting my gang out, I noticed that all of them were a bit wary of being approached in the garden at first, even though they were happily 'spark out' on my lap in the evenings on the sofa!

Cats, especially ex-strays like your Arnie and my Daz that have lived the full rock'n'roll tom cat lifestyle, do sometimes like to wander and go off on expeditions. Not because they're not happy with where they live, but just for the hell of it, for an adventure. Left to his own devices, I'm pretty sure Arnie would eventually come home again, expecting his dinner and a warm bed to sleep it off. True to his namesake!

There could be all sorts of factors drawing him to that area, and if I remember correctly it's not all that long since he was neutered, so his hormones could still be driving him to seek female company. If that's the case, then things should gradually improve, but it might just be part of who he is - I know that it's worrying when he goes wandering, especially as you know he has to cross roads to get there, but you might just have to put up with it.

He's a lucky boy to have found you, and he did choose you. I doubt very much that he'd be happier anywhere else!

[andrewh1973]

Crewella, I'm not taking it as personally as it seems from that post, it was partly tongue in cheek. I would just really like to know if there's anything I can really do to improve the situation or work out what the triggers are. I am concerned that I'm going to - hopefully - take him to Malta in the near future and he'll have to be a house cat there, he won't be able to go out except on a leash and I do wonder if that will be a step too far for him? My concern in all this is for his welfare, frankly I realised from the start that cats do not give a jot for feelings of the human slaves who feed, look after and generally worry about them!

As for here though, I'm certain there is a trigger for it and it's not random wandering off. After my last post, he woke up demanded to go out again but I refused, I've just spent about an hour playing with him (and getting bitten and roughed up by him in the process.. he plays rough this cat!) and now he's gone to sleep on my bed... I hope he stays put and sleeps for a few hours if only to give me some peace!!

Oh and he's never, ever, came back by himself when he has wandered off. I have no doubt that if I left him there for a day or two and then went back he'll soon come running over to me then, albeit looking somewhat sheepish, but he's never found his way back before but he's always glad to be back here when he is bought back. Whether his inability to come back by himself is deliberate or that he just can't work out how to come back, I'll never know. I am however really curious to why he keeps going there and as to the route he's taking, he would have to cross a dangerous dual carriage way and busy junction to get there though I'm wondering if he's maybe found another (longer) route there that is safer. Each time he winds up there, he's getting quicker at doing it, as though he's mastering the fastest way to get there. I can see him being fitted with a GPS tracker soon...

[Crewella]

It could be residual tom cat behaviour, as there are lots of females in that area. Most of the hormones should havel left his system by now, but the scent of a female in heat might still be an attraction?

[andrewh1973]

It could be residual tom cat behaviour, as there are lots of females in that area. Most of the hormones should havel left his system by now, but the scent of a female in heat might still be an attraction?

Sounds plausible to me... wonder if I should add some bromide to his cat milk!?

[Crewella]

Nice idea ...... but if he's anything like mine he'll spot it in a second, turn his nose up and give you a dirty look for spoiling perfectly good cat milk ......

[andrewh1973]

Nice idea ...... but if he's anything like mine he'll spot it in a second, turn his nose up and give you a dirty look for spoiling perfectly good cat milk ......

Yup I think that's very likely to happen!

Mercifully he's been sleeping since 3pm, which is handy as I've done a radio show (in my spare time - such as it is these days - I present on a community internet station) today 4pm to 6pm and he stayed asleep during it, I guess he's exhausted after his jaunt this morning really! At least he's been a source of material though!...

[andrewh1973]

Spent nearly an hour playing with him this evening, seems to have worn the little fella out.. he's been fast asleep on my bed for about an hour now.. must try to get to bed before he wakes (oddly, once I go to bed he seems respectful about keeping quiet and letting me sleep... only ever wakes me up once it gets light!).

Seriously considering getting a GPS tracker or cat cam for him now though, I'm really curious how he ends up there and what he's getting up to on these cross town wanderings...

[Lyn from Australia]

Good idea and it's been done before - perhaps the younger people will remember the name of the show where all the cats in a particular English town were camera'd up and followed? It was very interesting and very funny!!

[andrewh1973]

Good idea and it's been done before - perhaps the younger people will remember the name of the show where all the cats in a particular English town were camera'd up and followed? It was very interesting and very funny!!

Can't remember the name but it should still be on my PVR, I recorded it when it was on last year... I'll look it up later!

