Tuesday 23 September 2014

Kitty News Update...

I'm sure you're dying to know how the Cardinal and Monsignor are getting along...

No? Well, you'll need to skip this post.

Cardinal Furretti is as affectionate and indolent as ever. She seems to spend the majority of her time asleep, but likes to do so in my company - and preferably on my lap. She is also displaying a jealous streak towards Miaowrini. I haven't seen any overt violence, but there must be some subtle form of communication going on.

The process goes something along these lines: Miaowrini finds a comfortable spot, and starts to spend more time there. Suddenly, Furretti is seen spending time there instead, so Miaowrini has to go elsewhere. Finally Furretti returns to her favourite spot (on my bed) but Miaowrini seems unwilling to go back to reclaim her spot.

In addition, Furretti sulks if I pay attention to Miaowrini. She actually turns her back on me, and moves away if I try to stroke her. Therefore I have to be careful to stroke Furretti first, if the two of them are present, or stroke Miaowrini when Furretti isn't watching...

After I've been away, Furretti does her best to show her disapproval by sulking. The problem is that she's such a "needy" cat that she has a really hard time doing this. She comes running towards me to greet me, then stops herself, turns her back on me and stalks away. That lasts all of two minutes, and then back she comes, eager to be petted and made a fuss of.

Monsignor Miaowrini, when I first got her, bolted whenever I turned to look at her, something I attributed to her experiences as a rescue kitten. Gradually she became less nervous, but she was a difficult cat to approach, and she hated to be picked up. She spent most of her time outside, and I vaguely wondered whether she was spending time in another house. Then, earlier this year, she had her accident, and was caged up for a few months. After that, she became far more affectionate, and of late she has started to run towards me to greet me when she comes home - she's also home much more than before. In addition, she now frequently allows herself to be picked up for a brief cuddle and head scratch.

I am moved by the fact that, despite the dreadful injury to her leg, Miaowrini had made her way back home, even though she must have had real difficulty getting up the kitty steps to the catflap. She obviously considers it a place of safety.

Miaowrini has been catching lots of mice and bringing them in, and, if I'm at home (and awake), she miaows loudly until I come to see what she's brought back. She has a very distinctive miaow for this purpose - almost triumphant. Furretti loves to chase whatever Miaowrini brings in, but I have only seen her bring in a mouse of her own on one occasion, so I assume that Miaowrini is responsible for most of the kills.

At the moment, I'm having one or two problems with feeding. The cats are being fussy. They have Purina One dried food available all the time, but both cats like (demand) wet food in the morning and in the evening. I've tried giving only dry food, but then the cats seem to throw up more frequently, and I'm not too keen on clearing up cat vomit.

Both of them dislike Felix, and they only like certain flavours of Sainsbury's own brand. They both like Purina One wet food, but that is prohibitively expensive, and the portion sizes are ridiculously small. Iams was initially received well by Furretti but not by Miaowrini. Whiskas has to be generously laced with (expensive) Felix cat treats before either cat will consider it. Furretti will often eat stuff if it is in Miaowrini's bowl, but Miaowrini won't eat stuff from Furretti's bowl. Both cats really like tinned tuna, but, as well as being expensive, and despite it being the variety with spring water rather than brine, it is apparently not good for the cats to have too much of it...

Don't waste time telling me that the cats will eat whatever there is if they're hungry enough. They don't. And cat food that has been left out for a day smells horrible. And I'm too soft to let them go hungry...

16 comments:

Gungarius said...

Isn't it a mortal sin to discuss your cats in the media?.......I'll get my coat.... :-)

Mulier Fortis said...

Naughty Gungarius! ;-p

Sounds like you were there. Now, I wonder who you might be...

Zephyrinus said...

Hilarious, Mac.

Thanks for the update. Your Kittie Posts are
always interesting and welcome.

With all the recent strange promotions and demotions
in the Vatican, isn't it about time that
your two hooligans were promoted ?

Are they Curia material ?

Mulier Fortis said...

Monsignor Miaowrini is an active and ambitious kitty who may yet make Archbishop but Cardinal Furretti is far too indolent to accept anything less than the top job...

Pelerin said...

As a fellow cat lover I was so pleased to read your updates on both your cats. Please carry on giving us news and photos.

