Walking the Cats

Harvey by the canal

Yes, yes, yes.....I do walk the cats, well more precisely one cat mainly. My stance on this comes from a couple of angles, Louis, our cat from a few years ago was certainly allowed out as it seemed the right thing to do. He was a BSH and after around a year of having him we allowed him the chance to wander. Unfortunately we live close to a canal and the surround has barbed wire etc, one morning we came down to a bloody kitchen and a very unwell Louis who had pulled himself through the cat flap and was resting on the kitchen table. We could only see a couple of cuts but on taking him to the vets, he lifted his stomach to reveal, unfortunately in front of the kids, a cut straight down from between his front legs to his hind legs the skin was totally open. He was a very lucky cat to survive. 

We do live in a quiet estate however we do have a public path by the house making our knowledge of the people around us limited. Therefore I do feel, for my cats, that I am happier knowing they are in the house with a cat proofed garden and if they need a wider experience they can happily be walked. I know they are not going to get into accidents, get poisoned, tortured, or stolen. I am also far happier that I know I am not going to be sued for any accidents that occur with cars etc. Cat walking just seems to be far less common in the UK than on the continent or in America, where it seems far, far more of an accepted practice.

Walking the cats

For all the cats we have purchased a full body fabric harness, and not the gladiator type. This ensures complete safety in that our cats are unable to escape should they be spooked on our walk. I have also used the harness to pull the cats at least three times out of the canal!!!

Harvey is our great walker, he learnt from 16 weeks to walk on a harness and now waits by the door to tell me he wants a walk or comes running if I rattle the lead and harness. It is never going to be like walking a dog, we meander slowly wherever he wants to go. We have limits ie no trespassing into peoples drives and he seems to acknowledge where the boundaries are. If we walk by the canal he jumps on the lock and runs over and we have walked at least a couple of miles along there. He dislikes dogs, runners, walkers and cyclists so as you can imagine our walking gets hindered many times. Each time he stops, lies down in the grass to the edge or between my feet. Reuben can walk, and will if you insist but he is as happy lying in the garden quietly. Monty hates the world outside!!!! and Bertie well he already seems to be taking to it quite well. Maybe a pal for Harvey on the walks???

The jackets come from Maria at Mynwood cat jackets, she makes them individually from your measurements, so around the neck and behind the front legs (around the chest area). She also needs to know the breed of cat ie if you have a Bengal, this cat has a long neck so a wide strap here would be best whilst a BSH like Harvey has almost no neck so a thin strap is required. She is lovely to talk to and at £12.50, they are a bargain. So far we have a blue kitten harness, a red, a red tartan and now a skull design for Monty. We do actually use them also as a car harness around the seat belts. Our cats lie down with them on and are far less freaked out than in the travel box, also there is no way we could transport all four of them for their monthly trip to the inlaws if we didn't use the harnesses.

On the canal lock

What's over there....

Coping with the heat, humans and cats......

Trying to keep cool by going in the pond!! No, trying to get Harvey!! One bath later.....

 The attack of sheets at night has now gone beyond a joke....my bedroom has still stifling hot air through which I can't cool down nor get any sound sleep.

When on holiday I can do heat, mostly.....my Singapore heat stroke this Easter was a blip. You can always rush back to the best of air conditioned rooms, in fact our best experience with AC was on this same holiday in the Rainforest outside the humidity level must have been nigh on 100% which meant as soon as you stepped out you immediately sweated and any exertion was exhausting. However here the AC was ferociously efficient to the point of freezing you...  what I wouldn't give for AC at the moment.

I've looked online £250 for a unit, but in my head I say what is the point. We only had heat like this in 2006 so it would be a bulky item costing a lot hanging around. But to have one NOW would be wonderful.

I have tried everything and at least we are managing the heat :

• Back windows are open
• Curtains are drawn a little
• Front windows are open a little on second notch to prevent Harvey getting through
• A fan has been placed by that window to draw the cool air in into the room
• Another fan is in the kitchen
• Another fan by the dining room through to the conservatory which has a ceiling fan clicking away annoyingly

I am trying everything with the cats  to keep them cool especially Bertie as he is only 13 weeks

Harvey, Reuben and Bertie. No Monty!!

