New cat - possibly!

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Ratface

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The Terrorist Cat, aka Rodriguez Catto, has become enraged because I won't immediately get up and play Fevver On A Fishing Rod games with him NOOOW!! He's rampage through the barge, knocking everything over/off/down - except the two beautiful porcelain candlesticks that were my leaving present when I retired from Local Authority C&F social work. He will be in serious trouble if he ever does that. The shell that lies between them on the mantelpiece was on the cabin sole again. He is an absolute Fiend - except for when he wants food - NOOOW. He's going through the feline equivalent of the toddler Terrible Two's, I suppose.
Any ideas when it's likely to calm down?
 
skinnydipper

skinnydipper

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Is he bored, do you think?

What about working for his food? Food dispensing toys, food puzzles and Lickimats for cats. I think you can also get little toys that you put food/treats in and hide.

Have seen this book? Purr: the science of making your cat happy. Zazie Todd. If you read it you could post a review for us here.
 
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Highmileagecob

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Ideally, he needs to go outside and work off the energy, but I know that is difficult. The Hooligan Cat is 2yo and I can identify with everything your cat is doing. Mine can race round a two bedroom house and courtyard, usually at top speed, growling and swearing at something he imagines he is chasing. Young cats are a trial!
 
skinnydipper

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keysZep said:
I love my fat cat. I like making fun of my fat cat. My fat cat likes to be close to me. Even now she's sitting close to the computer as I type this.

Can anyone say that about their dogs?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't want a fat dog, or a fat cat :)

PS My dog has just flopped down on the floor beside me, the cat has come in from the garden and has gone up to bed.
 
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Ratface

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skinnydipper said:
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Thank you for that suggestion. Given that Rodriguez Catto is eating better than I am at the moment, due to expensive horse bills, I'm afraid that that purchase is not going to be possible.
He's played with at least twice a day, with The Fevver on A Stick, rolling jangly toys, newspapers made into doughnut shapes, as well as doing his Wall of Death round the barge. His attention span for his many toys is brief, apart from the FoAS.
 
skinnydipper

skinnydipper

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Ratface said:
Thank you for that suggestion. Given that Rodriguez Catto is eating better than I am at the moment, due to expensive horse bills, I'm afraid that that purchase is not going to be possible.
He's played with at least twice a day, with The Fevver on A Stick, rolling jangly toys, newspapers made into doughnut shapes, as well as doing his Wall of Death round the barge. His attention span for his many toys is brief, apart from the FoAS.
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I posted that following the suggestion that he needed to go outside to burn off his energy.

I bought some little tinsel balls for my cat when she was a kitten. she still has them and she will play with them on her own or with me. I sometimes hear her in the night, she knocks them down the stairs and runs after them or bats them about and pounces on them. Something like these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/VOVIGGOL-S...HT1EXGN6NRPBVEPRXC9FRB79&tag=snxgb401-21&th=1
 
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Ratface

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skinnydipper said:
I posted that following the suggestion that he needed to go outside to burn off his energy.

I bought some little tinsel balls for my cat when she was a kitten. she still has them and she will play with them on her own or with me. I sometimes hear her in the night, she knocks them down the stairs and runs after them or bats them about and pounces on them. Something like these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/VOVIGGOL-S...HT1EXGN6NRPBVEPRXC9FRB79&tag=snxgb401-21&th=1
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Thank you for your helpful reply. I'll discuss the matter with Rodriguez Catto when he wakes up.
RC often plays with his newspaper doughnuts during the night. He hurtles up and down the perpendicular stairs leading to the wheelhouse and crashes them round the saloon as an encore.
He's getting longer and a bit heavier by the week and shows no signs of slowing down.
 
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Ratface

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Rodriguez Catto has forced my hand in reporting this.
At 0430hrs RC was crashing about and leaping all over me. I was Not Amused as pain in my legs (associated with ME) had kept me awake most of the night and had just dropped off to sleep.
A beautiful morning and the tide was in. I needed to refill water containers so I went up into the wheelhouse with them, opened the door and left it open. RC watched me go over the drawbridge and up to the water tap. Eyes like saucers. He crept out and went onto the aft deck. A gull floated past and eyed him up. A mallard took off overhead. He shot back into the wheelhouse and flattened himself onto the sole. Water containers now full and RC lying in the wheelhouse, spark out in the sunshine.
TBC.
 