Mulier Fortis said...

Thanks but I have a teensy confession - it's an old photo on the post. I'll get some new ones soon!

Matthaeus said...

Cats being fussy about food? Never :-)

Good to hear they are both doing Ok, though.

P.s. Next time Miaowrini announces one of her catches, listen carefully: perhaps she is trying to intone a 'Te Deum' in thanksgiving for a successful hunting trip, and expecting you to carry on the chant.

Philippa Martyr said...

We raw-feed our Beast (who lives in a very monastic enclosure and thus cannot hunt his own), and he loves it, and thrives on it. But I suppose that might be just as expensive as buying tinned/dry food?

Beast gets cheap fatty beef mince, discount organs, and the occasional tin of human-grade tuna or sardines in springwater. You can give them raw egg, too, if they like it and respond well. Do they eat their kill, ever?

Gungarius said...

I did make some enquries after reading about the "mortal sin" incident on another blog. The general response was roars of laughter and the retort that what happens in a Church in a public service is a matter of public record.

Unknown said...

My puss is very choosy about food, but has developed a passion for Sheba

gemoftheocean said...

wondered how the little devils have been getting on.

truthfinder2 said...

Good to read about them again! I have missed learning of their adventures. ~ Rosemary in Ohio

Delia said...

Have you tried Natural Instinct frozen food? They do both cat and dog food. Really good. I give my two Natural Instinct in the morning and kibble in the evening. Available at Mobile Pet Foods - nice old-fashioned pet food place near the Eltham turning off the A2. Google both.

Lady Catcliffe said...

Glad to hear cat news again. I am in the States, and I am intrigued that they eat Purina One, which is what I feed my cats here. My Mr. Cat also suffered a fracture and endured cage rest. I have not allowed him to return to the outdoors. He has become more of a family cat, more content to sit in the kitchen and the areas in which he is allowed in the house. (Alas, Lord Catcliffe is restrictive in this regard.) Mr. Cat is more territorial in the house, and Mrs. Cat fights with him more.

Damask Rose said...

I don't have a pet cat, but a few years ago a cat living near the kid's primary school took a liking to the kid and me. We used to stroke it and make a fuss. Anyway, the cat followed us home... and came in. I noticed this happened a few times when it rained... clever cat. Anyway, we used to feed the cat, tuna, sausage meat and one time I gave it a piece, can't remember, it was either raw pork or beef. Well, the cat totally went feral, it darted off with its fresh meaty morsel, scooted under a settee and ate it there, away from other predators, er, me and the kid! (I guess it's not good to give cats raw food.) Another time I was preparing chicken for dinner and I decided to keep the excess cut off chicken skins, fried them and let them cool. Our kitty guest turned up, and I fed him the skins. He loved them, purring away while eating them up. Honestly, this cat was not a fussy eater.

One time we had a near-miss experience. I dished up our dinner onto plates and turned my back. Meanwhile the kid yelled out and I turned around to see this cat had jumped up and landed luckily right between two plates, I guess to have a nibble. If his paw had just landed on an edge of a plate you can imagine all the food and plate going up in the air, a yowl from the cat and a rapid jumping off the worktop and darting off ...

I too have spent a long time stroking this cat on my lap. The kid got jealous of the cat on my lap so the kid would sit on my lap on purpose (sigh), the cat got jealous of the kid... As soon as the kid got off my lap, the cat would jump up. And the cat would start kneading my lap! Ouch, ruining my tights too. If I stopped stroking it, it would turn its head round and nudge my arm with its nose. Aw. Definitely needy (pun intended). After a while, the cat stopped visiting and I did miss it. Thankfully I haven't got a pet or I'd get nothing done.

PS Thank you for all the lovely photos you took of services at Blackfen all these years.

Terry Nelson said...

My kitty, Gabby (Gabrielle van der Mal) only eats wet food without grains. No dried food or treats. My last two kitties, Agnes and Xena suffered and died from kidney and urinary tract problems and my vet said it was because of the dried food. So Gabby eats only wetfood and has excellent eliminations and rarely vomits. (She loves to be brushed.)

She's very devout and says morning and evening prayer as well as the rosary every night. To my surprise she tries to hold the beads all by herself ...

Well, you know.

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