Grandcat having extended 'sleepover'!

iammumtoone

My cat (and all my previous cats) live off dried food, he only gets wet as a treat when I hide the worming tablet Personally I don't understand why owners want their cats to eat wet food. Dried is cheaper, easy and better for the cats teeth. If you buy a decent brand it has all they need.

meritaten

I shouldn't have laughed - but I couldn't help it!
Barnes, GS and I were playing throwing the ping pong balls up the stairs to Barney - who likes to 'bat' them back down again and if one particularly takes his fancy he will chase it all the way down then bat it into the kitchen or dining room (he scores!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). anyway he bounded down after one ball and his claws got stuck into my scarf which was wound round the newel post...he then right turned but instead of heading down the hall he got swung by the paw under the stairs, momentum carried him back out and on to the stairs, back off the stairs and one very startled cat was left dangling from the post! I could hardly get his claws out of the scarf for laughing!

he refused to play any more - but he watched me and GS play for a while longer (throw the balls hard enough and they come back on their own). he did take the opportunity to make off with a couple of balls and hide them though! I found one under his food plate! (his food and water is on a little stand).

23.03
I still haven't found the other ball! now have 11 ping pong balls!
GS was really 'hyper' today - he was here for about 4 and half hours and he wore me out! still, vented my feelings by pelting him with ping pong balls which he found hysterically funny! I got a few back which hit the mark! lmao!

Barnes scoffed most of an Aldi pouch meal (beef) then I found the half tin of Applaws chicken breast in fridge I had meant to give him for lunch - so offered him some and he was pleased to accept! I am not sure it will still be ok for him to eat tomorrow so will chuck it in food recycling box.
he let me touch his tummy with my hand today! yay!!!!!!!!!!
few more days of 'hand' grooming and maybe, just maybe he might let me use the detangle brush! gently gently here! his tum isn't badly matted - just a few areas which need sorting out. but, he is trying to do this himself - getting a bit worried he is getting 'hairballs' tho - those distinctive hyuck hyuck sounds when he is outta sight worry me!

arbroath_lass

Sounds like Barney is very much enjoying his extended stay at Grandma's. He seems much happier. I'm so glad he is doing well.

his_missus

My Scrappy has returned home today after two weeks at mum's. he doesn't seem much better other than when he's over grooming he's at least not pulling out chunks of hair. Vets appt booked for Monday evening. He's back to Grandma's (along with Harley and Blackie) for a holiday in just over a week whilst we're on holiday.

Meritaten, I don't think cats eat meat that's gone off, I'm sure someone once told me. Barney does sound very happy with you.

meritaten

Got Barney two of those doormats from Aldi today - have spent odd moments down on my knees frantically scratching at the doormat while purring 'Good boy, gooooood Cats do this'. Barney just looks at me in disbelief, wanders off and has a good scratch of my carpet! may sprinkle a little catnip on it - see if that helps!

he had a lovely session with catnip mouse so while he was zonked out after it - I got the detangle brush and ever so gently did his tummy! its done now! I don't think he even knew I had groomed him!

Let me know how it goes at vets on Monday with scrappy, his missus - I hope whatever is bothering him gets sorted out. have you got a pic of him?

PinkTiger

I have just read this thread from the beginning & have been chuckling to myself, i adore the way cat's have such different personalities that non-cat lovers just don't 'get'.

I was thinking that he may be off his food due to hairballs & noticed you mentioned them a couple of days ago. i have 2 semi-longhaired delights, Ralph rarely suffers with them but Elsie seems to get them frequently, even though i groom them both. I give them Whiskas Temptations Hairball treats & it does the trick, seems to work better than the dry food for hairballs.

I felt really sorry for Elsie as she had been at the rescue centre for months & was in the 'experienced owners only' section. they mentioned she gets hairballs but when i brought her
home she coughed one up at least once a day for about 10 days, she's such a tiny thing aswell i don't know how she managed to keep any food down with a belly full of fur!

if you have a Home Bargains / Quality Save shop locally they usually sell the hi-life pouches for around 29p, i occasionally buy the chicken ones when i need to hide the worming tablets, Ralph always falls for it but Elsie is a proper Diva & usually won't touch it!

meritaten

No 12 ping pong ball mysteriously turned up in Barneys' toy basket this morning!

