Queen of the garden

Even (often guarded) Psipsina is getting that spring feeling!

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!

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

Flat cat

Pretty mama

Family dynamics

With the kittens now 9 months old, the dynamics within the gang are still constantly changing. Ex feral mama Psipsina is growing more content and affectionate every day - with me. But she mostly treats her kittens like annoying teenagers. Clumsy games or getting in her way is not on, neither is stealing her favourite place, and she prefers to sleep alone these days. And when a kitten interrupts a game or cuddle between me and her, she will immediately turn away sulking. Only Miki is being allowed to play mama's boy these days, sometimes.
And, she can see that Oscar is the one that may one day challenge her queen's crown, and she's already jealous. Oscar gets a lot more swatting and hissing than everybody else, and never a game. Sometimes she even tries to block him at the door. But he just behaves like the clever crown prince he undoubtedly is: gently but confidently keeping out of her way, without any sign of intimidation.

Something's cookin'

 

  Or, maybe not after all...

Cats are hunters...

... and as summer has arrived hunting skills have blossomed, leaving me both proud and horrified. Especially Oscar has a deadly instincts, and it's not just the fat flies he catches...

Impaled by tooth

The moment I came in the door I knew something was wrong... Psipsina didn't come to greet me, and when she showed up a while later she was acting strangely removed and cagey. I tried to brush it away as being oversensitive over my absence, and got on with the evening. Psips sat motionless on her box. This couldn't be right, so I had to have a closer look. She growled at me when I picked her up, and then I noticed she kept her tongue sticking out oddly. When I tried to look into her mouth she started yelling... (but no bites or major scratches, sweet girl she is)...

We got off to the vet first thing in the morning, with the cat box (a re-conditioned LeCreuset cardboard box) strapped on the back of my bicycle. The vet took one look at her mouth: the tooth was not broken, it was stuck through her lip!!
How on earth...??? Poor thing, she must have endured that impaled lip for at least 2 days... (and feeling really guilty I wasn't there to notice). I had to leave her at the vets to be sorted out under sedation.
Got her back home now, with a hole in her lip (the tooth really went straight through) but a lot happier. Just hope she heals well now (and without complications from all the drugs put into her...)

Queen of the house

Territory

Psipsina really keeps an eye on 'her' home now. Intruders have no chance: the other day a fox sneaked in, and was immediately attacked with forceful, noisy determination. Today a new black cat came so much as near the garden door and was given a clear message about what would happen if she came any nearer.
With the kittens almost 8 months now, and out and about by themselves all the time anyway, I doubt this is her mothering instinct. This really is about her home = her territory. Uninvited guests keep out! (Maybe she'd would do the same with would-be burglars?)

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!

clicker training!

I started clicker training the whole gang about 6 weeks ago and they have taken to it enthusiastically. To the point that they all queue up outside the closed door of the room where I try to work with each separately, scratching and meowing to be let in, LOL.
Psipsina even hisses and swats at the others waiting their turn when I let her out of the training room, which worries me a bit. I have tried to let her remain in the room staying 'in her spot' while I work with another one, but this is not yet reliable enough and it doesn't always work well - depending on how keen she is on the treats I end up having to control her rather than working with the kitten, so I have to keep the training sessions separate for another while at least. (means I'll probably end up with a frayed carpet by that bedroom door)

Meet the gang: Psipsina

Psipsina (perfect tabby, 2yrs apprx) - the mama cat. It still amazes me how she figured that she would be safe sneaking into my house to have her little ones (I did notice her hanging out in my garden regularly for a few months before that, but lots of cats in London have outside access so I didn't think this unusual in any way) Her name is Greek for pusscat (in Greece, cats answer to the sound of pssss pssss - they do!). I just used it automatically when she arrived, and it stuck. She has been a great mum, but as the kittens are now almost 7 mo she is slowly getting her peace and own personality back. She was spayed in November and recovered well from it (though I worried myself sick).