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

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andrewh1973
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A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help!

Post by andrewh1973 »

Hi fellow feline friends!

Around April this year, a tatty, flea infested old looking black cat with some apparent difficulty with walking in his hind legs started visiting my neighbour and I daily (my neighbour has her own black cat and has a cat flap so naturally went to her first). Over the coming weeks, I started to get more visits from him (who I started to call "Arnie", since like the Terminator, I knew that he'd come and then go but always as he walked away he'd look back as if to say "I'll be back" the next day and so he was). I began giving him some food each evening when I got home from work (he started to appear on my doormat around the time I got home), he'd eat food, have a rest for a bit and wash but always very affectionate and friendly, only ever once bit me but immediately looked concerned when he did and started licking my hand straight away.

By June I'd managed to get his trust so much that he'd happily stay in over night, let me deflea him and get him to the vets to check for a microchip. While he had a tatty blue collar on and clearly was someone's cat once, it was obvious by now that he was no one's cat now and also was an intact tom cat approximately 3 years of age but due to his lifestyle he just looked a lot older!

Had him neutered soon after, got him chipped, vaccinated and a nice new collar and name tag on him. 5 days before he was neutered however he was starting to show signs of the problems I'm now having with him... he went out that Sunday night before his op was due on the Friday and didn't return. He was found on the Thursday by a woman 1 mile away having firstly found his collar on her window ledge and realising that she'd seen a cat wearing that collar the past few days. Hours later Arnie came back to her house and we were reunited. It appears Arnie has an obsession with a neighbour's house there as he keeps "breaking in" to it. The house has several female and male cats living there, but none of them are un-neutered.

He now looks a lot younger, his fur is now sleek and glossy and he seems every bit the happy pet cat now, except...

Arnie has since wandered off to that exact same street 5 times now since June and always after being consistently happy to hang around here for about 10 days each time. The most recent and most annoying occurrence happened Monday this week. He went out at 7pm, didn't return home by 9pm as he normally would. By midnight I'm finding myself climbing over 4 foot back garden fences in that same street 1 mile away, going from garden to garden, as he's going full on in a nasty, physical battle with the local bruiser tom cat there and despite being the smaller of the two cats, Arnie is physically very strong and muscular and was inflicting some serious damage to this other cat before I managed to break up the fight (they were rolling around the floor together clawing and biting each other savagely). Clearly Arnie then turned on me but at least I managed to get him back to safety as I stood in someone's house with my own blood dripping down my face and arms!

Over these weeks he has also become progressively more playful and is clearly very attached to me as - when he is being friendly (which is mostly when he's hungry or at night when he jumps on my bed soon after I've gone to bed in order to sleep with me on the bed) he'll head butt me, lick my face/forehead and purr loudly, rest his paw on my hand while sleeping and immediately purr again loudly the moment he thinks I've woken up. He'll also often follow me around the flat and seems generally curious and interested in what I'm doing and will spend about 2 hours each evening playing with me in increasingly rough and mad play sessions. During these sessions he's also starting to become increasingly aggressive and will bite and kick my arm if he's able to get hold of it (but won't attack feet however), I've found that if I "miaow" such that I sound like I'm in pain he will be less aggressive or even stop and start to lick my hand/arm in response as though he's actually understanding and is concerned that he's hurting me.

So my questions are:

1. Why is he increasingly becoming a "biting cat" given he was so gentle and calm when I first encountered him? It is simply that as his health recovers and his confidence grows, his normal personality is starting to show more now?

2. Why is he repeatedly and periodically wandering off and why to this one specific street 1 mile away? I have theories on it but am not sure if they make sense to anyone other than me: that he was born in that street and so is naturally inclined to go back then when he gets lost/confused (even though it means crossing several busy junctions and a dual carriageway to do it) and that he is getting lost in the first place because about 20 metres from my home is an electricity sub station and once he walks far enough due to the interference that sub station kicks out, it's somehow affecting his "homing" instincts (is that possible?).

