Water water everywhere!

[Judy Barnett]

Hello folks, its been a while. I heard a program on the radio asking people to put water out for strays, hedgehogs and other wildlife in this current heat wave. What started as one bowl has now grown to eight round the perimeter of the house. Getting lots of visitors including a fox or two. I hope the weather breaks soon Georgia and I are now fighting over the fan!!

[Janey]

I know I have to have a shallow litter tray for my 3 ferals, plus I have a couple of dishes for birds, hedgeghogs etc. Have to keep checking the bowls as they’re drying up so fast. We did have a bit of a storm this morning though and heavy downpour couldn’t believe it!

Re the fan, surprisingly my cat has started joining us in front the fan, which is not like her - slight breeze and she’s lower than a snake’s belly

[Ruth B]

I've noticed before that my garden pond is treated as neutral territory to an extent. My cats are willing to let others drink from it as long as they don't come any closer to the house. Before the upheaval of having the gardens redone I used to get a lot of frogs and even a newt of two in it. I've even seen some very brave or fool hardy birds having a drink and a bath from the cascade section. There might be other things visit in the early hours but I'm tucked up in bed and don't get to see them, I'm also in suburbia so not really a lot of wildlife around.

The pump for the cascade is solar powered, and while I do have a battery connected I haven't needed it a lot this year, it's running pretty much from sun up to sun down just off the panels and putting charge onto the battery as well. I don't worry about running it over night and the fish don't seem to take any harm from not doing.

A fish pond and cats might seem like an odd combination but I have lost far more fish to herons than to cats.

[Judy Barnett]

A fish pond and cats doesn't sound strange at all; I've got a cat and a canary!!

[Lilith]

Lol - I used to have 16 snakes, 3 aquariums and a pond - do still have the pond and one snake, and I never lost anything to cats.

I drew the line when a neighbour offered me some hamsters though.

Nothing worse than a paranoid hamster ...

[bobbys girl]

The weather in NI broke over a week ago. The BBC were giving out dire warnings of what would happen if anyone ventured out into the sun - wear a hat smother yourself in sun block ( never mind missing out on all that free vit D!) and there was I moving plants away from the overflowing gutters and getting through rolls of kitchen towel drying soggy kitties. I have lost count of the number of times a little wet face has peeped around the doorway - 'MUMMMM I'm wet DO something!'

As Judy knows, I have a pond with three big fish (2 Koi carp) The adult cats know they are there and Purdy will watch them. But they know the water level is too far below the surrounding paving to get hold of a fish. Billy doesn't know that yet! Even though I have picked him up and dangled his toes in the water. So, hopefully for the time being, the pond is barricaded against invasion!

However bothersome the weather, it could be worse. The Japanese (with a climate similar to ours) have had temps. hitting 40° and in some places 170mm of rain in THREE hours. And we think we had it bad.

[Ruth B]

The heat has definitely broken for the time being, it is throwing it down this morning. Saturn is presently asleep in the middle of the duvet, having come in soaking wet, and Tiggy is dry but stretched out on the folded back bedspread which would normally be used to protect the duvet from soggy kitties. Freyja is no where to be seen, so either she has a new hidey hole or will appear soaking wet as well.

My pond's water level is at ground level but while the cats will watch it they never seem too bothered about catching anything, at about half a meter deep the fish have enough depth to get out of the way, I also don't worry about keeping the water sparkling clear so you can only see the fish when the come up to fee most of the time.

We were awaken about 12.15 Saturday morning by Fire Engines outside, it turns out that a house about three doors down from us had quite a major bedroom fire. Apparently a mobile phone or similar had been left on charge by the bed and caught fire. Fortunately no one was hurt but the upper floor is burnt out and the rest of the house likely damaged from the smoke and the water. It is a stark reminder to not leave things on charge unattended or while you are asleep and always use good chargers and batteries.