Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK

Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: Mark on April 29, 2007, 18:34:22 PM

Title: Willow stairs
Post by: Mark on April 29, 2007, 18:34:22 PM
We are all cat-mad!

We are having our horrible garden landscaped. When the lady came a few weeks ago to go over  what we wanted, we said the most important thing is it being interesting for the cats. I half jokingly said it would be great if willow coud get down from the kitchen on the 1st floor as she won't use the inside stairs to go past kylie. We got the final drawings today and there it is the "willow stairs"  ;D which will be narrow enough that a burglar couldn't use them but safe for a cat with high sides. There will be a small summer house with a cat-flap. A pergola. and a "babbling brook" water feature so the cats can play in the water safely. Instead of a lawn there is a "cat meadow" that with have a mixture of grasses including catmint and meadow flowers. Basically it is a cat-paradise. It's not a massive garden but there will be areas to interest the cats  ;D

We must be  :Crazy:

Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Team Svartalfheims on April 29, 2007, 18:35:41 PM
That sounds absolutely wonderful Mark!  ;D ;D
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: CurlyCatz on April 29, 2007, 18:38:18 PM
 :wow:  Mark.. I am dying to see lots of photos when its done, sounds like it will be wonderful. You must have found a great landscaper then.  I'm abit confused about willows stairs, will it be going from a window or something ?  :-:

Your not mad at all (well ok maybe a bit  :evillaugh:) they're your babies  :Luv:
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Millys Mum on April 29, 2007, 18:48:07 PM
It sounds lovely! It would be nice if it helps Willow stop weeing aswell
Id love to see pics too
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa) on April 29, 2007, 18:50:23 PM
 :wow: :wow:sounds a fab idea mark
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Christine (Blip) on April 29, 2007, 19:32:25 PM
We must be  :Crazy:

Yep.

Sounds brill!  :wow:
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Sam (Fussy_Furball) on April 29, 2007, 19:42:57 PM
Oh Mark it sounds wonderful ... we need pics when it's done :)
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: JackSpratt on April 29, 2007, 20:17:35 PM
I want to see pictures of the stairs in use!  ;D

You're not mad, you're just very thoughtful slaves! ;)
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: emzbubble on April 29, 2007, 22:09:17 PM
That will look and  be awesome. Def can't wait to see the photo and pinch your ideas! hehe x
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Mark on April 30, 2007, 06:23:38 AM
:wow:  Mark.. I am dying to see lots of photos when its done, sounds like it will be wonderful. You must have found a great landscaper then.  I'm abit confused about willows stairs, will it be going from a window or something ?  :-:

Your not mad at all (well ok maybe a bit  :evillaugh:) they're your babies  :Luv:

Not quite sure how it is going to work but I suppose the only way for it to work is to have a cat-flap in the window going onto a platform. She hasn't done a detailed drawing yet so I suppose it will be the carpenters job to sort that out. It will have to be practical and safe for cats. It all sounds too good to be true but she use to be an architect so hopefully it will all work. She isn't very practical in some eways as the rotary dryer has disappeared. I asked her how I am meant to dry B&B bedding & towels and  she said I can use a retractable line - that won;t be enough drying space. Everyone is shouting me down saying they can't let this eden be spoiled by a rotary dryer  :Crazy:

The "digging out" is starting in may followed by the carpenter for 2 weeks then planting so it will be well into June before it will be close to done.
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: CurlyCatz on April 30, 2007, 07:33:02 AM
Quote
as the rotary dryer

Oooo Mark you cant let something minor like that put you off  :rofl:

why is it you wont have enough room for a rotary one though ?  i think you can fold them up like an umberella.
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Mark on April 30, 2007, 07:42:25 AM
I know but OH said I said I would put it away when it wasn't being used but hasn't been put away once. (OH & designer) don't want their paradise spoiled with practical things - that's fine but how do I get stuff dry? - I silly retractable line won't hold 3 sets of bedding, 6 towls, 3 bathmats + all regular washing. I will have to knock some sense into them.
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: CurlyCatz on April 30, 2007, 07:46:45 AM
tie a line to yourself and get  :bike:  I reckon an hour or so through the town should dry your laundry  :evillaugh:
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: hannah (weeny) on April 30, 2007, 11:00:50 AM
i cant wait to see it and think the willow stiars are adorable!!!

but.... i thought you were moving???  :shify:
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Mark on April 30, 2007, 11:02:39 AM
tie a line to yourself and get  :bike:  I reckon an hour or so through the town should dry your laundry  :evillaugh:

Shall I put a brush up my  :censored: and sweep the street at the same time?  :evillaugh:
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Mark on April 30, 2007, 11:05:17 AM
i cant wait to see it and think the willow stiars are adorable!!!

but.... i thought you were moving???  :shify:

Not moving, just closing down B&B so we get the house to ourselves.  ;D

OH was talking to landscaper and told her I want to have a cat sanctuary  ;D (What I actually said was I would like to foster but I would prefer the sanctuary option  ;D )
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: hannah (weeny) on April 30, 2007, 11:16:28 AM
i see! well that makes more sense!!!  cant wait to see the photos!
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Millys Mum on April 30, 2007, 20:42:31 PM
Quote
I want to have a cat sanctuary 

I have your first tenant here, a naughty torti, let me know when to send her  :evillaugh:
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Mark on April 30, 2007, 21:22:58 PM
My mum wants to send her naughty tortie there too - she keeps pooing on my mum's new rug!
She said she is torn between loving her to bits and returning her to CP  :-:
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Millys Mum on May 01, 2007, 15:30:54 PM
Oh my torti doesnt poo everywhere lol. Try an extra tray with a fine sand like litter in it
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Mark on May 01, 2007, 17:24:00 PM
Its this new rug she bought - Shelley has pooed on it several times.