Bertie at 13 weeks

• Ice cubes in their water
• Evaporated milk, diluted 50% with water for calories and hydration to supplement Bertie, the kitten
• Mixing more water with their RAW to ensure they are getting fluids into them
• Freezing Webbox Lick e lix Yoghurt tubes and at mid day giving them to the cats to cool, hydrate and add calories
• As their appetite is so suppressed adding all the tempting toppings, Gimpet Vitamin flakes,yummmm
• Watering the soil where they lie early in the morning so it's nice and cool for the rest of the day
• Groomed the cats to remove all their loose hair whilst they are moulting. Harvey the BSH seems to moulting for England!!

Well we somehow seem to be putting weight on Bertie and he is keeping lively so we must be doing something right : ))

Cat Proofing the garden

The garden involved was a standard detached back garden, taking into account one side return to the back door it covered approximately 17 6ftx6ft  panels.  I knew I wasn't happy for the boys to be roaming the streets, even though we lived at the end of a Cul de Sac there were too many cars around, free access to a canal and lock where our original cat had cut open a 6 inch gash in his stomach, and it had a public footpath straight down the side of the house.

Angled metal brakets and soft small square netting

We had kept our three cats in intending to keep them as house cats however on reading a forum where cat proofing was mentioned and visiting a show where cat proofing of different types were on display I realised it was an option. One system was exceptionally neat and preferred however when we got a quote it was an exorbitant price, £3,400 for supplying, fixing and fitting. How do they get any customers?? I then got a quote from a company that fitted brackets and netting around the top of the fence and this brought the price of cat freedom to within reason, especially as I felt it was a good use of some of my mother's estate, she would have appreciated it. At £680 and one days fitting we accepted the quote. All we had to do was send photos and from this he was able to tell us if any work needed to be done before he came, and oh yes it did. We set about cutting excess ivy down from the top of the panels and generally pruned down to around two foot below the top of the trellis and panel.

Side gate with Protectapuss protection.

The gentleman from 'Protectapuss' came promptly and carried on working consistently throughout the day. It was interesting to note that he had been a High School teacher but when this sideline took off he decided to continue with this line of work. I can only describe him as a 'gentle man'. At the end of the day we perused the whole garden for weak areas and found none, he kindly left a bit of everything for running repairs if they were needed. The cat proofing extends over a shed as well as a side gate, which has  a neat method of entry.

That evening the cats went out for the first time without us observing them and guarding weak areas. Harvey, as was typical of him, tested the proofing quite a few times. I could see the netting vibrate from inside the house when he had an escape bid. The next day he tried a few less times and since then has only tried the netting occasionally. We've had the proofing in since early April and we can state it has been a complete success and in fact it has all the benefits in that it is not overly obtrusive at all, we don't get any territorial issues from neighbours cats as they can't get in,  nor do we get their 'gifts', and the cats feel very secure in their terratory.

RAW or BARF feeding of cats

Mincer, containers , mince, Fortan Fortain, Fellini complete,  meats

Well I am going to put my cards on the table and say I totally believe in feeding RAW food to my cats.

Our last cat Louis unfortunately died at the young age of three from  a Urethral Obstruction. At the time we were told strongly that the best diet for him was dry cat food. He had the kibble sold at the vets and felt we were doing the best for him. On reflection I truly feel his diet and his behaviour combined to cause his illness. At no point did he have an over riding thirst drive and this combined with the feeding solely of dry food I feel combined to cause a constant level of dehydration and concentrated his urea to create uroliths causing the total blockage. It has been thought that early neutering could also cause a narrowing of the urethra however this in general has been disproved.

On getting our new male cats I looked into the causes of the disease and found that a RAW diet was recommended by individuals as a much healthier method of feeding resulting in better coat quality, better health, less obesity, fewer dental issues and no dehydrating effects of dry.

I had a EUREKA moment..... Cats are OBLIGATE CARNIVORES, they ONLY eat MEAT. They have a reduced thirst drive as they get all their hydration through feeding on raw meat, not cooked meat - raw meat. The more I read the more obvious it became that the continued benefits for health and overall cost made RAW an essential method of feeding.

For- 

Body condition - cat self regulate their diet better, less podgy cats. 

Coat - Shining good condition coat. Less dander for allergy sufferers.

Teeth - Bones and strips of meat help to clean the teeth and maintain healthy gums.

