Cat World Blog

MoooooOOOOon!

Fred is off being a typical tom. My wee boy who usually runs to see me when I come home from work, sleeps in my bedroom at night and weaves his way around our legs in the morning is acting like he doesn't need a human in his life at all. He is not being mean - just distant. He doesn't want strokes or love and has shunned his grooming brush - usually a nightly bonding ritual. Why is he doing all this? Because today it is October 1st and on October 4th it is a full moon! It's true I tell you, so stop laughing! I swear he gets this way every time there is a full moon.  We checked the dates last night and there is was plain as day. We've got three days to go, after that I get my boy back...until next month.

Always put your slippers on...

You might remember that Fred got stung several times by a wasp last week and went a bit, well....crazy. I am glad to say that he calmed down over the following 24 hours and even spent a night in on my bed (aren't I privileged?). However for most of this week he has been sleeping all day, rather than take his adventures in the garden and his appetite has shrunk to nothing. Just a few mouthfuls of poached, bland turkey and rice is all he has been able to manage. He seemed okay in himself otherwise, so time is often the great healer. One word of warning though, if you do ever hear your cat being sick downstairs in the night, as I did on Wednesday, don't be tempted to go downstairs without putting the light on with nothing on your feet. You get the idea. An emptying of his tum seemed to do the trick. Fred was out hunting again last night and brought me in three 'gifts' at varying intervals. I'd like to think it was his way of thanking me for looking after him, but I know better than that!

My boy got stung!

We have got an article about keeping cats and bees in the October issue and ironically, poor old Fred got stung today. Actually it was a wasp, but it made me think of the article and rush to re-read the first aid advice that the article contains. Apparently you are supposed to dab the injury with dilute vinegar. Sadly Fred was so distressed and running around like a mad thing that it has been impossible to catch him. He was manically licking his shoulder, side and paw, then running off and stopping to lick himself again. He didn't stop for a good 20 minutes and ended up over-stressed and panting with his mouth open. Fortunately, he didn't seem to have been stung in the mouth or face area. It's horrible to watch your pet go through such things. Watch out for wasps everyone. It looks like we're going to have rather a lot of them about this autumn. Right, happy (and safe) Bank Holidays to you all. I'm off to find the vinegar...

Cats and the rain

Why is it that if cats hate to get wet so much that they will go out in the rain until they are soaking and then come in and jump on your bed in the middle of the night for a soggy cuddle? Perhaps it is just my Fred playing some cruel trick on me for not buying the right cat food. We are having a spell of wet weather here in dear old Sussex-by-the-Sea at the moment (what's new!) and at times of torrential downpour he is most 'miffed'. Fred's trick is to go to just about every window in the flat to check if it is raining just as bad outside it - as if it won't be raining at the kitchen window but it will at the bedroom window. He seems really put out to find that it is raining at every window! Being the big old softie that I am, I usually leave the bathroom window slightly open for him and place his personal, large, fluffy towel on the sill, so he can sit up there in comfort and watch the world (and various dogs) go by without so much as a splash. Does anyone else's cat get similar special treatment?