Mortgage free in Forever Home :-)

PennysIntoPounds

Oh dear! That's really nice you have a neighbour you can ask though.

Hope the hand heals quickly and you have a very lovely holiday 

South_coast

On the plus side, you have very nice hands (setting aside the scratches). Mine always end up looking like trotters whenever I try to photograph them 🤣!

Watty1

redofromstart said:

Watty, I have upside down metal hanging baskets pegged in with cheap tent pegs over my cat mint tubs. The cat mint grows through the gaps. Should work for you too?

Yes that would be fine but the real issue the red ball is very very solid and is chased around at speed and rolls into the tubs and has them over (Think cannon ball )  If the ball does not WattyDog does when in pursuit of said ball.  I have often taken it to the apple trees at the bottom of the back drive but he carefully dribbles it up the hill of the drive then down the hill of the garden back to the patio.    If it were not for the joy of watching and his evident love of the ball it would have been confiscated long ago. 

Watty1

PennysIntoPounds said:

@Watty1 I've previously taken an abandoned car tyre off the street, filled it with compost on stones and planted in it, worked lovely and might be more dog and ball-proof if you feel you can incorporate a bit of 'rustic urban' style in your space 

Now there is a great plan.  The cannon ball would bounce off that.  Very nice   That is going on the to do list.

Watty1

Ouch on the cat scratch.  I taught little Miss Feral to go into her carrier by herself using a clicker - her basket opens front wise so she can walk it and over a week I taught her that the click meant a treat then progressed to a click meant a treat was in the basket then gradually shut the door and carried her across the room.     I didn't keep it up but was astounded last year that when I got the basket out to go to the vet that a few clicks and a few treats and she just wandered in and sat down.

Too late for Chloe this holiday but might be worth a try?

KajiKita

Watty1 said:

Ouch on the cat scratch.  I taught little Miss Feral to go into her carrier by herself using a clicker - her basket opens front wise so she can walk it and over a week I taught her that the click meant a treat then progressed to a click meant a treat was in the basket then gradually shut the door and carried her across the room.     I didn't keep it up but was astounded last year that when I got the basket out to go to the vet that a few clicks and a few treats and she just wandered in and sat down.

Too late for Chloe this holiday but might be worth a try?

We have to try something! The idea of her being relaxed about wandering in herself would be lovely …
Where can I buy such clickers? I’m assuming dried liver treats would be the optimal bribery …? 😉

KK

greenbee

Clicker training is a great idea, as sometimes you need them to get in without having had breakfast if they're off to the vet. I attempted training with mine, but with two (impossible to separate for more than two minutes) it didn't really work. They do, however, have a pretty good understanding of English and know where they are and are not allowed, and are (mostly) pretty good. One will scratch the scratching post to ask for breakfast. The other will scratch furniture if I've ignored polite requests for too long. She gets told off, but I'm also aware that it's usually because she's frustrated by my stupidity/laziness. 

SandyShores

Scratch looks bad, I've had similar as mine is very difficult to load. 

I found a youtube video where you put a towel over them, including their head, and then before they realise where they are you scoop them into the carrier.  You have to get the carrier ready and kind of calmly but quickly do the cover up and then swiftly in, towel and all.  I'll try and find the video I watched so you can see what I mean.  They tend to use very calm cats and mine is not like that.  But I've managed it twice now so fingers crossed it continues.  Mine wouldn't do a cattery but the in laws always take their cat the day before and I guess its saves doing it on the day you leave.

Hope you have a great hols, I'm sure the cats will be fine.

Similar to this but that is obviously such a well behaved cat.  I try and get my cat when he's asleep, cover him over and straight in before he gets time to realise what's happening.

Brie

Ours learned to respond to a bell to come in for food.  This allowed us at times to grab them and stuff them in their carrier.  Usually worked best for cat1 rather than C2 or C3!

KajiKita

Morning all 🌞

The raging soreness of the scratches has calmed down (I slathered on some g3rmolene before bed) and though tender if it catch then, are fairly unnoticeable now 😊

I slept really well even though the bedroom is a bit smelly - mixture of damp, cleaning chemicals and air fresheners. Need to prod Mr KK into action as we are supposed to be walking up to the village shop shortly …. 😉

KK