Neuter: don't just feed.

 

I know that among humans are many who are kind enough to give food to those of us cats who are living rough. Thank you.

They don't realise that food is not enough. The best help for these cats is neutering and spaying. They will stay healthier and happier for this.

I was lucky enough to be neutered early and so, if I am unlucky enough to lose my home, I won't be exhausted by the search for sex and fights with other cats on my territory. I won't get the awful diseases spread by cat bites.

It's much the same for females. Spaying means that they will not be exhausted, sometimes even to death, by two or three litters of kittens a year.

Stray cats who have lost their home need to be rescued and trapped, neutered and returned to their territory - or found new territory. Not imprisoned in a home.

So please, human cat lovers, do it properly. Get in touch with your local cat shelter, like Cats Protection in the UK, and ask their advice how to proceed.

I identify as a cat.

I am a cat who identifies as a cat.

Humans are making a lot of fuss about their human kittens who may be beginning to identify as cats. No, they are not growing fur or a tail. So far no school is offering them human-sized litter trays. 

Perhaps they are playing at being cats. I know my human Celia did this when she was a child. And why not?

I take this trend as a complement to the feline species. These humans recognise our superiority and want a part of it. It is called the Furries movement in the USA.

When I first heard about it, I found it difficult to get my head around. But now I think it is rather touching that some humans want to dress up as being a cat.

Poor things, they can't grow fur, except in the wrong places. They have to wear furry costumes, false ears and attach tails to their backsides. They have none of the sheer beauty, grace and dignity of a cat. But they aspire to be in their minds, what they cannot be in their bodies.

I am pleased to be so up to date with this touching human trend. Purrhaps they will begin to understand us better.

• This book might help them in their new feline life.
  
  
  
  

Training? I don't think so....

 My human says she is thinking of "training" me. Like a dog. A horrible idea. Some dogs are trained by cruel punishments or even electric shocks.

I talked to my friend Toby who has been through this process. He says I am seeing it all wrong. It is an activity which trains humans to come up with better food.

First they offer you a treat, then they have a code word which follows. After a little while, once you recognise the code word, you know that a treat follows.

This is when you start training them. You do something that amuses them - sitting up on hind legs, or following a target - they use the code word and divvy up the goodies.

It takes a bit of time before they understand it fully. But after a while, they get the idea...

And you get free food just in return for some absurd behaviour.

Simple. They think they are training you but you are training them.

Ouch! Get off my tail!

 I have always felt sorry for humans. They are permanently disabled from birth because they are born without a tail. There is literally nothing there not even a stump.

They are dumb in their body language. They can't signal with their tail - tail-up for friendship: tail bristling up for anger: tail hanging loose for ordinary investigation.

They cannot balance well either. We use our tails for balancing on high places. They have nothing like it so if they are rock climbing they just have to rely on hands. There's nothing better than a tail swing to adjust the weight of your body so you don't fall.

Disabled from birth and compromised in body language. Poor dumb humans.....

So I keep good care of my tail. I make sure it doesn't get trapped in tight places.Oscar down the road left his in the crook of the french windows and a bit just tore off!  

He's luckier than Puddy in the picture who lost almost all his tail when he was sheltering under a car and it drove off. We can survive without a tail but it's like losing a beautiful body feature.

Cats and sun.. be careful.

 I love basking in the sunlight - whether it's on a windowsill or just outside in the flowerbeds of the garden. I love the heat and the feeling of well being and relaxation.

But we cats can get sunstroke just like humans do. We don't normally pant like dogs so if we start panting, or became lethargic, we need help from a vet.

The other danger is to our nose and ears. We who have white faces and ears can get sun burned. And in turn severe sun burn can lead to skin cancer.  

We need sunscreen that is suitable for pets. Not human sunscreen. We need a sunscreen specially for pets. All you need to know is here.

To reduce the risk of skin cancer, we need to be kept in when the sun is at its most fierce at noon. Our humans should take notice if our ears or nose seem to have scabs or unhealed wounds.

We need veterinary help for this. Sometimes it means losing the tip of our ears but this doesn't impair our quality of life. Indeed some people think we look cute, like this cat in Italy.

So, humans. Pay attention. Look after us in very hot weather.