Dear George,
This is me among the heather. I think  I look  rather  sweet, but  I swiped  Mummy 's finger  just  after she took this photo. Blood everywhere,she seemed a bit  upset. Humans don't seem to understand that there are times when we need space.
A good swipe usually gets that space but does rather upset the humans. They are sensitive souls. She cooked me coley a couple of hours later, so think  I've got away with it.
But has she learned her lesson? Less likely, I fear. Humans don't seem to able to take in the fact that when we punish by swiping or biting they need to review their conduct and amend their ways.
Love Toby.xxx


Dear Toby,
It's a problem isn't it? Trying to get through to them. You would have thought they might realise that if we purr or rub, we are relatively pleased with their behaviour. Or even that we are encouraging future behaviour (such as putting out more food).
When we scratch, we are displeased. Whatever they have done just before the scratch was bad. I just wish I could miaow in human language 'Bad, human. Bad, Celia"  I do our feline body language but she fails to understand.
Still, they are sweet. Warm in bed. Generous with cat food. As pets go, they are definitely better than dogs. A human is a cat's best friend.
Sometimes.
Yours
George.

My snooper human is invading my privacy and exploiting me

Dear George,
It’s me CAT Victoria! What am I doing under a garden table?
Well, I’m “watching” my human mom! As she behaved really strange lately I knew she was up to something.  I found out what she was up to and now I’m really upset!
I’m seeking legal counsel as I think my privacy was broken by her.
I caught her snooping around when I was sleeping and taking photos with me sleeping in different positions (some quite innocent others less – you know what I mean).
I caught her stalking me in the garden on many occasions spoiling my hunting or bird gazing! I was wondering what was wrong with her – was she losing it and becoming a nut case? Well, not at all!
My dear mommy was “using” me (without my consent) as her “muse” for her latest art show! Even worse…..she’ll have her “grand opening” this weekend quite far from home so I won’t be able to attend and see her paintings!
George, is this fair? Is this legal? How can I protect my privacy in a media invaded world? Knowing her…..I’ll soon be on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Horror!
Should I sue her since I won’t benefit from her art show profits?
And above all…..should I crash her grand opening? What do you think?
Yours, but very frustrated
CAT Victoria

Dear CAT Victoria,
Humans never seem to respect our privacy. They take photos all the time. Mine even does photos of me when toileting under the pretence that she needs it for her website or lectures. And they interfere when we hunt. They insist on stroking us when we just want to nap. Some even interrupt with strokes while we are eating.
As for Facebook and Twitter they are now crawling with cats and my human is one of the worst for putting on photos. Never asks my permission. Never gets me to sign a paw on a copyright or release document. Just puts them on. The only cheerful though for me (and perhaps you) is that they haven't yet started posting videos on YouTube. But it can only be a matter of time, I fear.
One of the more subtle ways of interrupting photography is to walk straight towards the camera and rub on it. Unless your human is a professional, they will find this makes it difficult to get the shot. Or, if the human is crouching or lying down to take the shot, jump on them. And jump hard.
Legal redress? Well we haven't got the chance to do this yet - though there is a movement towards this. If all else fails remember claw and order tactics - walk towards and instead of rubbing, just bite or claw the human. And after the photo session is over knock the camera off the table. I have killed two cameras that way - smashing a lens once and once just making the whole device stick fast. 
Best of luck
George.
PS. Don't crash the opening. You won't like it. It is full of humans getting high on their version of catnip. They are shudderingly boring when high.

My human's obsessed with online cat games ... but not me!

