Pets

[Bertie]

Thanks to Boatbuilder, I've got a couple of photos of Beauty and Ginge from tonight.

After spending ages flying around the shed chasing toys (especially those on a fishing rod), they both jumped up on one of their blankets and settled down together. The first photo is when they were happily licking each other...




The second is after they'd settled down to sleep, snuggled into each other for ages...

[IceMaiden]

Oh bless them all snuggled up together! They clearly adore each other. Are they lap-cats Bertie or are they the more free spirited type?

[Bertie]

Thanks, IceMaiden. Yeah, they're very cute. And get along well.

Re: lap cat v free spirit? They're a bit of both. Ginge is very friendly with everyone, and will let anyone stroke him. But is only really a lap cat with me so far. Beauty is still nervous around anyone else, and won't stay long around visitors, but she has also become a real lap cat with me. There's even times when they both try to get on my lap at the same time!

[Bertie]

A really loving (though inconvenient) thing that Ginge has developed is to enjoy jumping up and settling himself on my back whenever he finds me bending over!

He's done it a good few times in the shed, but he's also happy to do it outside as well. Today, I was bending down to correct something on the pond, and then to stroke Beauty (who loves sitting watching the fish), when next thing I know I feel Ginge has jumped on my back and I have to stay in that bent position for a while before he finally takes the hint and jumps off! He's a real character.

[Courtenay]

Awww. We had a cat years ago, Kasha, who used to do that too! There's at least one photo of me trying to keep my back horizontal for her as she sits on it very comfortably. She would climb up and sit across people's shoulders too.

[Bertie]

Yeah, Ginge has also tried sitting around my shoulders as well!
When I've been sat down in the shed, so he can't get on the main part of my back, he's tried clambering around my neck and shoulders a few times.

[Wolfgang]

It's no miracle cats think they're God...

[Katharine]

Last year I added 2 female guinea pigs to my 'herd'. As they were available for collection from the 11th August, I decided to name one of them Enid. The other I called Echo. I already had 2 males, and during the winter, I introduced Dexter to Echo and Dandy to Enid. As the males were 5 years old, I wasn't sure if the pairing would be as successful as it would with younger ones, and also, I don't think the colder weather is as conducive for romance either. After a couple of months I separated them again and it was a case of wait and see.

Because of the factors I've mentioned, I was pleasantly surprised to find that first Echo, and then Enid both showed signs of impending motherhood. Surprisingly, it was Enid would gave birth first to 3 pups. Echo who looked much larger also only produced 3 a few days later. In the past all, the litters I've had have been 2 of each sex, so I was surprised when it turned out that all of Enid's babies were boys.

Echo's babies were checked a week ago and she appeared to have 1 boy and 2 girls. The boy was removed to a separate cage along with his 3 cousins to prevent any more romances. Today I thought I would double-check the girls just to be on the safe side, and thought there was a probability that Gwen needed a name change! My father is very good as spotting the differences, so I quickly popped round to see him with the 2 'girls', and he confirmed that my suspicions about 'her' were correct! He then inspected Ginny, and discovered that Echo had also produced 3 boys!

I've just had to have a quick shuffle around of the sleeping quarters as the boys needed to go into the bigger cage. I'm just hoping I've separated them in time. Much as I love guinea pigs, I now have 11, which I think is enough to keep me busy at the moment.

[Bertie]

It's been quite a while since I had two (especially Ginge) such active hunters as pets. I guess it's because they're still living outside in the garden and constantly watching the birds, mice, fish, etc (at least my pond is covered!)

I've got used over the years to my house pets loving being indoors and hardly ever wanting to go out - especially the neutered Tom's - and so it was rare whenever they went out and brought anything in.

But these two! They're a real menace to all the other lovely animals in the garden. And I'm not sure what to do, as I know a bell would be best - but they're so inquisitive and adventurous, especially Ginge, that I'm very worried about them wearing a collar and getting caught in things (tree branches especially).

Other than that they're lovely cats - Ginge friendly with everyone he meets, Beauty far less so but a real lap cat with me (which also describes Slinky, my nervous indoor cat and the reason they're having to live outdoors!)

[Courtenay]

Our cats always wore elasticated collars — they're specially made so that they slip off if they catch on anything. One of our cats was a very active climber (and hunter) and always quickly lost any collar we ever put on her, so we gave up!

There are also possibly collars with a catch that comes apart quickly if it's pulled on, like the lanyards on the pendant buzzers that patients wear in the care homes I've worked in. Any collar that's specially designed for cats will have some way of releasing like that. Have a look online or ask at your local pet shop.

[Bertie]

Thanks for that, Courtenay. I'll have a look into those kind of collars so that I can put a bell on it - though, like yours, I'm sure they'd soon find a way to get them off if they can!

I remember once having a cat that needed a special collar similar to Timmy after she'd had stitches, and she managed to get herself out of it so many times!

[Boatbuilder]

As both my cats, Freddie and Suki, are microchipped, neither have collars. We tried Freddie with one when he was young and he did't like it and would manage to pull it off himself, so we never bothered after that. Did you know that as of June 10th this year, cats, like dogs, also have to be microchipped? Although it doesn't give the date in this first article, I read about it recently in the second article. June 10th is also Freddie's 8th birthday.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cat- ... -mandatory

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c258w9ypdzwo

[Bertie]

Thanks for that, Boatbuilder. I only recently saw about it myself. When I first took Slinky and Baby (who sadly died a year or two ago) to the vets - as they were both strays in the garden - only the latter was micro-chipped. Though as there was no success from the address on it, I took her in as well. So I'll have to get Slinky a microchip soon, even though he never leaves the house!

And as I doubt the charity did it when they had Beauty and Ginge for their operations, I suppose I'd better get them done at some point as well even though they're 'outdoor' pets.

As regards collars, yes that was my experience with them over the years and I haven't bothered with the last few as, like I said, they've mostly stayed indoors anyway. But obviously Beauty and Ginge are a different scenario than normal.

[IceMaiden]

Lovely to see that Beauty and Ginge are doing well Bertie, but it's a shame they're hunting everything in your garden! I like cats but their hunting instinct is their definite downside for me. Last weekend we had three adults staying in, all at least half the size of a normal cat, with the smallest barely larger than a kitten! They were ferals that had simply never grown much resulting in them being basically mini cats. Very sweet but quite shy and reserved with the male being the boldest.

[Bertie]

A worry with my 'indoor' cat, Slinky, today.

He has diabetes and needs insulin twice a day. I noticed he was subdued today and then in the afternoon his body started to do some jolts and twitches (while awake, so not dreaming) and he didn't look well.

I googled it and, as I suspected, it said with a cat with diabetes it's probably a sign that the levels have gone either too low or high and to get it checked quickly. Immediately went to the vets with him and, after tests, they've reduced his insulin dosage and, unless he goes bad in the meantime, I'm to take him back next week to test it again.

I'm currently in the shed with Ginge and Beauty (much pleasanter weather nowadays!) but I won't stay too long with them tonight as I'm worried all the time about old Slinky.