Happy Pets

An Open Window: An Opportunity to Escape?

Within a few hours of his arrival in his new home, Caspar the kitten went missing. Certain that he couldn’t have ventured outside, but baffled as to what sort of hiding place he could have found in a modestly sized flat, we searched high and low, to no avail. Something eventually led us into the kitchen, and then to the upright fridge-freezer. There was a small gap between the back of the appliance and the wall … he couldn’t have, could he? Sure enough, on pulling out the unit, we discovered our new kitten curled up in a space within the backless freezer, its electrical innards all the while buzzing away ominously. This cautionary tale goes to show that you should take the same stringent precautions to make your home safe for a new kitten or cat that you would for a toddler — even more so, since toddlers lack the advanced escapology skills of a cat. (more…)

Caspar and Mechior

Despite the devoted attention that they pay to ear-washing, sadly neither of our two cats seem to possess the power — or, perhaps, the inclination — to save us the bother of watering the garden on a sultry summer’s night. Caspar and Melchior will be putting in an occasional appearance to illustrate some of the choices and problems — as well as the pleasures — that all cat-owners inevitably face. I hope that sharing our experience of their habits and idiosyncrasies, as well as of the ailments that have afflicted them during the past twelve years and the care strategies that we have used (some successful, others less so), will prove useful to you. (more…)