Watch this space

My fur babies are going to have to get used to a whole new routine as of today. It has always been that there is someone at home. JC worked nights and was at home all day to attend to their needs, and I was at home all night. Today, JC started his day job - so we are both out of the house. Without a cat-flap (glass doors to the ground) I have had to leave a window open to the conservatory so that Malo can get in. His food station has been moved to the conservatory too as, for security sake, access to the rest of the house is shut and locked. There is nothing in the conservatory of value and access to the rest of the house is very secure so burglary is not a worry. However, the open window and the food station in the conservatory is a bit of a temptation to other cats in the vicinity - including Tubs - so there might lie the problem. Bonnie, in the meantime, is going to have to make her own entertainment, and is likely to become bored and feel abandoned In the past she has had a tendancy to trash the place when she feels like that. I shall find out this evening when I get home, but it is something that they are both going to have to get used to.

Joanne

Hopefully they'll both amaze you by son settling down to their new routine Joanne.

Not quite the same thing as with Bonnie, but I usually do a bit of shopping today and I'm not risking leaving Pablo alone in the house so soon.

Ian

Up setting their routines can occasionally unsettle them, but as Maol is still able to get in and out and has food available he'll be fine. Tubs maybe a problem though, is he called Tubs because he is as his name suggests, tubby?, if so make the window opening only wide enough for Malo to get through and a tad difficult for Tubs to manage.
Bonnie certainly could become bored, we had a cat called teddy and he didn't get outside unless we were with him, well, he used to trash the place too, we would come home and find everything everywhere. You could leave a radio on for her, or the Tv, just so there isn't silence all the time, plenty of toys may also help and of course when you come home, shower her with attention. they will adapt, as they have too, you will be more worried than they are.

Tubs is about twice the size of Malo - and that is saying something as Malo is a big athletic cat. I have set the window big enough for Malo but not open enough to encourage the Tubby one. Tubs may also recall what happened last time he dared to venture into the conservatory - one hell of a hiding from Malo - and that might be enough to put him off.

Bonnie is a sweetheart who is loving and adorable. She rarely ventures outside, and usually only if that is where we are too. We never leave her out while we aren't there as she gets quite distraught if she thinks she can't get back in. She sleeps most of the time, but loves her toys for when she is awake. The very first time we left her for a couple of days with parents dropping by daily to feed and water and change litter and give her some company - she really did trash the house. My mum had to warn me that we hadn't been burgled - because that is exactly what it looked like. We have left her since for long periods (holidays), but it hasn't been quite so horrendous upon our return - just maybe a corner that has been turned over rather than the whole house. It could be a good idea to leave the telly/radio on. Maybe the telly as Bonnie occasionally shows a real interest in what is going on - cocking her head to one side and watching intensely the screen. Thanks for that Kath, I will try it.

Joanne

Oh bless her, Sophie used to be fasinated with the telly when she was a kitten, but only occasionally now. I do believe you can buy DVD's especially for cats to watch, I think one is of fish , that may be something to think about.
here's hoping Tubs takes the hint and doesn't try to get in, maybe another battering from malo will be the answer,

When I got home I was happy to see that Bonnie did not appear to be too concerned about the change in routine. There was evidence that she had played with some of her toys - but no sign of any tantrum or mischief. We have taken on board Kath's idea, and today Bonnie has the company of the telly, with volume set low.

Malo, however, was another story. I could hear him before he had spotted me, yowling at the top of his voice. He was sitting in the middle of the driveway, looking very disgruntled and wailing. This is strange behaviour on a couple of levels - he is rarely out the front of the house as his territory is rather big but from the back of the house onwards, and secondly Malo is not usually a very vocal cat at all, we barely hear him. He was clearly unhappy at not being able to get into the house as and when he pleased and the conservatory was not sufficient for him. The food had all gone, and I think it must have been Malo who ate it, so he had been into the conservatory at some point. We were going to keep him in today to see if that went down any better, but his pleas to be let out meant that today he will be faced with the same scenario as yesterday. We will have to give it a couple of days to see how he gets on.

Joanne

Oh they let us know in no uncertain terms when they're disgruntled, but give him time and he'll accept it, his nose is out of joint , he's used to total freedom, in and out the house, so to be denied access won't go down well. But you know, he's safe, he's getting fed and he is still able to come and go, I think he would be more unhappy if you did keep him in, then he would have something to yowl about.
Good news concerning Bonnie though, I can just imagine her today, lying back, feet up watching the telly. Hope everything if fine today when you get home.

Lying back, feet up - that's our Bonnie! That is until she hears a loud noise and then she flips. Being near an airbase doesn't help as invariably at some point in the day there will be a huge noisy bird to make her panic.

