The kittens are coming!

Sebastian is...Viola less so....hence the embarrassing pet stroller for them!

My torn ligament felt much better yesterday...not so good today.

deb, The woollies are doing their jobs. According to the feline job description, be a picky eater and run around the bed when somebody's in it are toward the top of the list.

Well - I know that. I also know my place.

Deb appears a tad confoozled! Dem cats is just cats!

The woollies have NEVER, heretofore, been picky eaters! The run around the bed thing....yep...that's a core task in the job description.

They're hot little woollies tonight! 32C.....or 90F....in the house tonight when I got home.

In America you can tell the temperature by counting the number of cricket chirps in fifteen seconds and using a simple mathematical formula on it, which I have forgotten at the moment.

It has been suggested that you can also tell the temperature by seeing how flat your cat gets when it is sleeping. the hight the temperature, the flatter the cat. Are S and V very flat?

They were picky eaters. They were just stringing you along, letting you think you had the upper hand foodwise.

Hope you feel better tomorrow. Wait, it is tomorrow for you. Well, whatever day it is there, I hope you're not in pain.

I go by length. They were long...and a little flattish...earlier, but we have had the air conditioner on. They've had a big play. Viola bit Sebastian when he galumphed in and took over our game. To her annoyance, I don't think he noticed.

Boo about your knee
Did you start the leash training early (as kits)?

Um.....I think so. I used to live in an apartment overlooking a park in the city. I'd take them across the highway and let them walk on leashes in the park.

Sebastian took to it like a duck to water....Viola was much more hesitant. Soon Sebastian was running along beside me. He prefers routes he knows....and will run along for ages without stopping on those.

I think he was a natural...didn't really need to be taught. Viola likes a gentle explore.

Sorry to butt in... I'm getting a kitten soon... we had our last cat for 18 yrs... what are the benefits of leash training?

Well, for indoor cats, if they like it, it means they can enjoy the outdoors safely.

Ok dlowan thanks! Can you think of any drawbacks?

Common sense would advise anyone that a vigilante eye must always be present, which can be seen as a drawback to the busy bees. If you keep an eye on your cat while you are both outdoors together, fine; but if you let them roam the neighborhood, how can you claim to know what your cat is killing? There is plenty of evidence that is not merely anecdotal that this is a big problem for birds. Other scenarios that also comes into mind are that either they may run off to never come back or end up as road kill.

Yes, thanks for that Ice... it's always good to hear advice (pros & cons) before trying something for the first time... I'm still not sure what to do... but thanks!

Well one drawback for me is that Munkin is already a kitty young adult, so training him with a leash is a bit more difficult. He was rescued from the "red in tooth and claw" outdoors, so he knows he is the king of all nature. No leash shall have dominion over him . Munkin is an indoor kitty now, for his protection and the protection of the local bird/rodent population. It has been mentioned before (on this thread)the decreased lifespan and reduced health of outdoor cats.
Munkin does accept the leash for voyages out to see the vet etc. He is remarkably good in the car. We haven't yet taken him out for a nature stroll, I worry that he may return to longing for the violent life. He seems to be quite content now to play hunt and fight with the toys we use with him.

Munkin is getting better on the leash and harness, though he often thinks that the leash means "Time to play with the string".
Do Viola and Sebastian like it when the furniture (environment) is changed?
Munkin loves it when the indoor scenery changes.

My future kitten is recently born to a rescued mother, she had five and one is earmarked for me. The last I heard from my daughter (her partner's mum helps run a rescue center) is that their eyes are still closed.

I'll visit them when they are closer to being weaned I guess after about five weeks. My daughter may take the mother and one of the kittens (they already have a cat but he seems very accommodating).

I'll maybe update you here, when I've seen them...

Thanks Igm,
I hope you do keep us updated
I hope also that you spay or neuter you new family member

Nope...they don't play with the leash. Sebastian loves his walks so much that he's way too intent on getting out there to think of anything else!

Cats don't roam the neighbourhood when they are on a leash!

That's where the leash bit comes in.

You need to be sure you have an escape proof harness, though,...and very few truly are.

You certainly have to keep an eagle eye out, though, to protect your cat.

I think it's worth giving it a good go, but after trying for a while, if the cat hates it then I think the decision is made.