3. Why would he be having this full on battle with this tom cat, apparently this is not the first time he's confronted this cat and this other cat is generally pretty nasty and aggressive to all cats and has attacked several other cats in the street. I'm aware that Arnie seems to have no problem with other cats in that street and indeed seems positively friendly with some of them, more than he is with cats here, it almost seems like he's standing up and fighting to protect the other cats, but that's impossible! If it's purely territorial, why? He doesn't live there, it's not his "patch" and when I go to pick him up each time he's only too keen and willing to jump back into the carry box and go home, which makes me think he's not simply running away because he doesn't like it here. So if he's so keen to come back with me why is he also so keen to go there and pick a fight in the first place?

I love him dearly but frankly, he's driving me crazy at the moment. The only saving grace is that at least he's learnt to be quiet at night. Once I put the lights out now, he'll mostly settle down and sleep, even if he does play quietly at some points during the night, he seems to realise now he needs to let me sleep undisturbed (which he wouldn't do back in June!).

Your thoughts are welcome please!
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by bobbys girl »

Hello Andrew and welcome to CC.

Reading through your post, the overwhelming feeling I get is, what you have there is a CAT! They don't have make sense and trying to figure them out will just make your brain hurt! :D

Here's a thought - Perhaps the area he keeps going to is the area he is from. Perhaps the nasty Tom cat (we have one of those causing havoc) got the better of him and ran away - to you? Now he is feeling better he may be torn between you and his home patch. Does anyone in that area recognise him?

We have had 3 cats come to us as adults. Tommy is a very streetwise boy. He gives the impression he has 'been there and done that' and is now in quiet retirement. Of the 2 other cats, Poppy turned up in a shocking state, painfully thin and weak. She put on weight and blossomed in to a really lovely cat. Then one day she just vanished. We searched high and low, the lanes and ditches, the fields and woods - nothing. The other cat, Lily was similar. She was a healthy young cat. She helped us to raise Bobby. Then after 6 months she vanished - just the same. Funny thing is in both cases there have been sightings of very similar cats about a mile from here. Perhaps Poppy needed our help and we needed Lily's help!

We did have all three cats neutered. But cats can be fickle and can just decide they want to be somewhere else. :roll:

You can't force Arnie to stay with you. But perhaps you can let him see that, just like Tommy with me, he can have a forever home with you. I really hope so for both of you.

Keep in touch and fusses to him when he comes home.
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by greenkitty »

How long ago did you have Arnie neutered? The hormones can take a while to calm down (I think it might be as long as 6 months) so it could be they're still in his system. In cats terms he's still maturing... Some cats never loss their desire to wander despite neutering and it's obviously a territorial issue with the other tom cat, it may calm down in time but they may always do battle if they encounter each other.

You're doing the right thing by making a noise when he plays too rough, that's how their mothers teach them when they're kittens. You should keep doing it or walk away from play if he's too rough, he has to learn that's undesirable behaviour. You could also try rewarding him with a fuss or treat when he plays well. I just think he feels relaxed enough with you to really let go and loss himself in the play session, which is fantastic because he obviously trusts you so you need to nip this behaviour in the bud before it gets too ingrained.

He sounds a real character :)
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by andrewh1973 »

Thank you both, yes I know he's a typical cat. He was neutered 20th June and even that wasn't easy, apart from him managing to force open the bedroom window and jump out onto the floor below from a first floor window 2 days later, he had an infection meaning he was peeing every 2 to 3 hours for a week, poor chap!

And yes, he's a proper little character, he does make me laugh often by the way he reacts to stuff. You can see that this cat spends time plotting stuff and mulling things over. I've got an office chair here at my desk and he'll quite often jump on it and it will spin round as he does with him sitting meancingly in the middle of the chair staring at you as you come into view, it's truly like seeing a James Bond villain turn around in his chair!

I'm trying to not try to figure him out but I've managed to figure out (i.e. predict) a lot of what he does but this stuff defeats me. I did ask some folk there if they recall seeing a black cat there, no, never I was told. But the house he seems most drawn too tells me that a few years ago she recalls seeing a litter of kittens (she wasn't sure if it were her cat or not who had the kittens!) and she thinks one of those was black, that was about 3 or 4 years ago. This could well have been him then, maybe he was given to someone else but got abandoned and found his way here? I guess it's the usual "if only you could speak you say lots" and I'll never know.

