Fred....Again

 I really don't know what to do to help Fred.

He is constantly fighting with the other cats. Sometimes he is the aggressor, but most of the time he is being attacked.

This goes back to when he was a kitten. There were 3 males in the first litter, Fred, Steve and Alan. I think Fred was bullied by the other two a lot. As the other litters came along, it just got worse.

We will have a few quiet days followed by days when they constantly fight. It gets to be very tiring, especially if they fight at night. I try to keep them awake in the evening, playing with them and trying to get them to burn off some energy, then eating later at night, so they can settle. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't!

At the moment, I'm letting Fred in my room while I'm in here; it's safe for him. But I can't let him in by himself as he has a habit of peeing everywhere!

Yesterday, he was sitting watching out of my window, got a little video of him.

Sam

 Sam has decided that I'm his human.

Over the past few weeks, Sam has been spending more and more time in my room. 

Most afternoons, he'll be on my bed while I work on my computer, or he'll keep me company when I'm reading or watching TV.

Sam on my bed.

At night, he sleeps on my feet.  At first I felt uncomfortable, but now I'm used to it and miss him if he doesn't come in.

He sleeps there until about 4:30am, when he wakes up for the toilet. He jumps off the bed and waits by the door to be let out of the room. I know that's early, but it helps me as I have to get up at 5am.

I never thought that one of the cats would choose me; I feel very privileged.

Catnip

 My cats have been fighting all afternoon. I tried playing with them, but it tired me out more than them! So I went the catnip route!

I have no idea if this is good for the cats or not. I don't use it very often, maybe once a month, especially when they are fighting a lot.

I'm wondering if the local cats that come around are fixed or not. My cats are, but if the local cats are coming around, that might account for the aggression in my cats. 

Enjoy my cats enjoying the catnip.

They are very quiet now!

Flea Meds

 My cats hate getting the flea meds. 

They run and hide, they scratch and bite. With nine cats, it becomes like an Olympic sport!

Fluffy is the worst. She hides in the smallest places possible. When she's caught, she goes full-on drama queen, yowling and biting! I am always amazed at her strength. She looks so tiny, but she's very strong, must be all the chicken she steals!

Fluffy, looking very sweet.

Toast is another one that hides and races away! He gives up quickly, but then sulks for ages afterwards. David was doing the meds this time. He said that for a couple of days after he put the meds on Toast, Toast wouldn't go near him.

Toast, sulking.

The other cat that really fights is Fred. This time, however, he was sleeping on the sofa. David managed to get him before he knew what was happening. Fred is rather big and strong, so I was glad that we could get him without a fight!

Fred.

We have to do this again in a month.

I know it's good for them, and they need the meds, but I wish it wasn't such a drama!

Cat Day In Japan

 February 22nd is Cat Day in Japan, Neko No Hi, because the date 2/22 can be read as ni-ni-ni, which sounds like nyan-nyan-nyan, the Japanese onomatopoeia for a cat's meow!

This play on words was so popular that the Executive Cat Day Committee decided in 1987 to make February 22nd the official Cat Day.

Cats arrived in Japan during the Nara period (AD 710-784), likely introduced from China. By the Heian period (794 -1185), they were so prized that only the nobility could afford them.

Cats appear in Japanese folklore as benevolent and mischievous creatures.

There are cat shrines and temples dedicated to feline deities or legends. I hope to be able to find some of them to visit.

And of course, Japan has cat islands where there are more cats than people

In my house, every day is cat day! Especially when Hannah is at home!

A few photos of my cats for cat day!

Catnip, Again

 I don't know why, but the cats just wouldn't settle this afternoon. 

Usually, they are active in the morning, racing around, fighting, getting into mischief, then after lunch, they snooze for a while. Today, however, they wouldn't settle at all! Just fighting. It might be the weather, it's nice and warm. When it's too cold, they snuggle up together; when it's too hot, they just sleep wherever they can get comfortable!

So we resorted to the catnip, again!

I know the floor is a mess, I did clean earlier, but....!

A Broken Chest Of Drawers

 In my bedroom, I have this old chest of drawers, which I've had for about 25 years, and we bought it second-hand!

The other week, the bottom drawers got stuck; they just wouldn't open! I think the wood has warped.

I asked David to help me out, he has a lot more strength than me. He managed to get one of the drawers out! But Alan decided that the space would make a great hiding place!

Alan hiding

It took ages to get him out!

The drawers won't go back in at all. They are just sitting on the bedroom floor. Sam seems to think that they are his new bed!

Sam in the drawer.

He looks so comfortable!