[andrewh1973]

A day in the life of Arnie, today:

He's had a good day today it seems. After yesterday's wandering off he wasn't even bothered about waking me up this morning. I woke up at 6:30am and normally he's headbutting and pestering me to get out of bed as he's either hungry or wanting to go out. But it was cold, windy and grey outside and so he was just content to remain curled up on my bed as I woke. A few headbutts, cat kisses and licking my face moments came (in stark contrast to yesterday's indifference to me) until I finally got up and he calmly got up and took up position awaiting breakfast - his first HiLife Poultry Presentation of the day (he truly loves this stuff and will eat it over anything else always!). He went out after that, but it was too cold and windy for his little furry socks and I quickly lured him back in with wiggly string and after I had breakfast spent over half hour playing with him... he wanted a second helping of breakfast after that and - now late for work (yet again!) - I made good my escape while he was scoffing a Sheba fresh choice mini pouch. I get home having dropped by Tesco on the way (to pick up more HiLife) and have bought him a couple of other new (to him) cat food brands. A pouch of encore chicken & brown rice and a couple of trays of Lily's (which I don't think he will touch as he doesn't like terrines or stuff in jelly, but due to the high meat content I thought I'd try him on it anyway). Gave him a pouch of HiLife and as he was still hungry after that, the encore and he yummed it up along with a bowl of cat milk! Went out at 7pm, got chased by the neighbour's cat and chased the neighbour's cat in return, chased a few moths and caught a few (it's horrible to see him chewing them - yuk!), came in around 9:45pm, ate half of a grilled chicken breast that he didn't eat last night (lovingly already cut up in the fridge, awaiting Mr fussy sock's return!), got on my bed for 30 mins had a wash, got up and demanded more food, so he's just polished off another Sheba mini pouch and now, finally, he seems to be prepared to settle down for the night... I hope!

Clearly he's got a far easier and more fun life than I'm ever likely to have! Such a stark contrast to how he was back in April when he was scrounging whatever food he could, stuffing it down his neck and legging it out of the door again the moment he'd finished out of fear of being trapped in.

When he came in earlier he does what he normally does when he's had some stress outside. Gets into his pet bed and does the typical treading/purring thing. But he only ever does treading in his bed but he never, ever uses the bed for anything else (he's never slept in it). Another of his little quirks, it seems to just be a place to quickly de-stress and wind down but he does have this wonderful purr while he's in it... (recorded a couple of nights ago)...

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He does purr while on my bed also, but not as full on and throaty, more a gentle, relaxed, soft snoozing purr - some nights he seems to purr all night night, very quietly (i.e. whenever I've woken up but without moving I can see that he's curled up fast asleep but still he's very gently purring in his sleep, nice to know he's that happy and relaxed that he does that!).

I'm wondering though if he's eating too much? What do you all think? He's not fat though but he is very solid. He's always been a muscular, strong cat, even when he was clearly underfed when I first encountered him. He's now a solid, weighty (but not overly heavy) cat, around 5kg, he doesn't look fat but there's definitely a lot more of him now than in April. I think I need to cut back on what he eats but he's very forceful in demanding food...!

[andrewh1973]

Just as I clicked submit, he woke up and now he's demanding either more food (I think) or he wants to play... bang goes my early night...

[Crewella]

Oh bless him - he's definitely having a 'happy feet moment' there.

I would keep an eye on what he eats, I have three ex-strays and all three of them are pigs - it's like they're still not quite convinced that there really will be more food coming later. Also, neutered cats burn off less energy that entire toms, so he will be more likely to put on weight even if just eating the same as he's used to. My Daz is a big, solid cat who was trapped and neutered at about 3 years old (around Arnie's age I think?), and in his first year with me put on over a kilo and went up to 6.5kg. He then had some problems with cystitis and urinary blockages, which my vet said certainly wasn't helped by the extra weight, so went on a diet and is now a (relatively) svelte (and healthier) 5.5kg. He's an avid hunter and eats everything he catches (including whole baby bunnies in the spring) so it's quite hard to keep control, but we're managing. As you're trying to 'keep Arnie sweet', maybe try smaller portions at each sitting, and keep away from dry food as it's much higher in calories!

This is Daz, with mouse and side salad.

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[andrewh1973]

Yes indeed, I agree with you! He did have another HiLife pouch around midnight and then finally he settled down and allowed me to sleep! I've been wondering the same if he's still not quite getting it that he's got a secure and regular supply of food that he is just bulking up each day in case it runs out. He is eating a little less than he used to though. A month or two ago he would happily get through 6 pouches in a day and it wasn't as if he was ever picking at them, he ate all of them as though he'd not been fed for days! I'm not sure I get his obsession with the HiLife Poultry Presentation (PP) one though, he will not touch the "Just Chopped Chicken" which is higher quality, bizarre to see a former stray turn up his nose to decent food! Offer him any of the mainstream, low grade foods in gravy (i.e. Whiskas, Felix, supermarket own brand etc.) and he'll scoff them down also. It's like he's actually used to "junk" food and has an addiction to it, I'm aware that PP has some sugars added to it so it's probably not as healthy as their other stuff, maybe that explains his obsession with it!?

I'm trying to get ready and out to work now but no... kitty wants to play... if I don't play with string he's taking to falling at my feet and biting them!! Demanding little fluff ball!

Daz looks a very capable hunter, never seen Arnie with anything in his mouth other than moths but there again I think he's just a cat that likes to hunt and eat the spoils out of the sight of human eyes... How long you had Daz?