Health - No permanent semi state of dehydration and the stress that puts on the organs. Ease of digestion. Less urinary infections such as cystitis etc.

Cost - Home made is cheaper than tinned food but not as cheap as kibble however there could be a greater number of visits to the vets and those costs mount up.

Against- 

Convenience - Open a tin, always on hand. Kibble will last for ages.

Cost - Kibble is cheap.

Need to add more fluid to this mince

I started feeding our clowder of cats RAW in October using the company Natural Instinct ( human grade meat) Raw cat food, the food comes packed in 500g containers and the variety of frozen supplemented food varies according to the time of year. They have the basic chicken and beef/ chicken and lamb at all times but the Vension, Wild Bird Game and Rabbit is seasonal. The good thing about this company is that the food has all the additional health supplements you would want and the delivery minimum is only 5Kg. However quality can vary, the venison can be very dry as can be the Wild bird although these are their favourites. Good rich tastes. I have tried Honeys twice. Nutriment is a new company with the right ethos, which if their range expands I would hope to try with a sample box.
When supply became difficult recently I decided that I had to make my own. So this is when I officially became a mad cat lady to my friends.
I have tried mentioning the fact that it is what cats are supposed to eat, Obligate carnivores. That it doesn't have all the cereal fillers ( why does a cat need cereals?) that processed cat foods include. Nor the sugars which have may have raised the number of cats being seen for dental decay to epidemic proportions ( used for dramatic emphasis, maybe). That obesity is seen far less in RAW fed cats that  naturally self regulate. There maybe a high correlation in those cats with Renal issues such as Urethral blockage or cystitis being fed dry kibble alone as cats have no natural thirst drive naturally getting most of their hydration through the killed food they eat. AND that it is generally cheaper than tinned food but not dry. BUT who wants to feed food that has been hosed off carcasses and pasted up then dried out into a kibble. A well known general brand of wet  tinned food is 51p per 100g, therefore if I ensure I can buy my meat at £5.10 per KG or less then it is cheaper. For my bone content of 10% I can get Chicken wings for £1.50 and that is just the start, I have found sources at different butchers for kidneys, liver, heart, cheap meats ie Lamb breast/ Shin of beef/ seasonal game. I think all this human grade quality of meat is somewhat better than found in tins.

Home made mince, Chunked cut Quail, cut pancreas 

So I bought my mincer which is an Andrew James Electric mincer 1800 W. This beast is cheapish but can gnaw up bones needed in the food. In RAW food the suggested ratios of ingredients  are 80% Muscle meat, 10% Bone, 5% liver and 5 % excreting organ such as kidney plus supplements at the moment I am too lazy to buy individual ones so I get Fellini Complete or TC Feline Raw Basic.
So I start with my chicken wings and throw them in the mincer, followed by the kidneys and muscle meat, the wings I try to have at room temperature as it makes it easier for the mincer. The liver I tend to have just defrosting from the freezer so it has integrity for the mincer to mince. I make up the supplement and mix the whole lot in together. All this time I try to work rapidly to keep the whole are as chilled as possible. I add water to make the mix the consistency I  want. With my grind I keep it fairly coarse as they don't like paste, terrine style food. I then label a variety of containers from Lakeland and label, putting into each enough for one days diet for 4 cats. This then is frozen until needed. The night before feeding I remove from the freezer and defrost, you can put the container in just warm water. When giving I just give enough to be eaten over an hour but then regularly put new bowls of food down as the eldest cat is still only one and a half years old and a BSH, a breed which grows until 3years old. I add vitamin flakes sometimes, a Haem supplement sometimes and a Probiotic sometimes, not often though. It depends on the season and weather etc.

Love this mincer, just Olive oil the grinding discs to keep it A1

They also have in addition to the made mince on rotation each day and in another bowl, heart strips (lamb,pig, Ox), kidney chunk cut (pig, lamb, Ox), Chicken wings chunk cut, and wholesale cost Quail ( this is their absolute favourite including the new kitten of one week!! who will eat this first). 

So that is my story of Raw up to the present moment, with four very healthy, glossy coated, dentally fine, and superb body conditioned cats.