Joanne

Day 2 - Got home to find, strangely, that the telly was switched off! There was no telltale sign of a power cut so I can only assume that a particular programme bored her and so Bonnie switched it off by stepping onto the remote. Bonnie seems to be perfectly happy with the new routine and hasn't kicked up a fuss ... yet.

Malo is another story. No sign of him on the driveway, nor in the conservatory. No response to my calls or the packet of dry food being shaken. No Malo until gone 9 last night - then he sauntered in for food and was heading back out again, but we had closed the window to prevent it. JC thinks that if we are not careful he will adopt a different family and we will lose him so it was decided to shut him in for today. This decision was helped by the rain this morning (although there wasn't much of it) and by the huge through the window fight in the early hours of the morning - which led to the curtain (not the nets but the thick ones) coming down. I did let him out for an hour first thing - as is his usual habit, but when he came in for food the window was shut behind him. Actually he didn't seem that bothered and made his way to his window sill, where I left him fast asleep. Plenty of food down, if Bonnie doesn't get to it first.

Bonnie was asleep too when I left, but I did leave the telly on again as company.

Joanne

@ Bonnie switching the telly off, now if she can do that, she can switch it on when she wants too.

Reading about Malo, that thought did cross my mind (him adopting a new home), I think this is a case of trial and error to see what he's happiest with. Will be interesting to see how he reacts when you get home, Such a worrying time for you, when you don't know how they are going to adapt, but they will, looks like Bonnie has taken to this new routine easier than Malo, fingers crossed that it continues.

Just got home and guess what - the telly was off again. Tomorrow I will put the remote out of Bonnie's reach and see what happens then.

Malo did not seem too disgruntled at being shut in all day. He nonchalantly got down from his window sill and made his way to the back door where he waited patiently for me to let him out.

Food had all gone - but no telling whether Malo had any or Bonnie nabbed the lot.

I think Malo realises this is home, but he was feral when we got him so could quite readily revert, or maybe find an interest in another home. Still, for today he is still ours.

Joanne

I wouldn't worry about Malo Joanne, they'll only *move* if they find somewhere better, and by the sounds of it he'll struggle to do that.

Ian

Don't worry Joanne, as Ian said, he'll be hard pushed to find a better home, he knows which side his bread is buttered on.

Day 4

Discovered that Bonnie isn't the clever cat we thought - the telly is on some sort of timing system whereby it goes to stand-by if there is no interaction after a certain time. We hadn't discovered this before as don't watch telly that much. Will have to investigate this weekend as to how to switch that function off.

After an eventful evening - will post about the newcomer - Malo was brought in at a reasonable time, but strangely slept on the floor next to the bed instead of the window sill. Maybe he had had enough of through the window fights and decided the best way to avoid them was to avoid the window sill. This morning out as per usual for a good hour, then in for food, when I closed the window behind him to keep him in again. Anyway, just before I left he started asking to go out. He looked so pitiful and was buttering me up so much with headbuts and rubbing that I decided I would let him out for the day. Again he has access to food and fresh water in the conservatory, as well as bed should he want it, but he won't be able to get into the house. We will have to see how he reacts this time.

Oh, and I am sure you are both right. Although Malo doesn't really treat our house as 'home' - just the place where he can get food and where he gets shut in all night - I am certain that he knows this is where he goes back to after galavanting, and is 'his place' despite Bonnie ruling the roost.

Joanne

just a thought, but ian has a cat flap that he can lock, either letting his cats in only or out only, could you maybe fix one of those from the conservatory into the house? ian would be better explaining what these flaps can do.

Teddy wrote:just a thought, but ian has a cat flap that he can lock, either letting his cats in only or out only, could you maybe fix one of those from the conservatory into the house? ian would be better explaining what these flaps can do.

Hi Kath,

Mines not a genuine 4-way flap (fully open > fully locked > access only > exit only) it's only a cheapo Cat Mate flap (around £14) Fully open and locked are self explanatory, but for access only I pull the flap inside the house then set it to fully locked, the flap opens inwards but not out, then vice versa for exit only. It works but can be a bit noisy if the wind gets hold of the flap.

Ian

Great thought, but unfortunately the access between house and conservatory is also glass down to the floor. We have looked at cat-flaps for putting into glass doors - and they are far too expensive. We will, eventually, build on our final piece of extension, down the side of the house, a general porch, come utilities room and this will have a door that can take a catflap. We will probably have it so Malo can go out, but no access but I very much doubt that Malo will be as clever as my mum's old cat, Guy, who could lift the catflap and gain access even when it was set to exit only.

Joanne

How is everything with Bonnie and Malo? have they accepted the changes or are they giving you grief?

