Action Cats!

Not only do we have 28 cats and 3 dogs, we have a troop of Vervet Monkeys that regularly visit our Circle. Yesterday we noticed that 4 of our cats were involved in a running and climbing trees game with the little ones while the elders were way off in the distance.

Now I don’t know if I should be delighted or terrified as they are known to eat meat (the monkeys and the cats) and are doing their best, (the monkeys) to get to the Weaver nests in our Fever Tree. Fortunately they can’t but I have never known such fussy women – the road is lined with discarded nests! Those poor men …..

We have quite a low carport and the cats go up on the house roof and regularly lie on the carport roof. I don’t know exactly know how or when it happened, but one of them decided it was too lazy to go back the same way and sat there, looking in the kitchen window and squawking like the ugly duckling so the daughter lifted up a plastic chair, never thinking in her wildest dreams, that the cat would get on it. The cat did and now most of them call for this service. How the rest of them found out about it, I don’t know.

They also chase each other around the lounge and the game is to jump from sofa to chair to table to counter top without touching the floor. They prefer if you’re sitting there and when a jump goes wrong, will land on chest or lap and leap forth, pushing back with all their might. Occasionally they get it right to bounce off the backrest of the couch. They also get so caught up in the game, one changes direction and both, going at full tilt, will clash into each other like Titans.

We have so many cat toys which are stored then reintroduced and they love their toys! They love laser pointers the most, but only the thin, fit ones (the cats, not the laser pointers) – the large sturdy ones watch the green light for a few seconds then look away with disdain written all over their faces …..

None of our cats have been taught or trained or rewarded for any of this behavior but we all get something out of it. When I write of the cats individually, I will let you in on some dark secrets, some startling facts and very weird quirks! Watch this space …

About Cats

Ours is a house where cats rule. They sleep anywhere they want to, they’re allowed to walk on tables and counters and unlike dogs, they only do what they want.

When you arrive home, there is no loud, joyful bark, no wildly wagging tail. A cat may open an eye, yawn or stretch, change position and go back to sleep. Cats don’t come when you call them. I really admire and envy properly trained cats that you see in YouTube clips and on talent shows, but then I think of how long it would take me to even try and train mine and I go back to sleep!

The first thing people say is, “It must cost a fortune!” Yes it does as they all eat Hills Science kibbles/dry food, whatever you call those little pellets. They are individually fed twice a day and 24/7, there is cat food on a small table in the kitchen. This is so that our Morkie called Rusty can’t steal it!

The individual meals allow the daughter to check out each cat, make sure they’re eating and just watch out for early signs that something is not quite right. They each have a bowl and they (the bowl, not the cat) are washed and rinsed after every meal. I don’t really know why I’m telling you this but you just may be a bit concerned.

There are five water bowls indoors and two large ones outside. But here’s the thing, at least six of them prefer running water. They will sit on the basin and interfere with teeth brushing and face shaving until you have switched on the tap and it has to be just the right flow or they refuse to drink until you do!

The next question is, “How do you remember all their names” or “how can you tell them apart?’ That’s just ridiculous. You wouldn’t confuse one of your children, would you? Mind you, anything is possible these days …..

Our furniture has been reupholstered umpteen times and has been clawed and scratched beyond recognition. All the cartoons of animals on the bed take inspiration from this house. Imagine two study humans, quite a large Chow (dog) and the Morkie (dog) and our Indigenous Whippet (street dog) as well as anywhere up to nine cats on the bed! The husband has a CPAP so rockets off to Mars in a second, however I am left to fight for even the smallest space. When I get back after visiting the loo, war almost breaks out – they all want my space.

We haven’t had a holiday for years. We can’t afford to buy a new car, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m not complaining.

A cats purr is Gods heartbeat. Best sound in the universe.

Cats Everywhere

I’m sure there isn’t a soul in the whole, entire universe that thinks – “I need more cats!”  And by more, I don’t mean another two or three, I mean lots and lots and lots ….. and lots, lots more.

I’ve always had a cat. Our family have always had a favourite or a cat that was wholly their own.

We have 28 cats ……….

And 3 dogs.

