Lucas

[Spreckly]

I hope your return to work goes well, LL. A big change for you.

Lucas appears to be a most intelligent cat.

[lancashire lass]

I hope your return to work goes well, LL. A big change for you.

Lucas appears to be a most intelligent cat.

On the one hand, I am looking forward to going back to work but on the other hand, my line manager might expect me to do more than I can manage which worries me. For months, he has suggested on more than one occasion to take early retirement (on medical grounds) and once (before I went off sick), implied that if I couldn't do my job, to look for another even though he had no cause. The only thing I had asked for was help moving heavy stuff (stuff I used to manage in my 20s, 30s, 40s and even in my 50s but now in my 60s is too much) I have since been in contact with the Safety Officer about another matter - for years I used to run 2 safety courses for him, and during the pandemic when I was still working from home (before / during the first vaccine roll-out, as an asthmatic, I was vulnerable to Covid), he had asked me to make them as online courses. These have been so successful, he said he was looking forward to my coming back as he wanted to discuss my doing more online safety courses so perhaps there have been some discussions about some of the tasks I have been doing at work considering the length of time I've had off on sick leave?

As for Lucas - I decided to re-read the earlier posts in this thread. It would seem that some of his behaviour this year is not that unusual. Apparently he did do similar before but perhaps it has been more noticeable with my being at home more (and not working), and this summer has been hot, dry and sunny for longer.

[Mo]

That's cats for you.

[lancashire lass]

When it gets colder and I need to put the oil radiator on, I wonder if Lucas will return to his favourite spot again?

I think this must be the first night in a very long time that Lucas has ever spent the entire time indoors - probably thought -7oC was a tad too cold. But, he was hunkered down behind the middle door in the dining room rather than attempt to come into the living room where I had the heating on. I had to get up more than once to put the kettle on to put fresh hot water in my hot water bottle, and even made myself a mug of hot chocolate (I wasn't desperately cold but I wasn't warm and cosy enough to fall asleep) and on both occasions he was behind the door. Last year when I bought the new radiator and made a little bed in front of it, he was practically hugging it but this year when it was cold enough to put the radiator on, I lifted him up and carried him into the living room. His reaction was a "no-no" and as soon as I put him on his bed, he ran out of the living room straight through the dining room / kitchen and out of the cat flap. So weird.

However, the cost of cat food has shot up ... as for Whiskas, the price kept going up nearly every time I needed to get another box - when the Coop had them priced at £4.90p, that's when I decided it was too much. When I thought I was mobile enough to try shopping at Aldi's again, I bought a box of their brand for £2.43p ...

Lucas has tolerated the cheaper cat food since August but I don't know what changed - well actually, that's not true. I've got a fair idea of why. I have treated Lucas to a little cooked chicken or whatever I happen to be having for my dinner, but I've usually waited until AFTER he'd eaten his cat food. Perhaps with being back at work full time, and the traffic has been insane for weeks now (more than usual - maybe it might have something to do with the train strikes and people have just carried on using their cars more?), I am so tired when I've got home that I haven't always waited until he has eaten all his dinner (not to mention that the kitchen & dining room are cold so I don't want to linger) And of course, the treat goes down first and the cat food stays on the plate. Even when the treat has been withheld, the plate is never picked clean.

So I relented and opted for Aldi's "supreme" cat food (still priced under £3 for a box of 12 pouches) The first day, Lucas took one look and walked away That evening I had a ready meal for dinner, so didn't have a treat (might just be a little something off my plate) for him. I grated a little cheese and sprinkled it on top - the next morning, not only was the plate clean but Lucas was waiting for his breakfast which he wolfed down. He normally gets 2 pouches a day (one in the morning, one in the evening) but this morning, he was pestering me for more food after I'd fed him and when I finally relented and gave him a second breakfast, the plate was once again clean. It could be the weather that's making him hungry, but then he would have eaten all of his biscuits as well but the bowl was still full. I think Lucas is trying to tell me that he prefers this "brand" of cat food to the one I used to give him LOL

[Mo]

Cats really know how to get their own way.
Tabitha likes the oil filled radiator in my study.

[lancashire lass]

I think this must be the first night in a very long time that Lucas has ever spent the entire time indoors - probably thought -7oC was a tad too cold. But, he was hunkered down behind the middle door in the dining room rather than attempt to come into the living room where I had the heating on ... Last year when I bought the new radiator and made a little bed in front of it, he was practically hugging it but this year when it was cold enough to put the radiator on, I lifted him up and carried him into the living room. His reaction was a "no-no" and as soon as I put him on his bed, he ran out of the living room straight through the dining room / kitchen and out of the cat flap. So weird.

