My sweet cat is no more

When I was a young girl, I never thought that I would ever either have a pet cat or indeed love a pet cat. I grew up in a hamlet or very small village and my only experience with cats at that time were tabby cats that scavenged freely in dustbins both by day and by night. The lids on the metal bins would clatter to the ground and out would pop two or three scrawny, dusty and occasionally greasy cats. Sometimes they would be chewing at something, often they would be carrying scraps in their mouths. In those days all kinds of rubbish and kitchen waste found its way into the bins. These dustbins often smelt strongly of both death, rotting vegetation and ash combined. A smell which is difficult to describe but once experienced is surely never forgotten.  My mother would usher me quickly away from any cats that were lurking around as though my soul would be scarred forever if they got near enough to touch me. So it is with this unlikely background that I got persuaded by my children to get a pet cat for them.

We decided upon a little black and white kitten from an animal sanctuary. She was one of a litter of kittens born to a young kitten as her mother was less than six months old when she was born. Amazingly, despite being the weakest and smallest of the litter, she was the only survivor and so when she came into our lives we somewhat spoilt her. This we continued to do until very sadly lying in her basket she drew her last breath.

I will always have loving and fond memories of our lovely cat as she had the sweetest disposition; she didn’t learn to miaow until she was around thirteen years old and up until then she hardly made any noise at all.

Goodbye our little cat ..

Cheeky trespasser had flattened the cat mint!

I have the softest of dispositions and find empathy with everyone and all creatures. This does lead to unwanted happenings. There is a Tom cat who often frequents our garden. He is the most gentlest of cats and is almost like a dog. Our cat doesn’t know what to make of him but tolerates him with a matriarchal glance every so often.

He sings at the door for some spare supper and our cat looks, her whiskers twitching. Sometimes she is silent and other times she lets out a short motherly hiss. Only once have I seen her spank him on the backside – I am not sure why but the next time he came into the garden she rubbed noses with him.

Today this cheeky young boy has chosen to squash the cat mint. He rolled backwards and forwards and spread his legs and tail all over the mint – he must be the most fragrant cat in the neighbourhood now.

Tom cat in the cat mint or catnip

What should a poor girl do in a heat wave?

Covered in fur, the cat is beside herself trying to get as comfortable as possible. Not a lot can be done by a cat’s owner other than offering extra dishes of water and wiping their coat, including tail, whiskers and tips of ears with a damp cloth; making extra shady positions as best as possible especially somewhere where there is a breeze and hope that they do not become dehydrated.

My cat pushed herself in the undergrowth waiting the day out .. I placed a large parasol over the place where she chose to lay and did my best to keep her cool. At least she managed to take a nap!

  The cat keeping out of the sun

On a hot, hot day there’s nothing quite like a bath

Can’t quite believe it but we are having a heat wave. It has suddenly become very hot and this was not just a shock to us humans but also to my furry friend the cat. She got up strolled a few steps then lay down again and despite her best efforts couldn’t get comfortable so it was decided to give her a gentle bath. She didn’t moan or miaow once .. she just stood whilst the suds enveloped her back, her bib, her tail and legs. Finally her face was washed and then after rinsing off the baby shampoo (I used this just in case any accidentally splashed into her eyes as it is not supposed to sting) the plug was pulled and I hoisted her out with a large fluffy towel.

We sat in the garden whilst I gently rubbed off the water and never have I seen her sit so still. When almost dry she looked up at me as if to say she had had enough of being dried and she began to wriggle about so I placed her on the grass. She proceeded to groom herself and after having her fur brushed she went into the undergrowth in the shade of the border to have a snooze. 

     A lovely clean cat after her bath!

O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love …

There have been times when I have felt almost completely disembowelled. My lovely old cat (she is now fifteen, an old-age pensioner) quite suddenly developed a most dreadful illness. Let me tell you and you may judge for yourself.

The first thing I noticed that was different about her was a few spots that appeared on the top of her head. Fleas! I thought. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I applied some ‘Spot On’ obtained from the vets but the lumps did not go away. Instead more symptoms came. There were swathes of both diahorrea and sickness that became relentless and within just a few hours blood appeared coming from both ends. We rushed her to the vets where she was given an injection of steroid and antibiotic and we were told to bring her back the following day. She became worse and very dehydrated and she was kept in and placed on a drip. We were allowed to take her home on the following day but told to bring her back for a further check-up. She was placed on another drip and kept over the weekend. The vet was not at all hopeful of the outcome.

