Have a waffle with Carol

[Tony G]

Thanks for all the advice folks (we needed new curtains anyway, might as well wait until they are shredded) and... yes, we got the official seal of approval. Just waiting for boys to have their first vaccinations and we can bring them home, hopefully some time next week.

[SandraK]

Brilliant Tony, so pleased you are now proper and fit people to adopt a couple of mogs. Thought you were simply old hippies like us !

Our old mog has decided the 3 seater sofa is his, we now use the 2 seater - you see, they rule your life !

[Andy K]

Congrats Tony !
I guess you will have plenty of fun with your new family members.

As for the curtains, leaving the old ones up is a very good idea. Relief will come when your cats will be about 6 months old and too heavy to climb up a curtain. They will realize it when they fall down once or twice and subsequently only climb on something solid instead.

When they start shredding your furniture, let me know. I strongly oppose to Sandra's statements that you can't train cats. Just don't let them feel it is training

[Paul Tallet]

Oooooo Andy

You are being very brave

Don't you think we should focus on the complications of ducks

Anyway ... are there any ducks in Tobago?

Regards

[Andy K]

Well Paul, i went through that a few times well
You can call me the "cat whisperer"

What kind of problems do you experience with ducks ?

I tend to buy them fresh or frozen in the grocery and cook them.
In Tobago you should get duck at Morshead's in Mt. Pleasant

The only complication i can imagine is running out of cooking gas with the duck half way
cooked in the oven

[SandraK]

Dear Pete
Would love to know how you have a gorgeous garden AND ducks - mutually exclusive I would have thought ! They are great with rhubarb sauce though. The ducks I mean.

Andy
Have no idea which planet you are on ! Training a cat - still laughing at your naivety !!

[Paul Tallet]

Well ... erm ... I live in a quaint little market town ... lets call it Trumpington Town ... a river runs through it and, as a consequence of this river, there is a vibrant community of ducks.

The ducks seem to like alot of space, especially for nesting. So it is quite common (for reasons beyond the scope of the most imaginative human comprehension) for them to fly away from the river and nest in our gardens.

So whilst I am struggling to contain my excitement over the first flowers of spring I am also having to deal with a large family of Ducks, raising the babies whilst the parents quack about elsewhere and then eventually delivering the babies back to the river where they belong ... it's quite a wrench sometimes to be honest

Now ... the moral of this ode is to try telling a cat you don't want it in your garden ... much easier ... they know the language of my garden hose ... but there is no solution to Ducks.

I therefore submit my reasoned argument for the motion of declaring that the debate for debating about arguing the point about discussing opinions about the debate about discussing debating such discussions in a democratic, debatible and consensual manner is that Ducks, in a round about way, are much harder to train than Cats

I hope my thoughts and experiences have given you all inspiration

Regards

[SandraK]

Dear Pete
Oh, now I understand . Our garden backs onto a lake, over the last hard winter moorhens decided we had more to eat than they had as did the mallards. Oh joy, dessimated the lawn .

Cat did kill one apparently and son was a tad surprised to find corpse on back doorstep while we were in Tobago.

Just goes to prove cats and ducks are a pain in the b**t !!

[Paul Tallet]

I bet a Cat wouldn't pick on a Duck though ... Ducks are quite handy with their peckers you know

Regards

[Tony G]

My garden backs on to a cemetery... no ducks.

[David Watkins]

Quiet neighbours tho' Tony
David

[SandraK]

Dear Pete
You obviously don't know my cat. Territorial would be a euphimism. Even had a go at a swan that had the temerity to wander in !

[Steve Wooler]

I've been following this with great interest and amusement, but been too busy trying to get out our 2010 accommodation reviews. No ducks, but lots of fierce cats. Because I'm working in my photo library picking review shots, I recalled this shot of our old moggie taken last summer. Sounds like yours Sandra - she'll take on anything. I once saw her see off a fox who was trying to steal her fresh rabbit dinner.

[SandraK]

Me too Steve - great amusement !

We have foxes trying to get through the garden quite regularly - cat and old fox eye each other up , fox lowers eyes to ground and no problem, he's allowed through. Young fox tries it on - not a hope - cat pounces and straight for the eyes of course. God, the noise !! Cat without a scratch needless to say.

They can be real mean suckers !!

Loved the photo - think our cats could be related !

[Tony G]

David - yes, very quiet - been here for 14 years and heard all the graveyard jokes

Steve - great photo.

[SandraK]

Tony
Oh, the joys to come next week for you and Janette.

If it's any comfort the only thing son misses now living in his own flat is a pet, which is obviously not logical if noone is around all day. He and his girlfriend house sat while we were away in Tobago, she had never been allowed a pet of any kind and our mog is not one to be taken in by coochy coo shenanigans. After 2 weeks he consented to sit on her lap - they called, her in tears of happiness, was 3am local time ! You just can't get away from the s*ds once they move in.

[Andy K]

Sandra,

i have to admit, the "training" program was reduced to the following "skills":

- No shredding of furniture, wallpapers, carpets and door frames. Use of climbing pole (inside) or trees (outside) instead.

- Delivery of mice, birds, rats etc. only in DEAD condition. No release of living prey inside the house.

- Special foods like raw beef only on weekends and public holidays (or days when i got up after 8 am)

- No jumping on tables, counters etc. At least not in my presence.


Admittedly, i had no chance resp. i did not even attempt to change behaviour like

- Ongoing battles with neighbour's cats
- Embarrassing of neighbour's dog's
- Stealing of human food (roasted chicken, beef pot roast et al) from kitchens in the neighbourhood
- Cat's "concerts" (110 dBA) on my arrival home with rotisserie chicken
- Refusal of canned cat food, except for WHISKAS
- Complete wipe out of some endangered species of birds (radius 300 yds)

I did faily well, don't you think ?

[SandraK]

Andy
As I said no training whatsoever !

[Tony G]

As the cat thread is carrying on and I was responsuble for starting it I feel that I should update the kitten situation - can't bring them home for 3 weeks as there is sickness in the RSPCA cattery. Have to be satisfied with looking at them in their cage. It's like visiting cat prison.

[SandraK]

Tony
Oh no !!! What a pain. Thereagain can understand the caution. Nothing worse than seeing an animal that needs to roam cooped up.
Hope the care now given ensures you have healthy animals to pick up soon. Keep us posted.