On Cats

[bbishop]

Harvey (cat) and Toddy (dog) lived mainly on slabs of cooked meat in jelly from the pet shop.  There were backup tins, my memory was that Harvey had Whiskas.  Harvey supplemented his diet with Toddy's dog biscuits.  Left over human food went into a communal bowl; usually eaten by Toddy, who was the omnivore.

Then there were the nice hot cups of tea (morning and evening) with Harvey cadging extra cups off the neighbours.  So no faddy eating.  And on that diet, Toddy lived to 17½ (alright, Jack Russells are almost indestructable) and Harvey must have been close to 20.  Bill

[doilum]

6 hours ago, Hobby said:

 

Didn't seem to harm them either, our's lived to 17 on such a diet! Snowy licks plates clean if given the chance so has milk and cream from time to time. I'm sure i read somewhere that one difference between a domestic cat and wild one is that a domestic cat's digestive system has adapted to suit the diet it gets, i.e. fewer, if any, fresh raw meet with bones in it!

Again cats fall onto two groups. Those that are lactose intolerant won't touch the stuff. Guinness who made it to the grand old age of twenty shared the milk from my cornflakes every morning of her life.

Better still was Tilly, another that made 17+. He would wait until we left for work and then go round to the old lady nextdoor who had a pan of warm milk for him to share with her disabled rescue cat Theo. This was a daily routine for some years. When our eldest was born she managed to bring up her milk all over my suit, the sofa and herself. Quick as a flash, Tilly was on the scene and within a minute or two had removed all traces of baby milk. Job done.

[eastglosmog]

Of my cats, Tilly is the only one who has had to be banned from drinking milk as it gives her Pancreatitis, although Badger didn't care for it.

[Andy Hayter]

Lactose intolerance has nothing to do with whether an animal will or won't drink milk, eat yoghurt, cheese or whatever dairy.

 

Many of them will take what is offered given the opportunity - just as hedgehogs will eat milk soaked bread.

 

The effects however come later with the squitters - leading to dehydration - or vomiting - with similar end consequences.  Some animals may learn and then avoid dairy.  Many do not.  

[J. S. Bach]

My Wingnut crossed the Rainbow Bridge sometime early this morning. When she did not come to say "FEED ME!", I did not get too concerned as she (just like me) was not very punctual about "getting up" time. When I did get up, she did not come into the bedroom as she usually did when she would hear me stirring, so when I went out to feed her, I did not see her in her favorite "curl-up" spot by the front door when I went to turn off the front porch light. I then went to the do the back porch light and there she was stretched out looking very comfortable. I think she passed in quietly in her sleep as there were no indications of any trauma, mental or physical. A friend is stopping by this evening to help with the digging, my little garden spade is not up to the task of breaking through the concrete-like clay soil here. This photo was taken a month ago but this is just how she looked this morning.

 

One of my favorite photos of her:

 

Note that I did take a photo of her this morning but did not think it appropriate to post it so the earlier one was chosen.

 

[Hibelroad]

A sad time but nice to know that she passed peacefully. 

[TT-Pete]

So sorry to hear that, my sincere condolences.

 

[Butler Henderson]

Sad and brought back memories of a neighbours cat from my childhood who had adopted my bed when its owners were away. One day he turned up at the back door and instead of wandering in gave a very strange sad sounding meow, also unusual as he rarely uttered a sound, and then walked away. The next day he had passed away  - transpired he had caught a rat that had been itself been posioned.

[doilum]

Tails from the stables.

Trust FC to brighten up a gloomy day. Yesterday younger daughter had to send her original dog over that rainbow bridge after a good 15 years. Today they were sat with friends in the feed room sharing consolations when in walks FC. Quickly tired of being ignored / kept waiting / not centre of attention, he walks out and returns a few minutes later with a pigeon which he releases, pretty much unharmed, into the room and sits down by his bowl. Attention secured.

[J. S. Bach]

That was a hard post to "rate", I gave it the heart because of the dog's passage over THE bridge. The rest was funny, though.

[roundhouse]

Next doors cat making herself comfortable in our conservatory. Last week she was in her normal location under a bush but its cooler today

[Il Grifone]

We were advised goat's milk for kittens. Luckily Mummy was available most of the time.

