The Vent and Rant Thread

[badgoodDeb]

Well, she's got 18 rescued cats ... perhaps they aren't all completely trainable!

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

Well, she's got 18 rescued cats ... perhaps they aren't all completely trainable!

Trainable?? Oh, it is to laugh!! My cats are the ones that have me trained. You should hear them holler if their meals aren't exactly on time! And, this is even though they have four always full bins of dry food on which to nibble.

No, if it is 8:01 in the morning, or 5:01 in the evening, there damn well better be 27 bowls of wet food out on their placemats (the extra bowls are because I got tired of trying to figure out who liked what flavor, so now I just put nine flavors out "buffet style" .... three bowls of each flavor .... and let the little bastards decide for themselves).

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

Trainable?? Oh, it is to laugh!! My cats are the ones that have me trained. You should hear them holler if their meals aren't exactly on time! And, this is even though they have four always full bins of dry food on which to nibble.

well, they are cats...

No, if it is 8:01 in the morning, or 5:01 in the evening, there damn well better be 27 bowls of wet food out on their placemats (the extra bowls are because I got tired of trying to figure out who liked what flavor, so now I just put nine flavors out "buffet style" .... three bowls of each flavor .... and let the little bastards decide for themselves).

hm, that reminds me of something i was wondering about : how do you make sure everybody eats ? i have only two : one of them was rescued (pregnant) and i'm pretty sure she was very hungry for most of her life before i got her (apart from her giant pregnant belly, she was really skinny), so she is a glutton now and she always eats as fast as she can and then wants to eat the bug's food too. the bug, who was born with me, has never been hungry, so she's very casual about food and when her mother comes and tries to push her away she doesn't peep, just goes away. also she likes to eat 3 or 4 bites and then save some for later (like half an hour later), only if she leaves it, it will be gone... so i have to feed the bug next to me so i can keep an eye on her and make sure bast doesn't finish both portions. with 18 cats, especially rescued ones who might not have had enough food before, aren't there any who are like that ? do they all share nicely ?

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

well, they are cats...


hm, that reminds me of something i was wondering about : how do you make sure everybody eats ? i have only two : one of them was rescued (pregnant) and i'm pretty sure she was very hungry for most of her life before i got her (apart from her giant pregnant belly, she was really skinny), so she is a glutton now and she always eats as fast as she can and then wants to eat the bug's food too. the bug, who was born with me, has never been hungry, so she's very casual about food and when her mother comes and tries to push her away she doesn't peep, just goes away. also she likes to eat 3 or 4 bites and then save some for later (like half an hour later), only if she leaves it, it will be gone... so i have to feed the bug next to me so i can keep an eye on her and make sure bast doesn't finish both portions. with 18 cats, especially rescued ones who might not have had enough food before, aren't there any who are like that ? do they all share nicely ?

The dry bins are gravity fed, so there are always four very large bowls of dry food available at all times. I put about 40 pounds of dry food in the feeders each week (10 pounds per feeder).

The cats, even the starving and/or feral cats, figure out pretty quickly that the dry food is just always there. I have some cats who prefer the dry food, and that's all they eat. They don't show up for the buffet. There are about 4 of my cats that are that way.

The rest of them, well, there are always more bowls at the buffet than there are cats in the room. That means there is always a spot at an open bowl. In fact, there are always a few left overs for about an hour after breakfast and dinner. I wait until all the bowls are empty before I pick them up and stick them in the washer.

All of the cats seem to have a weight at which they are happy and healthy. I have one or two "chunky" cats (but, oddly, they are not the wet food eaters), and a few that are more sleek. The only ones I have that don't eat all that much are cats like my Morgan, who was always very small (I don't think she's ever weighed more than 5 pounds), and is now approaching age 20. So, she nibbles the wet food she wants, and then just curls up and naps. I put her bowl down for the rest of the gang to finish off after she is done.

There are never any squabbles over food. About the only time there are any thing approaching snit fits are when one cat wants to play and another cat wants to be left alone. All those take is a simple loud "Knock it OFF!! Don't make me come in there!!" and quiet immediately ensues.

