Cats

[Joe]

Hah, then you have "NO IDEA !!" what you are missing. There are upsides and then there are the three a.m. drape climbing episodes. Or in my experience once, being gifted a live grass snake in my bedroom one night by a lilttle huntress who was very proud of herself. Yeah. Downside, definitely.

I’m more of a dog person. I just don’t have the time right now. Maybe a cat is in my future LOL

 

[Alli]

I don’t have a cat

I’m more of a dog person. I just don’t have the time right now. Maybe a cat is in my future LOL

Now is the time then. Cats are super low maintenance. You are there at their convenience.

 

[Runs For Fun]

Now is the time then. Cats are super low maintenance. You are there at their convenience.

Yep cats are pretty low maintenance. They mostly take care of themselves and definitely don't mind being left alone while you're at work or whatever.

 

[Yoused]

If they get to the point of being territorial, though, uh, ick. You can only fix that with fire.

 

[Alli]

Yep cats are pretty low maintenance. They mostly take care of themselves and definitely don't mind being left alone while you're at work or whatever.

While you're at work, or on a week-long holiday. Leave them plenty of food, water, and an extra litter box, and you'll hear no complaints upon your return.

 

[Runs For Fun]

While you're at work, or on a week-long holiday. Leave them plenty of food, water, and an extra litter box, and you'll hear no complaints upon your return.

You'll probably get a lot of meows and cuddles though!

 

[Alli]

You'll probably get a lot of meows and cuddles though!

Only after they acknowledge that you have returned.

 

[Renzatic]

Only after they acknowledge that you have returned.

If you haven't fed them in a couple of hours, they'll let you know.

...by god, they will go out of their way to let you know.

 

[Pumbaa]

It‘s snowing outside. Five plus inches of fresh white fluffy cold snow. Pretty as a picture, like a postcard.

Cat sits by the window, looking out.
Cat begs to go outside.
Door opens. Cat goes outside.
Cat does not even touch the snow.
Cat begs to be let in again.
Cat is let in again.
Rinse, repeat.

Think I’ll adapt it into a book for my nephew. ”Based on a real story” and all.

 

[Clix Pix]

I miss my two Siamese boys, Harry and Tali...... Both of them have now long since crossed "the Rainbow Bridge," but, yeah, they were definitely unique personalities living in this household! From time to time I've briefly entertained the notion of doing the cat thing again, but I always shy away from the idea in the end. Great fun and fond memories of my boys, and I still think of them often, but times have changed and at this stage of my life I really don't want to also have to deal with the responsibilities which come along with having pets in a household.

 

[Yoused]

Cat sits by the window ...

singing to the birds.

 

[Clix Pix]

singing to the birds.

Both Harry and Tali used to make this interesting chit-chit-chittering sound when they spotted a bird or two out the window....

 

[Pumbaa]

singing to the birds.

Why yes, he‘s a big fan of bird watching. How did you know?

There is another story involving birds, singing and a tree. Saving that one for the sequel if Nephew likes the first book about the cat and the snow. Not to mention the adventure when a cat, that shall remain nameless, brought home a mouse as a gift for mummy. A mouse that when released from the cutest jaws on earth decided to run and hide below the wardrobe floor...

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Why yes, he‘s a big fan of bird watching. How did you know?

There is another story involving birds, singing and a tree. Saving that one for the sequel if Nephew likes the first book about the cat and the snow. Not to mention the adventure when a cat, that shall remain nameless, brought home a mouse as a gift for mummy. A mouse that when released from the cutest jaws on earth decided to run and hide below the wardrobe floor...

If memory serves @lizkat has an even better story....

 

[Pumbaa]

If memory serves @lizkat has an even better story....

Awesome! Good thing it isn’t a competition. The more (and better), the merrier! Will try to remember to check out all posts.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Oh yes she was very excited and proud of herself.... made that little chirping noise cats make when they have some prey in their mouth... that's when i turned on the light to see what exactly made that sound seem so muffled. Wow. OK then. Grass snake well over 15" long, and not very happy.

Uh... so I tried to praise the kitty because it was after all quite an accomplishment, but meanwhile I had her by the back of her neck and the snake by a place an inch or so behind its head and I was saying "ok let me have it... let me have that now...." and meanwhile thinking all kinds of things in my half-asleep stupor, like was I really sure it was just a grass snake and where were my glasses?

Anyway she let go (meaning to get a better grip I think, or maybe even to nip me in her annoyance), but I was waiting for that and grabbed the snake out of harm's way. So we all went downstairs together, a squirming cat propped against my hip and the snake in my other hand thrashing its tail like mad and fascinating the goddamned cat trying to free up a paw and grab at it. Snake was put back outside and was apparently not really the worse for wear, wasted no time getting the hell away from the back door. The kitty was left grounded inside with the cat door shut for the night, and I headed back upstairs leaving the stairwell door shut in case that wasn't the FIRST thing she'd thought to bring in that evening.

She was quite the huntress, and was my last indoor-outdoor cat... but I think that was the only time she ever grabbed up a snake. Not for lack of trying. There was a ground water well next door we used for watering our gardens sometimes, and the pump was set into a big ledger rock with some pebbles underneath, accessible by grass snakes, so they loved that place in the early spring and fall: the rocks held the warmth of the sun all night. I used to see the babies once in awhile. Always laughed then to remember that crazy night when a grown one briefly ended up in the house.

Awesome! Good thing it isn’t a competition. The more (and better), the merrier! Will try to remember to check out all posts.

@lizkat's story is far too good to miss.

Here it is, still superb, if a little distant in both time (from several months ago), and space (it was posted a good few pages back).

 

[Yoused]

My cat caught a small bird and showed it to me. I told her "That's awesome." She took it over by the laundry room and ate it. I was sitting is the living room, reading the paper and listening to the very most disgusting sound of a cat enjoying her prey-gnosh. I mean, eww, and protracted ick. When she was done, I went over there to clean up after her. There was a bone and three feathers. It was a pretty small bird, perhaps a chick, but damn that thing must have been tasty through and through.

 

[lizkat]

Both Harry and Tali used to make this interesting chit-chit-chittering sound when they spotted a bird or two out the window....

Larsen to the rescue here. Love this cartoon.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

In his last book, That They May Face The Rising Sun, the Irish writer John McGahern had a somewhat similar story to @lizkat's, told from the perspective of the husband of the wife who was the person who commanded the cat's affections, love and loyalty, and who watched, silent, rapt with fascination but utterly spellbound, while relaxed in bed one morning, as the cat - having entered via the bedroom window - dragged a kill (a young rabbit, or hare, if memory serves) up the duvet under which his wife soundly slept, to deposit it proudly, while waiting for her to awaken and praise it.

The description was so exquisitely detailed, and so meticulously recorded, that I have absolutely no doubt that this story was something that had actually happened to - or, was experienced by - the writer in life.

 

[Runs For Fun]

A cuddle puddle