Preparing for winter IV

metherer

Kittie, Rookie question here. What does the R in R5 mean? Thanks

[Deleted User]

R= solar/lunar activity periods. Last week was R5+ and 4 and 5 are top activity. The activity affects the jet stream and world weather ie last week was bombardment from sun after big solar flares. 4 and 5 are the bad ones

toozie_2

How do you prepare a cat for thunder?

We've had a massive thunderstorm overhead this morning, with torrential rain (still raining hours later).
Lightening followed almost immediately by thunder.

My usually quite docile cat was running around the house with her tail bushed out, she wouldn't let me pick her up. So in the end I just stuck the radio on and hoped it would try and drown out some of the thunder for her-poor thing, she about 6 and I don't think she's ever heard thunder that loud before-I was a bit on edge myself, made sure all electricals were off at the wall etc.

Many, many years ago my FIL had a parquet floor in his hall, the house phone-on a lead was on a table in the hall. Lightening struck the phone cables (I presume) and the parquet floor lifted, piece by piece! Quite funny now, but I bet it wasn't at the time.

Uniscots97

toozie wrote: »

How do you prepare a cat for thunder?

We've had a massive thunderstorm overhead this morning, with torrential rain (still raining hours later).
Lightening followed almost immediately by thunder.

My usually quite docile cat was running around the house with her tail bushed out, she wouldn't let me pick her up. So in the end I just stuck the radio on and hoped it would try and drown out some of the thunder for her-poor thing, she about 6 and I don't think she's ever heard thunder that loud before-I was a bit on edge myself, made sure all electricals were off at the wall etc.

Many, many years ago my FIL had a parquet floor in his hall, the house phone-on a lead was on a table in the hall. Lightening struck the phone cables (I presume) and the parquet floor lifted, piece by piece! Quite funny now, but I bet it wasn't at the time.

Hi, make sure your cat has somewhere comfy to cuddle up away from windows in rooms either where you will be or somewhere dark (i.e. rooms you're not in leave the doors ajar). This means she can choose to snuggle up somewhere she feels safe. Does she have any catnip toys? These can be helpful, or try feliway plug ins. These will help most cats calm during fireworks etc.

toozie_2

unixgirluk wrote: »

Hi, make sure your cat has somewhere comfy to cuddle up away from windows in rooms either where you will be or somewhere dark (i.e. rooms you're not in leave the doors ajar). This means she can choose to snuggle up somewhere she feels safe. Does she have any catnip toys? These can be helpful, or try feliway plug ins. These will help most cats calm during fireworks etc.

Thanks for the reply.
No she doesn't bother with capnip toys, but I will look into Feliway plugs.
She's absolutely fine with fireworks, and will even go out, but we usually keep her in on bon fire night, and NYE.

She's quite an aloof cat, doesn't like cuddles, won't climb on your knee. If you pick her up and put her on your knee she only stays there for about 30 seconds!
But she does like to be in rooms we are in, so that's what I tried to do this morning, we stayed in one room, with the radio on.

[Deleted User]

I am enjoying the relatively quiet time at the moment, still getting gusts and torrential rain but just showers now and maybe a spell of sun today. Am getting organised and will go up to the allotment later, before the next lot cranks up (and it will!!)

The wood pellet stove is on for longer now as I want to keep the fabric of the house nice and cosy, ready for the next, worse in a different way, onslaught

[Deleted User]

We're currently in the middle of the longest thunderstorm I can remember in 20 years here, very strong wind driving heavy rain with hail in it, leaden grey skies and much thunder and lightning and an absolutely terrified lurcher cowering under the desk here in the study, it's been going for half an hour and I can see no likely respite in any direction. The only good thing is we saw it coming and He Who Knows delayed their morning walk or they'd both have been out in it and undoubtedly soaked to their respective skins, Lyn xxx.

Broomstick

The estate at the back of our house is riverside and it flooded a couple of days ago (did so last winter as well). It drained much of the water off yesterday and has flooded again overnight but worse than before. The water is just about staying out of our garden but it's raining again heavily and I'm fed up and cold with loads of stuff to do. Although I've got some bits of housework and self-employed work started, and a load of washing on, I've decided that today my best preparation for winter is to go back to bed with a cuppa and a hottie and get properly warm then start again in an hour or so.

Trying to think of hot days, cloudless skies, flowers blossoming, the smell of freshly picked, sunwarmed, ripe tomatoes, huge fat buzzy bumble bees, sunshine so bright that I need to wear sunglasses ...

Bed

B x

Princess_kate

Oh dear Kittie, when will the next lot of weather hit us? Is this the mid-end of the month system?

greenbee

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

We're currently in the middle of the longest thunderstorm I can remember in 20 years here, very strong wind driving heavy rain with hail in it, leaden grey skies and much thunder and lightning and an absolutely terrified lurcher cowering under the desk here in the study, it's been going for half an hour and I can see no likely respite in any direction. The only good thing is we saw it coming and He Who Knows delayed their morning walk or they'd both have been out in it and undoubtedly soaked to their respective skins, Lyn xxx.

Thunder has just arrived up here Lyn. I was going to put the christmas tree outside today, but if it carries on like this I don't intend to open any doors!