They keep you guessing...

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MarySkater
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They keep you guessing...

Post by MarySkater »

Okay, my setup: I (currently) just have one cat, Rocky. I have part of the garden enclosed for him, and he can come and go via the cat flap in the kitchen. Recently he has taken to hunting, and has been bringing in a lot of shrews from the garden (dead or alive!).

To give the little wildlife a chance, I sometimes shut him in for at least part of the night. Last night, when it was getting late, I shut the kitchen door so he couldn't get to the flap to go out, and told him he was in for the night. (He has food, water and litter tray all available.) He went upstairs, I thought to sleep on my bed. I was reading for a while, but when I went up, no Rocky. I looked in all the nooks and crannies, but couldn't find him. Then I looked at the window, which was open a little. Surely he couldn't get out that gap?

Below the window (which is at least 12 feet above the ground) is a paved patio, not part of his enclosure. I opened the patio door, but there was no cat splatted on the concrete. However when I called him, he came running down from the back of the garden. This was outside his enclosure, so he must have got there via the window. I could see that all his legs were working, and I checked his face to make sure he hadn't bashed his nose on landing, but there were no marks on him.

Later I opened the window to the same stop it had been on, and measured the gap. Three and a quarter inches. How a more than 5 kg chunky cat got through that, I don't know. (But I won't give him another chance.) He could in theory have jumped on to the top of his enclosure fence, and then to the ground, but it would mean landing on a very narrow rail, in the dark. Or maybe he went down in one jump. However, within a few minutes of my getting him back into the house, he was back at the bedroom window (now closed) trying to do the kamikazi stunt again, so clearly he had no bad memories of the event.

I gave up and let him back to his cat flap. The shrews will have to take their chances!

Mary
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Lilith
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Re: They keep you guessing...

Post by Lilith »

OMG :o :shock:

Don't they just!

This didn't happen to one of mine but to a cat in the street, last summer.

5am, wakened by cat screaming in street - a lot of roaming/unneutered cats round here so nothing new but you can't ignore it can you? What I saw horrified me.

The terrace opposite, which like mine has transom windows and an outer sill perhaps 3" in depth. The little black tuxedo cat belonging to local very aggressive Staffy-man, trapped on this sill and screaming her head off. Looked like she'd jumped out of the transom on to the sill These houses are tiny, 2 up 2 down which includes kitchen - the owners have a child and adults would sleep at the front - surely they could hear the cat? No sign of life.

I didn't know what the hell to do, to go out there would have distracted/startled cat, and while I was turned away dithering I heard a bump - and looking again - no cat!

I should have gone straight out to find cat, as I know they can run away from rta's with broken limbs, but to my shame I chickened out. Most of them are very territorial/defensive in this street as well as being gossips - I would have been that funny woman, interfering, accusing, noseying. And if I'd banged on their door... Still, very ashamed of my cowardice even now, even though a few days later I saw little black tux running about unharmed. (Cats always land on their feet, love! But do they? Still think she was lucky!)

How on earth do they do it ?

SO glad Rocky survived - they must have nerves of steel and tungsten carbide legs, joints and spine! :o :D
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MarySkater
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Re: They keep you guessing...

Post by MarySkater »

I know cats have survived bigger drops than from a first floor window - although obviously we'd rather not put it to the test :shock: I think likely sites of injury are the front legs, which take the brunt of the landing, and the face, which will hit the ground if they are landing too fast for the legs to absorb the shock. What surprised me was how narrow a window gap a grown cat can get through.

PS - I get my new kitten tomorrow. I don't yet know how the introduction will go, but maybe with something to interest Rocky inside the house, he will be less desperate to get outside.
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Lilith
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Re: They keep you guessing...

Post by Lilith »

It's scary! I've made sure my own transoms don't open too far - but three and a half inches...The old lasses wouldn't bother, but Molly's like Twiggy and super-agile...don't you just have to think ahead for them!

Happy kitten-day tomorrow! Pics? Name? Is this the tortie who looks like Bridie or have I got it wrong?

Rocky of course may go 'growl' and stalk out in disgust - but he'll be back in case he misses anything. She'll follow him round (more growl) and then you'll catch him washing her on the sly and sitting ignoring her but with tailtip flicking for her to play with...happy days! :D
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Re: They keep you guessing...

Post by mr_frisky »

Glad he's ok. One of mine once jumped from the bedroom windowsill (which is a foot wide - I keep the window open at night during the summer). She must have jumped from the bay window roof onto the roof of my neighbours car, which made the jump only about 7 feet). I also once heard a noise and I think she fell asleep on the windowsill and fell into the front garden. The drop without a car must be 12 feet. Maybe she landed in the hedge, but both times she was fine.
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MarySkater
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Re: They keep you guessing...

