December 19th 2015 - Scentsicles

OMG my kitten is the devil re-incarnated!!!  She absolutely hates my christmas tree, she has trashed it.  She has bitten my mini parcels hanging from it, has chewed the tinsel, got tangled in the lights, chewed branches, climbed up it, knocked baubles off it and it looks like it has been dragged through the cat flap and back (not that I have a cat flap, but i'm sure this would be the effect!)

I posted on a forum that I am a member of to see if anyone had any ideas - some I was given included sliced oranges under it as cats don't like orange smell - she licked it and then laid on it to sleep.  Cinnamon sticks under it - she bit them and ran off with them in her mouth.  Water spray gun - she just ignored it.  Shout at her - she just ignores you!  And lastly a lady suggested scentsicles.  I had never heard of them, googled them and ordered some.  They arrived today.

I can safely say they stink (I got the natural pine smelling ones) and although the smell fades after a few days if you walk past them and make a breeze the smell is strong again.  BUT on a good note the kitten absolutely hates them more than I do!!!  She has not gone near the tree let alone attacked it.  I'm so glad someone told me about them.

It has also meant that I have been able to re-decorate the tree and make it look nice again.

However, the little cow decided that as she couldn't damage the tree she would claw the corner of my fireplace wallpaper to bits and by bits I mean shred it!  I can't even re-decorate before christmas as the paper as at the back of a cupboard that has god knows how much stuff in it.  So I have now put a stick there as well.  And i've covered the damage with her scratching post that she has no interest in what-so-ever!

I have never known a kitten like her and I have had many cats during my life both as a child and as an adult.  None of them have attacked the tree, clawed my walls etc.  She has cat toys and we do play with her loads.  She is just totally nuts and never stops, she is constantly on the go and doesn't sleep much, she runs around jumping on/off things like something possessed!  Again I have never knwon a kitten like it.  I swear she has ADHD!

December 10th 215 - Christmas tree lights

So after the kitten has trashed my Christmas tree by running through it and climbing up it and pulling the lights off it.  Me and Hubby have spent today re-doing the tree and adding a 2nd set of lights to it so that they are more spaced out and less likely to be pulled off.

However, there has been quite a bit of discussion as to how many Christmas tree lights you need for the size tree.  We have a 6ft white tree and it has 200lights on it, 9m of tinsel and too many baubles to count.  But depending on which site you visit on the net the answer you get will vary from 150 upto 700 lights for a 6ft tree.  Hubby says he would like to know HOW you fit 700 lights on a 6ft tree!

I am just hoping that the kitten stays away from it.  We have tried slices of fresh orange under it the kittenlaid on it and went to sleep.  We have tried cinnamon sticks and she just chewed them.  We have tried scrunched up tin foil and she just batted it around the floor.  We are now waiting on the arrival of scentsicles that are also meant to stop cats from going near the tree but I don't have much hope.

In all the years I have had cats as pets as I have never had 1 attack the tree like this kitten does, most ignore it and walk off.

November 19th 2015 - Spayed

Today my poor lil kitten went on a trip to the vets to be spayed.  As much as I love kittens and as cute as she is I couldn't risk her getting pregnant (there are loads of tom cats around here) and many people with kittens who cant find homes for them.

This does mean that once her inscison site has healed and her fur has grown back she will finally be allowed to go outside, that is assuming we dont get too much bad weather/snow etc.

Everything went really well with her operation, she came home a few hours later and was begging for food.  She has been climbing and jumping like she normally would, she doesn't seem to realise she has had an operation.  I just hope she doesn't do herself any harm.

July 24th 2015 - Bath time

July 24th 2015 - Bath time

Today is Bath time  for Starla my kitten.   I didn't want to bath her but had no choice as she has fleas and as only 7weeks old isn't big enough for flea collars or sprays.

She absolutely hated it!  i'mnot sure who was most traumatised me or her - me for all the scratches I have received on both arms, my shoulders and chest or her for getting wet!  Once I got her out I had her wrapped in a towel and placed a hand warmer under it to warm her back up, she seemed to like that.

At least she has forgiven me - she has laid on my chest and snuggled and nuzzled me and given kisses before going to sleep.

This is funny and pretty much the look I got from her. 

July 18th 2015 - Cat behaviour

July 18th 2015 - Cat behaviour

I have spent quite a lot of time today searching the net looking for answers on my kittens behaviour. I have had many cats during my life and most from small kittens, but my newest kitten Starla is something else. I have never known any of my cats/kittens do what she does.  I will explain what she does and what my friend google (various sites visited) say it means.  I've certainly learnt things from the net today. 

Starla is not quite 7weeks old, she is eating food and litter trained but mummy cat had had enough of her 5 kittens and wasn't looking after them anymore, so I housed her 2 weeks earlier than planned.  She is mainly a grey tabby but does have some ginger and white patches, including white socs.  She is so loving and sweet.  Meet starla:

Firstly i'm sure she thinks she is a parrot - she loves being up on my shoulder, whether sat looking around or asleep.  This apparently is the behaviour of shoulder cats, when they start doing it as a kitten they will continue when an adult cat (i'm not sure I want a fully grown cat as a scarf!).  It is linked to them wanting to be close, to see eye to eye and because they can feel the pulse in your neck which reminds them of the closeness of their mother.

She keeps putting her paw gently to my face when she is sat snuggling, usually when I am stroking her face/chin - I have NEVER had a kitten/cat do this to me and had no idea what it meant.  Well apparently it is a sign of trust, affection and love and that they want attention from you.