All the same, he's none the worse wear for his big fight on Monday. I've kept him in since but let him out yesterday evening... where upon he soon came running back in when another black cat showed up (who looks identical to him, but is bigger!) and prevented him from going down the steps to the roadside (I live in a first floor apartment with an external wooden staircase). He's been out briefly today, twice but returned within 30 minutes each time. I'm working from home today and he seems to want to be with me and have me play with him (which I can't, I'm working!) and he's playing more roughly today, very quick to bite and scratch me but I'm not sensing anger from him, it feels more like he's just boisterous and confident to show me this part of his character now (yes, now he knows I'm a mug who will take whatever he throws at me! :D ).

A longer term worry is that I'm in the process of looking for work in Malta and once I've secured that, I'll be off... he's going to have to come also of course, I can't abandon the little fella now he's chosen me but from there, he'll have to live indoors and only go out on a leash (no idea how he's going to take to that yet) and soon after my girlfriend and her cat will come from their home in Moscow to live with me. Then, I guess, the real headaches will begin. Her cat, Belka, is a playful but very possessive, angry and selfish indoor cat who seems to regard my girlfriend (Viktoria) as her own personal punchbug when it suits her. Bizarrely she actually enjoys engaging Viktoria in full on wrestling sessions prefering to play with her in that way rather than with toys. So, yeah, in a short while I'm going to have a flat with two characterful cats living in them... let's hope they can be taught to get on together!
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by bobbys girl »

Crikey, you're a glutton for punishment! :lol: I don't know what else to say but 'Good Luck'!. Whether you move or not, I hope you will keep in touch with us and remember what the others have told you about withdrawing your attention when your cat/cats play rough. You will be torn to ribbons otherwise! :roll:
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by andrewh1973 »

bobbys girl wrote:Crikey, you're a glutton for punishment! :lol: I don't know what else to say but 'Good Luck'!. Whether you move or not, I hope you will keep in touch with us and remember what the others have told you about withdrawing your attention when your cat/cats play rough. You will be torn to ribbons otherwise! :roll:
I will certainly do so! Thanks! Viktoria's Belka is also troublesome in another way. For reasons that have never been established (i.e. no trigger cause could be identified) Belka will take her daily dump on the bathroom mat and refuses to use a litter tray to do it. She'll urinate in a litter tray but only as long as it's lined with loo paper not cat litter (they've tried various cat litters and she angrily refuses them all, apparently). Viktoria moved into her own place late last year but has now moved back in with her parents again ahead of moving and in both places Belka continues to do her daily business on the mat each morning. Except, that is, when the mat isn't there when occasionally she will do it in or near the litter tray!

I've told Viktoria when Belka comes to live with me and Arnie, we'll be having a serious talk Belka and I and setting ground rules! Viktoria said "yeah, sure, good luck with that!". I think she's right!
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by Jacks »

20th June - that's not yet 2 months since neutering. I think you'll find that his fighting and roaming will improve over time. I have a mature male (approx. 5 years now) who was neutered after living feral for some years and it was about 8 or 9 months before we really started to see a difference. I think it's a combination of hormones and habit when they've been living on their wits and their drives for a long time. Now, nearly a year later, our boy loves being indoors, rarely roams any distance and comes bounding in like a little dog when called. He's becoming more domesticated all the time, but I still wouldn't fancy having to take him to the vet yet - they couldn't handle him at all without a general anaesthetic when we first trapped him.

With such a loving, understanding home I'm sure you're going to win with this one but some things will take time. I wouldn't encourage him to be crossing so many busy roads to 'return' to his hunting ground (if that's what it is) as you'd be devastated if something happened to him, and I'd encourage some active play with him, even though he might take a time to get used to 'play'.
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by greenkitty »

I wonder if the problem with Belka is that she needs a second litter tray? Cats often won't wee and poo in the same place so maybe introducing another tray might solve that problem...
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by Lyn from Australia »

Where is Jackson Galaxy when you need him!!?? You sound like a lovely chap and Arnie is very lucky to have found you. I'm wondering, with all the fighting going on, has Arnie been tested for FIV and any other nasties, and had vaccinations for everything he can be vaccinated for?
I agree, Belka may respond well to having two litter trays. Some cats just won't pee and poo in the one tray. This morning after doing the rounds of the litter trays, I watched one of my girls get into clean tray #1 and pee, then went to trays # 2 and 3 and inspecting them, before poo-ing in tray #3. After trying quite a few litters, my cats all love very fine clumping litter which looks like sand. I believe the UK equivalent is called Golden Grey.
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by andrewh1973 »