Introducing our new kitten, Bertie - we should have called him Houdini

Well at 10 am today we were on the breeders doorstep waiting to pick up Bertie. His injections had gone well yesterday and he was running around the place when we saw him. We exchanged presses, we gave flowers and chocolates and we are sinking under a full bag of catnip toys, balls, cushions, and food etc.

I introduce to you - Amazolou Bertie Wooster. Thank you Zoe for an amazing character.

On our journey back he didn't want the carrier, he miaowed and miaowed, but on your lap he was just a fidget!!!!

We placed him quietly in the kitchen and sat quietly with him as he got used to being away from smells and things he knew.

Today is now Tuesday ( we picked Bertie up on Saturday) so I've decided to do a short summary of what we have done and how Bertie is.

Day 1 -  Pick up day - On taking Bertie home we introduced him to the kitchen and quietly sat with him. We showed him  the litter box. I had conflicting information regarding whether I should have absolute fresh litter for his use or litter that had the scent of the boys so he could get used to it. I went with litter which had been changed the day before. We pulled out toys that his was familiar with and put down the food that he had had at the breeders, however he went straight and ate the raw meat we had left for the others and gobbled up loads. The rest of the day was spent slowly sitting with him or leaving him to rest. He WAS quite quiet and nervy. That night he slept in our ensuite, with another litter box,  which gave him a restricted area of play, he seemed less stressed with a small area to roam. At 4.00 I was woken up by some kitten cries, so I sat with him for an hour and a half allowing us time to get to know each other. He snuggled up in my dressing gown so I saw this as a development. He didn't keep hiding. He would play.

Day 2 - Bringing him down to the kitchen meant he was getting used to more areas. We tried him in our lounge but there were so many hiding places that we soon reverted to the kitchen, he is like Houdini - he will hide and then shoot our through the door. We've worked out his tactics now. The only problem was that the temperatures outside were nearly hitting 30c and even with fans it was stifling with the humidity. On this day he ate at 5.00am and then not until 7.00 pm due to the heat, to help things along I had put diluted Evaporated milk out which he would take. That night we progressed to my bedroom.

Day 3 Stifling heat even with the fan. I had to shut the windows to as the little tinker had managed to jump onto the bed and then the side dresser giving access to the window. I could be sure his athleticism wouldn't take him up and out the window!! We had a big break through, when I turned the light out he jumped onto the bed and came up for cuddles. He stayed there the rest of the night which happened to be until about 4.30am.
He was now a new cat, gone was his shyness. He was confident, loved playing, rolling on his back, eating happily, and using the litter tray. He demanded to be let out!!! But no.
Each day so far we had let one of the boys in one at a time when Bertie was not sleepy and they wanted to come in. Then treat time was hit in a big way. Treats and  a happy voice. Harvey tried his best but even so a head bop came along as Bertie got tooooo close and a fair amount of hissing. Reuben just could not keep his eyes of him and loved the treats, there was no animosity at all. However Monty was affected. He kept coming up and biting Bertie's neck so I would use my voice or physically split if it was too much. Monty also kept talking which is not like him as he is mute, seriously!!!
This day was a little cooler so all of the cats were a little more active. Bertie was getting more confident always want me in sight, having tummy rubs and eating. He was getting there.
I had to go and pick up the eldest son from the airport leaving my daughter ,when she got back from work, in charge. Another break through, Monty was now mothering Bertie under Reubens supervision.
When we got back Bertie was the life of the kitchen, jumping like a spring, it was coming a long.

Day 4 - Up at 4.50! No  crying just wanting to play so we started and finally came down to the kitchen. The boys were introduced again, so much better. Harvey still hissing but enjoying the treats, Reuben loving him and Monty wanting to play!!!No we moved to the dining room/conservatory.More treats and the boys seemed ok as he played with their toys and went on the  cat tree. It is now lunch time and everyone on this hot day is having a siesta!!
I think we are going well.......we have made sure the boys are all being cuddled and stroked. They are getting better daily. Bertie is just astonishing, not shy and very lively. He knows all the correct procedures, when he rushes up to the cats he immediately lies on his back still then jumps up. He has had no accidents and eats well in the morning and evening. Hopefully so far a text book introduction.
On Thursday the fencing man comes again just to put in some more kick boards and tighten up the fence in places. We have cat proofing but when this is done even the little might may be allowed out supervised!!!

