Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK

Warm Welcome to Purrs! => Welcome to Newbies :) => Topic started by: caffiend on October 10, 2014, 12:06:11 PM

Title: Just hangin' out until it's time for adding to the feline family
Post by: caffiend on October 10, 2014, 12:06:11 PM
Hi. Some of you may recognise the cats from way back when/other forums, sorry for losing touch and all that (major health issues, redundancy, blah blah blah). All better now :)

After my much much loved Jenny died last November at the grand old age of at least 20 (I'd adopted her as a young adult in Jul '94) I was down to two cat overlords: Molly - now 13, rescued dilute tortie with concrete feet (she does love to stomp on me, ow), beautiful but very stoopid and Bugsie - probably about 9 or 10, adopted as a stray, possibly some Russian Blue in there somewhere as he is a tall cat. I'd just got a new job though and knew I'd have to relocate - which I have now done. Major surgery this year has finally resolved the health issues, hooray. It has meant that the move and redecorating etc have taken a bit longer than I would have liked. Nearly there now :).

I was naughty and let them out after only two weeks as Bugs was SO depressed - off his food, listless, unsociable, even not crying at the door any more.  Yes, I was on tenterhooks the first 2-3 times they went out, luckily I was there all the time (off work recovering from operation) and it was lovely weather so I could leave the door open for them. He was almost instantly a changed cat and they were both as good as gold, and love the new enclosed and sunny garden after 6 months in rented with outside space shared with dogs - thank goodness the neighbours were always really good about having them on leads. Could have done without the dogs marking on the back step though, poor puddies.

Anyway, as things are settling down now, I was thinking about looking for No. 3 cat (although they all get loved as No. 1) so signed up here to see who needed a home. Three is a nice number. Unfortunately, after coping brilliantly with the move and being everso good about dishes/litter trays moving frequently as decorating has moved round the house, Molly and Bugs have had a couple of spats in the last week or so, which I think is mostly owing to a couple of rather aggressive neighbouring cats and they're taking it out on each other. Right this minute as I type, they're both curled up on the bed within a couple of feet of each other (they've never been BFFs) so all is not lost. So, stopping lurking as it'll be a while before I start looking - it wouldn't be fair to introduce a third cat until they stop being grouchy with each other and even if that's in the next few weeks, we'll then be into the Christmas exclusion zone. Just didn't want to lurk any more without introducing myself (always feels a bit voyeuristic!).

Will post some pics, will have to edit them down for size.
Title: Re: Just hangin' out until it's time for adding to the feline family
Post by: Sue P (Paddysmum) on October 10, 2014, 12:11:32 PM
 :welcome:  Hello to you, Bugsy and Molly.   ;D

Sorry to hear things have been very tricky for you in the recent past, but glad it now seems to be resolving itself, and here's to a bright new future, and with the addition of a 3rd cat.

I agree - 3 is a nice number in cat terms.   :Luv:   Dunno if Molly and Bugsy will agree, but they've been used to Jenny, so the likelihood they should adapt without too much difficulty.   :shify:

Good to have you here on the forum  :hug:
 
Title: Re: Just hangin' out until it's time for adding to the feline family
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on October 10, 2014, 16:22:23 PM
I am now down to 3 but really dont know about your situation, sorry
Title: Re: Just hangin' out until it's time for adding to the feline family
Post by: caffiend on October 11, 2014, 14:28:37 PM
Thanks Sue - and no need to apologise Gill? It's me who's sorry that I'm having to put off rehoming another kitty until my two have settled down a bit.

They're being everso good today, the floor downstairs is being varnished, so have shut them both in one of the spare bedrooms with everything they need and some things they don't, like stacks of still-packed boxes to hide around/climb. Bugs is sulking a bit, not sure whether that's 'cos he's shut in or because Molly has nicked the radiator hammock. Otherwise they're fine, don't think they've been possessed by devils (any more than cats usually are), that would be my photography ... so have a couple of slightly better ones of them both as well.

Title: Re: Just hangin' out until it's time for adding to the feline family
Post by: Sue P (Paddysmum) on October 11, 2014, 16:35:35 PM
Beautiful piccies!!  :wow: :wow:

Aw Bugs - you sulkin' darlin?   :hug: :hug:  Never mind.  The varnishing will all be done soon, and things can return to normal.  :)  Glad you love your new garden. 
Title: Re: Just hangin' out until it's time for adding to the feline family
Post by: hollycat on October 11, 2014, 17:44:07 PM


Hello and  :welcome: to Bugsy and Molly.