Lyn from Australia wrote:Where is Jackson Galaxy when you need him!!?? You sound like a lovely chap and Arnie is very lucky to have found you. I'm wondering, with all the fighting going on, has Arnie been tested for FIV and any other nasties, and had vaccinations for everything he can be vaccinated for?
I agree, Belka may respond well to having two litter trays. Some cats just won't pee and poo in the one tray. This morning after doing the rounds of the litter trays, I watched one of my girls get into clean tray #1 and pee, then went to trays # 2 and 3 and inspecting them, before poo-ing in tray #3. After trying quite a few litters, my cats all love very fine clumping litter which looks like sand. I believe the UK equivalent is called Golden Grey.
I had Arnie tested for FIV and FeLV in July and he came back negative for both (I considered it essential to test him since he's likely to be living with a Russian lady cat who has her own anger issues!), one thing I do notice about Arnie though, is erm, he still looks like he's not "been done" back there. How long does it take to "go down" after being done normally?

I'll get Viktoria to try two trays then see if that helps but I think they may have tried that in the past though, not sure...

Arnie has had a couple of loo incidents though, he's had the runs once and decided that he couldn't wait to actually get in the tray and ended up smearing it in a 10 inch line on the wall next to the tray, then all over the floor after after which he then woke me up at 5:30 as he was upset at the mess he made and wanted me to clean it up! Another time he managed to eat too much grass it seems and he ended up with essentially a dry 5 inch long turd hanging from his backside that he couldn't get rid of. He's clearly not a star trek fan as he employed totally the wrong way of dealing with "Klingons attacking from astern", which was to run around the bathroom (and then hallway) in circles, wiping it on the floor, thus making skid marks on the floor like a youth in a stolen Corsa would in a retail park carpark doing donuts at night! Having finally shook it off he then had a 2 inch blade of grass sticking out of his rear which bothered him no end. The vet advised I just get a pair of scissors and snip it back. Have you ever tried snipping grass from a cat's bum?! They are not at all pleased with you, that's for sure! Cheers Arnie, or should that be gracias (grassy-ass)?! :)

So yeah, he's a proper character for sure, my evenings and weekends are certainly not dull anymore and I've not been able to watch a DVD for weeks either!
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by SarahT1 [PLLE] »

Oh, Andrew, I have little of value to add, but a warm appreciation of your terrific style and way with words. I know what you mean about not watching a DVD - I don't think we have for well over a year! Our three are far too time consuming for such trivialities.

One of the other ladies on here has had trouble getting one of her boys to use the litter trays nicely and she has recently being using 'boot trays' lined with newspaper with some success. I will find her post and paste it for you separately.

I agree about walking away or ignoring your boy when he wants to play Lions and Gazelles with your hands. I have one girl who likes this game and I have found that replacing your hand with a dangling grab-able and bite-able toy does the trick.
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by SarahT1 [PLLE] »

A couple of Jill's posts...


The process is in motion.
I put two plastic boot trays with newspaper with his scent on it. One is where he pees and the other is for his poo.
I might have the money for the chips later on if this doesn't work.
Jill

GREAT NEWS!!!!!
He went on both trays!
Now another puzzle. Should I keep them extra clean(clean after every dump) OR make sure he knows it is ok to go there and leave his scent. A couple of dumps
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by jan1957 »

Hi Andrew
Have just read your posts and the last one made me laugh out loud!!
Loving your boy's name - sounds so appropriate!
I'm sorry I have no useful information to offer - just enjoyed reading your threads!
Good luck with your future ventures.
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by Kay »

I'm loving this thread - I look forward to reading of the further adventures of Arnie and his new Russian lady friend (or should that be 'friend') in Malta

as regards those deflated balloons at the back, that's normal in cats which have been castrated in their full adulthood - bit like the saggy skin experienced by very fat people after losing lots of weight

I did have a cat who once swallowed a bit of tinsel, which hung out of his rear until encouraged to leave - so Arnie may have more surprises for you at Christmas
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by andrewh1973 »