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Another 0430hrs foray outside for Rodriguez Catto. This time he came out of the wheelhouse and walked round to the starboard deck which is fast-flowing river side. I ignored him and took some newspapers up to the recycling bin, landside. When I got back he was back in the wheelhouse, eyes like saucers. I think the gull brigade had swooped down on him.
My nerves are shredded, but he's very pleased with himself and is now back on the bunk being Mr. Smarm, Charm and Purrr.
 
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Unbelievably I've only just caught up with the fact you have a new kitty! I'm so happy for you that you've found each other. What a start to life the poor boy has had! Will definitely pop back to check for updates. Fully empathise with the new cat stress. It turned out that all three of my new boys were VERY institutionalised after spending more than 2 months in pens. Youngsters Walter and Wilson performed whacky races all night. Jerry 'Luis Rico' the Berry hid away for about three days before deciding to join in. My house absolutely stank of stressed cat. Three and a half weeks later, though (we must have got our kitties about the same time), they're all happy as Larry, follow me everywhere outside and I get snotty cuddles every morning from Jerry!

It's absolutely amazing watching them unwind and change personality as they realise they've landed on their paws. I miss Annie terribly, still, but I know she'll be happy that other kitties are eating from her bowls. She'd hate this trio, though. Far too much energy!
 
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Fransurrey said:
Unbelievably I've only just caught up with the fact you have a new kitty! I'm so happy for you that you've found each other. What a start to life the poor boy has had! Will definitely pop back to check for updates. Fully empathise with the new cat stress. It turned out that all three of my new boys were VERY institutionalised after spending more than 2 months in pens. Youngsters Walter and Wilson performed whacky races all night. Jerry 'Luis Rico' the Berry hid away for about three days before deciding to join in. My house absolutely stank of stressed cat. Three and a half weeks later, though (we must have got our kitties about the same time), they're all happy as Larry, follow me everywhere outside and I get snotty cuddles every morning from Jerry!

It's absolutely amazing watching them unwind and change personality as they realise they've landed on their paws. I miss Annie terribly, still, but I know she'll be happy that other kitties are eating from her bowls. She'd hate this trio, though. Far too much energy!
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Thank you for your kind reply. I still miss Madam Carrie Cat, but it's not quite so raw now.
Rodriguez Catto is still at the stage of doing wacky races late night and early morning, interspersed by leaping on the bunk-height furniture and screaming for "Fooood!!!" with menaces. Food provided. "Don't want it now. Too hot. I want to go OOOUT!!". Fine. I open the wheelhouse door. Out the wretched creature goes and flumps down. This is at 0430hrs. No wonder I'm exhausted most days. I'm turning into a human cat. Sleep most of the day. Kept awake most of the night. Good job I'm retired and that Old Horse, like Rodriguez Catto, has dedicated hot and cold running staff. Currently, all of them a bit grumpy. YO is making hay (500 bales in atm, plus about the same from the last three years cut) so enough clean old hay to last for quite a while. Head Groom is equally grumpy as she's doing three jobs simultaneously.
The only cheerful one around yesterday was the farrier who is a ray of sunshine. I always make him tea, proffer biscuits and add a £5 tip onto his usual fee. Some years back, he spotted the beginning of laminitis on Old Horse. Precautions were taken, and it didn't develop any further. He's worth his weight in gold.
 
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Senor Rodriguez Catto has commanded his Cat Slave to tell his fans in the ether the following:
1. Cat Slave is now well-trained in the following requirements:
a) becoming instantly awake when being stared at even when RC is out of sight.
b) is now providing Very Expensive Wet Food twice daily and dry food always available.
c) doesn't tell me off when I throw myself into the long cat water container.
d) spends at least an hour every day being supervised by me when I wants to go out and either lie in the sun on the warm side deck, inspect the inside arrangements of the little plastic cruiser moored opposite us, or patrol the pontoon.
e) I stared nastily at the gormless owner of little plastic cruiser when he came down yesterday to tinker with it. GO duly went aboard and zipped up all the covers to prevent me following him. I did, anyway. GO had forgotten that I can get on the back step and through the space for the twin outboard engines. I was in a particularly devilish mood yesterday, so Cat Slave armed herself with my wet food plate, a spoon and my favourite Cheese Dreamies. Fortunately, these blandishments worked and I hopped back in with minimal effort from me. Duly given wet food, play time with The Fevver on A Stick and a couple of Cheese Dreamies.
Achieved! CM is training up very nicely. I'm going to sprawl out in the sunshine on the shelf above the wheel and survey my territory.
Cats Rule!
 
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