Call of the Wild

Yesterday we finally released Dark and Stormy, our two cats, back into the wild. Since getting them three weeks ago from Francis' flatmate's girlfriend we've kept them inside to allow them to adjust to their new home and reduce the chances of them running off. That had it's problems - our expensive new rug was identified as being ideal for sharpening claws (the scratching post we bought them haughtily ignored, despite being liberally sprayed with catnip), the kitchen began to smell of cat food and cat poo, the soil in our houseplants was getting dug up, and we'd be woken around 4am every morning by the sound of the cats play-fighting and chasing each other across our wooden floors. I can't help but think it's going to be good preparation for having children.

For the last two days, however, the cats have spent all the time we've not been home, and the night, outside. We've bought them a dog house to provide shelter from the rain and, ironically, the neighbourhood dogs, although so far they've not seemed inclined to use it. Last night we got home to find Stormy having a fight with a local cat and the food that we left out for them swarming with ants (a serious problem this time of year). How we can leave food out for them without turning it into an anthill we've not quite figured out yet - answers on a postcard please. We're still waiting for the dead rats and lizard heads to be left on our doorstep - but I'm sure it won't be long.

Comments

[Sunil Mathur on 01.09.03 at 14:58]

Put the dish of cat food in a slightly larger dish of water.

[Somers Kempe on 10.09.03 at 14:23]

Hi Phil & Mandy,
Love the blog - great photos of the hurricane. Glad to hear you both came out of it relatively unscathed. Very unfortunate about Thistle Dew... :(
As an additional tip for your catfood/ant woes, place the dish on a Bounce fabric softner dryer sheet. Might look a bit funny, but trust me it works! For some reason the ants don't like walking on it... it works for our cat's food and water dish... and the cat doesn't mind too much. ;)
See you the big day!
Cheers.