Thank you everyone for your kind words, Arnie has just come back in having had a his morning stroll around outside, he decided that 7:30am was the correct time for his slave to wake today! Though he's showing me he's learning new stuff, he's finally worked out how to climb up the rear balcony - he's seen my neighbour's cat do it several times but never had the confidence to try it himself until now. His technique leaves a lot to be desired though (the neighbour's cat does it by confidently climbing up a wooden post, Arnie jumps half way up to it from a discarded TV stand on the ground and then haphazardly scrambles his way up the post and onto the balcony. He's generally a rather clumsy cat actually, when he walks along fences he often seems to lose balance easily but on the other hand he's a top notch hunter, certainly been fewer mice around in the car park here since he's been about!).

He was snoozing on my desk chair last night and I went to bed near 1am. I thought it would be kind and show that I care for him to pick him up and take him to the bedroom so he can sleep on my bed (as he usually does), so I did, erm no. He sinks his teeth into my arm in anger at being picked up as I try to put him on the bed. He jumps off immediately and I get into bed anyway. He sits with his back to me at the doorway for about a minute, apparently mulling over what just happened. With a little chirp he turns around and comes bounding back onto the bed, purring and head butting before settling down to sleep again. I truly think he sat there for a minute mulling simply because he was trying to save face and keep his "coolness"! He's a crazy cat but I do love him!
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by Crewella »

Well done Arnie! He does sound a real character, and with any luck his new route might keep him occupied and less likely to roam again.
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by bobbys girl »

Andrew, that all sounds very familiar! Tommy hates being picked up, with me he just goes completely rigid. But at the vets.... Last time with had to borrow the crush-box and pin him to the side so the vet could vaccinate him. :roll: He is a very big cat with very big claws! Poor Tommy, in every other way he is such a gentle, wussy puss. Just doesn't like being picked up. He is also very clumsy. But I love him to bits.

Arnie sounds the same sort of character, a real beaut. of a cat. You lucky man!
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by andrewh1973 »

Well oddly he's not too bad at the vets. He objects to having needles stuck in him (who doesn't - he would only allow half a vial to be taken for his FIV test, I think he went all Tony Hancock on the vet: "A whole vial? that's very nearly a paw full!"), but otherwise has always been pretty laid back there. Quite happy to just sit on the table and not dive for cover. However, during his second visit after his neutering op for a check up (he had a bladder infection after it), the vet wanted to take his temperature and he was having none of it. 3 times the vet tried, each time Arnie clenched his rear so he couldn't do it! The vet gave up and we let Arnie go, he walked towards the carry box at the other end of the table, quickly composed himself, turned around, marched straight up to the vet, looked him directly in face and let out a single angry miaow at him, turned around and calmly walked back to the carry box and pulled the door shut behind him!!

The vet and I both agreed that the translation of that is roughly akin to: "[some kind of expletive] No! THAT is not going up THERE, now go away and leave me alone!!"

Think I'd have done the same really if I were cat!

:)
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by andrewh1973 »

Y'know I'm sure this cat is getting revenge on me for being neutered. He's done some new things this weekend (apart from spending most of the weekend preventing me from doing things at my desk that really need to do by wanting to go out.. then wanting to come in, then wanting to go out.. then wanting to come in, then wanting food.. then wanting to go out, then being scared of other cats and wanting to come in, then wanting more food... more play... go out again... come in again.. he seems unable to decide what he wants to do, wouldn't be a problem if I had a cat flap and no, I can't get one fitted, landlord says no), having perfected the art of climbing up the balcony, he manages to totally destroy my renewed respect for his intelligence and dexterity by randomly deciding earlier that while he could climb up the balcony when I called him, he'd rather do this instead...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10 ... 1781901132" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yup, he was a proper cliché - a cat stuck up a tree! Thankfully he managed to get down again (eventually) though he couldn't have executed the descent with any less grace or poise if tried! He's now on my bed snoozing away and feeling rather embarrassed... :)

The more he pulls these little stunts on me though, the more I love him! He's got a devoted owner/slave/serf/mug! :D
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by Lyn from Australia »