The new addition

Well finally these last few days have come.... it feels as if we have been waiting so long, when it has only been 10 weeks.

Bertie is the new addition to the household. To be a pal to the others, we have chosen a Blue Tabby Longhaired Curly Selkirk Rex. It has to be said he does look quite different to the others but certainly, if our other Selkirk is to go by, then he will be a chilled, comical, relaxed lad liking company but enjoying wholly the cat proofed garden. Longhair may be a challenge, their fur already looks as if they have been too close to an electric plug as it forms curls especially around the neck. Selkirks do love company so hopefully he will fit in with our crowd here.

I contacted the breeder when he was only 14 days old, and we finally went to see him when he was 5 weeks old. Bertie came over as confident but not as much as his brother, he is lovely and cuddly. The breeder was fantastic showing us all her cat family. So knowledgable, her cats being strongly seen as good types for the breed. So that was it, we had made our choice.

After 4 more weeks we went again to see the massive progress he had made, size and personality wise. The breeder was so kind in that she let us come again after another 2 weeks, openly inviting us. For us great but what a pain it must be. And now we collect............ and hope that the boys take to him well. When Reuben came Harvey was just in shock and it took a few days for them to get used to each other however with Monty we had hardly a hiss.....So who knows? We have 2 Feliways diffusers running and a Pet remedy. We will introduce them slowly with glimpses, treats and scent swapping.

My youngest

Well I did wonder what I was getting when we had our youngest, my two other children could not be more dissimilar from day one, so I was under no illusions of expecting a clone of either of them.

Our youngest was Mr Laid-back and has remained so throughout his life. He is also Mr Relaxed, Mr Easy going and Mr Gets on with everyone. He doesn't really see the need to get worked up about anything.

I had the easiest of pregnancies and an epidural at birth made that so easy, I do wonder if that had anything to do with his easy going nature!! As a third child he did have to fit with what we needed to do whether that was play groups, more playgroups, visiting play friends or shopping. None of this getting him to sleep and not going anywhere !!! In fact he was amazing put him in the car and before we had gone ten feet he was asleep, unfortunately he still suffers a little from that as a passenger in the car and drops off at the drop of a hat!! He talked fairly early somehow managing to get his voice heard in the household!! What we did notice is that he could remember things very well and at one of his early tests he was able to remember at least 7 or 8 numbers in a row, I was lost at 5.....

I do remember he always had a beaming smile and would melt a situation by using it as you couldn't be cross with him....

We were lucky when we moved to our new house as he made the best of friends with a neighbour, they were inseparable. Unfortunately teenage life got in the way as did other interests.

He is a devil for not putting his head down to work on something, he doesn't like to be told either, that is something I have learnt. You can only put your ideas briefly forward and leave it at that otherwise you are on a sticky wicket. Not easy going.

I think he has some regrets that some of our lovely holidays were when he was young and he doesn't always remember them or only through photos although him and me had a really special holiday together, just us two, in Morocco. My OH was unable to come to a break we had planned, just the two of us!! so as our youngest was free he came. It was a joy. We had to follow an itinerary based around birdwatching!!, my husbands hobby, so there we were a young teenager and me driving over the High Atlas, visiting Oasis, eating with heads of a village, staying in isolated places where we were the only people staying and we had to go over two miles of sand, staying in a Riad in Marrakech in an area which my husband described as traditional!!! We had a ball.....It was great to get to have that experience with him, just him.

I love that he has a wide circle of friends, there is no type, he seems to get on with everyone. I do like that. The only issue I've ever had was when all these friends!! seemed to turn up at a house party. He had persuaded us that we could trust him!!!! to have a party with a few friends. We went away only to have my daughter at three in the morning ringing and crying down the phone. No body would listen to her to stop people coming in so the party became huge. Unfortunately at the end of the evening our sofa was literally broken in half!!!!! yes in half, my daughters glasses were broken and smashed, we had lost / broken most of the baubles on the Christmas tree and my poor daughter was trying to clean up messes that people were making around the house. And our youngest.... well he couldn't be found until they looked under our bed where he was asleep. Needless to say he has and NEVER will have another party at our house. The sofa is mended but not perfect!!!!!

That said, he does always make me smile, so darn cheeky.

