Pets and other beasties

[Hervey]

A Clydesdale horse pulls this tourist tram at Victor Harbour, a 90 minute drive from Adelaide, South Australia

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[Blueboy]

Hello,

After I come back my holidays, I have decided to procure a cat. Now, I don't know much about the procurement process, other than I would like to obtain one which has had a hard life and needs some quality time in its later years.

I used to have a regular tortoiseshell visitor when I lived in Shawlands but she was a real stuck-up cow. I'd prefer something a bit more 'sociable'.

I have a biggish garden with cat flaps already installed, so I'm happy for the cat to fanny about outside when it wants to.

1. Where do you get cats from?

2. How much are they?

3. Do they come 'chipped' like dugs?

4. What should I look for when selecting a cat?

Any advice would be great, Thanks!
BB

[Dave]

1. Where do you get cats from? - Try Adtrader to see if anyone has an older cat they can no longer accomodate, My affore mentioned and now dispatched cat came from a house which the lady had one of every pedigree and they were too much work. Alternatively you could try the RSPCA

2. How much are they? - Depends some may go free to a good home, but genrally between £300-£600, if you have a bit more you could try one of >>these<<

3. Do they come 'chipped' like dugs? - Most pedigree's would,

4. What should I look for when selecting a cat? Well that one answers itself, if you don't mind a bit of grooming then long haired cats look pretty cool and are well natured, short hairs tend to be more personable and playful although that is extremely general

Good luck

[Blueboy]

Cheers Dave.
(I was sorry to hear about your cat).

[Tamandee]

Hiya Blueboy, you could try the Cats Protection League. They aim to home unwanted pets and kittens. They usually come either spayed or dressed or you might get a voucher to have it done if the cat is too young for the operation. You could also try the Scottish Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals. Both of these organisations you should be able to find on the internet.

As for choosing the right cat for you. You will probably know him or her when you meet.

I don't think the SSPCA or Cats Protection League chip but this can be done at a vet's surgery after your acquisition. I don't know how much this costs.

Although you have a cat flap installed it might be a good idea to keep your new friend indoors for a while so he/she can familiarise him/herself with the new surroundings and get used to having a new home. In that case you will need to get a cat box and some cat litter to put in it. Once your cat "goes" outside you can then get rid of it or keep it for emergencies.

Good luck in your search. I hope you find the one right for you. I'm sure you will. When we got Effie (our cat) we went to look at another one the CPL thought would be right for us. That cat wouldn't come near us but Effie did and we instantly knew she was the one for us. Fourteen years on we are still sure.

All the best, Dee (tamandee)

PS Let us know how you get on.

[Blueboy]

Great, thanks. This is just the kind of info I was looking for.
I will report back once ma new pal has moved in...

[Dave]

A wee note on the 'keeping indoors for a bit' side of things. It is common for the cat to find a hidy hole for the first few days, a bit like a sulking teen they'll probably be a bit stropy towards you until they feel truly comfortable, regardless of how they reacted when you first met them. If possible tell kids to steer clear until the cat is roaming freely on it's own.

Again this is fairly general and it is possible the cat'll be yer best buddy from day dot.

[Reenie Bujman]

Dragonfly - Libellula quadrimaculata - Four-spotted Chaser

Spied on the Somerset Levels. Do they live in the Glasgow area, though? I've seen one or two flying bugs in East Kilbride but they're nowhere near as prevalent as "Down South".

Nearest I've seen is the police helicopter.

[Blueboy]

Reenie,

That is a fantasic beastie..I wouldn't want it flying up my trouser leg.

According to the British Dragon Fly Society it is found throughout the UK.

What's the most impressive beastie encountered on a HG Day (or night) out? We saw a stag beetle and a giant robin when photographing above Kennishead Road last Month.

[Dave]

Tax
Binge drinking
Suicide
Violence...........

What next.

Well happy news from our house, we have a new kitty



Lets all lighten up a smite

[peter]

Rush Hour in Glasgow Friday morning.

[Reenie Bujman]

Cracking snarley-horn, that.

[HollowHorn]

Hillhead St:

[Reenie Bujman]

Gorgeous moggie!

Used to have one like that. Mum bought a pair of pedigree Abyssinians, one sorrel, one silver. Sisters. The sorrel was squashed in the road and I was rather upset by this and decided she needed replacing. When her sister, the silver one, came on heat, there came prowling a fluffy tabby alley cat of prodigious dimensions.

"Don't let the cat out", shouted Mum from upstairs as me and my cousin were heading out the door for the pub. The alley cat was waiting so I booted ours out and they disappeared under Dad's van. Three months later, we had the loveliest kittens and I claimed the cutest while the others were given away.

Joy was short-lived, though, we found her one day drowned in the swimming pool. Heart-breaking.

[katimac]

Here a couple of my creatures

Leopard gecko



Tropical fish


Cat