Lovely mogs, are they hoolicats  ;D ;D
Title: Re: Just hangin' out until it's time for adding to the feline family
Post by: caffiend on October 11, 2014, 19:43:04 PM
Thanks. To answer your question - one isn't a hoolicat, one is.

Molly is a poppet - in the 10 years I've had her she's never bitten or scratched me once, not even when being pilled, ear dropped, claw clipped, flea treated or otherwise tortured (as they see it). She's also too stupid to be really naughty, just a big softy. She's a bit of a scaredy cat until she gets used to you, it doesn't take long though - my aunt stayed for a few days just after I came out of hospital and it only took 2-3 days for Molly to be as much all over her as me. Molly's a shocking fidget, unfortunately I spent a lot of time this year having to gently push her away because I couldn't be doing with her stomping/wriggling for ages as she normally does to settle herself down (pain/post-op stitches and scar) so she's got out of the lap cat habit, trying to convince her she can come and pester me again now I'm recovering/less sore.

Bugsie on the other hand - well, sit yerself comfortably: couldn't think of a name for him when I first adopted him, so he was 'Boy'. Then 'Little Boy Blue' owing to the colour. That was a song by the Bee Gees. As he was such a, um, character, the 'Bee Gee' turned phonetic. Now he's calmed down in middle age, it's Bugsie ;P. He's more confident/instantly sociable than Molly, I'm the only one allowed to take liberties like turning him upside down and tummy tickling though. He can be such a cuddlebug sometimes, wouldn't trust him round small kids as he still occasionally - without warning - grabs hands with a front paw (and all claws, ow) when being stroked, although he's much less likely to randomly bite me these days. I've never had a cat that sulks like he does though - you can really tell when he's having a strop lol.

Title: Re: Just hangin' out until it's time for adding to the feline family
Post by: Jiji on October 12, 2014, 09:18:47 AM
 :welcome:  to Purrs, Bugsie and Molly are lovely  :Luv2: :Luv2:
Title: Re: Just hangin' out until it's time for adding to the feline family
Post by: caffiend on October 12, 2014, 14:35:41 PM
Thanks. I R shocked. Looks like I posted on here under another name waaaaay back when Bugsie (I did say that that used to be 'BG' pronounced phonetically) went walkabout. I'd forgotten ~embarrassed. Luckily someone picked up the "hooray, he's back" post on catchat and cross-posted, so thanks again for everyone's concern at that time.

He was missing for over a year - I did all the recommended stuff - posters, walking the streets, petfinder services (worth 50 quid or whatever it was to get the word out to vets and rescues ALL OVER) and put him on the wonderful wonderful mymoggy service. As there were no sightings, I can only presume that he was living in the trees and fields by the railway line for quite some time, as he was found very close to there in the next village and after nearly a year of being missing from me, had moved in with a very dear old lady and her little dog. She'd had a visiting vet friend give him the once over, but they hadn't bothered to have him scanned for a chip, or I'd've had him back six months sooner ~rolls eyes. Quite by chance, I saw him in my car headlights early one morning, plastered the road with posters again later that day, and got the call. I would have let the lady keep him as he was in spanking good health, she obviously loved him and I was just so happy to know he was alive and well (and had four cats at that time so although I missed him, they were all fine). The lady did live on a main road though and was rightly concerned about him getting run over, so home he came with me. Lesson is: don't 'not try' if puss goes missing, don't ever feel guilty that you're not doing enough if you are doing everything possible, as sometimes you just need pure dumb luck.

He's occasionally been a dirty stop out since, always come in during the early hours though, never gone AWOL again, phew.
Title: Re: Just hangin' out until it's time for adding to the feline family
Post by: Lyn (Slugsta) on October 12, 2014, 14:43:03 PM
My goodness, what a tale! Having had cats of my own go missing, and supporting a dear friend through the same thing, I do know how that feels. To have Bugs returned home afer 1 year seems little short of miraculous  ;D I haven't'met' you previously but I know that you are very  welcome to be back here among us.
Title: Re: Just hangin' out until it's time for adding to the feline family
Post by: KittyNic on November 17, 2014, 08:14:22 AM
It's a wonderful feeling when a missing pet turns up especially after such a long time.

You have two gorgeous cats there. :-)