The OS Doorstep - a helpful and supportive thread in these tough times

fuddle

Thanks everyone I guess if I see it in the garden I shall feed it. If not I'll just leave it. In the 2 weeks I've been here I have not seen it or any evidence it's been here. I don't understand cat behaviour at all, I was just sad to think it didn't have a home.

Nutty we are fitting in nicely here. The girls are in very small schools so making friends has been much easier than when they had to start a fresh last Christmas. DH's depot is fledgling. There's him and the manager of a different division and a technition (who can weld and will be welding the patch on my micra floor before the MOT) getting on well with them both. I am doing well, building rapport with the office staff where I'm going to be based and having the mickey taken out of my 'him off the one show' voice which is really quite perceptive as he has a Durham accent too as opposed to Geordie - big difference honest! So all is good, thanks for asking

Boult we've had it professionally cleaned (paid for by old tenants) rubbed with bio washing powder an now 1001 so will definitely try that thank you

[Deleted User]

FUDDLE you are such a kind hearted lady, do you really want the responsibility and expense of a pet specially in your rental where pets aren't allowed? If the cat has no home that you know of the best thing to do would be to contact the RSPCA who will catch him and take him to an animal rehoming centre where he will soon find some folks to love him in a place where they are allowed to have pets, much better for you and much better for him, Lyn xxx.

Hard_Up_Hester

Fuddle, don't worry about the cat, have you read 'Six dinner Sid'? A story about a cat who eats at 6 different houses in the road he lives in.
I'm doing a quick check of the presents I've bought so far, I think I've got most things, all the DGC are sorted, Just DD1 to buy for & she can't decide what she wants!
Hester

mardatha

One good thing about having a stray cat living in your back garden is that he will go next door to do his business and will chase all other cats away so you will have a cat-free zone to grow veg in.

fuddle

Love the logic there mar no, you're right I don't want to risk my tenancy at all. I don't want the responsibility. 6 dinner sid. I can imagine! He doesn't look scrawny. Cats protection are on the industrial estate do I will look in if I'm worried. Ill watch because he might be someone's new pet. I'd be really upset if I'm instrumental in getting him taken away where he's loved and cared for.

Thanks for your help

Gailey as far as I am lead to believe re: credit checks for tenancy purposes is that a letting agent doesn't have the same rights as financial institutions to search your financial detail on your credit file. They can only access the public information part - the problem comes if that shows bankruptcy or CCJ's but if you're clear of those you might just be ok. It is a very expensive risk though. We had to pay £120 per person for our credit checks even though the agents knew of our bankruptcy. Felt ill at that point.

No tree up yet. We want to to do it when we make our bird cake to offer the birds possibly tomorrow

[Deleted User]

FUDDLE DD1 has just pointed out another potential problem in encouraging the cat to consider your garden his home territory and that is now while it is cold he'll stay in the garden but, come the warmer weather when you run with doors and windows open some of the time he'll inevitably be inside whenever the opportunity arises, cats are such opportunists! Better to discourage if you can.

Pooky

One of our moggies (he who used to be a stray but came to live with us in our old house) went missing last year, we put up posters and dropped leaflets through doors......about 10 people phoned to say he always pops in for breakfast/lunch/dinner/to chase the guinea pigs/dogs. They'd all assumed he was just a travelling cat and were all feeding him/letting him sleep on their beds.....one woman even had a cushion for him.

I'm not one for feeding strays as I know some cats are just scavengers, some have dietary requirements and some will take any opportunity to come spray your carpets.

kezlou

Fuddle get in touch with cat protection league in your area and they will come and help you. If they can't they will be able to pass the cat onto another rescue who will take the cat in, neuter it and make sure its safe and sound in another home.

In my old house i used to take a picture of the stray cat and make a leaflet at the local shop and my window saying if this your please could you let me. If after 2 weeks no call i used to report to cat protection league.


The fundraiser went well and we made £926! :j Not bad, so that the vet bills cleared. Its was pretty high as one of the rescues brought in cat flu. Were all shattered, my dad came and picked us up and we went to his with cakes that i bought from the fundraisers and lovely cups of hot tea.

So were finally back and home, heatings whacked on, going to clean the mess up as we've only just came in.

FairyPrincessk

Evening all,

So tired I'm not sure I'm still awake!

OH's father is in a community choir and they gave a Christmas concert last night in a town hall so we went along to that. Much like Monnagran I could see people doing similar for generations. It was very nice although I nearly had a coughing fit in the midst of one gentleman's solo.:o

OH's boys had football this morning so he was off for that and I got on with cleaning the house. Most of it is done now, only the floors downstairs and a bit of dusting in the lounge and dining room to finish off. We also managed to find an old but gently used coffee table today for very little money. Its nice quality and looks lovely. Our house is a hodge podge and we still don't have all of the furniture everyone says we should have, and most of it is second hand but we'd both rather do it bit by bit, pieces we can afford every now and then than go into debt.

We were hoping to get a tree today but didn't manage it. However, I am planning to do a bit of 'bringing in the green' tomorrow afternoon. Might not get a chance to go for a walk (I'm sure I can find some holly and perhaps some evergreen pieces) but I'm at least going to make little rosemary wreaths.

Dinner tonight was an omelette and salad, must say it was lovely and I chucked in a bit of all of what was lurking in the fridge.

Gailey lovely to hear from you. I'm sorry its all gone wrong at once. Still, you are doing remarkably well at handling each and every little thing life can throw at you. I do hope everything works out with the potential move. I'm sure the kids will love their xmas, no matter what it is.

xxHugs to all in need.

lobbyludd

we've twice been adopted by homeless cats - both times they sat on the window sill for weeks making it quite obvious that they wanted to live with us. They are very good at sussing out and choosing their next domicile, with the most suitable staff, if given the freedom to roam, and you won't be left in much doubt.

One of them came long enough to have her kittens, wean them and then 6 months later popped off on her way (having been spayed and injected). As a child we also had a ferral cat give birth at the bottom of the garden (she didn't want anything to do with us, but we had to catch her and have her and the kits spayed/neutered, treated for various infections and she was then released, she wouldn't have done well in a domestic setting, but the kits were homed).

If it's not trying to run in past you as you open the doors I'd let it be and not encourage it - the food will entice every cat in the neighbourhood (as well as more ratty visitors), the fact that you see it around doesn't mean it's homeless, they wander, a lot, and it may just be checking the new folks are treating the old place well .

forgot to say, some years ago I had a neighbour that backed onto us knock on the door and say that photo posters had gone up for a lost cat, wich looked very much like the one that was often in our garden, and had I seen it recently. one of our cats sauntered past him at that point into the house and he pointed to her and said "that's the one". said cat (now sadly passed on), had been born in my bedroom, I had known her mother and grandmother, she had lived in 2 seperate countries and four houses with me and her son was lurking inside. She'd part-time adopted some students whilst I was at work, and then aparently got fed up with them and they were worried she was lost!!