Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

On the way back home from my Yoga class last night, I met a lovely little black cat.

He was slinking about in the undergrowth. That is, he was trying to slink about. But he was wearing a collar on which was fixed a loud bell. I felt really furious on his account. How can you stalk things, lurk, pounce and be a fierce cat predator when you've got a horrible bell announcing your every move?

I thought it amounted to cruelty.

Kind bird-lovers -- put bells on cats !

HOWEVER -- We hve just discovered, in a remote part of the Garden -- (Behind the pond) a bright red Cat-Collar, with a sweet little BELL on it.

This is the SECOND time that the collar has appeared.

Obviously, this cat is not DAFT ---and gets rid of the "Handicap" , as soon as possible !

I am (Grudgingly) developing an affection for this one !!!

Our cat Acid always managed to rid himself of, and lose, the hated collar-and-bell! They were costing us so much that we gave up in despair. However, since all our cats departed this life we have attracted masses of bird visitors, from goldfinches & long-tailed tits, through the common-or-garden, to great spotted woodpecker, and this year "our" robin and his partner deigned to use our home-made nest-box. They successfully reared 4 chicks! Cost us a bit in mealworms but well worth it. So, we've decided against adopting any more cats...

I can hear the howls of protest.... but I manage both i.e. birds and cats.
I live adjacent to a railway line and from the outset, not having had cats in recent years, decided that my two would not go outdoors when I am 18 miles away, at work, and might be worrying about them. As the years have passed, they have virtually become 'indoor' cats - with the run of the whole house and a dog to play with, on a diet geared to indoor cats. They sometimes escape (if I leave a door open too long, for instance) but eventually they come home again after their Great Adventure outside. In fact one did get out last Wednesday morning so I was over an hour late for work. I could tell whereabouts in the gardens he was, by the squawking of the birds!
They like nothing more than sitting on my bedroom windowsill, observing the birds feeding and flying around in the garden - though they do swear at the seagulls.
This year I have hosted several nests of sparrows, one of blackbirds and have attracted a number of starling families. It was comical watching the babies learning to fly, and to feed, but I was embarrassed at the 'Noisy birds, Daddy' uttered in the piercing tones of the three year old next door, one summer morning! They must think I am mad if they hear me talking to the robins.

Whilst on the subject of cat collars........

They should ALWAYS have an elastic insert to allow the collar to stretch.

There have been cases of cats strangling themselves when climbing tress, etc !

(Off Topic! 20 more posts and I'll be at 2000!!)

No - I still don't like the idea of a cat in a collar, let alone a collar with a bell.

A collar doesn't tie in with the dignity and superior bearing of a cat. Collars are all right for - pant pant, loll tongue, woof, anxious-to-please, woof, put-on-a-lead - dogs....

I applaud those cats that Ann and NEILL describe; who cunningly managed to shed this symbol of servitude!

What about useful mouse and rat hunting cats? Ding-a-ling! Disaster!

Ferdinand has been pretty unsuccessful at catching birds - but having always had a cat, I've never made a big thing of encouraging lots of birdlife to the garden. Once I was watching an Attenborough wildlife programme, and was amused to see Ferds rush to the screen, miaow, chatter, and pat a lyrebird with his paw.

Anyone watch Attenborough on Monday - the baby meerkats dozing off in the heat?

Really cute, the baby meerkats.

I have a mouse and rat hunting Jack Russell. Not too interested in the cats unless they start running and the race is on. Neither is he interested in the birds, just rats and mice and the occasional annoying flying insect.

Tobias, (Toby, to his friends), has absolutely amazed us.

3 dead young rats presented to us over 2 days. He's not normally a hunter.

Lucky you. The only thing is, aren't rats like fleas? I.e. if you find one it means there are two million others you can't see....

We're not talking about fleas in this house at the moment !

It's been a b@stard year for then as far as Toby is concerned !

I was at a friends house a year ago and saw they had a beautiful cat and when I said so my friend said that they were looking after it for his wife's mother who couldn't look after it any more and would I like it? I ended up driving the cat home that day and he's been with me ever since! He is a silver tabby just like the one on the "Whiskas" box / tin. He caught 4 mice in the first 2 weeks and the cupboard under the stairs doesn't stink any more, and in the summer he caught a rat in the garden which wouldn't die however much the cat bit and scratched it. It was squealing pretty loudly so I out it out of its misery by battering it on the head with a stick. The cat was already neutered so doesn't smell or spray at all and because he is an enormous male cat it is sometimes a bit like having a dog. I have trained him to "speak" to me and on cold nights he keeps my feet warm in bed because I very rarely have heating on and never through the night. I was brought up in a very cold house, and school was cold too so I now prefer it that way. I've wandered off subject...

J.R. wrote:Tobias, (Toby, to his friends), has absolutely amazed us.

3 dead young rats presented to us over 2 days. He's not normally a hunter.

Panda and Swish are in the habit of bringing mice into the house. Usually the first I know of it is when the catcher lets mouse loose between her paws and Cat #2 approaches, suggests that she might steal the mouse, cats get into a bit of a hissing match, and mouse takes off with me in pursuit.

While crawling around the ironing board early this morning, wondering whether I really needed to iron the shirt I intended to wear today and deciding that I probably did in honour of the early morning video conference with our US colleagues, I half noticed Panda pawing around the skirting board under the dining table. Then half noticed her sitting by my shoes in THAT posture with THAT look upon her face and half heartedly peered into my shoes before putting them on, but became fully awake as the toes of my right foot connected with something warm and furry.

Actually, I can't have been fully awake, or I'd have been quick enough to grab mouse (cute baby) and put it outside.

Something to look forward to when I get home.

AArrggh
My house is FULL of mice... but they are brightly coloured, furry, smell of catnip (so my cats tell me) and are of differing shapes and sizes. I keep finding them in all sorts of strange places but if playing with them gives my little boys some fun and exercise, who am I to complain?
Goodness knows what they would do if confronted by a REAL mouse!

huntertitus wrote:I was at a friends house a year ago and saw they had a beautiful cat and when I said so my friend said that they were looking after it for his wife's mother who couldn't look after it any more and would I like it? I ended up driving the cat home that day and he's been with me ever since! He is a silver tabby just like the one on the "Whiskas" box / tin. He caught 4 mice in the first 2 weeks... I have trained him to "speak" to me

This is a lovely story! Silver tabbies are the most gorgeous cats with soft plushy fur and striking markings! It was excellent news to hear that he is earning his keep as mouser and footwarmer (that made me laugh!) and when does he speak to you, Robin?

Sometimes if I say "Speak to me, Ferdinand!" he looks reproachful and produces a completely soundless miaow.

I did enjoy this post! A happy adoption.