The Republic of Cats–Update

Cats on bed in surprisingly close proximity

I’m obliged to clunk along with the Blogger editing client until such time as Open Live Writer is up and running, which could take some time.

There is of course a lot of grief in the Blogger community about the sudden demise of Windows Live Writer as a useful tool and I share their angst. 

I’ve been using Windows Live Writer for nine years and thought it was a really excellent piece of software, so I’m disappointed that it no longer works with Blogger, due to some Google security setting.

Therefore I appreciate the efforts of the developers to create a new open source version. Can’t wait to give it a spin.

Anyway, it’s time for a cat post.

The Republic of cats is pretty peaceful these days. Several new cats have arrived in the street, and they have had to learn the hard way where they fit into the hierarchy.

When they first arrive there’s a fair bit of hissing, howling and growling, but that diminishes over time as the feline population get used to each other and learn to share the territory.

It’s a pity mankind is unable to follow their example, judging by the state of the world these days.

Monty and Willy settled their differences a long time ago and have reached an amicable settlement where they don’t fight each other, and appear to accept each each other’s existence as a tolerable fact.

Talya doesn’t care for any of them, and faces down any neighbouring cats that stray into the yard. They’ll walk miles out their way to avoid her.  Even Willy is a wimp if he has to move past her in a doorway, though if she is too close to him he’ll stare her down until she retreats.

Fortunately she’s given up stalking him and pretty much accepts him as an uncomfortable reality, though all this stress still makes her tear her fur out, though that could just be obsessive habitual behaviour.

Grey scale study – Talya snoozing on her blanket.

When I last wrote about the cats, I’d just purchased a self warming cat bed, hoping to give demanding lap sitter Willy an alternative to my knee.

It turned out to be a good purchase, for after Talya initially commandeered the bed, it is now Willy’s domain on the front verandah and she doesn’t get a chance to sleep in it.





Willy in cat bed, happily ensconced.

There must be some kind of Murphy’s Law governing pets. They always have problems that require veterinary advice on the weekend or public holidays when their regular vet is closed.

A couple of weekends ago, Willy arrived home from wherever, acting strange. He appeared to have a problem with balancing and was also trying to dislodge something from his mouth. It is difficult to get him to cooperate in the case of prising his jaws apart to see if there is an obstruction, and dangerous, as he lashes out in distress. 

So, as it was a Saturday evening we were obliged to take him to the nearest 24 hour Vet, who fortunately could see him immediately.

At the initial consultation the vet couldn’t find anything wrong with him, but they put him in a consulting room with us and let him out of the cat carrying cage. He wasn’t in the least freaked out and cruised around the room , eventually jumping onto the examination table and settled down happily.

We had to wait while the vet saw to several other animal patients (it was quite busy) and when she came back she examined him again, which he bore pretty calmly. We were just about about to take him home, still with the problem, when the vet decided to check his mouth again, and discovered that he had a small chicken bone caught behind his teeth. She carted him off to remove it and we were happy to pay the exorbitant consultation fee ($150.00) to have the problem solved.

Goodness knows where he got the bone from, as we are very careful to dispose of chicken bones out of the cats reach, and we’ve repeatedly warned the next door neighbour to never give bones to the cats.

Other than that incident the cats have been in good health and long may they continue to thrive.