The furry ones....... Harvey, Reuben and Monty

Harvey you have met, he is a Cream Colourpoint British Shorthair. He is the eldest and very much the Alpha cat making sure the others tow the line, he is however also the most concerned regarding changes to the house or people. At a year and a half he got out of our front window and went missing for three days, and since we found him he has been a changed cat, before he was standoffish with most people but the experience has made him come back very cuddly!!! However he will disappear with strangers and noises, not a brave one.  For instance we have a painter painting our eaves on the house at the moment and he has disappeared all day into the bedroom.

Reuben is Related to Harvey, same dad but Harvey's mum is the daughter of Reuben's mum! He is a Lilac Colourpoint British Shorthair. Reuben is a strange one! Loyal to the core.... He sleeps on the bed and follows you as a shadow. Although he has all the same genetics as Harvey he just does not seem to be put together as neatly! A little gangly would be kind.... He also does not have a mean bone in his body. So much so he has been a lovely mum to Monty, caring, cleaning and following him everywhere. But the worm can turn....... The only time we have seen Harvey put in his place was when Monty had been pounced on by Harvey, Reuben growled, got in between them, attacked Harvey and then continued to place himself between Harvey and Monty. Harvey got the message soon enough. Reuben can always be guaranteed to respond to Thrives treats, rattle the tube and he will take you down. He has his quirks... he wont look you in the eye unless he's in the sink in the bathroom having a cuddle... don't ask!

Monty is our Curly Shorthaired Selkirk Rex, what a cute boy! He has a boyish charm and looks a bit of a clown. He loves his RAW food, in preference he will eat the solid meat chunks, whole wings and reptile food mice, mince is not his love. He will accept being held like a baby for a while. He is a mute silent cat, when he meows nothing comes out, it doesn't mean he is quiet all the time however, when he sleeps he snores like a large old man!!!! He has given us scares, one of them was climbing the tree in the garden and getting stuck!!!!! like a true cat!!! My youngest 6ft 2in boy had to come to the rescue and pull him down. As I write more for this blog I am sure you will find out more about the boys..... AND our new kitten arriving next weekend.

My daughter

New born daughter

Again it seems such a long time ago now, 20 years!!!! when we had our daughter. Our lovely little blonde daughter.... well I have to say you couldn't really see the blonde she didn't have tooooo much hair although she has certainly made up for it now! Competing with me to see whose is the longest!!!!

If you read my blog post regarding my eldest you will know that pregnancy and birth was not the best, well with my daughter it was so so different. I think the term is " sailed through" the pregnancy, and whilst it was not my choice I had a very natural ie no pain relief birth!! even though she was back to back with me. I was soon home with no lasting side effects.

I did believe at the time I was going to have a clone of my eldest...the same genes and the same way of behaving with them of course they were going to be the same. How wrong!!!!!
Whereas my son needed carrying all the time when he was born, my daughter was happy to keep herself amused. When held she did not want to see your shoulder she wanted to see the world, so we used to carry her face out. Which on occasions looked odd as she would drop off to sleep facing away looking quite uncomfortable. She did not like to go to her cot asleep she wanted to get herself off......and the list goes on.

She was a very cheeky thing who did indeed love the sound of her voice whether that was talking or singing!!!!! No wonder our eldest was called "Monosyllabic".

Bridemaid

Scottish beach, Culkein

She was always interested in how she looked, obviously, as she had a desire to keep cutting her hair and fringe. The most annoying time was just before a wedding when she was a bridesmaid, her resulting haircut became a short bob which did actually look lovely. Into her teenage years her lovely blonde crowning glory did get abused, each time we had to recover the situation with conditioning treatments and a re-dye.

In Stellenbosch, SA

Our daughter wears her feelings openly which can make for interesting moments, and made for many during her teenage years!! with her eldest brother. However we do all know where she stands on subjects and how she feels!!!! Now maturity kicks in, agghhhhhhhh.


Although she could of gone to Uni she made the choice not to realizing that it was not for her. She could not see herself just focusing on IT for three years!! We had been proud of her years before when she had chosen to look for a  Saturday job and had gone into town personally dropping a CV she had produced into every shop, she got a job almost immediately. Then we were so delighted when she proved herself by getting an apprenticeship, against stiff  competition, and she is now in a career she loves. Well done!!

Daughter with our two BSHs

In the Red Sea, Egypt