Adventures of a Fat Cat, Old Nag and their Trusty Servant

walkers60 · 11 December 2013 at 9:43AM

Hi Piq So pleased to hear you are settling in well. When I moved here I couldn't find my cat for a couple of days. I knew she couldn't have got out as I had her in a sun-room at the back of the house and there was no cat flap at that time. The only things in the room were a few packing boxes and a couple of pieces of furniture - one being a small unit with four drawers with no gap at the bottom that I could see. On the third day I found her. She had squeezed under this unit at the back, under the drawers and it seems impossible to know how she did it - especially as she was a bit chunky!

However, she settled down very well indeed after this and really enjoyed her new surroundings.

Walkers

allybee101 · 11 December 2013 at 2:25PM

One of our cats got stuck in a coal bunker once. As she'd climbed in the coal had fallen down and blocked her escape. They find some odd hiding places sometimes!
I hope Colin settles down soon and gets used to his new home. It sounds like he's getting there if he's not permanently hiding. Perhaps you could try the cat lead idea? Didn't you use one when you took Colin to visit the Captain a while ago? Might allow him chance to explore his surroundings without you worrying about him scarpering.

cazmanian_minx · 11 December 2013 at 8:16PM

Piq, I have a cat harness and lead from when we moved house (seemed unfair to put her in a travelling box for 17 hours so we had her on a lead in the car). PM me your address and I'll send it to you if you want to give it a try.

missrlr · 11 December 2013 at 10:26PM

Hi Piq
So pleased you are using your skills for a different aim! Do hope the field works out, and re stables etc do put a field alarm on it otherwise is it not covered by insurance and there are some unscrupulous so and so's about who will relieve you of any items, rugs, hay and feed being the least of it!

Piquant_2 · 12 December 2013 at 9:33PM

Apoorwoman wrote: »

Piq re Colin, as I posted some time back, my old cat sat behind the woodburner for several days (no, it wasn't lit) and didn't even use his litter tray for three days, so must have been getting desperate. It would appear from talking to his previous owner (he ran away to our house when they bought a puppy) that he had never used a litter tray so poor thing must have been totally bewildered. What I did do in the end was purchase a small harness and lead and took him outside to have a look around. Just half an hour at a time, but gradually he gained confidence - nothing attacked him - until I could eventually let him out under supervision. His first day out alone he proudly presented me with the corpse of a tree creeper (rare) followed my a lizard, which did actually survive. I think it is a confidence thing, something to do with territory. Suggest you give it a try plus lots of cuddles.

To date Colin has not been much of a hunter - phew, couple of snails and a few leaves. He is happily using the litter tray which is in the bathroom. Unfortunately, he likes to save his number two's until I am lying in a nice scented bath.....He can out-scent anything! :eek: There is nowhere else to put the litter tray either

walkers60 wrote: »

Hi Piq So pleased to hear you are settling in well. When I moved here I couldn't find my cat for a couple of days. I knew she couldn't have got out as I had her in a sun-room at the back of the house and there was no cat flap at that time. The only things in the room were a few packing boxes and a couple of pieces of furniture - one being a small unit with four drawers with no gap at the bottom that I could see. On the third day I found her. She had squeezed under this unit at the back, under the drawers and it seems impossible to know how she did it - especially as she was a bit chunky!

However, she settled down very well indeed after this and really enjoyed her new surroundings.

Walkers

At least I know exactly where he is, after-all I made the secret cat cave

allybee101 wrote: »

One of our cats got stuck in a coal bunker once. As she'd climbed in the coal had fallen down and blocked her escape. They find some odd hiding places sometimes!
I hope Colin settles down soon and gets used to his new home. It sounds like he's getting there if he's not permanently hiding. Perhaps you could try the cat lead idea? Didn't you use one when you took Colin to visit the Captain a while ago? Might allow him chance to explore his surroundings without you worrying about him scarpering.

I did indeed have a cat harness, do think I can find it? No. He was always at his most energetic on the harness, doing his best to pull both of us into any or every random bush.

Piquant_2 · 12 December 2013 at 9:34PM

cazmanian_minx wrote: »

Piq, I have a cat harness and lead from when we moved house (seemed unfair to put her in a travelling box for 17 hours so we had her on a lead in the car). PM me your address and I'll send it to you if you want to give it a try.

I've lost mine, that's a really kind offer, thank you. I shall pm you in a moment.

Piquant_2 · 12 December 2013 at 9:44PM

I have already broken my new monetary set-up. The thought of the toxicity at the coffee shop is spoiling the rest of my week. All I can think about is that I have to go back on Monday. So I have handed my notice in. Next Monday will be my last shift there. I can make up the money in overtime if I need it. I really don't like the people I have to work with. I can work Sunday evenings in the Winter and get back to the gardening in the Summer and still have a whole uninterrupted day to myself on Mondays.

Looks like the field is on. I will have enough field to divide into three so that I can have two thirds resting whilst the horses graze on the remaining third. I will have to get fencing in place as well as a shelter and stables. There is already a somewhat ramshackle shelter/stable there. It will need some work done on it in the Spring. Not a problem and it means I will be spending a lot less than I had thought :T Best of all the Captain will be about three minutes walk away :T

Chucked some loose change in the whiskey jar, it will take a long time to fill, but I'm hoping it will pay for Christmas next year. I have yet to do today's banking and account tidy up, will do that in a minute or so.

The hall runner has arrived. Looks great, but I ordered two. Will have to phone tomorrow to see where the second one has got to. I'm thinking that I may actually need a third, especially if I'm going to be back covered in horse mud and worse.

maddiemay · 12 December 2013 at 10:39PM

Keeping my fingers crossed about the field, sounds great.

Sounds like a good decision on the coffee shop job, it will be better for you to be happier and it take a little longer to get home and field sorted than for you to be so unhappy there.

I don't envy you the "special" bathroom scents though.