The kittens are coming!

I have a strange problem....it's with a cat, so I am writing doggerel about it.

Ahem

Viola keeps nipping my nipples,
She does it in summer you see...
Because when the weather is hot dear
The nipples are easy to see

(Thin night wear)

Viola keeps nipping my nipples.
You might think such a thing could be nice,
But apart from egregious weirdness,
She's sharp teeth, and a jaw like a vice.

(Seriously, she almost bit through my thumb once when she mistook it for part of a toy)

Viola keeps nipping my nipples,
So far it's been gentle and sweet
But I'm scared that I'll wake up one morning
And find that's she's nipped off a teat!

(Poetic licence....clearly I would wake up instantly!)

Viola keeps nipping my nipples,
I'm finding it harder to sleep,
I can cover them up when I'm waking
But when I'm not, out they peep!

My cats are dingbats.

I put them outside this evening in their garden tunnel. Together.

They were there together for a couple of hours....sunning, eating grass, sniffing stuff.

Then, in front of Viola, I took Sebastian out and brushed him. I popped him on his long leash so he could wander and went to brush Viola. She told me that Sebastian was an intruder and so, possibly, was I. She yelled and screamed at him then yelled and screamed at me when I tried to grab her.

So Sebastian came over and said that SHE was clearly an intruder and tried to fight her. She fought back. Blood curdling threats and howls.

So I get them inside and they have a fight.

I've sprayed feliway everywhere. Sebastian is off being upset.

Viola is claiming me.

Dingfuckingbatcats.

Deb, Don't get me wrong. I'm sympathetic. I'm just wondering how you expect cats to act. Sounds normal to me. What the hell is feliway?

I don't know, I'm still trying to figure out a henweigh.

I expect cats raised together to recognise each other.

Sebastian does. Every other pair of cats I have had have had no problems.

I think it's weird.


Feliway is a pheromone product that is supposed to calm them.

Doesn't have much result in this one-cat household in deterring unsavoury behaviour.

No. I wonder if there is any evidence base at all? All the vets recommend it. Probably because they sell it!

Woollies turn five tomorrow! January 14th....a couple of hours away, oz time.

I have picked up very upset woollies from the vet. Especially Sebastian. Usually he welcomes any new people and experiences with open paws, but this time he was upset when I left and continued so. I think for some reason his vaccinations really hurt him, which has never happened before. Normally he's kissing the vet and doesn't notice them. This time he was actually growling at the vet when they happened. Then they both had to have blood tests for feline hiv then, as they came up clear, had to have more vaccinations, which all happened after I was gone.

Apparently, and unprecedentedly, they had to house them separately because HE was hissing at her.

When I got them, he had eyes as big as saucers and took ages to settle down

He finally settled last night, when he insisted on holding my hand and sucking my fingers and he cried and cried. We had another session of this this morning.

Anyone else had this from cats? I swear they're aliens!

Viola is calmer, but insists on knowing where I am all the time and cries with her "kitten looking for mother" cry until she finds me.

Oh...they were boarding because I went to Melbourne

We met up with Msolga!

Never experienced such a thing, deb. I hope it passes soon for their sakes and yours.

How is msolga? I hope she's doing well.

They are happy again. Msolga was well. I let her know about the possible changes coming up here....not sure whether they might make any difference for her or not.

Bought woollies three "robotic" mice. Unpacked one. It runs around randomly five times, then stops until aroused by a paw, or some such.

Intense woolly interest. I have to keep righting mouse.

Then mouse appears to decide to behave like a real mouse and, when righted, immediately runs under one of the sofas or a bookcase and traps itself. Woollies can't get in to grab it.

I retrieved it with much effort and furniture moving three times.

Goddamn mouse!!!!!!

Goddamn mouse! You're reminding me of Herbie. Remember him. He acted the same way as the robot, except he was alive.

Mice. What can I say?

I remain in negotiations with Sebastian about his outside time.

yes, it's all wrong to be negotiating with a cat, but he has to remain sane if I am to have a good life.

the new factor is that, if things go right and I get to move where I wish to, it is a community rule that cats not roam freely. So he has to become accustomed to just getting into the garden in their outdoor run.

so....currently...if I am home he gets one outdoor time. When he comes in he gets rewarded with food but I close the door.

i then try to get him out on his leash another time if I can.

wish us well!

Theyre funny when they go out. Viola doesn't go far and she comes back frequently. She mews like a kitten looking for its mum until she finds me, then she wants a cuddle. She will pop in and out like that for a while, then she is satisfied and settles down with me.

sebastian is gone longer, sometimes for hours, though my neighbours tell me that he regularly checks back into his garden. When I go out to call him if he's been out for a long time, I often hear that he was there a few minutes ago

lately, though, he tends to come in and check in with me inside much more frequently.

I can can now tell his I want cuddles mew from all the other various bellows and yells. When he wants a cuddle he somehow sort of tucks his cheeks up when he cries. It's very cute.

cornish rex are supposed to have quiet mews. I wish old trumpet mouth would read the manual.

the other cute thing he does: when he's going to sleep he sticks a paw out to be held. He's very insistent. I haven't had that since the cat I raised from before her eyes opened insisted that I literally hold her paw when she gave birth. She would not lie down in her nest unless I did. She would get out of the box and cry even with a kitten half out of her unless that paw was firmly in my grasp!

How are you going to manage that? Only letting them out on a leash?

Otherwise they'll be out of the garden in no time.

You're moving again? Didn't you just arrive where you are?

I didn't know you were letting the woollies out unsupervised. I'm glad they come back safe and sound. I worry.

Net enclosure.

I worry too. Very much.

Sebastian escaped a couple of times and made himself excruciatingly unhappy over not being allowed out. He is a very dramatic cat and his unhappiness led to howling, pacing, pissing on my bed, attacking viola and other extremes.

Eventually I broke and let him out when I could. I hoped he would remain in various gardens and not cross the road.....he had previously said he was frightened of crossing roads. However, he was sprung a few weeks ago playing with the cat across the road, because that cat's mum came over looking for her cat. He had been leading her cat astray!

So....now I am attempting to give him shorter periods outside, hoping to satisfy him just enough to keep him happy.

In the process I bought them a one fast cat exercise wheel, which is a major hit.

I consulted my vet who suggested all the things I had already tried to make him happy indoors....except she suggested putting their cat run in the garden with plants inside it instead of on paving with play equipment. I will try that.

I have been here three years and eight months.

An opportunity has come up to buy a place yet to be built in the local ecological and arts settlement. This place has been around for twenty years and offers your own house and garden in a place built to minimise energy use and which have huge underground water tanks to minimise use of mains water. There are shared community facilities like orchards, produce gardens, studios for art and craft and a general commitment to community values. It's designed to be multi-generational.

I am very concerned re global warming and general environmental destruction, so this offers a good chance to live as sustainably as possible.

My place should be ready within a year or so. I'm signing the contract tomorrow subject to my getting a reasonable place for my home and being able to finance the new one.

It's been a difficult decision as I'd always planned on moving back to the city in a few years, but I love the area and the opportunity is pretty good.

Contract for new house signed