I am an indoor cat and I have to admit life can be very boring at times. My humans are out half the day and I am left alone with nothing much to do except stare out of the window.
But now they have bought a cat wheel. This huge item is stuck to the wall and they think I am going to get in side and walk around like a hamster. I am completely stunned by this development. It's cost them a fortune, they say.
What should I do? Try it out? Ignore it altogether? At the moment I am punishing their cheek by resolutely refusing to go anywhere near it.This is worrying them a great deal - which is as it should be! But I am tempted....
Yours in a dilemma
Caspar
Dear Caspar,
Steady on.... you did the right thing. We cats should always refuse to use new equipment that has been bought for us. New bed? Don't sleep on or in it. New cat toy? Ignore it. The greater the expense of the gift, the more we must shun it.
It's a matter of timing. Ignore and shun the new item. Wait till you hear your humans talking about getting rid of it - then use it. This way of winding up humans puts them on their toes. Keeps them waiting for our approval. Makes them keener to try to try harder.
As for the wheel, well I must say it did surprise me when I saw the photo. I have seen them, of course, in those frustrating cages that contain small rodents. The little furries seem to love them but I have always found the noise of a hamster in his wheel very irritating. I want to get in there and stop it, or rather get in there and eat it. Hamsters are such delicious snacks.
As for your wheel, I suggest that you try it surreptitiously when your humans are not in the house. You might find you like it. Apparently it has been tried in zoos and some zoo animals enjoy using it. Rather like one of those fairground wheels that humans pay money to use. You can use it while they are out: and keep them waiting before you let them see you. Then, if you like it, you can use it at 3 am. I bet it makes a noise that will irritate them!
Best of luck and please report back. I'm lucky to be a cat with a catflap, so I am never bored.Yours with interest
George
PS. My internet friend Harvey has published his book. He beat me to it. Buy one for £6.50 incl p&p UK from Figaro Publishing, 20, Meadow Lane, Little Houghton, NN7 1AH, UK
Well Caspar and George for once my brother and me agree, we would be highly insulted if we were presented with a hamster toy and expected to run and run and get nowhere, we find it very sad to learn that zoo animals have been reduced to this too, magnificent creatures like you, us and zoo animals shouldn't be reduced to this sort of humiliation, my brother and me thank all the gods that we get out and about to enjoy the sunshine,green grass in all weathers and that we don't have to go on a treadmill for our exercise!
ReplyDeleteYou got an award yesterday on our blog! Thanks for making us laugh.
ReplyDelete~Henry
Casper, don't be tempted! That thing looks like a Japanese gong and you are not a geisha :-)
ReplyDeleteYour humans must either have a wild imagination or unfulfilled dreams!
Step down from the damn thing and never look back. Re-home if necessary.
Diego
No, No and No! Casper....you do not have to do the work regardless of what your humans are saying!
ReplyDeleteBeing on a hamster wheel is no excecise for cats! Humans can spend hours on such stupid thing running and running (all virtually) while they cheat-chat or reading or having their morning coffee. Not for us.
I will send George a letter showing how I trained my humans to do the work for me! Casper....we are royalty - that's how much I learned from George!
Love
Zoe
Does it come with green tea? Phew! Get off that thing and enjoy life!
ReplyDeleteMinnie
George, UK Prime Minister's cat made headlines again (at least in Canada) He finally got/killed a mouse! That really means that neither Mr. Cameron nor his family were able to catch the mouse ...so the Alpha Cat had to step in! Bravo!
ReplyDeleteCayenne
PS. Casper, yes. step off that thing; it is not for cats.
I don't thing that huge wheel is that bad but we are not that stupid to run and run and run around the clock! Must be some more to do for indoor cats that this!
ReplyDeleteFluffy
Congratulations to Harvey!
ReplyDeleteYou rock :-)))
Hugs
Fluffy & Cayenne