Conference misery::feline

    OH BOY!!!! is this familiar.
    
    Explain to Jimmy that you can't turn a hungry cat away and if he
    objects then that's too bad.  If he is still giving you a hard time,
    then let him know that you understand his objections and respect them,
    and when he is ready to communicate again you will be there for him,
    until then you will leave him alone.
    
    (I know this sounds daft as a brush, but it works.  I don't know how
    they understand but they do, at least mine do.)  
    
    Mine have the same reaction to dogs, If I make a fuss of one you can 
    see the words "low life" written all over their outraged little faces.

    A stray cat "adopted" my kind-hearted friend John, who was already the
    human servant of Nugget, a dusty-orange ex-tomcat who was a real
    character (still is, although he is getting a bit arthritic).  This
    handsome long-haired grey cat started coming in through Nugget's
    cat-door and my soft-hearted friend fed him.  After Nugget saw this
    once, he trotted upstairs and PEED ON JOHN'S PILLOW!  Who says cats
    can't talk...  Anyhow, John found a new home for the grey cat, and
    moved Nugget's cat-door to an upstairs window above the front porch
    where other cats in the area were unlikely to find it, and Nugget went
    back to his normal behavior.  Nugget actually seemed to LIKE having
    the cat door up there.  I used to end up feeding him when John went on
    vacation, and as soon as I would pull up to John's house, the cat door
    would pop open and Nugget's dusty-orange head would appear.  As soon as
    he spotted me, he would come out, climb down the bush next to the
    porch, and run around to the human door so I would ahve to let him back
    in to feed him!  The cat door gave him a good place to spy out the
    neighborhood from the warmth of the house, I guess.
    
    /Charlotte
     

    Jimmy will probably be fine when you get home...and most of the
    time cats will adapt to other cats pretty quickly.
    
    The way you spoke about this other cat...it seems to me that he
    is probably a stray or does have a home where they might not take
    very good care of him so he roams around looking for food.
    
    Sandy

	Well, having this strange cat in the house, my two are doing the same.

	My real problem is that Yoda, the sacredy cat, is being picked on by
	Cider because of the intruder - I'd rather he picked on me.

	When slick is separated for quite a while (overnight) thngs settle 
	down again.

	I hope things will improve when Slick is nuteured on Friday.

	If you think this cat will continue to be around, and chance of getting
	him neuterd? The smell will be less threatening, and so will he.

	Being ginger he's most likely to be male. (However, after my recent
	assumptions, I wouldn't bet on it!).

	Also be careful - he could start spraying your kitchen, I had a male
	cat come in and do that last spring - a couple of times.
	The Domestos surface cleaner (that kills all germs), along with a
	deoderiser spray, was reasonably effective.

	Heather.

    Jimmy was waiting on the gate-post for me when I got in! He has
    graciously decided that I have had enough punishment and that he can
    notice me again!
    
    The stray doesn't actually seem to be a ginger cat in the way that
    Jimmy is - more of an apricot colour with no stripe markings. I know
    he's been in since for food, but I haven't actually seen him and no-one
    so far knows who he belongs to.

    Since I entered my original note, I haven't seen the ginger longhaired
    stray (just a tail disappearing out of the catflap one night).
    
    However, I now have a young black male cat who has decided that he
    needs a new home and has chosen mine! I found him cleaning himself on
    the front doormat yesterday morning. He marched straight in when I
    opened the door and he spent the evening on my sofa being petted by my 
    sister and all her friends. 
    Jimmy doesn't mind at all (surprisingly) as long as he doesn't come too
    close. Rosie is hissing a little for form's sake.
    
    I have again been knocking on doors to find out who he belongs to (my
    neighbours think I'm mad, I'm sure!) but have drawn a blank. They've
    all SEEN him around, but no-one knows who actually owns him. Of course,
    he has no collar.
    I shall put an advertisement in the shop window tonight.
    