 

I always recall 'our' first litter. The book stated that you will have to teach the kittens to eat solid food by tempting them with tiny morsels. I was feeding Duke our rough collie (it was a long time ago - early 70s) and tipped the contents of a large tin of dog food onto his plate in a solid lump. The male kitten immediately sank his teeth into it, followed rapidly by the two females. The kittens obviously hadn't read the book!

We have never had the problem with subsequent litters either. They have all known what their teeth are for!

Our current dogs and cats all love sardines, preferably in tomato sauce.

[Michael Hodgson]

2 hours ago, Il Grifone said:

 

I was feeding Duke our rough collie (it was a long time ago - early 70s) and tipped the contents of a large tin of dog food onto his plate in a solid lump. The male kitten immediately sank his teeth into it, followed rapidly by the two females.

 

Steal the dog's dinner ?   They're lucky he didn't sink his teeth into the kittens !  Obviously not such a very rough collie.

[Jonboy]

Once gave ours cows milk as kittens, later had to throw out the glossy cover to a copy of model rail, luckily that meant the carpet was saved…

[J. S. Bach]

4 hours ago, Il Grifone said:

 ...snip... Our current dogs and cats all love sardines, preferably in tomato sauce.

So do I!

[Il Grifone]

14 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Steal the dog's dinner ?   They're lucky he didn't sink his teeth into the kittens !  Obviously not such a very rough collie.

 

He was a very gentle dog. We came down one morning and found him in his basket with two of the cats cuddled up against his tum and the third 'kneading' his back. (This was before the black cat presented us with the kittens.)

 

Our current two are quite OK with the cats too, just not quite that friendly.

[roundhouse]

Today, both of next doors cats have taken up residency on our sofa in the conservatory. The tuxedo cat was trying to make himself comfy on our living room sofa earlier but I soon moved him.

Edited August 18, 2022 by roundhouse

[Reorte]

17 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Steal the dog's dinner ?   They're lucky he didn't sink his teeth into the kittens !  Obviously not such a very rough collie.

Maybe he simply wasn't allowed. As they won't be on the last Monday of this month - after all it's a ban collie day!

 

I'll get my coat.

[Classsix T]

We "had" to get Mia chipped so that's done and got the confirmation letter today.

Fine, now my "British Shorthair" (kinda racist if I was a woke brigadier) now has more Govt. approved identity than I do! I don't actually know whether to be displeased or otherwise about that.

 

C6T.

[Metr0Land]

When my little one went missing for 3 days last year I was pleased she was chipped, so that if she was found and taken to the vet she could be traced back to me.   In the event she came home after 3 days.

[Classsix T]

Granted, I dare say I'll be immensely relieved if Mia's chip should reunite us in a worse case scenario situation.

I was just kinda thinking out loud, recalling the hoops I've had to jump through because I own neither a driving license or a current passport...

 

C6T.

[big jim]

We had a friendly cat turn up at the house a few months back, Sarah has a scanner and got the number off it, contacted them relevant people who can access the data and discovered he was from the other side of the town, seem to think he got into a delivery van or something and went for a trip!

 

reunited with his owners after a couple of days missing

[Classsix T]

Well there y'go. Chipping is obviously a beneficial process. Mia isn't a "wanderer" though and hardly a target for thieves of posh cats. So I'm blasé about it...until I need it I guess?

 

I'm absolutely for anything though that requires people to put some effort into owning (as much as you can) a cat however, so short of an actual license, a requirement of chipping for treatment at a vet or residency at a cattery can only be a good thing.

 

C6T.

[eastglosmog]

On 19/08/2022 at 21:48, Classsix T said:

Granted, I dare say I'll be immensely relieved if Mia's chip should reunite us in a worse case scenario situation.

I was just kinda thinking out loud, recalling the hoops I've had to jump through because I own neither a driving license or a current passport...

 

C6T.

Probably a doddle compared to the fun I had getting a blue badge for my mother.  She has neither passport (far too old and frail to go gadding around in foreign countries) nor driving license (the request for a blue badge was because her eyesight is failing).  Utility bills were not accepted.  I had to find her marriage certificate as evidence of who she was, which was fun as she has been a widow for some 35 years!

I got my old cat Misty (and Honey) chipped after I got him back from being lost.  Definitely shutting of stable door after cat bolted and in practical terms totally unnecessary as he never went very far from home ever afterwards.  But decidedly reassuring for me that he could be "asked" who he was and where he lived in future.  Needless to say, both Badger and Tilly where chipped before being allowed out.

Edited August 21, 2022 by eastglosmog
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[TT-Pete]