I'll go first then!!

[kitty_cat]

Hi!!

I thought I'd post and see if I can encourage some others to get in on the action to, so I'm going to ramble generally about me and my cats!!

I have had a rather privileged life regarding cats, as I worked for 15 years in an animal rehoming centre and all of my cats (8 in total) have come from there.  I have done lots of courses in cat behaviour and used to deal with peoples cat behaviour issues all the time at work. Over the years I have learnt all about cats and now consider myself to know them back to front.

I currently have two cats. Both rescue cats, both black.

Lemmy is my oldest and is a DSH (Domestic Shorthair) and is now 14 years old. I have had him since he was 6 weeks old. He came into the centre with his mum and litter mates (not sure why now!) but it was clear quite quickly that he and his sister were not as strong as the others, so I took them home to hand rear them. Sadly his sister died after a couple of days but Lem has grown into a big, handsome boy and has never had anything wrong with him!! The only trips to vets with him are for routine vaccinations.
He is a real snuggle bum and follows me everywhere!!!  He tells me off if I don't sit down and have a cuddle after he has had his breakfast!!  He is quite a shy boy and really only  lets me, my husband and my son touch him but he is definitely a mummys boy!!!

Nicko is 10 years old and is a DLH (Domestic Longhair), in fact I'm convinced he has Persian in him!!!  He also came to the centre where I worked as a baby, only 12 weeks old and was in such poor condition he had to be shaved completely and bathed several times to remove fleas, lice, ticks, mites and just about every other parasite you can imagine. He was, after a couple of weeks, giving up I think and I was caring for him one day when my manager and the vet came to see him and discuss his progress. He was very close to be euthanased (the shelter where I worked ONLY euthanased sick animals that were beyond help and where it was considered that they were suffering) as he would not eat, had very bad diarrhoea and rarely got out of his bed but I said I would take him home and see if he perked up.  I remember getting him a little tartan dog coat to wear as he was completely bald (except his head and feet!!) and I took him home.  He picked up quickly and was soon a normal, happy kitten playing and having a fuss and eating like there was no tomorrow.

In both cases I couldn't bear to part with my boys so I adopted them. All my other cats (now deceased, sadly) had similar stories but I won't tell them all now!!!!

I hope to meet lots of other catty people here and share stories of our wonderful feline friends. I wouldn't be without mine!! Will attempt to attach photos of them in due course!!

KC

(also known as fishcake76 - if you are part of the think fish website, you'll know who I am! )

[Think Cats]

Hi!

Thanks for sharing!

I've always had cats in my life, my current cat is named George and he's 7.

He cracks me up in that he's a total user and gets me to do exactly what he requires, namely feed him when he wants food and not much else

He's probably the most laziest cat I've ever known, oscillating between food bowl and couch!

He's black but has the odd grey hair too, probably as a result of living with me. I originally got him for my daughter when she was 12 but... she soon became bored with her kitten and I took over all responsibility.

He is a character and I find myself saying "Morning Cat" when I get up, to which he meows in return usually followed by a walk over to his food bowl with a swish of the tail. He's also fairly timid but seems to warm to other people, usually females. Perhaps it's just me. That said, he is also very placid and hasn't ever once bit or scratched me which for me and cats is a definite first.

Notice any patterns here!? ;0)

[Resa]

Hi Fellow Feline Fans!

I've been looking forward to this forum getting up and running
This will be a brief post as I am currently being nagged by my crew to go to bed! In fact, just to get my attention, I'm sure, I have just heard a smash, and on checking the culprit turns out to be Archie....he has knocked down and broken a very much loved blue and white pot

Anyway, I have had cats for so many years...wouldn't be without them Current tally is 11 I will explain to you all how that number has happened in my next post.
Well, off to empty the dustpan...back soon

[Think Cats]

Hi Resa

Stay tuned for more

[Think Cat Ems]

Hello everyone! I'm Ems, but that's boring, so  I'll introduce myself through my cats:

Currently I only have two, although 11 sounds like something I want to aim for!

The first, Harry, ~10 is a black and white DSH, once slender but now a lot more podgy, or "thick set" as we like to call him. This is all down to the fact that Harry is a wanderer, and we guess he visits more than one other kitchen in the neighbourhood. He chose us 7 yrs ago on Boxing Day morning, when he sniffed his way into our kitchen, and decided to stay. I've never met a cat more sociable than Harry; at parties he is known to walk straight into the middle of a group of people and blink lovingly up at them, winning everyone's hearts - even the most die-hard dog owners can't help but smile when he tries to walk his way to the highest point of you to settle down (he is never satisfied with laps. He is not a lap cat, he is a HEAD cat. Shoulders/chest will suffice if you're not in the mood to have a cat as a hat).

Obvious problems have come up with Harry, as we had no clue other than a guesstimate of his age, or any health problems or allergies. However it soon transpired that the previous owner of our wandering cat was my old art teacher, and he gave us some information about his age and told us he had a brother, which explained Harry's move away from home (Harry likes to be the center of attention, and will not share this). Since that day we have taken full responsibility for his healthcare, and the chronic fleas that this vagabond cat constantly has. Will no doubt be asking you lot for any maverick tips for this later on, as NOTHING works but constant manual de-fleaing (not front line, nor any other shop or internet bough medication).

Ziggy is the second current cat and the newest, and is my dads cat, a beautiful ginger tom adopted from the RSPCA. They are in love with each other, and Ziggy reminds me of a young Harry, placid and suave and long legged and slinky (Harry gets grumpier and more particular about who he spends time with in his old age).

Cats are essential to maintaining a happy state of mind, and too long away from them is never a good idea for me! Hence my tendency to pet all cats I come across that seem friendly enough to want me to.

Are we all universal pet lovers or do we have undying loyalty to our cats at home? Especially seeing as THEY ALWAYS KNOW when you have been sneaking around with other cats.

[Think Cats]

Hey Em!

Great intro - thanks for sharing! 

As you know already I've had the privilege to meet Ziggy so can vouch for his awesomeness!

As for your question regarding cat love universality; for me, I like all cats so long as they don't bite me hard or scratch me! 

You may recall Rhubarb - what a character he was, and probably my fave 'friends' cat ever!

[Think Cat Ems]

Ahh Rhubarb was a very special cat! He had lots of allergies though, so I remember it was hard to accommodate all his special dietary needs. I remember he had cute little pouches of chicken and rice. He remains the most beautiful cat I've known, a ginger tom who was part Persian with a big round face and huge yellow eyes, from a litter of ginger and champagne-coloured kittens (can't imagine how cute they were!!) :3

I'm heading home to visit my cats (and family..afterthought) this weekend, and I am much looking forward to seeing them both and knowing what they've been up to, although I'm sure it's much of the same.

The desire to know what my cats are up to when they're not at home is really strong in my house, as my blog post will elucidate!!