I know I always do this, but I do feel it’s very important. We are not cat/kitten hoarders. We do not breed cats. Of the twenty-eight, only two were chosen, the rest are all rescues and most were feral. So this is where I say our house does not have the over-powering odour of cat pee and there are no nasty little coils in dark corners. All our animals are sterilized as soon as they are old enough. They have their shots and are regularly de-wormed, as are all of us.

Living conditions are comfortable as we have a large house, a huge garden and a separate building, a granny flat that we use as a pottery studio. The cats love it in there, especially when the kiln is on, during a chilly winter night.

As controversial as it is, we have an open window 24/7 with stairs on both sides. I know most people think cats should be indoors because of all the dangers, but they were all born in the most dreadful circumstances and are used to freedom. (Just imagine 28 litter boxes)! They are for the most part street wise and although we have recently replaced all the fencing in the back garden, the front has a low wall and cats will always find a way to get to where they want to go.

So let me introduce the cats present here today. Abigail, Pickles and Tatty were just dropped off outside the vet and we volunteered to help care for them, promising that we would find good homes as soon as they were old enough – we did, they stayed here! They had obviously been born in a tiny space as they slept sitting up. They were covered in fungus. It was so bad that the vet had to cut off the tip of Pickles tail!!

Coco, (guess what movie we were watching at the time she arrived? “Coco” set in Mexico). She is compact face powder in colour with white and has an incredible story so this is just the introduction.

Carla, named after the film, “Connie and Carla” with Toni Collet and sadly Connie disappeared. CaramelloBear and Smokey are sisters, rescued from a cat hoarder and are very weird – I think it has to do with the town they were born in …..

Chickpea, originally called Luna was found in the neighbours yard with a broken leg, so of course we had to take her in.

Then we have Egsy, Tigger and Phumba. They had a sister named Ntombi (tragically crossed over) and their mother Delilah, who was written about here at the time of her death.

Flea looks like his father Vinny and has hairy ears like his mother, Valerie but sadly she also died. Jasmine, a pure white shorthair, is a Manx cat with a tiny curled tail that looks like a pompom – a yellow eye and a blue eye. Her sister Jezebel has longhair and her coat is very long and shaggy and she has piercing yellow eyes with a dark black ring around them, just like eyeliner and can make herself disappear! You can’t see her for love nor money. It’s a bit frightening when you’re staggering to the loo in the middle of the night and some hairy thing brushes against your leg …. Put on a light and it’s always Jezebel and I swear she’s laughing at your pale, ashen face.

We had twins, both ginger, called Thunder and Lightning but Thunder went walkabout to his sad demise. We were asked to care for Maui and Moana by a friend. They were without a mother and terribly tiny but so fierce. Minnie Mouse is a strange tortoiseshell colour with a strangely shaped jaw. Nunu is a very ordinary tabby with a brother named Duke who lives elsewhere.

Quinny is ginger and white and arrived t the same time as Smokey and her sister. Ragertha, Raggy for short is tabby with big, round green eyes. Doogle belongs to the people down the road but he lives here now.

Shooga was abandoned at the vet – just put on the counter, the owner said, “My daughter is allergic!” and walked out. She’s a Silynx, a tabby with Siamese colouring and blue eyes.

Tommy Lee Jones is black and white with cattitude! He was washed down a gutter pipe, off a factory roof during a cloudburst and spent his early weeks snuggled on my chest. He thinks he’s the Don.

Vanilla is Siamese and blind. She sleeps with the daughter at night as we are worried she could get into some kind of danger. Our neighbor called us early one morning to say she thought one of our cats was in a tree in her yard. So with ladder and cat box, the husband went to play fireman and managed to rescue it. It wasn’t ours, but a tiny, thin little wisp of a kitten and of course we kept her. She’s jet black with yellow eyes and looks almost Oriental. Her name is Juju.

Vinny Jones is a large cat and our very first feral rescue. He has celadon green eyes and is very much a regular tabby. He’s a big cat with the softest meouw you’ve ever heard.

If you’ve got this far, I reckon you love cats! Perhaps you’re bored or hope to catch me out and find a few missing names – it’s perhaps possible, but I think I got them all. Over the next few weeks I hope to tell you about all their strange quirks and habits and how weird and wonderful we are …..