Snow Joke

For all your feline miscellany - any interesting stories, news or subjects that do not fit in the other sections.
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Lilith
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Snow Joke

Post by Lilith »

Hope everybody's staying safe in this bad weather, and an especial wish for all the best to people in Scotland who face a red warning for this snow. And an especial especial wish for all the feral cats who need to find food and shelter in these conditions to stay alive. Goddess Protect.

This is for all our cats, who stay with us and keep us warm -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlCLTWRFVyI
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Kay
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by Kay »

it's -6 here and I feel awful about the two cats who live in my garden - they have Mr Snugs kennels, which are lined and the top quality of self-heating pads, and I've also wrapped some tarpaulin around each kennel, but with gale force winds coming from the east tomorrow I can't believe they will be warm enough

but apart from giving them as much good food as they want, I don't know what else I could do - I have no outbuildings or garage, and there is no way they would come into the house

the worst of storm Emma and the extremely low temperatures will be over by midday Friday, so I can only hope they are OK - they are fit and healthy, but what happens to all the half-starved ferals out there?
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bobbys girl
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Re: Snow Joke

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We have not been too bad here (makes a change, the West usually cops it first!) I have fed the birds twice today and noticed even though it was almost dark some were still out there stocking up. I purposely kept Purdy in to give the poor little beggars a chance. But she is a smart one and has learned to PULL the cat flap door open! I just hope Billy has not seen her do that.

OH saw this on FB this evening
Met Eireann Red Alert
Ireland
Please do not leave home
Or travel unless absolutely necessary

Donegal
Please wear a coat
And take her handy (easy) on the corners

I think that's the same as our friends in Australia saying 'she'll be right mate!'

Stay safe and keep an eye out for our stray feline friends.
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Ruth B
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by Ruth B »

Wolverhampton isn't doing too badly at the moment, upto today there has only been a light dusting of snow, but it is snowing at the moment and is meant to carry on until about 10.00 tonight. Freezing temperatures have been the main problem.

I've two cats snuggled up on the bed, one snuggled up on the sofa, and one who disappeared off out after breakfast. At least it's his choice to be out and he knows he can get back in anytime and snuggle up on a bed or in a radiator hammock, probably after coming in wet with snow, jumping on my computer desk and trying to climb onto my shoulder to let me know he's back.

I've also got he air blower going for the fish to try and make a hole in the ice on the pond, they might be dormant at the moment, but its always worth getting more oxygen into the water.

Fortunately there doesn't seem to be any stray cats around the estate, and i'm not sure my mob would allow any in the garden if there were.
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Janey
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by Janey »

Quite a bit here in S Yorks. We have three ferals, I have a Mr Snugs with straw in and a shed with beds in, which we put up last summer after they had a bad cold. Only 2 use it, I don’t know where the other sleeps but there’s allotments behind us so maybe in there? My neighbour has 2 ferals with her and they have a little hut they get snuggled up in together, it is a worry for them though. I’m hoping this is the last of the snow today!
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by MarySkater »

About 4-6 inches of snow here. My cat enclosure is about one-third of my garden. The bird feeder is in the remaining bit, so the cats can't get at the birds, but treat them as TV, something interesting to watch. Older, sensible Rocky tends to do his watching from the house, through a window. (Although he still prefers to go outside to toilet, even though there are litter trays inside.) Young, daft, fluffy Ria has been in and out all the time, watching birds and playing with the snow.

There are a number of free-range cats in my street, but they all look owned and cared-for, so I at least don't have the worry about what I should be doing for strays and ferals. But my heart goes out to any animal or any human who doesn't have a warm shelter in this weather.
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by alanc »

Not much snow here yet, though we are due a major dump from 4.00pm according to the Met office. There is a month's supply of catfood in Tilly's drawer, so no problem! Tilly has been doing the in-out-in-out routine - going out for 5 seconds and then dashing in again, warming up and going out once more.
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Lilith
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by Lilith »

Ain't that the truth, Mary :(

Feral cats who wish to stay on the wild side but who have access to good shelters and regular food are lucky; they have the best of both worlds, but yes, this cold is extreme; I've never known anything like it, not even in the winters of 2009 and 2010. I usually boil up an old kettle and stand it on the ice in my fishpond to create an airhole but in this it would just freeze straight over again.

