Roger--
Neutered males are the ones who are prone to bladder infections.
Meatballs: Shape ground round into golf-ball size spheres.
Boil.
Cool.
Explain to healthy cats why they can't have boiled ground round.
Sing: "No dry food with one meatball" as often as necessary.
Your cats did not pick the idea summer to have mid-life crises, leave hearth and home and tomcat around wearing gold chains and 'tudes.
Ornery critters, cats.
Hey - I didn't know they'd come back! Or most of them. I like MsOlga's idea re the cat door. And I totally agre with Roger about indoor cats being just fine.
I guess we shouldn't have favorites, but Barney was mine. I haven't seen him since I got into the hospital.
Spooky has been out and found his way back twice, so there's hope he will come home. As I mentioned somewhere around here, Nermal is developing a much better personality since he became an only cat. Nerm has also been outside but never stays more than a half hour and doesn't go far. Now that he has a taste of the outdoors, it's pretty hard to keep him in. I don't think a determined cat can be kept in, unless you nail hilm with a kick everytime he tries it. Kind of self defeating though, unless it's better to be kicked around at home, instead of out on the street.
Roger--
I know how you feel about a Disappeared Cat. Nineteen years ago last June, Macho vanished in the chaos of settling in after a major move. He was a suburban cat, high on the Great Chain of Being when he went for a walk in the woods and never came home.
roger wrote:No, I've got a screen door outside the regular door.
Me, too.
I had both doors mangled when I moved in here. :wink:
So I have a cat flap in both. The screen door flap is permanently up & my cat comes & goes through the flap in the regular door. It's useful because my cat can come & go (& feed, sleep inside) when I'm not here.
For both cats and weather proofing, my screen door has been modified somewhat. The lower half is covered with plexiglass year round. Both the lower halves are covered with a wire mesh to keep them from jumping to the top half and trying to mangle the upper half. They can't do it, of course, but that doesn't stop them from trying.
This belongs to the old "Cat in House" philosophy. That philosophy has recently been discared, of course. We took a vote; I lost.
I had nylon screens in windows in Georgia. The windows there tend to be tall, go from just above the floor to nearly the ceiling. On the other side of my bedroom window was a porch. The screen was torn and flapped easily. I propped up the big old window on bricks (just in case) and the cats used the screen as a cat door. Unfortunately, the black widows used it too.
I had a house without a cat door and five cats. Jacques would meow twice for admission and then spring to the screen on the top of the screen door and spit and fuss until admitted.
Well, guess who just wandered up to the screen door as if nothing had happened since, well whenever he last took off. Not for the food. He didn't touch it, nor the water. Well, Nermal has already been promoted to number one cat. Spook is hiding. I thought this was why I paid to have these guys neutered, but noooo.
Aw, happy night at Roger Ranch.
roger wrote:Well, guess who just wandered up to the screen door as if nothing had happened since, well whenever he last took off. Not for the food. He didn't touch it, nor the water. Well, Nermal has already been promoted to number one cat. Spook is hiding. I thought this was why I paid to have these guys neutered, but noooo.
I read all the posts so does this mean all 3 are back now?
Slaughter the fatted calf. The Prodigal Son has returned!
Barney might not feel like chowing down on fatted calf, but he'll appreciate the aroma of the sacrifical offering.
Oh no. Haven't seen Barney's smiling face since April 27. As of this morning, I do have Nermal and Spooky. Each is his own cat, and I'm trying to accept that both are going to disappear for a while, and quite worrying every time they're not in after dark.
I am sorry roger. I knew while you were in the hospital that your cats disappeared and then coming back, except for Barney.
I thought by that post you made it meant Barney came back. It has been 3 months but there is always hope.
I hope your Barney comes back to you.
Oops--but rejoicing over the second prodigal son.
Three cats, three possibilities for either despair or rejoicing.
Pets are a bit like children in that way.
Hey Roger, what's the situation with your cats now?
Holding steady with Spooky and Nermal. Both seem happier for being indoor/outdoor cats, but you have to worry sometimes.
