Grandcat having extended 'sleepover'!

meritaten

I wus WRONG! Barnes did go in with the grandgirls for a while - but, he came in and slept on my feet from about 3.00am! They were cold so I had put a pillow over them...........and to Barnes that is a gilt-edged invitation! it was 'his' pillow, feather and covered with a satin and gold embroidery fancy pillowcase. he is very fond of it, and likes to nap on it if he isn't on windowsill.
I did enjoy it as my feet were toasty warm from then on! I cant bear wearing socks or bedsocks in bed, I always seem to lose one! never to be seen again.

Barnes has had a nice day - grandkids here for the morning too. then peace and tranquillity when I went up mums for the afternoon. supper when I come in and he will probably join me as its early to bed for me - I can hardly stay awake. I am wondering when I will get back to my normal 'nightowl' personality? this is NOT like me -normally I am still surfing youtube or googling something at midnight!

his_missus

Hi Meri. Glad you had a lovely Christmas.


It's been a busy one but not a stressful one. The cats are completely out of routine but the Ovarid seems to be having a positive effect on Scrappy, especially as we've had a lot of visitors over Christmas.


We didn't get any snow either, just a bit of sleety rain. The cats haven't ventured out much, I think it's too cold for them.

meritaten

Glad the Ovarid - or visitors or change in routine is working for Scrappy his missus!

It was absolutely freezing outside all morning! Barnes refused to go out, despite sitting by French doors staring longingly out! Not until the ice on the decking melted! then he was out there making eyes at 'Younextdoor'.
Still having tummy probs so phoned down docs for an appointment - the receptionist sounded a bit worried and said 'I cant get you in until tomorrow - Ive only got emergency appointments this week'! is she nuts? she didn't even ask if it was emergency! it isn't, so I told her to give me the next 'ordinary appointment'. Tues next week - which is fine by me! prob be better by then - but my main reason for going is that me and sis are worried by mum. She is 83 and we have noticed that she is getting very confused and forgetful lately. since the summer its noticeable. and sis phoned me Xmas eve to tell me that mum had phoned her in tears because she had cooked a chicken and realised it was Wednesday not Sunday! she had completely forgotten it was Christmas day on Thursday (the second time she had done that in a week). she is also getting very short tempered with the grandkids and keeps accusing them of breaking or hiding her things. difficult when they don't go in her bedroom or living room. (long story).
sorry for the ramble - but I need to get it off my chest and don't want to post elsewhere as this forum is getting very abusive.

getting back to barnes - he was restless last night - kept jumping on and off the bed, up on windowsill, then going downstairs and back up again.....................made me restless too!
he is 'trying out' all the little toys he had for Christmas, lol. his faves are still the little mice, but he is playing with the other things too. and leaving them on the floor for me to tidy away!
I am giving him way to many dreamies I think! but, its so amusing playing catchthedreamies with him! I really must go and get a memory card for the tablet and get Atrix to show me how to 'video' him and upload it. But its so dam cold and the thought of standing at the bus stop ........................brrrrrrrr - makes my back seize up just thinking about it!

nonnie44

So sorry to hear about your mum, hopefully getting some advice from the doctor will help, it's sad when people change as they get older, I'm not concerned about my mum but you can see that she is ageing, just generally not as good a memory etc. I think too that because she has lived on her own for the last 15 years since my dad passed away it has aged her quicker if that makes sense?

I would just love to see a video of Barnes with his catch the dreamies trick, he is very clever
I've been looking after a friends 13 year old cat over christmas and what a cutie she is! I took my ds with me everyday and he had a great time playing with her, she is very agile for her age....much more so than my fat sam aged 3 1/2 :rotfl:
Only downside was I was up early every morning to feed her so it's been quite tiring hence no posts from me as its a quick read at night and then bed, however my friend returned home last night and I had a lie in today...8.20 go me!!

Meant to ask you, did you buy Barnes the jml cats meow? My two are scared stiff and hubby threw the box out so if u want it your welcome to it and I'll pop it in the post xx

SingleSue

Hope you don't mind me joining in, have read the whole read over the last few days.

I have one cat currently, called Jasper (or Jazz for short...he also answers to stupid cat, Jazzy baby, Jazalazza). He's a tabby cat, mum was part siamese dad was unknown.

He was born with double severe hip dsyplasia and underwent surgery on one side before he was a year old (thank goodness I took out decent insurance) but unfortunately, he has not been able to have the other side done as the operated side isn't strong enough to cope with it (he just has a muscular joint on the operated side, it was too severe for any metal work etc). Because of this, he is not allowed outside on his own, so I take him for walks on a lead....just like a dog, if you shake his lead, he comes running!

Jazz gives me kisses if I ask, will rest his head on my shoulder, will put his paw on my arm if he wants fuss and is very intuitive if I am in pain or upset.

When I got Jazz as a kitten, I had a rescue cat at the time (Ti-ah, shortened to Tizzy), who became his mum. She would wash him, cuddle him and generally do anything for him. Unfortunately, when she passed away, Jazz was completely lost and didn't know how to wash....until human mum demonstrated what he had to do!

meritaten

Hi nonnie - that's very kind of you! no, I didn't get it for Barnes - I couldn't find one! PAH didn't have them and neither did Wilkinsons. plus I was a bit dubious as to whether he would like it!
If you wouldn't mind popping it in the post I would like to try it - I also know several cat owners so ONE cat at least will be happy. Let me know the postage and I will reimburse you. you still have my addy or should I send it again?