Sorry to hear about red warnings for Ireland and now South Wales; the temps are forecast to rise but that's no comfort at the moment.

Opened the back door for a moment yesterday and Molly, who's never seen proper snow, dashed out ... 'Ooooo! Wowwww! Wooooo!' Straight back in. Up to her ANKLES. Blizzard this morning - it'd be up to her knees now.

Good luck to us all x
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Re: Snow Joke

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Still only a skittering of snow here, but for the first time I felt the cold today and the pond is frozen. I left the pump running last night for the fish. But the stream is frozen in places and the water running beneath it - never seen THAT before! I may have to turn it off. :?

We have SIX robins fighting over the bird table and six house-bound cats - wussy pussies.
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by alanc »

Blanket of white this morning. Tilly sat gazing at it from the kitchen window for minutes before jumping out. She scooted of to sit under the garden seat. When I opened the window again to get a picture, she shot out and back indoors!
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fjm
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by fjm »

The dogs and I are visiting my sister, Pippin is safe and warm at the Hyperthyroid Cat Centre, and Tilly is at home being cared for by neighbours. For the last few days she has been making brief forays outside, then returning to my lap if available, or the back of the sofa next to the radiator. The dogs aren’t keen on it either - I have just been watching Poppy trying to keep her feet warm while peeing in the snow. I have never seen a poodle tiptoe on three legs before! Not much snow here in Newcastle under Lyme, but a bitter, icy wind.
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Ruth B
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by Ruth B »

Unfortunately I got the call from the Carehome that my Mother was being sent in to the hospital for some more scans yesterday afternoon, she had had a fall on Sunday and was continuing to have problems with one of her legs. So yesterday afternoon and evening was spent in A&E, at least now the hospital is only about 5 miles away not 100 as it was when she still lived in South Wales.

My other half actually works in the call centre at the hospital so could meet there when he finished work and get me home. When we left at 9.30 the roads were treacherous, but passable with care, the snow was blowing in the wind and looked almost like a white sandstorm, and the wind cut straight through you. There has been a bit more snow over night and more forecast for this afternoon, so i have to decide whether I try and get in for visiting times this afternoon / evening. Needless to say that as they had missed their teatime meal there were four cats waiting when we got back trying to convince us they were starving, the fact that there was still dried food in the bowls did tend to indicate otherwise.
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bobbys girl
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Re: Snow Joke

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fjm wrote:The dogs and I are visiting my sister, Pippin is safe and warm at the Hyperthyroid Cat Centre, and Tilly is at home being cared for by neighbours. For the last few days she has been making brief forays outside, then returning to my lap if available, or the back of the sofa next to the radiator. The dogs aren’t keen on it either - I have just been watching Poppy trying to keep her feet warm while peeing in the snow. I have never seen a poodle tiptoe on three legs before! Not much snow here in Newcastle under Lyme, but a bitter, icy wind.
I had forgotten you lived in 'castle. Give my regards to my home town. Tell it I don't miss it at all! :lol:

No snow here either.

Ruth - sorry to hear about your mum. Hope she recovers soon. Stay safe.

Sue
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bobbys girl
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Re: Snow Joke

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So far we are still pretty much snow free. But there is a bitingly cold wind - keeps blowing the food off the bird table! It's an easterly so every time we open the back door (the main one, we don't use the front) we get a hall full of leaves)

OH called his son last night. He answered straight away ' God, Dad I was just about to phone you!' He was up in the loft trying to find out why the heating wasn't working! His dad soon sorted him out - the cold water tank was empty - frozen incoming supply!

Take a leaf out of our cat's book, keep warm and stay safe everyone.
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Lilith
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by Lilith »

SIX robins! :o Things must be bad if those guys declare an armistice! And Tilly not going out either - that is a hard cat!

Hey fjm, sorry, got it wrong, thought you had to come across the Pennines ... that stretch of the M62 is now closed, lorrydrivers have been trapped and the army's going out to help them :(

Best wishes to you and your mother, Ruth, hope she's better soon and you manage to keep safe visiting her.

Very bleak here, it is indeed a 'mandolin wind' and the snow is frozen, but temps are due to rise ... slowly ...

