Cat bird

A click diary

I was digging around some files on my laptop today, and run into this. I didn't quite remember at first that I had written this; indeed I intended to keep a clicker training diary, but then I never made it beyond that first entry. It's hilarious, so I decided to post it here for your entertainment!

Lily, Princess of the Garden

One year of cats...

• happy cats: 4
• happy human: 1
• days of smiling: 365
• lives changed: 5
• catflaps installed: 2
• clickers acquired: 7
• tricks learned: 10 (and 1/2)
• kgs of raw meat eaten: 153
• number of quail plucked: 162
• bites: 0
• fear scratches: 1
• play scratches: 14
• accidents: 3
• illnesses: 1
• vet visits: 16
• hospital days: 2
• flea bites (on me): 10
• ticks (on Oscar): 1
• critters caught (sorry!)
• mice: 11
• rats: 2
• birds: 9
• earth worms: 37
• flies/moths/bugs: countless

Summer

Summer has finally, definitely arrived! My first summer with the cats. I'm fascinated by how it's changing their attitude: there is so much happening outside, it's keeping all of them constantly occupied: so many bugs to chase, weeds to hide in, birds to stalk, patches of sun (or shade) to laze in... even feeding time has lost its attraction!

Raspberries!

Eating raspberries just off the bush - just the best thing!!

Lily wanted a photo too!

Something's cookin'

 

  Or, maybe not after all...

Glad to be home

Giant weeds in Poland...















... flowers in my garden (with Lily).












Gosh, I'm sooo happy to be back home!!

Mother and daughter.

Quail fest!

And yes, the whole quail are a BIG hit!
The first time around I just cut the whole bird up in half (yuk) and woohoo! A 'wild' reaction from the kittens: the two boys batted their bits around the kitchen for half an hour before eating them - huge fun to watch but I spent another hour cleaning blood from the floor and walls. 
Next time I tried pulling some of the feathers off with my fingers (they come off easily enough) and that seems to have calmed the situation - no more batting just munching (Miki even ate two halves in one sitting, and wanted more - maybe I should stop cutting them up?). Several quail meals later they are still really happy with it - every last bit gets munched up enthusiastically, feet, heads, beaks and all.

I tried mice too - not as huge a hit: the kittens will eat them happily, but Psipsina will not go near a mouse, not even a cut up one. Strange (but I obey and offer something else). Just like the feathers the fur seems to provoke real predator behaviour - the mice get batted around for ages before anybody will start eating. At least the mice are whole so no blood to wash off the walls!

Meet the gang: Lily

Lily (tabby & white girl) - very pretty and supremely confident, a real little tiger. She used to be the first to try everything when they were really small, but becoming more girly now. She decides when she wants to be touched, but when she does, she is super affectionate, purring like a helicopter.

Pretty in the bush