In the meantime, and as no-one was really certain as what the cause of the illness was, we carried on researching and quite by chance we found something that we believe may have been the culprit. We had purchased two non-slip dishes for her wet food. The dishes, it seems were not crock as initially thought, nor were they plastic but something that after careful checking looked like melamine. It appears that melamine causes health issues from a type of acne around animals faces to sickness and diahorrea. It is also known to cause renal failure. Melamine exposure may be from pet dishes to additions in food content. It is alleged by some that melamine may  also be found in gluten. Here’s what is stated in Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melamine

The dishes were disposed of and we started using crock saucers. It has taken months to get her weight back up over 6lbs again. We initially fed her every hour-and-a half – a little bit of dinner and some fish – she would not go near to any kibble. She is currently eating both a little bit of kitten kibbles and senior kibbles. We have tried so many different varieties but GoCat appears to be her current preference this is probably because it was the very first kibble I introduced her to as a kitten! Her favourite foods are the wet dinners and fish, thankfully her interest in food is still there.

 

The cat as she is now, fast asleep in the border 

Advice: avoid using melamine. If you have a pet that is having difficulty eating try heating their food a little – not too hot – but the smell of the food tempts them to lick at it.

Extra Notes:

The one thing that I’ve learned with a cat is that there are more things that are unsafe to give them than those that will cause them no harm. Indeed, many of the things that are quite harmless to dogs may be life-threatening to cats. So before anyone tries all kinds of well-known cures on their cat always check with a veterinarian (animal doctor) to be on the safe side and not cause any undue distress to their animal.

The items that I used to help to relieve my cat’s digestive problems were as follows:

The first week I gave her one pinch of arrowroot in her dinners; the second week and for three days only, I gave her some kaolin (for cats) about three-quarters of a teaspoonful per day; the third week I gave her half-a-teaspoonful of pure powdered slippery elm (this I have been advised is the only safe ‘herb’ that may be given to a cat) use very sparingly – it is useful for diahorrea, sickness, constipation, upset tummies, flatulence (wind), etc – a very useful standby for cats, dogs and indeed humans!!!

Added to the above – change water regularly every two to three hours; keep their meals small and give them often; avoid meals with fancy sauces; avoid tinned cat food (this usually contains large quantities of water that puts a strain on the kidneys which are already under pressure when an animal is ill); make your own soft kibbles using rice flour – once cooked store in a jam jar and crumble a little into their food to aid with their digestion; never give cow’s milk to a cat and never, ever give them turkey as these are indigestible and place a strain on already poorly animal. In fact, they should always be avoided to keep a pet in tip-top health!!

The other things that I haven’t mentioned are lots of love and understanding and an unbelievable amount of tolerance – a sick animal cannot help it when they have diahorrea or sickness, it isn’t their fault and it can be a frightening experience for them so never shout or punish them. Always speak calmly and give them a reassuring stroke.

Can you see me?

Footsteps in the snow

The snow has lasted and lasted, confusing every creature – especially our cat ..

She has rushed outside into the garden, a world of white, cold, softness that no longer resembled her familiar territory. Then she has quickly returned, bounding at thrice the pace, back into the warm house and curling tightly up into a ball to warm herself up again. After this, she has simply eaten and eaten and eaten .. would she ever be satisfied? The cold seemingly makes every creature and every person require more and more food to stave off the bitter cold!

The Cat this December ..

Sometimes animals sport a certain look that creates a bond more with the viewer of the scene than with the animal themselves. This happens both with pets and wild animals. It is a certain look that has the ability to hook our hearts. This is a picture of our cat this December, a look we sometimes see but this is the first time we have managed to capture it in a photograph!

Kit cat

There is something wonderful how a cat has perfected the art of exercise. A stretch here and an arch there, an occasional stroll, an optimistic purr and the creation of a lean, athletic living machine paddles joyfully at the arrival of each new day.

The cat managed to stroll, stretch and nap .. all in between the April showers!