Hi there - am working from home this afternoon (a rarity) so both cats are pretty content. Malo in particular welcomed me with big strong purrs and plodding with his front paws. Otherwise, some days are good and I find them both quite happily waiting for us to return, and some days make me feel really guilty. Bonnie's pitiful wails yesterday when I couldn't find my door key could break anyone's heart. Malo sometimes does not appear for hours and it makes me wonder whether he is making me pay for not allowing access to the house. He made me smile the other day though. I got home and looked into the conservatory but there was no sign of Malo, then I heard a rustling and he appeared from the clean laundry bag looking very pleased with himself at having found such luxurious bedding. Needless to say, my clean laundry is now covered in fur.

Nevermind the cats, we humans are finding it difficult to adapt. Sleep patterns are all over the place, things get neglected or forgotten about because our routine is topsy turvy now and we are a bit perturbed at having all weekend at home and together - not knowing whether it should be work or leisure time... and what do people do with leisure time?

My Bonnie has just jumped up onto the chair next to me and says hello.

Had better get back to work though.

Joanne

Oh Joanne, I shouldn't laugh but had to reading about your dilemma with weekends. Ok use them for leisure, do hobbies if you have any, if not get one , what we do on saturday mornings, is finish any work that wasn't done on Friday, then the rest of the wekend is hours, no guilty feelings because we've neglected something.
Hopefully you and hubby will settle down to your new routines maybe it's you two we should be worried about as the cats seem as though they're doing fine. Bonnie was probably quite content until she heard you outside and then when you didn't appear, her confusion took over. I keep my laundry basket in a cupboard and the first chance the cats get , if I even leave the door open for a second, they're right in there, covering everything with hair.

We have plenty of hobbies - just not ones we generally do together. JC has motorbikes, guitars, painting, sculpting, garden, etc. etc. while I have the family tree that I love to investigate, and writing and reading. Our unusual work patterns before allowed us to get on with our hobbies without encroaching on the other's time and weekends were when I attended to housework seeing as I was on my own and there were no interruptions. We have been a bit lost these last couple of weekends - although we went to a stream rally the first, and last weekend we went to a motorbike museum. There is a motorbike festival this weekend, and next is an autojumble - I think you can get the picture. I don't find I can argue with it because I am not used to answering the question 'what shall we do this weekend?'.

Malo's favourite spot used to be the laundry bag - but he went off it so I thought it was safe to leave in the conservatory - nothing is ever really safe in a household where there are cats. i think you are right about Bonnie, she doesn't seem to upset about the new arrangments, and we make sure we spend plenty of playtime with her in the evening. Malo did pick a fight with one of the beautiful black cats from the garden at the bottom of ours (don't know their names). This was unusual as the black cats keep well out of his way and do nothing really to antagonise him. Tubs is still the main target though - and he does look for it and teases Malo no end. All in all, I think the cats are fine and have adapted well.

Joanne

oh yes I get the picture, thinking about it, Steve and I don't really have shared hobbies either, I have tried golf, but time or the weather seems to get the better of us. We just sort of plod along at the weekends, we do go to art shows/local galleries and we like rummaging around at antique fairs but that's not every weekend. We like to have a pub lunch either Sat or Sunday, that's a must but there are times when we're bored rigid, then I go and shut myself in my studio, goodness knowws what Steve does, probably in his shed raking around the rubbish he keeps, so really weekends are over rated.

Getting to understand that weekends are over-rated. We have decided that one of the days (either Sat or Sun) will be dedicated to 'work' around the house. Our major project that we are both involved in is the renovation, building, decor etc. of our home. When we first got it, it was described by the estate agent as derelict. We have had real derelict houses in the past, so this one seemed perfectly OK, but we recognised the need for an extension (the property was too small) and for major internal reorganisation of space, and to bring it up to scratch. We did it all ourselves and most of the major work is now done, but the decoration in a couple of rooms and finishing off and the outside is yet to do. The remaining day at the weekend will be for relaxation or to attend events etc. To be fair, JC missed a lot of events that he would have liked to attend as they were at the weekend and he was working.

Both Malo and Bonnie seem to have settled into their new routines, so that is a relief.

Joanne

When you're doing renovations/decorating, there has to be one day to relax. When we were re-locating our business to home, the amount of work Steve had to do to get the garage fit for a workshop was huge, didn't take him long though, but every weekend we were doing something connected with that, so when it was completed we were at a loss. LOL he still has work to do on the shed he's build but that seems to have taken a back seat atm, and with the days getting shorter, I can see saturday afternoons being used to finish that little project.
Glad to hear bonnie and Malo have setled, before you know it, you'll get into a weekend routine too.

Jojolabanane wrote:

Both Malo and Bonnie seem to have settled into their new routines, so that is a relief.

Joanne

Being cats, they're probably just waiting till you get a weekend to yourselves before they start acting up

Ian