Post by MarySkater »

They do seem able to survive some scary falls. I'll take this one as a warning, and make sure that at least he can't do that again. No doubt he'll find some other way to give me a heart attack. (Or the kitten will.)
Lilith wrote:Happy kitten-day tomorrow! Pics? Name? Is this the tortie who looks like Bridie or have I got it wrong?
Well remembered - you're absolutely right. The breeder has been calling her Priya, which means "beloved" (in Hungarian, I think). I decided to shorten that to Ria. This leads to possible confusion on the forum, because my Ria is a Norwegian Forest Cat, but Meriad's real name is Ria, and she keeps Norwegian Forest Cats. :roll:

A photo sent to me from the breeder, 3 weeks ago:
Ria 10 wks.jpg
(147.14 KiB) Not downloaded yet
More once I have her home.

Mary
Last edited by MarySkater on Mon Aug 29, 2016 6:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
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catslave16
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Re: They keep you guessing...

Post by catslave16 »

I found Rufus on my bedroom window sill the other day - the outside sill, which is 3" wide. Didn't want to startle him so stood there frozen, with heart in mouth :shock: until he reversed himself inside again. Must keep window open so as not to stifle in the heat, but will make sure gap is less than 3 and a quarter inches!
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MarySkater
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Re: They keep you guessing...

Post by MarySkater »

I'm going to look into getting some fly screen which can be velcroed all round the frame, so that I can still open the window properly when I need it, but make it cat-secure.
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mr_frisky
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Re: They keep you guessing...

Post by mr_frisky »

Good idea. We used to have fly screen on all doors when I lived in Australia. Should work with windows too.
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Crewella
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Re: They keep you guessing...

Post by Crewella »

I've had cats escape from a first floor window that was barely open as well - it was our Giddy getting out when she was younger and first came into heat that started our whole family of cats off in the first place! :D

Never underestimate a cat!
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bobbys girl
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Re: They keep you guessing...

Post by bobbys girl »

SO glad we live in a bungalow! Our 'cat flap' is the kitchen window. :roll:

Out in the garden one day I heard Bob's plaintive little mew. Couldn't see him anywhere, then I looked up - he was peering over the gable end of the house 'how the xxxx did you get up there?' - via the fence and shed roof.
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MarySkater
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Re: They keep you guessing...

Post by MarySkater »

(Re new kitten)
Lilith wrote:Rocky of course may go 'growl' and stalk out in disgust - but he'll be back in case he misses anything. She'll follow him round (more growl) and then you'll catch him washing her on the sly and sitting ignoring her but with tailtip flicking for her to play with...happy days! :D
I hope so. Ria is used to living with other cats, so she approaches Rocky happily, until he hisses at her, then she pauses or backs off. Mostly he is avoiding her. Twice I've seen him get into a corner where Ria, innocently following him, blocked his exit. He could have pushed past or jumped over her, but just stood looking confused until I rescued him by moving the kitten. He seems to be scared of her. (That's better than being aggressive towards her.)

But it's early days yet. She only arrived yesterday, and I only let them come face to face this morning.
Ria playing.jpg
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Ria on sofa.jpg
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bobbys girl
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Re: They keep you guessing...

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Ooohh, Sweet! :D
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Ruth B
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Re: They keep you guessing...

Post by Ruth B »

Last year, after we had had our youngsters a few months and they were going out, one of our neighbours knocked at the door to let us know that one of the cats was wandering up and down the bedroom windowsill on the outside. Not a problem our old Tabby has always done it, ' oh its not the tabby, its the black and white, and he doesn't look well balanced'. Dash up stairs and yes, Saturn was out on the windowsill. We get him in and decide we will only keep the windows open an inch so he can't get out.

Fast forward a couple of days and we are sorting out some books to take to a charity shop. The window is open the allowed inch. Saturn jumps on the windowsill, and that is when we find out how well oiled they are. He pushes it open and promptly falls out. I think I got downstairs almost as fast as he did, he was fine, wandering around the front garden with that look of 'how did i get here?'

My Mum also had one while she was fostering for a charity. Kept in an upstairs room, in an old house, the window was a good 16 -20 foot up, straight wall with rambling rose. He managed to push the transon open and escape. My mother was really upset thinking she wouldn't see him again as he hadn't been outside there and hadn't come from anywhere close. A few hours later he wandered in the cat flap wanting to know where his tea was. not a single scratch on him. My mother almost broke at that point, but a wonderful family came to see him soon after and he went to live with them.
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Crewella
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Re: They keep you guessing...

