The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

Serendipitious

Yes, the key ingredient to all prepping has to be Flexibility, as I have found from dozens of house moves over a lifetime. Everywhere has had its own priorities, challenges and opportunities. And a healthy dollop of optimism and common sense helps, too!

And we need to be kind, especially nowadays. x

Nargleblast

I'm all for being kind and courteous, especially when you are not physically with the person or persons  you are conversing with. There are indeed those who are rude and sarcastic online, and there are also those who finely dissect others' posts in a desperate attempt to find something to get offended about. Both extremes represent people who are dysfunctional in some way. I think most of us try to be our natural, goodnatured selves and respect others regardless of what they post. The written word can easily be misunderstood without the facial expressions and body language to back them up. I love the debates we have on here, and the ideas we share, long may this thread continue!

Nargleblast

Prepping on a very small scale.....a few months ago my son asked me to get a box of disposable gloves. He cooks when I'm at work, he likes the creating and seasoning of his dishes but doesn't like getting food all over his hands. 

This morning I awoke to the happy sound of my junior cat jumping around and playing. Then I looked over the side of the bed.....he'd brought in a dead blackbird and there were feathers everywhere. Why, Roger? You know I love blackbirds! (Yes, that's why I brought you one.)

My son's disposable gloves and a supermarket carrier bag from the cupboard came in very handy when it came to cleaning up the carnage.

-taff

I laughed at that. I've spent quite a few hours on my hands and knees trying to get rats or mice out from underneath cupboards ro the sofa. Nothing has been brought tot he bedroom yet thankfully.

Nargleblast

I appreciated the kind thought, and the fact he'd dragged it all the way upstairs before ripping the feathers off, but I really do prefer my blackbirds alive and singing. The gloves and my Shark vacuum cleaner soon made short work of the mess., and my bedroom needed a quick vacuum round anyway, so I suppose he was doing me a favour. It's just a grim reminder that he's not always that cute little cuddly wuddly puddy tat I adopted from CPL as a tiny kitten 15 months ago.

MingVase

One of my best prepping purchases ever has the been a house cat She doesn't go out, has never been out in her life, isn't interested in going out,  and is clean and totally useless as a cat. But good to cuddle and makes a cute ornament!

maryb

Frugal too because I don't suppose you need to apply flea treatment every month.  I am horrified at how much vets bills are these days.  Not that I need to concern myself - DH is adamantly anti animal and won't let me have a cat.  (Tempted to import a few mice)

ivyleaf

A couple of years ago when we were invaded by mice, DS commented "It's cat o'clock."  It had been about three years since we'd lost our previous one.
Next thing, one of DS's friends had a kitten that needed a home....and that's how we got Smidge 

Floss

I've always had a cat, except when a landlord said no pets (we had invisible hamsters & goldfish) and when I moved into the X's house (my big cat Stan had been PTSa couple of weeks earlier). Then I was recruited by Whisky just before my 50th, and she's been the boss of me ever since.

pollyanna_26

My youngest daughter who's in the ECV group has been shielding at her boyfriends for the past year since our GP phoned ordering her to stay indoors.We discussed the situation and decided he wouldn't cope at home unable to travel to see her boyfriend and the brother and sister cats they'd rescued a few years ago . She'd seen an utterly shameless post from a guy a long way away from here asking if anyone  wanted two cats. He was heading to foreign parts for a couple of months to find himself a wife and was going to pretty well abandon the very young brother and sister cats if no one wanted them. She and BF discussed it and decided they'd take them provided the guy would bring them to BFs house.

They were very neglected. never been vaccinated etc and utterly terrified. The owner often went abroad for a couple of weeks leaving them without food .The big orange and white boy had obvously been the forager searching for food to feed himself and tiny black and white sister. We haven't had a cat here since best beloved rescue cat , a free spirit who visited the neighbours each day and would sit in the sun with his best friend a large collie dog owned by one of my friends was killed by a hit and run driver. DDs boyfriend has large gardens so no need for a cat to wander near the road.

There were very expensive vets bills for vaccines , chips, dental treatment and making sure Stimps couldn't leave some poor female cat with kittens or Miss Magrat Garlick didn't end up expecting kittens herself. It took a very long time for them to trust that food would be available although they each had a food and water bowl in the kitchen and were fed at the same times each day. So Stimps would go hunting and bring back food . A cat flap had been fitted and he'd drag allsorts in through it. No one ever figured out were he got a lsrge chunk of roast chicken but he brought many a poor bird through often able to be rescued but not always. BF got up one morning to foind a seagull flying round the kitchen and manged to get it out . Mags began to bring in little voles although she really got shouted at for that. It probably took about three years for them to trust there would be food, they weren't going to be left alone for weeks and they were loved and cared for.