Cat tales

Here are two lovely videos of cats. One shows a mother gently hugging her kitten who appears to be having a very active dream. The other is a wonderful cat who tells his owner most definitely ‘No!’ Enjoy!!!!

There’s nothing quite like a mother’s love!

A cat that knows its own mind … with a definite ‘no!’

Forty winks on a day of rest

If memory serves me well, according to the Bible, Sunday should be a day of rest: doing absolutely nothing and recharging our batteries so that we are fit and well to tackle the forthcoming week with its many demands. When I was a child this also meant that shops and businesses remained closed; everywhere was quiet; it was even considered bad manners for washing to be displayed on clothes lines.

It appears that the only followers of this now are the animals. My cat, in particular who loves and enjoys a forty wink rest on a very lazy day!

Forty winks on a lazy Sunday

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Country Quips:

• You should never waste time as you can’t purchase more!

Thirteen

The cat has turned thirteen. She is doing remarkably well. We obtained her as a four month old kitten from an animal rescue centre and had been advised that she was the runt of the litter of a very young female cat of under a year old, who was herself considered to be only a kitten. All of the other brothers and sisters of the litter had died with the exception of our little runt. She was the only black and white kitten at the rescue centre. She looked so very long and thin and we were told she would never be a large cat. Here we are all these years later with a very pretty queen, supporting long, lustrous whiskers. Her eyes are bright and there are times when we see the lion in her actions and personality. She guards our garden both front and back, the drive and the nearby houses, which are all her territory. How dare any other feline put their paws anywhere on what she considers to be her land? She slaps any cat who tries to encroach on her territory on the behind with a multi-pat of paws like an animal from a pride. Strangely, I have seen male cats twice her size cower and flee at speed – and yet she is not at all nasty. She is full of purrs and rubs and loving …

Cats’ whiskers

Every animal has secrets. Probably one of the most intriguing of a cat are its whiskers. The purpose of a cat’s whiskers is for the cat to determine whether the rest of its body can safely climb through a space. However, this is only relevant if the cat is of normal weight. A vet may, therefore, use the width of its whiskers as a useful guideline to determine whether the cat is of a healthy weight, prior to placing it on the scales.

Although a cat has very sharp eyesight whilst looking for objects (especially those of potential prey – in other words creatures that move), it has difficulty focussing on anything that is close by and is heavily reliant on its whiskers to see if it is in bumping range of things. Its whiskers are therefore essential and should never be cut – they are as necessary to a cat as a blind person’s stick in order for the cat to feel relatively safe. Whiskers, like all forms of hair on mammals, are made up of keratin but are set deep within the face of the cat and close to bunches of nerve endings making them both useful and sensitive to movement.

Domestic short-haired cat, DSH, Felis catus

My cat, is now thirteen years old. She has not lost any weight which according to my vet is a good sign as many cats may become thin and struggle with health issues once they have lost weight. She has a varied diet: she enjoys fresh, roast chicken and jelly, canned tuna, Felix senior (as good as it looks dinners), Sheba delicious morsels with chicken & turkey, Iams adult light 1+ years sterilised proactive nutrition – roast chicken flavour (these are biscuit like and very tiny and easy to digest) I have tried her on other dried foods and find that they are too difficult for her to chew. She also enjoys an occasional two or three Thomas treats … Apart from the treats and the roast chicken, the other items in her diet are eaten by her every day …… yes, she eats more than me!! She gains a little weight during the Winter months and loses it when the warmer weather arrives … the ideal scenario for any living creature.

Hide

Anyone who has any knowledge about cats will know that you can never make a cat do anything it doesn’t wish to do …

 

 

… and so when the cat was presented with a present of a cat hide none of us thought at the back of our minds that she would ever enter it, jump on top of it, let alone use it!

On a plate

Cats and dogs have their tongues, teeth, mouths and noses as their cutlery when they are trying to pick up morsels of food from their dinner plates and dishes. Pieces are scooped up often with the utmost of difficulty and very often all kinds of food items end up surrounding their dish, saucer or plate. Satellites of food nuggets surrounding a shiny sun of a plate. Many animals will try and find the escaped morsels that have deposited themselves on the floor. Others, often a little fastidious will simply walk away and leave the trail of debris for their owners to clear up!