Dear George,
I have two human pets, both female, one middle aged and one young and  still a bit kittenish. She's the problem. She's got a cat games addiction. All she does is dress and care for online comic cutie cats. Once she used to play with me using bits of string and also brush me gently. Now she is always looking at a rectangular device which plays these cat games with moving pictures (very poor ones in my opinion though she likes them) of felines. I can't get her to stop playing with this and go back to playing with me. I have tried sitting on the tablet or just interfering with it but she brushes me off.
Yours in despair
Pinkle Purr

Dear Pinkle,
This is games addiction when the human stops concentrating on us (the proper way for a human pet to behave) and starts getting obsessed with something on a tablet or a computer (the square screen stuff). Mine had a very bad period when all she would do is play Hitler parodies and scream with ridiculous laughter. I blame the soft website catsthatlooklikehitler for starting her down the path that led to hard Hitler parodies. My human has admitted her problem and is now in recovery, thank goodness,
Your human has a similar addiction and what is needed is tough love. Most cats respond to this problem by trying to stop the play. They will interpose their body between the human gaze and the screen, tap the keyboard (if there is one) with a purr, lie on the keyboard, or just pester the human at leg height. These tactics will result in pleasurable petting by the non-addicted human but are useless with addicts.
You must look after your own interests, Pinkle. Withdraw all attention and love while this young human is indulging her addiction. Give her the silent body language treatment. Sit with your back to her, with a lofty look of disdainful non-interest. Go out and get mousing. Or just find something else to do.
This is a human problem. You did not cause it, cannot control it and cannot cure it. Once you accept this you can get on with your own life. Remember you don't need humans: they need you though they may not realise this.
Yours sadly,
George

How to tease your human with a feather - no, not what you think!

Dear George,
I have been given two expensive cat toys by my human. One was an elaborate feeding device where I had to claw out bits of cat food. I have refused to do this. The other was a very large furry thing in wheels, which could be wound up by my human and set off across the carpet. It is the size of a guinea pig and makes whirring noise which I dislike intensely. So I have ignored that too. 
Instead I found my own toy - a feather that some unlikely bird had deposited in the garden. I have been rolling around with it for about an hours. I think it has really irritated her.
Yours Toby.

Dear Toby, 
Congratulations on a good human tease. One of the many cat rules, which help cats rule, is to ignore all new purrchases. Especially any expensive ones. A new cat bed - go straight to a heap of freshly washed sheets and sleep there instead. A new toy - look at it once then stroll away. A lovely new soft bit of cat bedding - refuse to sit on it.
Instead make your own toy. We cats can make a toy of everything - a piece of dried pasta on the floor, a broad bean, the top of a milk container, an empty pill box. These can be batted around a kitchen floor ad infinitum.
Then there are these - your human's shoe laces while she is wearing them, the blind toggle hanging down on the side of the window, the dressing gown belt hanging from the back of the door, the bit of paper hanging loose from the scratched wall paper, the ties that tie up the loose covers of the furniture.... I expect cats reading this can suggest some more.
Money can't buy the purrfect cat toy. The purrfect cat toy is one chosen by us. Puts the humans in their place and makes them try harder to please us.
Yours
George.

Slow down for cats - a new feline campaign

 Dear George,
I live in a small village in the Cotswolds and metal cats troar through the village at high speed almost all the time. It is really frightening and the worst time is during the dusk, just when we cats are coming out to hunt. 
As far as I know there is nothing we can do about these lethal moving objects. I have sniffed round them, when they are stationery and can report that they are definitely not alive. They have some kind of automatic "life" which roars and makes them go off at high speed with a human inside.
Well, we know humans are not usually very bright but one of our village humans has come up with a good idea. She has put up a sign on the road, warning the cars to slow down. Here is a photo of it. 
I would like to see one of these in every village. If there are no kittens there, then the sign could just read "CATS." What do you think?
Yours
Penelope Purr

Dear Penelope,
I think it is a brilliant idea. I wish we could get more of these. Cats die on the road in their thousands in my country and nobody seems to care. The cars just speed on their way without stopping to see if they can help. These metal things are completely uncaring. Sometimes I think the cats that die outright are luckier than those who crawl away and die in agony in the hedge.
Maybe we could start a campaign for more "Slow Kitten" signs.
Yours
George