I did Barneys lunch at one (he is a stickler for prompt meals) and usually I groom him after he comes back in lounge - I didn't today as OH was out on 'a call from work') and I was doing a late lunch. Barnes did NOT approve. I got 'wails' and he got right under my feet!
I had to get his 'dreamies' and groom him! luckily his coat has improved so much it doesn't take so long now!

went out this afternoon and brought oldest GS back with me - along with his parents and sis. Sis had met Barney before but the rest of them hadn't. lol - Barney greeted them at the door and he loved being the centre of attention for the next ten minutes!
GD normally has bad experiences with cats - for some reason they usually hate her! she has been bitten and scratched by cats previously when she tried to stroke them. She remembers my last Nicki though, as the only cat who would let her stroke him and seemed to like her. Barnes has a similar temperament to Nicki so I was (fairly) confident he wouldn't attack her! and I was so proud of him.............he let her stroke him and smiled and smiled at her! purred loudly and made her feel great! He enjoyed the admiration immensely! he performed his 'disappearing treat stick trick' to loud applause!
Her bro, my oldest GS is also now a Barney fan! Barney played his famous 'ping pong ball game uppa the stairs' with him! much to 15 yr old grandsons amusement. they played for ages!

meritaten

Oldest GS told me that cats don't usually like him either! (probably something to do with the fact that both of them have Aspergers?).
GS has decided to sleepover another night - I don't think its to do with me or OH........in fact he checked the fridge and food cupboard and sighed heavily before deciding 'Yes he will stay'!

Barney is enjoying the attention he is getting from oldest GS - another one who doesn't pick him up or squish him! but talks to him, strokes him and will play with him!
I have found out that Barney likes his food warmed up a bit! I took his Applaws out of the fridge and 'dinged' it for a few seconds in microwave - he nearly batted it out of my hand in his eagerness to get at it!
so I tried it with a 'gourmet gold' he had previously turned his nose up at - (the beef one). Not quite as enthusiastic but he ate it!

managed another groom of his tummy today. that catnip mouse (which GS informs me is a hedgehog) is almost like 'Pre-op medication' after a good session with that he doesn't notice you removing matts or brushing tummy!
one more small matt behind his foreleg and he is matt free!

I've had him three weeks today! and every day he has been a joy! apart from a few incidents (mainly when I have gone out and left him), he has been as good as gold!

meritaten

I feel as if I am writing a 'Barney Blog'!
today GS went home and Barney seems a bit lost now! he really loves kids - but he didn't approve of GSs habit of tossing the sofa cushions on the floor! he made us laugh when GS tossed the cushions on the floor this morning then we both sat on the floor to play cards. Barney stalked over to the cushions - looked at the cushions, looked at GS, looked at the cushions ........stared hard at GS...........rofl! he likes a nice tidy room I think! GS put cushions back!

When DD picked up GS she filmed Barnes on her phone doing his 'disappearing treat stick trick' for her friend! apparently Barneys fame is spreading!

I let Barney onto the decking this afternoon but the little bu99er squeezed through the bars of the garden gate and headed off up the lane! luckily I had a treat stick in my pocket and he came back to me when I called him and waved the stick at him!
Note: he remains an indoor cat! he was headed straight up to a house where I know the dogs can get out and they are not exactly friendly. he goes out on harness or not at all!

meritaten

I had youngest GS again today after a fortnight off! so had to get up at 6.30am (I hate that - not getting up early, but HAVING to get up early!lol). Barnes heard him coming in, so ten minutes later he appeared - yawning a bit and rather sleepy, but greeted GS in his usual polite manner. (He sits just out of arms reached and meiows 'hello', on receiving a 'hello Barney' he will move closer for a stroke.)

GS was rather sleepily watching Cbeebies when we heard Barney wailing from the hall - he was sitting at the bottom of the stairs with a ping pong ball! OKKKKaaaayy! ten frantic minutes of 'throw the ping pong ball uppa stairs' and both Barney and GS are wide awake!
They both zonk out watching Cbeebies for a while then. Barney decides to have breakfast then.
now this seems to have thrown his tummy clock out of whack! he doesn't normally get up before 9.00am and having breakfast before 7.30................oh dear! he wanted lunch at 11.00 and seems to have decided to forgo supper - he has gone to bed!
took him in garden on the harness this afternoon where he spent a lovely twenty minutes or so debating the merits of lying under the willow to lying under the hazel! after an unsuccessful attempt to escape out of the gate he called it an afternoon and came indoors. for an early tea! (remains of lunch - he always tries to leave some for 'Ron').