[Peverel]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

so i have to feed the bug next to me so i can keep an eye on her and make sure bast doesn't finish both portions.

I think you are a big softie and for this I salute you and think you are wonderful

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

The dry bins are gravity fed, so there are always four very large bowls of dry food available at all times. I put about 40 pounds of dry food in the feeders each week (10 pounds per feeder).

The cats, even the starving and/or feral cats, figure out pretty quickly that the dry food is just always there. I have some cats who prefer the dry food, and that's all they eat. They don't show up for the buffet. There are about 4 of my cats that are that way.

The rest of them, well, there are always more bowls at the buffet than there are cats in the room. That means there is always a spot at an open bowl. In fact, there are always a few left overs for about an hour after breakfast and dinner. I wait until all the bowls are empty before I pick them up and stick them in the washer.

All of the cats seem to have a weight at which they are happy and healthy. I have one or two "chunky" cats (but, oddly, they are not the wet food eaters), and a few that are more sleek. The only ones I have that don't eat all that much are cats like my Morgan, who was always very small (I don't think she's ever weighed more than 5 pounds), and is now approaching age 20. So, she nibbles the wet food she wants, and then just curls up and naps. I put her bowl down for the rest of the gang to finish off after she is done.

There are never any squabbles over food. About the only time there are any thing approaching snit fits are when one cat wants to play and another cat wants to be left alone. All those take is a simple loud "Knock it OFF!! Don't make me come in there!!" and quiet immediately ensues.

hm, oddly enough, although i've had these cats for almost 10 years now (i can't remember if i got them in 2000 or 2001) and bast was probably only about 8 months at the time (she wasn't quite fully grown ; i think she got pregnant at her first heat), she still hasn't figured out that she's not in danger of starving.

as for the fat ones who don't eat wet food... i used to feed my cats dry food and they both got really fat (even the bug, who never eats much). i switched them to wet food only and they both got much sleeker very quickly. now i give them a little of both because the dry food will clean their teeth, and bast is getting a bit fat again but i think that's also partly because 1. she's a glutton, like i said, and 2. she's getting very lazy with time... i should chase her around the house a few times a day so she could get some more exercise !

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

T About the only time there are any thing approaching snit fits are when one cat wants to play and another cat wants to be left alone. All those take is a simple loud "Knock it OFF!! Don't make me come in there!!" and quiet immediately ensues.

I can certainly understand that.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Peverel

I think you are a big softie and for this I salute you and think you are wonderful

aw ! thanks peverel, that's really sweet to say ! it's nice to be appreciated. (you're right, i am a big softie, but keep it under your hat, you don't want me to get a reputation do you... )

[phenomshel]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

aw ! thanks peverel, that's really sweet to say ! it's nice to be appreciated. (you're right, i am a big softie, but keep it under your hat, you don't want me to get a reputation do you... )

Queen Zee, I hate to tell you this, but you already HAVE a reputation....

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

Queen Zee, I hate to tell you this, but you already HAVE a reputation....

uh oh... which one ????? (now i'm worried... )

[phenomshel]

Have you ever heard of the iron hand in the velvet glove?

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

Have you ever heard of the iron hand in the velvet glove?

who, me ?? :innocent: i'm just a big softie.

[LazyScot]

Originally Posted by Verencat

Right now it's the "What did I do wrong? Is there really something wrong with me? Do I deserve anything nice?" paranoia thingy emerging.

I'd much rather associate with people who, in such a situation as yours, ask themselves what might be wrong with them, rather than automatically assuming that everyone else must be at fault, and they themselves are in fact perfect. Generally speaking, this means they are not at fault, or if they are, correct it quickly.

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

at least you get some help ! those damned cats are just a couple of layabout, good for nothing, fur-shedding, freeloading parasites ! i can't get them to do ANYTHING around here !!

Hmmm. <Thinks about housecleaning> <Warning: Geek Mode Activated>.