    I should put a sign in the garden - "KITTY HOTEL. ALL CATS WELCOME"  
                                                            

    I started knocking on doors further afield last night. I met with a few
    false leads - I called on one poor man whose neighbour said he'd lost a
    black cat, only to find that it was a much older cat that was missing.
    I hope I didn't upset him too much. Another lady that I rushed round to
    showed me her beautiful female black kitten curled up by the fire.
    Anyway, most of the estate now knows that I have a stray black cat. I
    left a message with the lady who runs a Saturday flower stall - she
    knows most people and she promised to ask her customers on Saturday.
    I'll be putting an advertisement in the shop window and in the local
    paper.
    
    I almost hope he hasn't got a home, though. My little sister has become
    very attached to him and asked if she could keep him as her own, if we
    can't find his proper owner. I have said that she can, but not to get
    her hopes up as his proper owner may be found.
    
    I now know what Heather means about the eyes - this little cat has
    similar coloured eyes - most unusual. He seems to be at least 7 months
    old, because he has all his teeth (thanks for that tip, Heather!).
    Wonder if he's from the same litter?!!
    
    Last night was spent arguing over names to call him. After several
    sensible names from me (:-)) and lots of hair-raising ones from
    Kerry (even the cat looked shocked at "Algernon"!), she settled on
    Sebastian. 

	Must be something in the air........

	Time for all 7-month old black strays to find someone to keep them
	out of the rain, and feed them this winter.

	Feliners are 1st choice!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	My little chap doesn't seem to notice he's lost bits of his anatomy, 
	he's even more lively than before.


	Heather

    Ooooooooooooooo, Black cats at Halloween.....  scary thought!!!!
    
    M-L

    The little black cat's owner turned up yesterday :-(
    
    I'm glad she's got her cat back, but my sister is heartbroken. His real
    name is Fluffy and he's six months old, although he looks bigger. She
    said he must have followed her friend home the other night and got lost
    (the friend lives just around the corner from me). She assumed that
    he's been either run over or taken in by someone and she read the note
    I'd put through her letterbox yesterday morning.
    
    Oh, well. I told Kerry yesterday evening and it seems it was the final
    capping of a rotten day for her. I found her upstairs later crying her
    heart out. She's glad the kitten has found his owner, but she wished he
    hadn't!
    
    Perhaps I ought to get her another cat...

	I'm sure Kerry could find a cat at the cat protection league, she can
	go along, I'm sure one will choose her!

	Once you've decided there was room for the possible stray, then one
	from the CPL should be no problem 	:-)

	Good luck with your moggie choosing.

	Heather

    Great idea! I'll give them a ring.

    I left my name and address with the CPL and am waiting to hear from
    them. I thought I'd try the rescue place at Wokingham where we got
    Oliver from (my mother's cat prior to Becky and still very sadly
    missed).
    
    Meantime my MOTHER has got a new little kitten! An eight week old
    ginger and white male.
    
    I said "He looks more like a mouse!" so he's been named Micky. Becky
    (Mum's other cat) wasn't at all happy about it - she sulked for a
    couple of days, but now she's realising that this new little kitten can
    be bossed about and swiped when he gets out of line, so she's accepted
    him now. She even cleans him when the mood takes her.
    
    He is a typical male - always hungry.

     

	Great,

	I'd love to see what happens when this ginger and white cat grows up
	to be a big male moggie, and finds he's named after a MOUSE!

	............I'm glad I'm not the one to tell him   :-)


	Heather

    Ah well, Fluffy (the black "stray" we took in) shows every sign of
    growing into a hulking great bruiser! 
    
    I expect Micky will have developed the voice all right after his op!

    Pugwash (the stray persian ginger cat) has got a new home!
    
    My brother's girlfriend, Annmarie, works as a caller at the Top Rank bingo 
    hall in Reading town centre (for the uninitiated, this means that she
    stands at the front and calls the numbers out). It is a big club and
    very popular so she passed the word round to her customers that I had a
    cat which needed rehoming.
    One of her customers had not long lost her own cat, which she'd had for
    12 years and wanted to give a homeless cat a loving home. Her daughter
    (I'm sure I was at school with her!) came round on Saturday night and
    collected him. 
    I know he's going to have a happy home. She seems really nice and at
    least he doesn't have to run a gauntlet of hisses and snarls to get to
    his dinner. 