I'm part of the bubble but space out visits to reduce any risks with the virus. Stimps aka The bear of very little brain has the memory of a gnat and has struggled over the past year. Sometimes when I drop off the meds etc and spend some time there he runs to meet Nanna other times he stares at me , and I can feel the cogs working as he tries to work out whoI am, Often he realises too late as I'm about to head home so I think pets are struggling too with changes to routine. I sometimes wonder if that awful guy found some poor woman and brought her back to the Uk . Gawd help her if he did!

Dd hasn't been very well at all. She's missing her fortnightly appts with our GP which usually manage any flares or other problems as they happen. She's struggling to sleep and will often take herself to the sofa with her book so she doesn't disturb her BF who thankfully has been WFH for the past year.

Recently I remembered two very soft and snuggly throws I'd ordered from Lakeland a few years ago. I'd ordered a purple one for dd and a red one for me but when they arrived both were a very pale cream , not a very practical colour. There was a note in the parcel apologising they had run out of the colours and were sending these. They had refunded my payment and i was welcome to keep the cream ones. TBH I put them in a cupboard and forgot about them . I was thinking about dds sleepless nights and remembered them so took one to her still in the packaging and wrapped in ribbon and it helped her snuggle down and drift off to sleep.

We were emailing back and forth yesterday and she posted a photo . Miss Magrat Garlick on top of the radiator behind the sofa lying on her mummys throw. She's utterly ruthless, anything soft and warm, bright and shiny and she takes possession. Dd is constantly finding little piles of jewellery, hair slides , ribbon and balls of wool allsorts of stuff. I still believe she hid my favourite sunglasses  last year . Thankffully although although the main part of the Boots store was closed off the Pharmacist told me to go and get the replacement pair when i was picking up the meds as there was only her and a security guard on the ground floor.

When dd gave Magrat her Pratchett name she never imagined she would be like her namesake who loved pretty, bright and shiny things.

Much empathy wuth those dragging out kitchen appliances. Best beloved cat befriended a little frog one summer and would often come indoors gently carrying said frog in his mouth. They would play together but at some point the flippin' frog would run under the washing machine , tumble dryer or at times the very heavy sofa. I'd be pulling and heaving muttering under my breath . I'd have just about shifted them when it would run under something else. Often a family member or friend would phone and it would be Sorry I'll have to phone you back I'm dealing with Freddie the Frog.

I did do some belated preping and invest in those rollers for moving appliances. The tumble dryer was under a worktop in a corner in a very awkward place and many times I banged my head on the underside of the worktop. Sometimes I'm surprised I'm still around to tell the tale. That year is enshrined in a lot of bizarre family history as " The Year of The Frog" long gone but never forgotten,

You are utterly ruthless Mar. You can't call a cat an ornament! I'd be very afraid she's probably silently plotting her revenge. Our Magrat is very good at that , she sneaks up when you don't expect it or helps herself to one of your possessions and hides it. Poor "What day is it?" Stimps is low maintainance. He loves cardboard boxes and the last year has been a delight to him as dd and bf have switched to shopping online much more in the present situation so lots of boxes many very big. The only problem is he wants to keep them all and is outraged if they try to flatten them for recycling, Hissy fits and shouting left , right and centre.

I had to order a temporary emegency electric convector heater in January, I don't drive anymore and the nearest Argos click and collect pick up point was the smallish Sainsbugs in the village 5 miles away where dd and bf are.It all sounded ok . Masked staff handing orders over outside the store. Dd then suggested ordering it to address so I could collect it from there to take home in a taxi.

It was in their hallway for a few days and Stimps seeing a huge box took possession sitting on top of it in the daytime and sleeping on it at night. When I went to collect it I had to fight him for it he was clinging on for dear life shouting at me and howling. At one point I considered leaving the box for him then realised if there was a problem I wouldn't be able to return it in the packaging. He was tempted away with treats and it was get out of dodge fast.

Dd emailed later, he's so sad and furious , sitting staring at where the box was and wont go to bed. He still hasn,t forgotten and has taken to glaring at Nanna. I offered to take it back but tbh with him building Stimps city box by box there's not going to be room to move in what is a very large property, They'll be well prepped for a sudden house move but it's getting ridiculous.

I think he's missing the elderly ladies in the care home next door. A few years ago he took to going in there and being fussed , petted and given treats. The owner was delighted as many residents missed having a pet and they looked forward to him dropping by. Doors have been firmly closed for very good reasons so lots of things he did can't happen at the moment and you can't explain changes to a cat.

pollyx