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They cannot be serious

(36 Posts)
absent Tue 05-Feb-13 07:14:41

I have messed up. I thought the cats needed their rabies jabs three months before going to New Zealand, but it turns out to be six months. They will, therefore, have to stay in the UK for three months after we have emigrated. I have been investigating local catteries and come across one that is apparently highly recommended.

The cats have individual apartments – with furniture – which can be shared by two cats. If you have more than two cats, a connecting door between two apartments can be unlocked. Some apartments have an outside terrace. Sensible things, such as heat pads for convalescing or old cats, are provided but I was astonished to learn that DVDs of Garfield, The Aristocats, etc. are supplied in most apartments and will be supplied to all shortly.

I love my cats – but no, I don't think so.

JessM Tue 05-Feb-13 08:12:08

grin LOL

glammanana Tue 05-Feb-13 13:21:14

absent if they moved in there they would never want to follow you would they ? sounds very very posh I could do with some heat pads myself never mind the cats. grin

absent Tue 05-Feb-13 13:22:47

glammanana Given that it would cost me thousands to board them there for three months, they are not going to get a chance to find out.

glammanana Tue 05-Feb-13 13:56:49

grin lol

glassortwo Tue 05-Feb-13 14:09:08

Oh no thats awful, if I was in my house I would have had them for you absent but SIL is allergic to cats. sad

Lilygran Tue 05-Feb-13 15:00:09

Some cats (and dogs) have no interest at all in television while others are fascinated. I wonder why? One cattery my cats spent time in all had a view of the garden with bird tables and bird feeders. I wasn't sure whether that was entertaining for them or frustrating.

absent Tue 05-Feb-13 15:31:04

glass As if your life isn't busy enough already. smile

Lilygran Frutiger is the only one interested in movies and then it's only the end when she tries to pull the credits back down as they go up the screen. She also likes snooker. Dingbat likes nature programmes with birds. Bodoni is not interested in anything on such a vulgar medium. The late Fishpaste was mesmerised by wildlife programmes featuring lions and loved the police dog puppies on Breakfast television.

They are still not going into that cattery. By the way, you should see its kitchen – pretty flash and state of the art.

Anne58 Tue 05-Feb-13 15:33:04

Oh absent what a bugger! I mean the costs and having to put them in the cattery.

Personally, I think they would be better off with DVD's of fish tanks.

Digby is still (after more than 8 months) absolutely fascinated by Mr P's tropicals. He is also still convinced that if he could just work out the line of attack, he could catch one. He has tried hiding behind the curtains and leaping out with a great flourish, the belly to the gound slow stalk method, and the lying on top of the tank and leaning over technique. The last resulted in a very undignified slithering down the front with back legs frantically scrabbling before landing on the floor with a thump.

He is a very thick cat.

I would gladly look after your mogs, but probably wouldn't want to give them back! grin

absent Tue 05-Feb-13 15:39:40

phoenix My Dylan was fascinated by a long tank containing John Suchet, an extremely large old goldfish who had turned silver. I had put clematis netting over the top to protect him. I was suddenly disrupted mid-flow writing a book introduction one day as Dylan descended gracelessly into the tank, one leg trapped in each square of the clematis netting, paddling furiously and cursing and swearing in a manner never previously heard from this gentleman cat.

Nelliemoser Tue 05-Feb-13 16:27:02

absent grin I shouldn't really laugh at the poor cat but they do set themselves up!

Lilygran Tue 05-Feb-13 16:28:55

absent those are wonderful namessmile

absent Tue 05-Feb-13 16:34:41

Lilygran They are/were wonderful cats. (Now I've gone all snivelly.) I am so concerned that my remaining three won't make it to New Zealand (they are 16 years old this month) and will feel that I have abandoned them.

Anne58 Tue 05-Feb-13 16:38:26

Oh absent grin for the misadventures of Dylan, but sad for you and your remaining three.

absent Tue 05-Feb-13 16:41:43

Just being silly phoenix. All three are doing well; Dingbat has a slightly dodgy ticker but nothing major. Cats are all tarts; so as long as they are comfortable, get stroked occasionally and fed regularly, they'll probably have forgotten me in a week. I can imagine them if they do get to NZ. I'm sure you know just as well as I do how perfectly they can express contempt.

Anne58 Tue 05-Feb-13 16:51:17

Oh indeed, they positively exude it! I think there is even a special tail flick for it.

(I was subjected to the teeniest bit of it from Maurice and Lily when I got back at 2.30pm after leaving them since 5.30pm yesterday! Digby hasn't as yet got the hang of contempt, but his righteous indignation is coming on in leaps and bounds)

Deedaa Tue 05-Feb-13 21:04:44

There used to be a screensaver (Russian I think) which was a little tabby kitten running around the screen. Our cats were absolutely besotted with it but couldn't care less about television.

How frustrating to have to leave them though! Seems abit unfair to have to have Rabies vaccination when you're coming from a country where it isn't endemic. Do they have it in New Zealand or is it just precautionary?

Galen Tue 05-Feb-13 21:29:49

Phoenix
I have an allergy to cats, but I do love them. I'm just imagining the fish tank and cat! Wonderful!grin

BAnanas Tue 05-Feb-13 21:42:26

All my life I have loved cats, I haven't had one for ages, my husband, one of my son's and my granddaughter are all allergic to them, I'm beginning to wonder if I will ever have one again. Frustrating!

glassortwo Tue 05-Feb-13 21:58:18

absent I could go and visit them while they are in the cattery just to make sure they are ok and report back.

absent Wed 06-Feb-13 08:53:26

Deedaa The nearest thing to cats' television that I have ever seen was a row of cats lined up on a sofa and another row on the widow sill outside all fascinated by a cage full of gerbils.

Yes the rabies jab is compulsory, hence the delay because I got the timing wrong.

glass You're a star!

Riverwalk Wed 06-Feb-13 17:07:33

Phoenix 'Mr Ps tropicals' .... is that a Devon delicacy, or something private? wink

Anne58 Wed 06-Feb-13 20:51:29

grin

Deedaa Wed 06-Feb-13 21:57:55

Phoenix It would make a wonderful title for a book - offering delightful prospects as Hoffnung would say grin

Anne58 Wed 06-Feb-13 22:15:54

Oh heavens, at the moment I'm struggling to even get an article published, let alone a book! grin

By the way the reference to the fact that in 8 months his Stripey Thickness, Squeaky Digby of Shebbear hasn't sussed out the fish tank, was not meant to indicate his age. To clarify (for those who have not already been subjected to my cat related ramblings) we have had Digby for 8 months. He is in fact now two and a half. And still thick. In both senses of the word.

I suppose that the wish for any sudden improvement in his mental capacity could be classified as "hope over experience". I believe this phrase was also used to describe anyone getting married for a second time. Not that I can see the relevance in connection with Digby, or any other cat for that matter, but it does indicate that I have read things other than newspapers and the sort of magazines that you see whilst in the queue at the supermarket checkout.