    My boyfriend came in yesterday evening and said 
    "There's a huge black and white cat trying to get into next-door's
    dustbin"
    Then, in almost the same breath, "YOU'RE NOT HAVING HIM!!!"
    
    He'd gone by the time I got out, though! :-)

	Well, you'll just have to put something more tasty in the bin......and
	keep watch!   :-)

	
	Looks like we're getting good at being temporary homes.


	Heather

    I suppose Jimmy's having what you would call Mega-sulks!
    
    I took in a kitten at the weekend from a rescue centre. He's going to
    the vet just as soon as I can fit him in (worms!). He's a lively,
    adorable little scrap, but VERY hungry. His name (at the moment) is
    Monty. Don't blame me! It was my sister's choice! She likes R.E.M., you
    see (and Nirvana and Pearl Jam and the Cranberries and Crowded House
    etc. etc.), and they wrote a song called "Monty got a raw deal" and my 
    sister says you don't get much worse a deal than being thrown out at 8 
    weeks old. I suppose she's right :-)
    
    Anyway, Jimmy hates him. Both my cats are hissing and growling at the 
    poor little scrap (who, incidently, isn't taking a blind bit of notice!), 
    but Jimmy is VERY upset. I didn't think he'd mind so much - I mean,
    he's used to other cats coming in.
    
    I've talked to him and told him I love him, that no kitten can ever
    take his place and I've been careful to pet him a lot and to cuddle
    him. He's also been bribed with ham (the fail-safe method of
    persuasion). No response. He purrs at me, makes a fuss back, then sees
    little Squirt playing in the corner, growls again and flounces off. 
    I left him sulking in the rosebushes this morning, refusing to come in.
    
    I HOPE he's going to calm down soon. I'm seriously beginning to wonder
    whether it might not be better to take the kitten back if Jimmy's this
    upset. I hope it won't come to that, though.    

    Keep giving Jimmy lots of love and attention.  It took Pumpkin almost
    6 months to adjust to Sammie (who loved Pumpkin unconditionally the
    minute they met).  Pumpkin is back to being the sweet, playful cat that
    she used to be.
    
    I often wondered if she'd ever be back to her "normal" self again...
    
    Sharon

    I'm going to give the kitten back and I feel awful about doing it. Poor
    little thing.
    Jimmy has flatly refused to come in since yesterday morning. Even for
    food. I never thought I'd ever see HIM off his food. I am very worried
    that he might run away and not come back. 
    Rosie has started to attack the kitten when she sees him - and I MEAN
    attack! She's pounced on him twice with no provocation and she's not
    playing. I'm worried that she might kill him. I've had to leave him
    shut up in a room on his own and, although I give him lots of attention
    and he's got his toys in there, it's no life for a kitten.
    At least, back at the shelter, he's got a good chance of being
    re-adopted. He's irresistable.
    I still feel bad about it, though. :-(

    I took the kitten back last night. He's staying with one of the ladies
    from the rescue centre and she says she won't take him back to the
    shelter, but will keep him if no-one claims him. It makes me feel a bit
    better that he's got a home to go to, but I still wonder if I should
    have stuck it out for a bit longer. 
    After a sniff-round to make sure he'd really gone, my cats behaved as
    though he'd never been there. They both slept on my bed (might have had
    something to do with the bad weather, mind you) and Jimmy isn't
    snarling when I pick him up.
    I don't know why they re-acted so badly to the kitten. They've known
    other strays. It all seemed to start when he went for Rosie's tail
    (like kittens do) and she snarled at him. He backed away, and I think
    Rosie then realised that this little one couldn't hit back. She got
    more and more bullying until she was finally attacking him whenever she
    saw him. 
    Yvonne (rescue lady) says that I can phone or pop round to see him and
    she's going to take a photo of him for me.