Whilst out shopping the other day I came across a different shaped feeding bowl. It had a slightly raised back and slightly higher sides … it was also quite heavy, despite being made of plastic. In fact, it had the appearance of crock. On a whim I purchased one – it was a sort of sixth sense that came from somewhere from within and telling me that this was the answer to feeding time. To my surprise, my whim paid off … so far I have had not one spillage or stray piece of fish or nugget of meat finding its way out of the dish and onto the floor. I am so pleased that I have finally – after years of dogs and cats – discovered the ideal feeding bowl for animals that use their mouths as cutlery!! So if you may be thinking of having a pet or perhaps already have one then look out for this new style feeding bowl with a raised back and you’ll find that feeding time will be much better not only for yourself but also for your pet. I purchased mine from a local supermarket but I should imagine that this new shape should be available at any good retailers that cater for pets.

 

Feeding bowl with high back and raised sides -  clean feeding for four-legged animals

A cat

 

Cat strapped

My cat loves to gambol and uses a black bag to bounce herself off …

Cat strapped

… here she has caught herself up in the bag strap. Less than fifteen minutes later she was fast asleep with the strap holding her in position like a large comfortable arm … now why didn’t I think of that – such contented sleep zzz!!

Pussycat Mole

I have often admired the way that cats by their very nature happily blend in with their surroundings. When looking for my own little cat I often pass her without noticing that she is close by. She sits in the border in a variety of places and watches the world go by whilst remaining as still as a statue. One place that she sometimes may be found is in a flowerpot that is semi buried in the border. A variety of leafy plants hide the entrance and she weaves her way sideways to get inside the pot so that the entrance remains undisturbed. There she lies like a soft, velvety mole hiding in a hole.

The cat lying in a flowerpot asleep whilst the world goes by. 

 

The cat privately watching the world from her own little hole.

Mouser

Waiting, patiently like an old grandfather clock but still as the statue of Nelson, the cat now twelve years old, looks at the corner of the little shed hoping for movement. Her ear twitches as an almost silent rustle is picked up and her long whiskers twitch in anticipation. She is so quiet her breathing appears to be still … then in a flash faster than a lightening bolt she springs from her hunting position, three full yards and when she lifts her head she is holding a mouse in her mouth. She only has two eye teeth left and so the mouse is being held lightly and when she is told to let go she drops the mouse and backs away. The mouse scurries off and hides in the undergrowth. She looks sideways as she chews and cleans her paws – her eyes are never averted to where the quivering mouse is waiting. Eventually she saunters off and the mouse bolts out of the undergrowth and heads back under the shed.

 

Watching for the mouse

Patiently waiting and listening for rustles

 

Still waiting …

Cat corner

If you think of a cat’s life the same as a dog’s life … each human year being equivalent to seven, then our little cat is officially an old lady being the grand old age of 77. Over the last year she has decidedly become more sedate, keeping her stalking down considerably. She now, for instance tolerates the larger birds coming into the garden and will sit and just watch them not wanting to go even one step nearer to them for a closer look. The Wood Pigeons are perhaps one of her favourites as she glances at them with much bemusement … they never came into the garden when she was younger - ‘what on earth do they think they are doing, risking all now?’ Perhaps they just simply know that they are no longer at risk – may be animals exude some kind of chemical when they are constantly stalking their prey – it’s certainly a new mystery to me.

We have an old, garden bench that has been dragged into a corner – as you can see she not only likes this position but also enjoys her comfort at the same time. The cushion is pure wool so it breathes and keeps her warm on cool days and not too warm on hot days – that apparently is the theory!

 

Cat’s comfy corner

Cat plant

The one thing about cats is they know all about patience. Every family member of cats has a dedicated inborn spirit that oozes patience, calm, serenity and a complete stress free life. We can learn a lot from cats. Even their exercise plans are slow and steady being a series of stretches and yawns that keep every sinew and muscle totally defined. A total six-pack animal … how we should watch and learn from these creatures.

My cat has noticed that her favourite plant has started to sprout from the earth. Only a few short weeks ago, there was no sign of it. I thought that it had died off … but she knew. She would go and sit beside it and simply meditate. Her reward for her patience are a series of healthy sprouts of the cat mint:

Cat mint, catnip

 The cat sleeping besides her cat mint waiting patiently for it to grow so that she can roll in its glorious perfume