Okay. First off, you need to have hard floors. Next you need is a scanning laser connected to your PC that also has a camera that watches the floor. Then you need a random walk program driving the scanning laser, cross linked to the camera to ensure that the entire floor is tracked. Then you need to ensure you cats have some form of lightweight cloth attached to them. Turn on. You should then have your cats madly chasing the laser dot all over your room, cleaning as they go.....

<Geek Mode De-activated.>

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

little bug has been driving me crazy lately, she spends half the day moaning pathetically. sometimes she wants cuddles but instead of coming to me she complains and complains until i go pick her up. sometimes she wants to play, but instead of playing with her toys (or her mother ! sheesh, that is why i kept both of them !!!) she moans and moans until i pay attention to her ; she wants only to play if i'm playing with her. now i finally got her distracted with one of my nylon shopping bags (it's one of her favorite toys ) and she is fighting with her teddy bear from inside it (teddy bear is on the outside... it's more fun that way apparently... ) and i can hear alarming sounds of tearing nylon. something tells me i should not plan to carry anything heavy in that bag anymore. i wish she would stop being so whiny and complainy !! i have work to do !!!

Which might be also solved by above.

Originally Posted by ruth1304

Reminds me of my grandfather, who on the subject of housework said, "Why keep a dog and bark yourself?" Pointing at my grandmother.

I think it was Jo Brand who I first heard wife translated as Washing, Ironing, something-or-other, Etc. Can't remember what the F stood for.

Originally Posted by ShortNCuddlyAm

Or ask them who moved the counter

Pshrynk's contractors moonlighting?

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

Oh my non-existent god .... WORSE??? Than the drivers here?? I'm already jittery about driving around here, what with the good-ol-boy drunks in their big ol trucks, leaving whole families just a smear on the pavement.

I think I mentioed we have a lot of frisky young foals over here at the moment. Now *some* drivers don't think that the 40mph limit here applies to them and tend to overtake in stupid positions (interestingly, a lot of them in very expensive, high marque cars). Often followed by slamming on the brakes and pulling back in. On one occasion, they fish-tailed quite spectacularly. You do get a fair number of dead horses, deer and cattle on the roadside each year.

Originally Posted by ShortNCuddlyAm

Venting and ranting at myself for thinking I was too ill to go and vote on Thursday, and at the fact that the BNP got two seats in the Euro Parliament.

More depression here; trying to resist the Edmund Burke quote.

Originally Posted by pshrynk

This is in addition to the necessary hole for drainage. And, since it is a concrete construction, it weighs in at about 300 pounds so a replacement is not happenning as far as I know... they intend to patch it.

Make sure they know which hole to patch....

Originally Posted by pshrynk

Farking contractors!

Oh.

Originally Posted by pshrynk

They did not show up last night to fix the extra hole in the sink, and now it seems to be expanding. I have the premonition of lawyers in my future...

Perhaps you should introduce them to Ricky, and let them read of her plans for the Evil Developer and cannibalism exploits. I'd recommend having smelling salts to hand.

Originally Posted by Curly

Ricky -- are you still painting?!

I personally suspect she isn't in Texas, but actually on a iron construct linking Edinburgh to Fife and carrying trains.

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Originally Posted by LazyScot

d we have a lot of frisky young foals over here at the moment. Now *some* drivers don't think that the 40mph limit here applies to them and tend to overtake in stupid positions (interestingly, a lot of them in very expensive, high marque cars). Often followed by slamming on the brakes and pulling back in. On one occasion, they fish-tailed quite spectacularly. You do get a fair number of dead horses, deer and cattle on the roadside each year.

We go down just south of the New Forest quite a lot, and often drive down at night. And to be quite honest there's times when 40 seems far too fast (usually when there's patches of fog, deer and cattle drifting across the road...). It's actually quite odd coming across a herd of cattle sauntering down the road late at night, and realising that you don't need to try and find the local farmer to let them know their cows have escaped...

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by ShortNCuddlyAm

It's actually quite odd coming across a herd of cattle sauntering down the road late at night, and realising that you don't need to try and find the local farmer to let them know their cows have escaped...

why not ? do they just live out there on their own ?