Well, that was back in December. In late January, he decided to creep into the living room and sleep under the table (next to the middle door to the dining room) but gradually and eventually made his way to the bed in front of the oil radiator that is parked in the fireplace. However, as usual, he doesn't seem to have a favourite spot for long and made his way to the cushion on the back of settee and for the past fortnight has now parked himself at the edge of the settee (it's an old settee so the cushioned arms have lost their puffiness and there is a gap between the seat cushion and the arm) Sleeping on his back with his back legs splayed out - he does look comfortable. And he has also been and asked to be picked like he used to which I have missed.

Touch wood, no live (or dead) presents in the house recently, thank goodness.

[Trev62]

Touch wood, no live (or dead) presents in the house recently, thank goodness.

One of the our barn cats returned today with a small adder in its mouth which it then decided to deposit next to one of our dogs and they both started playing with it! It managed to escape before I could rescue it but unfortunately it went straight into the chicken run, no more snake! I presume it had just come out of hibernation but it was a shame as they help keep the vermin down and I like them around.

[Mo]

Would the dogs have a bad reaction if it bit them? Trev.

Tabitha has been spending more time indoors this year in the cold weather. Partly because she has to ask to go out as the door between kitchen & porch is closed in winter to avoid draughts from cat-flap.
When she came the rescue lady brought a bed and a selection of toys. Tabitha never used the bed and stopped playing with the toys once she was allowed to go out.
This winter I've replaced the fan heater under my desk with an oil-filled rad to keep my study warm (only have the central heating on morning & evening) and when I got fed up with her standing between keyboard and screen and playing with my pencils I went and got the toys and the bed they'd been stored in. Now she is curled in the bed next to the rad, the toys are scattered over the floor.
She often asks to go out when I make my supper, then when I open the door and call her usually appears when I've closed the door again so I see her face with it's white middle, looking in through the glass. Usually find her curled up next to me in the morning.

[Trev62]

Would the dogs have a bad reaction if it bit them? Trev.

Sorry Lancashire Lass, no intention of steering your thread in another direction, just answering Mo's question.

It is very rare for an adders bite to cause the death of a healthy dog, it normally causes swelling and irritation. This was only a small one and presumably just out of hibernation. I doubt the cats would or could tackle a fully grown adder but I stand to be corrected on that. There are more dangerous snakes out here to be aware of anyway.

[lancashire lass]

One of the our barn cats returned today with a small adder in its mouth which it then decided to deposit next to one of our dogs and they both started playing with it!

we had a similar experience when living in South Africa - in this case we were all sat on the veranda enjoying the cool evening breeze, our dog (a Fox terrier cross) lying on the grass beyond the paving. Our cat started to do a little dance (arched back, then going backwards before coming forward to paw at the dog) and at first we thought she was playing with the dog's tail. Then we realised it was a snake that was nearby. The dog didn't know the snake was there and moved away from the cat (she had a habit of stealing his warm bed using a little bit of determination and intimidation so he probably thought it safer to get away from her) It was most likely just normal cat behaviour to play with the snake but it really did look like she had attracted the snake's attention to prevent the dog getting bit. The snake however, was totally harmless (known as a house snake)

Recently Lucas has once again decided being indoors is better than outdoors now that the weather is cold and wet but he really does find the strangest places to bed down. His visits to the living room in spring quickly ended and despite the rain had spent most of his summer time outside. His new sleeping places have included on top of the sideboard, behind a computer screen, inside the understairs cupboard (he quickly learned how to open the door) and the latest .... in the cat's poop tray (he hasn't used it since he started going out regularly in 2020 so was clean)

[Trev62]

Recently Lucas has once again decided being indoors is better than outdoors now that the weather is cold and wet but he really does find the strangest places to bed down.

Sounds a right character!

Our remaining four barn cats have now taken up residence inside the house from early evening until 4'ish in the morning when all leave via a window left open for them. One is on our bed, one each on the two dog beds (they seem to have evicted the dogs!) and the last one has staked a claim under the petchka, presumably ready for when we revert from the outside one to this one inside.

Fortunately they are still out catching mice as one was happily munching one on the doorstep this evening.