I think she feels conned by Basildon CP as she asked for an older lapcat that would be company for her but ended up with a young, hyper, pain in the  :censored: that hasn't sat on her once  >:(
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa) on May 01, 2007, 17:44:06 PM
Its this new rug she bought - Shelley has pooed on it several times.

I think she feels conned by Basildon CP as she asked for an older lapcat that would be company for her but ended up with a young, hyper, pain in the  :censored: that hasn't sat on her once  >:(


oh no !
thats wrong! surely the cp couldnt of got it that wrong
did ya mum complain and tell them that they matched her with the wrong cat ?
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Mark on May 01, 2007, 18:24:19 PM
She was going to but decided to persevere. She is stuck now as she loves Shelley but she really wanted a cat to keep her company as she lives alone since my dad died 2 years ago. She is disappointed as her last cat (who was blind) used to sit with them every night and go to bed with them. My mum used to take her into the garden every day as well. Shelley just does her own thing  :(

I think Shelley would have been better off with someone that is at work all day as all she wants is her food and doesn't want a fuss at all.
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa) on May 01, 2007, 18:34:17 PM
awwww
i like her name  :Luv: shelly is a pretty cool name  :Luv:
is she quite a young cat ?
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Mark on May 01, 2007, 18:55:35 PM
She is  18 months we think. I had some photos on my other computer but they were really fuzzy. I was tring to find them on catchat but no luck.

Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Millys Mum on May 02, 2007, 11:54:30 AM
When your 18months old theres much better things to be doing then sitting on laps.
It does sound like bad homing on CPs part, odd as they normally snap up people who want an older quiet cat  :-:
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Mark on May 02, 2007, 14:06:20 PM
I think it's 50/50

They (and me) told her not to accept the 1st cat she saw unless it felt right. I think she felt duty-bound and felt sorry for the cat.
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Millys Mum on May 02, 2007, 14:14:05 PM
Thats always a bad move, still they should have said no to her if the cat wasnt suitable  :doh:
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Mark on May 02, 2007, 14:39:04 PM
The problem is, Shelley was alone in a spare bedroonm at the fosterers so hadn't shown her true colours  :-:
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: carl (billy and baggys dad) on May 02, 2007, 14:45:51 PM
Sounds awesome Mark, some top ideas there  :)

I'd love to see the plans/working visual for it.
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Mark on May 02, 2007, 14:52:18 PM
I have some plans but they are on A3 boards - my scanner is only A4 - when I get some time, I will try to take a photo and upload it. Hopefully it will be clear enough. I will get a photobucket account to try to show them more clearly  ;D

At the moment the cats are enjoying the wisteria that blew down months ago and is covering 1/2 the garden  :evillaugh:
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: snarf on May 02, 2007, 21:01:37 PM
there was a program on tv ages ago, that one with the crazy science boys that solved problems, and they had a nice couple who lived in a first floor flat and wanted their cats to be able to get into the communal garden from their balcony and they made this great set of stairs that could be pulled up (sort of folding/concertinering up) so the cats had the freedom but the stairs could be pulled out of the way of burglers (not that it would have taken anymore than a toddlers weight)

i think your garden design sounds wonderful, can i come and live in it? :evillaugh:
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Mark on May 02, 2007, 21:42:12 PM
We are going to crossexamine the landscaper on Saturday. She called today and said the carpenter gave her his price and the materials are going to be £500 more than she expected and was that a problem?  :Crazy: :doh:

She then said with the planting and everything, this price will be about £1000 more than she said last week  :Crazy:

She is a nice lady but I want facts, figures, itemised quotes etc -  >:(

Our garden is so horrible at the moment and we don't have much private space so we really need the garden to be nice for us & the cats - its not just an extravagant waste.
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Angiew on May 03, 2007, 17:20:02 PM
If your mum wants a lovely lap cat that uses the litter tray - I'm sure I can drive to Basildon!
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Mark on May 03, 2007, 18:00:04 PM
Will you take her tortie in exchange?  :evillaugh:
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Angiew on May 03, 2007, 18:02:36 PM
would do - a young 'un would be easier to rehome. Smokie is 10 years old and we've not had one enquiry.
Title: Re: Willow stairs
Post by: Mark on May 03, 2007, 22:59:46 PM
I will sound her out - if you are serious  ;D
I think she may be too attached now even though Shelley isn't what she had in mind from a cat.

PS - I took a photo of the garden design - not sure if it will come out properly - I will sort out a photobucket account when I have some free time

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