MY GARDEN IS PROTECTED !

[les.b]

I think susie is correct.... here is a copy from a science web site (Why Do Cats Bring Home Dead Animals? | IFLScience) that discusses this phenomenon:

Cats evolved to become highly efficient predators- they have sharp teeth and retractable claws, cushioned paws to silently creep up on prey, night vision, and they're incredibly swift and agile. While the domestication of cats from wild ancestors to human companions started taking place some 10,000 years ago, cats have retained their feral hunting instincts as well as their ability to digest raw meat. No matter how much you coddle them and dress them up in bows and sunglasses, you can't take their predatory instincts away.

Cats learn through experience and traditionally they are raised by their mothers. This involves teaching the kittens how to look after themselves, including how to catch prey. The mother educates her young gradually, starting off by bringing back dead prey for the kittens to eat. Next she will bring back live (but rather disheveled) prey for the offspring to kill themselves, and eventually when they're ready, she will take her young out and show them how to hunt. There have also been documented examples of female cats doing this for young that do not belong to them.

So I think that susie is right on..."something to do with kitten training".

Hang in there, susie!! We are all interested in the progress of drifter, the kits and you!!

Best Regards, Les

 

[les.b]

Uh-oh, the last time we hadn't heard from susie for this long, the kittens had disconnected the Internet, and were reprogramming the computer!! Susie, are you still there? We're starting to worry.

Best Regards, Les

 

[susieqz]

oh, my electricity is only ocassionally disrupted.
it turns out kittens can climb n get behind chicken wire with ease.
they have hundreds of toys to amuse them.
when i woke this morn, i saw they had got into the garbage n found lots of fun things to play with.
there was too much to vacuum, so i waded thru the debris n swept most up.
i left some harmless litter they enjoy. tin foil, unopened nuts, paper scraps.
the place look terrible, but it's organised.
if drifter had done this, we would have had words, but these are babies, so i don't get angry.
they are teeny, but during active periods they seem to be training for the olympics.
they attack each other with great ferocity.
they work hard at sneaking up on their sibs.
quietly advancing on their prey, they walk low to the ground, belly scraping carpet til they leap, sometimes achieving surprise.
they work hard at climbing n have become quite adept.
it was harder to learn jumping, but they have.
jumping is scary. but they stand in fear til they jump.
at first, i put a rolled up blanket next to the couch, so they could make te floor in 2 jumps. now, they just leap without thinking, from the couch or coffee table.
these animals are driven. i could see fear when they readied to jump, but something inside forces them to learn survival skills.
soon, i'll take them into the garden, to hunt bugs.

drifter is driving me crazy. ever since she's been inside she has used clumping litter in her big box.
this stuff iis easy to clean so i was happy.
but i read that kits can eat this stuff n die.
i've been bringing in sand for them.
they have 2 dishpans to use.
i figured to dump this stuff weekly.
but drifter spent her life outside, using sand. she won't use her litter.
this huge cat squatting in a teeny pan looks ridiculous n i told her so.
sand flies all over as she digs.
there are reasons to use big boxes.
plus now i'm hauling n dumping sand every time i turn around.
there doesn't .to be anything i can do about this. this is not official misbehavior.
plus using any box is better than the carpet.
anyway, winter time litters come with problems.
drifter could raise kits in the garden if they came in spring, but, i signed up for this.
we are raising happy healthy kits. they are the most loving cats i've met

 

[Redbert31]

oh, my electricity is only ocassionally disrupted.
it turns out kittens can climb n get behind chicken wire with ease.
they have hundreds of toys to amuse them.
when i woke this morn, i saw they had got into the garbage n found lots of fun things to play with.
there was too much to vacuum, so i waded thru the debris n swept most up.
i left some harmless litter they enjoy. tin foil, unopened nuts, paper scraps.
the place look terrible, but it's organised.
if drifter had done this, we would have had words, but these are babies, so i don't get angry.
they are teeny, but during active periods they seem to be training for the olympics.
they attack each other with great ferocity.
they work hard at sneaking up on their sibs.
quietly advancing on their prey, they walk low to the ground, belly scraping carpet til they leap, sometimes achieving surprise.
they work hard at climbing n have become quite adept.
it was harder to learn jumping, but they have.
jumping is scary. but they stand in fear til they jump.
at first, i put a rolled up blanket next to the couch, so they could make te floor in 2 jumps. now, they just leap without thinking, from the couch or coffee table.
these animals are driven. i could see fear when they readied to jump, but something inside forces them to learn survival skills.
soon, i'll take them into the garden, to hunt bugs.