Post by Crewella »

Oh, Ria is absolutely gorgeous! The forum's Ria is going to just love her namesake!! :lol:
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Lilith
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Re: They keep you guessing...

Post by Lilith »

Hey Mary, I seem to have missed the pics of little Ria ...

...WOW!

Lol, I once saw a 4 week old kitten square up to a large fierce adult - he fluffed himself out and went crabwise, 'miaooo-woo-woo!' at her - and the poor lass took one look at him and fled!

She's gorgeous! congrats! :D
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MarySkater
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Re: They keep you guessing...

Post by MarySkater »

Thanks, Crewella and Lilith. I wanted a pretty cat, and I think I've got one! :)

I'm a bit worried about her weight - she's rather thin, and a picky eater. The breeders, who have a number of cats in the household, have dishes of dry food in various locations. They told me that Ria was eating dry food until about 3 weeks ago, when her mother stopped nursing her, and then seemed to lose interest. They gave me some powdered kitten milk to mix up for her, and said that that helped to stimulate her appetite. I've got the same kind of dry food they were giving her. (Royal Canin Mother & Babycat, and Maine Coon Kitten.) The breeders also said she preferred fish-flavoured wet food. I've tried that, and sometimes she eats, sometimes not.

She doesn't appear ill - she gallops about happily chasing her toys. And when I offered her some cooked chicken breast, she wolfed that down, so there's nothing physical preventing her from eating, she just doesn't find food very interesting. I'd be willing to feed her on chicken, but it's not really a balanced diet, and I think it may be a bit rich for a 13-week kitten. However, I have found that she's more willing to eat in her "safe room," my spare bedroom, than downstairs - even with the bedroom door standing open. I've only had her 2 days, so no doubt in time I'll learn her preferences. She was weighed at the vets last week at 1.3kg. Today I put her on my kitchen scales (in a box!) and made it 1.4 kg, so at least she's not losing. I've ordered a set of proper scales so I can keep a close eye on her weight.

Today I found Rocky staring at her from quite close, and not hissing, so things are improving!

Mary
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Lilith
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Re: They keep you guessing...

Post by Lilith »

They're already making friends by the sound :)

I don't think chicken breast's too rich. When I got my first Siamese, breeders used to write out diet sheets - chicken, minced beef, rabbit, brown bread and diluted evaporated milk and so on. Commercial cat food just wasn't as varied and well-balanced in those days. Though she often got Whiskas (top brand then.) Later I discovered those blocks of frozen petfood chicken, which breeders fed to even young kittens. This stuff actually contained more calcium/nutrients than cooked and boned chicken, as it was the scruffier bits of the chicken, including necks, well-minced of course. I used to feed it raw or cooked and they loved it and did well on it. Sometimes it did bung them up a bit though. Haven't bought it for years - I think PAH does a freeflow dog chicken mince which would be suitable for cats - must try my lot on it.

It's a pity she's a bit fussy about food, but they do change when they move homes. Jacinth my Siamese, I was told, didn't care much for chicken, but I had some ready for her, so I tried her on it. She had 2 helpings and then went and got stuck into the dogfood which was like a sort of nasty porridgey stuff. :shock: THAT was NOT on her diet sheet!

Perhaps when Ria gets bolder and sees what Rocky eats she'll want to try some, and widen her tastes :)
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Re: They keep you guessing...

Post by Mayday21 »

Hi Mary Ria's a cutie as well as a Tortie. Vivian
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Nikki C
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Re: They keep you guessing...

Post by Nikki C »

Go to a website called Cataires. They do mesh covers for Windows, it's stuck on with really sturdy Velcro, is very reasonably priced and works.
It didn't take long for it to turn up either...brilliant!
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MarySkater
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Re: They keep you guessing...

Post by MarySkater »

Thanks, Nikki. I have used Velcro/ mesh screen in the past, but didn't find it very durable. I've bought a metal-framed screen, but I'm not sure it's suitable for my window, so if that doesn't work, I'll look at Cataires.
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Re: They keep you guessing...

Post by meriad »

Crewella wrote:Oh, Ria is absolutely gorgeous! The forum's Ria is going to just love her namesake!! :lol:
apologies for the absence I had my mom with me for 2 weeks and hardly on line. And Helen, you are so so right - what a beautiful gorgeous girl; I do love her
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