Putting her "booty" in my face -  this is the way that cats say hello to each other and she wants me to "sniff it" (I DON'T think so).  It can also be linked to them seeing you as a "mother figure" and may indicate that they want it cleaned (ewwwww YUK!)  They only do this to those that they have given their full trust to.

She likes to sleep against my head or face - This is linked to small/young animals not being able to regulate their body temperature properly and wanting warmth and a closeness that they would get from their mother.

She sleeps on her back with belly up and paws all over like a star fish - this behaviour surprised me as I always thought cats only went on their back to attack as they had their claws upwards, but again it comes down to trusting you and feeling safe not threatened to expose their belly.

Head butting me gently and rubbing cheeks - She loves to put her head to mine and look into my eyes (her eyes are so trusting), this is because of the scent glands in the head - cats and kittens only do this with those they trust in their circle and when they do it to human is an indication that I belong to her and her me, and she sees me as a big cat!  This is the same for rubbing cheeks.

She licks my ears (most annoying!) - Apparently this is linked to her being so young and taken from her mum, it can be linked to wanting to feed or just a sign of affection.

Mewing before and after going to the litter try - this is really comical - she mews before she climbs in it and then after she has been.  This is linked to her calling her mummy cat.  She doesn't need help to go, she has done both wees and poos.  I spoke to the lady I got her from and she did it there as well.


There are many other bits she does but nothing I had to search - she comes running to me if  she wants peace and has had enough of playing etc.  Its as though i'm her safety blanket.  She mews at me when she sees me (not at anyone else in the house), and she loves to lay either on my chest or as close to me as she can get.  Her tail is always pointed up when she sees me.  Kitten kisses are given whenever she comes to me.

July 16th 2015 - Kitten

July 16th 2015 - Kitten

So today my friend sent me another pic of her kitten that I am having off her.  I commented about how cute she is and I can't wait to get her.  My friend said that Mum isn't really bothered by them and is isn't feeding them and just getting fed up of them, the kittens are litter trained, eating solid food and on kitten milk so if I want her early I can.

So I went and got her today.  We have named her Starla, she is gorgeous!  She is still really tiny and very playful.  She has taken a feather and a puff ball from the craft box and is playing with them, as well as a small rubber "spikey" ball and an empty drinks bottle.  She has also chased the laser light round the room.

I introduced her to Flame our eldest cat, Flame hissed and spat at Starla, Starla just bounced towards her!  This has happened 2 or 3 times, but it was expected.  Willow our other cat came towards kitten, Starla moved and Willow ran out of the room with the kitten hot on her heels. LOL!  I'm sure they will all get on, they are going to have to as all live here.

She has curled up beside meon the sofa and gone to sleep.  She was sat up but as she got into deeper sleep slid over,so she is now laying down.  My boys are really happy that we have her and all thinks shes lovely.

June 16th 2015 - new gate

June 16th 2015 - new gate

It occurred to me at stupid o'clock in the morning that we have no door between the dining room and kitchen, and the kids like to leave the back door open as lil man (5) cant' reach to open it from outside (it's from the kitchen).  This isn't usually a problem but in a few weeks we will have a young kitten that needs to stay in the house for couple of weeks so could be a problem.

So I started thinking (never good at that time of morning) and thought about metal baby safety gates but the kitten will fit through the gaps, then I thought about the mesh travel type but my youngest son wouldn't be able to climb over it as only small.  It then came to me to make one!!!  Well to get hubby to make one.

So I looked on pinterest and found this one.  Which gave me an even better idea.  stood against the garden fence is a gate we had on the decking at the old house, it is of picket style of which kitten could get through, but I also have loads of pickets.  So today me and hubby filled the gaps in the picket gate with more pickets, had to cut part of it off as too wide for door frame, added hinges and fixed it up.  I just need to get either a bolt or hook system so that it stays closed.

In theory putting it up this early may help the kids get in the habit of actually closing it behind them before we get the kitten.  I'm not stupid and I know cats can climb and jump, but hopefully by the time the kitten is big enough to climb up it or jump over it, it will be old enough to actually go outside or at worst we can get to it b4 it does get over.

The other 2 cats have both looked at it a bit strangely as it wasn't there when they went outside earlier.  The older of the 2 has 1. jumped over it and 2. pulled it open with paw.  The younger of the 2 has sat down beside it and meowed, she didn't even try to open it or jump it!  As pretty as my youngest cat is she really is very stupid, i'm sure she doesn't realise she is a cat and CAN jump and climb! lol!

June 15th 2015 - No name

June 15th 2015 - No name

Why is it harder to come up with a name for a kitten than a baby???  I wouldn't even say its because you have 9months to decide with a baby because with all 3 of mine I had names picked out for both boys and girls from once I knew things were going ok with the pregnancies.

I am getting a kitten in just over 5weeks and at the moment it has no name.  Well technically that's not true, we have a name if its a boy but not if its a girl.  This may not sound a big problem but it is for me.  Both my other 2 cats (and the 1 that died and the 1 that we took in that went back to old owner) all have mystical/wiccan/pagan names.  We have flame and willow at the moment and the other 2 were phoenix and gizmo.

This is the cute bundle of fluff that is coming to live with us soon that has no name!

June 3rd 2015 - Kitten

June 3rd 2015 - Kitten

A friend of mine posted some photos on facebook of the kittens her cat had on 1st June.  They are absolutely gorgeous.

Well I said to her that I would need to speak to my hubby but I would definately be interested in the grey tabby.  And if hubby agreed we would have it.  I spoke to hubby and he said "you've already decided your want it, which means amy's having it, so why you asking".    So i told my friend that the grey tabby kitten would have a new home in July when they old enough to leave mummy cat.

This is a picture of my new kitten, its 3days old in pic and was born on 1st June.