I have occasionally felt like those fairy tale characters, for the life of me can't remember who (Hansel and Gretel maybe??) who follow a trail of crumbs (somewhere?? - sorry, I'm such an old lady!!!) ...... except I follow a trail of poop with a wet cloth on a wooden floor. Or even worse, trying to chase and catch a cat who is speeding around the floor using front legs only while sitting down dragging her butt with poop sticking out of her butt or stuck in her fur leaving a trail. Unbelievable and I'm sure that one of my girls broke some sort of land speed record for a cat who is running and butt scraping using only two legs. Phew, did that make sense??!! :lol:

Loved the video and glad to read he eventually came down. He looked like a little kid standing at the end of a "precipice" muttering 1....2.....3...........1....2.....3...........over and over!!

I clicked in the wrong place and saw a video of Arnie, another black cat, and a big bunch of the most laid back, relaxed pigeons that I've ever seen!!!! I think I'm in love (with Arnie you dope). Love how he chases the laser like a big lump then sits down and refuses to chase any more, out of frustration I presume. ;)
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by Kay »

your first paragraph, Andrew, makes your last comment completely redundant - we all know a cat slave when we meet one :mrgreen:

he's trained you up beautifully in a short space of time, and you are destined to administer to his every whim as long as you both shall live

most of us have been there, done that and have more than one t-shirt :D
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by andrewh1973 »

Lyn from Australia wrote:I have occasionally felt like those fairy tale characters, for the life of me can't remember who (Hansel and Gretel maybe??) who follow a trail of crumbs (somewhere?? - sorry, I'm such an old lady!!!) ...... except I follow a trail of poop with a wet cloth on a wooden floor. Or even worse, trying to chase and catch a cat who is speeding around the floor using front legs only while sitting down dragging her butt with poop sticking out of her butt or stuck in her fur leaving a trail. Unbelievable and I'm sure that one of my girls broke some sort of land speed record for a cat who is running and butt scraping using only two legs. Phew, did that make sense??!! :lol:

Loved the video and glad to read he eventually came down. He looked like a little kid standing at the end of a "precipice" muttering 1....2.....3...........1....2.....3...........over and over!!

I clicked in the wrong place and saw a video of Arnie, another black cat, and a big bunch of the most laid back, relaxed pigeons that I've ever seen!!!! I think I'm in love (with Arnie you dope). Love how he chases the laser like a big lump then sits down and refuses to chase any more, out of frustration I presume. ;)
Ah yes, I know how that feels with the poop stuff!

Ah I guess you're seeing the other videos on facebook. The cat chasing the laser isn't Arnie, but my neighbour's cat Snoop. He's about 18 months old and also an all black cat. At a distance it's impossible to tell them apart as they are the same size but up close you can see the difference, Arnie has a wider, muscular frame (like he's worked out more!) and is a more solid cat overall. Snoop is still very much a kitten in character and miaows like one too, his loudest miaow is just a pathetic "meeeww!", I swear, when he's tried to miaow angrily at Arnie, I've seen Arnie sneer as though he's trying not to laugh inside at him! Arnie by contrast has one the deepest, angriest standard "let me out the front door" miaows I've ever heard. He's a proper alpha male vocally! Arnie will have nothing to do with laser pointers. He totally ignores them as they appear to be totally beneath him. Wiggly string or a toy squeaking mouse on a bit of cord attached to a stick however is a different matter!

Here's the other videos of Arnie I did post today:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10 ... =2&theater" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10 ... =2&theater" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10 ... =2&theater" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One thing you'll notice about Arnie, he has really full tom cat jowls but also a very serious, stern face. He always looks like he's thinking, plotting or sulking!
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bobbys girl
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by bobbys girl »

Oh Andrew, welcome to the wonderful world of cat 'ownership'! :roll: I love the video. I like the look on his face 'don't just stand there filming, DO SOMETHING!!!' :lol:

Kay, I could not have put it better myself. I have a collection of those T-shirts as well. :D

Lyn, with me it's following a trail of feathers, until I find the culprit defending their prize against all comers. At the moment, Bob and Purdy (the 'disabled' ones :? ) are trying to out-do each other with an ever-increasing tally of sad little corpses. :roll:

They are all really loving the new kitchen. The doors aren't on yet, all those lovely cupboards to explore. Thomas's new fav. place to sit is on the counter next to the big, white, magic box (fridge) with all the yummy food in it. My shopping list each week starts - cat food/biccies, kitty litter, bleach, disinfectant...... oh yes and food for us! Hey Ho! Wouldn't have it any other way.
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by andrewh1973 »

Oh and, the pigeons, yes there are lots of them here. Mostly because a large, run down old building (a former job centre) is currently being converted into flats and they've taken the roof off as the first stage of construction thus rendering the pigeons homeless. The pigeons are otherwise known by my neighbour downstairs as his "minions", he feeds them daily and has mixed feelings about the cats here, he likes them but is not keen on their attempts to lunch on his minions! And no, his name is not Gru! :)
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by bobbys girl »

How do you think I feel? I love my cats, I love my birdies too. The little wood at the side of our house is full of bird boxes. 3 years back I bought my OH a birdbox with a camera and each spring we have enjoyed seeing Blue Tits raise families in there. When they fledge, my heart is in my mouth. Purdy watches them on the telly. It's only a matter of time before she follows the cable out to the box! She's too damn clever by half that one! :lol:
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by Lyn from Australia »

The pigeons look pretty safe to me. Chances are that if Arnie ever catches one it will be because it is sick, or just a baby. Sad of course if it's a baby, but that's just nature at work, and if the bird is sick, once again that's life. Healthy adult birds don't have too much to fear from cats, domestic or feral - in my opinion I should add. I know people who disagree of course.
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by bobbys girl »

Afraid I have to disagree with you there Lyn. The tally since May has been; 6 robins, 3 wrens, 2 Dunnocks, 4 Chaffinches, 2 Blue tits and some odd 'bits' - all adults and those are just the ones brought in the house! :shock:

Purdy is the worst culprit. I have seen her take a Chaffinch in mid flight as it left the bird table. Why a bird table in a household of cats. 1. The birds came first. 2. It is a very tall table, in the middle of the lawn and 3. has 'security' chicken wire around it to stop them from being taken from the table - should the cats get up there! I know seems I shall have to have a rethink on the 'security' angle :roll: Bit busy at the mo. Perhaps a project for Autumn?
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by Lyn from Australia »

Well, so much for that theory! :) I won't make myself popular with my opinion that despite this that cats catching birds doesn't bother me all that much. I too would stop my cats if I could (if they were outdoor cats) because I don't want any animal to suffer, but at some point we all have to do what comes naturally. Cats are predators. That they don't always eat what they catch is our fault, not theirs. If humanity had let cats do what comes naturally we may never have had the Great Plague. Mother nature has given them hunting and breeding skills - it must be for a reason.

Please don't get mad. This is my opinion only and I abide by the laws here in Australia designed to save the wildlife from my pets. :?
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by bobbys girl »

I'm not 'mad' Lyn (well not in that respect!) It grieves me to see endless little corpses on my door mat. But the other side of the argument is that without my intervention there would be fewer birds around here anyway! I provide top class housing, and a varied winter menu! My garden is full of birds all year round. My non-gardening neighbours see only a few. (am I sounding smug? :? )

I know my cats are only doing what comes naturally. I just wish that Purdy and Bob weren't so good at it :roll: .

You are right about the plague and I have a more modern story to tell. I'm originally from Stoke on Trent. There are 2 big hospitals very close to each other. A nurse friend of my mum used to keep an eye on the feral cats that lived in the grounds. A change of management at one hospital decided the cats had to go - 'on health grounds'. :roll: Maud (the friend) rescued as many as she could - I shudder to think what happened to the rest. Within 2 months the hospital grounds were over-run with RATS! :shock: Serves 'em right! The cats are now back doing their job! :D
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Re: A quiet stray cat adopted me and became hard work - help

Post by Lyn from Australia »

That's a wonderful story! Feral colonies regulate themselves and have a definite place in nature, even in the modern world and even in cities. I read ages ago that a feral colony's population, even when most have not been neutered, tends to stay fairly static due to the high morality rate of newborns, and the much higher rate of premature death of adults due to accidents, ill-health, and death at the hands of other predators, including humans of course.

I wish Arnie and friend luck, and I'm almost sure that if he does catch a pigeon he'll be so shocked that he'll drop it!! I've seen it before. :lol:
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