Hi SingleSue! glad you could join us! Your cat Jazz sounds a darling, did it take long to 'train him to the lead'? but sorry to hear about the health problems. He is a beautiful Tabby - such striking markings! lot of Siamese in the head shape methinks!
you mention in your sig 'hypermobility'? is that where you can behave as if 'double jointed' but have problems with the joints themselves? dislocation or excessive bruising I mean?
it wasn't so cold this morning so Barnes only waited till about 10.30am before his morning constitutional in the garden. Younextdoor couldn't have been in the window because after one glance up - he concentrated on his 'perimeter checks' and was more interested in the plants - I think he was looking for leaves to chew! But of course there is very little greenery at the moment.
OH is back in work this week and 'On Call' - so, I have time to myself and I am enjoying it - and so is Barnes! OH has difficulty relaxing at home during the day and keeps whisking me off - usually when I have just settled down and Barnes has got comfy behind me on settee back..........then OH wants to go down B&Q or Wickes or other similar exciting places, lol. Drives me nuts! I have to keep thinking of 'little jobs' to keep him occupied - its no wonder he thinks I don't do any housework! and of course it puts the kybosh on 'impromptu Barney playtime'!

SingleSue

Hi Meri, Jazz has always been fine on the lead, took it it so easily fortunately although we do have the 'I refuse to move' on occasions. The weather also has to be absolutely perfect before he will agree to go out, more than a slight breath of wind, or not perfectly sunny and warm and he is fighting to get back inside and glaring at me for trying to give him some outside time.

It's lovely in the summer though, I will take a book outside with me and just sit on the front lawn while he explores the garden whilst on the lead, which of course leads to lots of questions from passers by. I'm sure they think I am a complete mad woman and only making up the excuse that the vet has banned him from going out on his own.

Jazz can also tell particular cars, he growls (like a dog) when he hears my brother's car coming down the road and as soon as he hears mine, he is in the front window calling to me. He also likes his routine, he knows when it is bedtime and will get ready at the bottom of the stairs for me to make my cup of tea to take up...I sometimes like to confuse him by then settling back in the front room, nasty mummy!:rotfl:

Re hypermobility, we all have a connective tissue disorder called EDS (Ehlers Danlos) where everything is very flexible and loose. Eldest suffers from multiple dislocations daily in all large and small joints but because he has a crossover between EDS hypermobility type and classic type, he also has some cardiac involvement (he also has POTS and GERD). Middle son has the dislocations, not quite as bad as eldest but he also has bleeding issues, so yet another crossover with another type. Youngest just has very flexible joints but not a huge problem with dislocations.

Eldest is the closest to me in symptoms although he is far worse than I was at that age, I am now a full time crutch and wheelchair user, James (eldest) has already been told he will be in a wheelchair by his mid 20's (he is 21), he is fighting it.

Middle and youngest also have an ASD, middle son Aspergers and youngest complex autism plus a whole load of other stuff wrong with them....we're a healthy bunch eh? :rotfl:

meritaten

Thanks for explaining EDS to me. the reason I asked is because DD has been having physio for some time and recently the head physio demonstrated that her knee probs may be due to 'hypermobility'. Never heard of that before! DD couldn't remember the exact phraseology. she gets a lot of bruising around her patellas and feels them get dislocated and she says she now has a new 'party trick'. apparently she can lie flat and her foot can be raised over 12 inches off the ground straight up in front! apparently, my trick of being able to wind my legs around and put my foot on the top of the opposite foot is another symptom? I call it 'doing Pretzel legs'.
DD is BI-Polar and has two Aspergers children - my son also has Aspergers - and his DD (ADHD) can also do the leg trick! what a WEIRD coincidence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so sorry your condition is so bad - DD is still waiting for a consultants appointment and its just the physios 'diagnosis' yet. but it could account for the awful symphysis pubosis (I haven't spelt that right I know) she suffered during her last pregnancy - which has left her with a lot of pain and limited mobility.

I don't really know what to say - everything I think of sounds trite and patronising. just - thanks for explaining the condition to me. I wish it hadn't happened to you and yours. it must be really tough on you all.

SingleSue

I do pretzel legs! Or used to anyway, I can still do it but then everything comes out of joint and I get stuck. My old party trick was putting both legs around my neck and layering my fingers on top of each other in a line.

Don't worry about sounding trite, we are not a woe is me family, we just get on with it and find ways around stuff....I still refuse to class myself as disabled (I am mobility impaired or if I am drunk, I call myself intimate relations position impaired because certain joints lock :rotfl:) .

meritaten

thanks Sue! very enlightening - I must get DD to read it.

Barnes has had a mostly 'indoor' day - considering its been quite mild with barely a breath of wind, and not too miserable, I wonder why he has preferred the settee back? had a sort of half-hearted play with some toys but soon left them to nap again. he is putting on weight I think - I have had to swap his meals around as I noticed that he was scoffing ALL his minipouch in the evening (and taken to asking for more) and not eating all his full size pouch at lunchtime. he seems to think I have it right now and it all gets eaten! as well as a goodly amount of dry food. he looks quite good at the mo - but, I shall be keeping a careful eye on his weight. not least because he is on the borderline for his worming tablets, and an increase of more than a few pounds means I may not be giving him the right dose. his fur is growing back lovely now - its getting longer around his ruff and its really thickening up. its still very silky though which means he is easy to groom - just minutes each day and he looks a bobby-dazzler!