Best of luck to everyone and especially the ferals, paws crossed.
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by fjm »

I actually live near Lancaster - my sister lives in N-u-L, so we did the M6 yesterday before things got too bad. I used to commute to Huddersfield on the M61/M62 and now avoid both whenever possible, and even more so when the weather is bad. Those moors are NOT friendly...

We are having fun playing in my sister’s studio with paper and ink and wax and bleach and all sorts - perfect wet weather activities! I think my bit of Lancashire escaped the power cuts, so Tilly should still have her radiator to snuggle up to, and double rations of food just in case.
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bobbys girl
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by bobbys girl »

Sorry fjm, I was thinking of someone I know on another forum. :oops:
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fjm
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by fjm »

Done it often myself, BG!
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Mayday21
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by Mayday21 »

Hi everyone I’ve been watching the news re “the beast from the east” & thinking of you all. Friend who lives in Penarth, Wales posted on my fb snow & waves crossing the road at Penarth Yacht Club. Hoping you, your furbabes & those who live in various abodes in your gardens stay safe. Vivian & the famous four from Oz.
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by bobbys girl »

Back to normal here yesterday - mist, drizzle, rain and more drizzle. Not that we had more than a skittering of snow.

Hope everyone else is OK.
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Lilith
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by Lilith »

At last, the rain's washed the thick ice off the streets - but not before some hapless guy came round the corner, skidded and walloped the wing of the car parked opposite ... Even in the very bad winters of '9 and '10 snowploughs and gritting lorries were an endangered species, so this time round drivers have had no chance :(

The cats and I have hibernated, and so has Shahi-python, but I'm defrosting a nice rat for his tea, and my iris reticulata have got their heads up after being covered in snow. Last night I heard a blackbird singing.

It might, just might, be the start of spring .. paws crossed! :)
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by alanc »

Snow nearly all melted here, just the cores of the big drifts left. Thaw started soon enough on Sunday to obliterate the trail of paw marks from my catflap to a nearby vegetable patch where evidence of a cat not using her litter tray was left, with another incriminating trail coming back, before owner of said veg patch noticed them!
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Kay
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by Kay »

I used to have a cat who would not use an indoor litter tray, and after snow I used to dread the thaw, knowing it would expose a lot of little 'presents'
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by Ruth B »

Mine have definitely been preferring the litter trays in the snow, but there is an area of bark chippings that is needing another layer putting on top, I also need to carry on and finish the garden as soon as the weather picks up so the area with bark chippings on will grow a bit.

If i have cats I feel it is only fair to make sure that my garden does have a good area for the cats to use if they want to rather than the litter trays. It may not stop them using the neighbours gardens but at least they can see that i am doing my best.
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by alanc »

To be fair to Tilly, all the bits of my garden she would normally use was a gigantic snow drift!
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Lilith
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by Lilith »

Alan, if I had a vegetable garden anywhere near your Tilly, I'd be digging deep holes too ... for fencing posts, and CAGE it in! :o :lol:

Felt like spring in the air this morning, and my poorly Emily, scrat on the landing scratchy post, give a war cry, run into the bedroom, scrat on the basket chair, jump on the table in the window and then jump across the room on to the bed for a snuggle; the room's only 7' wide but did the heart good to see her :D
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by alanc »

Lilith, however deep you dug your holes, Tilly would dig deeper!
Great to hear that Emily is bouncing around like a spring chicken.
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Lilith
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by Lilith »

:lol: I can imagine your Tilly could dig for New England!

Mind you, in my prime I fenced in my allotment singlehanded and made gates too ... what would Tilly do with a spade, no don't tell me, Tilly is a feline jcb! :o

I'd still cage in me veg from her though ...

Thanks, yes, all paws crossed Emmy's going to go on bossing me about for a good while yet :)
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Lilith
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by Lilith »

Uh oh ... The Beast from the East is back, as of midnight tonight, yellow warnings for much of the UK, amber in some places ... strong winds too.

Stay safe everyone, human and feline.

Good luck to us all!
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Re: Snow Joke

Post by fjm »

Icy cold and blowing a hooley here - East winds are unusual and blow straight through the cat flap when we get them. Dogs and I set out for a walk and came home pdq - that wind is cold!
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