drifter is driving me crazy. ever since she's been inside she has used clumping litter in her big box.
this stuff iis easy to clean so i was happy.
but i read that kits can eat this stuff n die.
i've been bringing in sand for them.
they have 2 dishpans to use.
i figured to dump this stuff weekly.
but drifter spent her life outside, using sand. she won't use her litter.
this huge cat squatting in a teeny pan looks ridiculous n i told her so.
sand flies all over as she digs.
there are reasons to use big boxes.
plus now i'm hauling n dumping sand every time i turn around.
there doesn't .to be anything i can do about this. this is not official misbehavior.
plus using any box is better than the carpet.
anyway, winter time litters come with problems.
drifter could raise kits in the garden if they came in spring, but, i signed up for this.
we are raising happy healthy kits. they are the most loving cats i've met

As a litter box veteran I have a suggestion for the litter bits that are around the box when they jump out after they do their thing. Get a lid from the biggest plastic container you can buy in Walmart and put it under your box. Put an old towel over the lid and center your litter box over it. It catches all the "crumbs"... And you can hose it down if it gets icky. Glad everyone's doing well and I know how busy the kits can keep you! They pay for their extra work with all the entertainment they provide. There harder they work at their"training" the stronger they will become. They'll need to be strong like drifter as they go further away from the nest [emoji4][emoji4][emoji307][emoji307]

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[Redbert31]

I'm having kitty withdrawal! How are drifter and the kits and suzieqz doing this week?

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[susieqz]

drifter is a great mom.
we are in the middle of terror training.
drifter brings the kits a live mouse everyday.
they often lose it, so this place is overrun with mice.
i'm the one living in terror.
when i see the clowder grouped around the vacuum or something, i automatically move it, n a mouse scurries out, all kits in full chase.
i swear, i can hear the blare of trumpets as the kits gallop past.
when in chase, they are not silent kitties, their feet drum on the floor when in full chase.
they knock over stuff that's too big for little kits to knock over.
they are very serious about the chase.
this often happens at 3am.
when drifter brings in a baby mouse, things get settled quickly.
baby mice are no match for baby kits.
the problem arises when drifter brings in a big buck mouse, in good health.
that kinda mouse objects to being eaten n causes great commotion.
i tried to explain to drifter that she should play with a mouse for a while, crippling it before throwing it to the wolves [kits].
she hasn't listened.

there are a lot more mice out there than i thot. if i let drifter out for 20 minutes, she's gonna bring in a mouse.
i have no idea how many mice are in the house, because drifter is a klutz.
she is always dropping live mice, indoors n out.

AHA1 drifter just recaught the mouse the kits lost 15 minutes ago,
i see it's dead.
bear is playing with it.
they know how to toss dead mice in the air, just like mom.
adorable.

 

[susieqz]

when bear stopped playing with the dead mouse, drifter waited a bit.
then she grabbed it n started tossing it in the air in front of her kits, til they came over to mess with it.
drifter really thinks this is important work.

 

[Redbert31]

Glad you're having a lively hunting party there! Look out mousies! What important work for Mama Drifter. Time for more pictures [emoji4] Thanks for letting us join in on the fun from afar (New England)

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[Warren Sear]

This tread needs some new kitty pictures.

Just sayin'.

 

[susieqz]

tomorrow, the kits will be 8 weeks old. i'll attempt to get pics of this milestone.
meanwhile, some thots on raising kits.
if you have table cloths, don't leave loose cartridges on them, because kits will yank the cloth off, scattering ammo all over.
i saw this happen but wasn't able to stop it.
the kit doing the pulling got whacked on the noggin with a 38spc round n set land speed records fleeing.
an unlucky sib was engulfed by the spread n couldn't escape.
she would have spent the rest of her life under there had i not rescued her.
they don't like full cartridges to play with tho. they prefer empty cases to use for hockey. the shiny brass is light enow to skitter around when batted by a paw.

 

[Redbert31]

tomorrow, the kits will be 8 weeks old. i'll attempt to get pics of this milestone.
meanwhile, some thots on raising kits.
if you have table cloths, don't leave loose cartridges on them, because kits will yank the cloth off, scattering ammo all over.
i saw this happen but wasn't able to stop it.
the kit doing the pulling got whacked on the noggin with a 38spc round n set land speed records fleeing.
an unlucky sib was engulfed by the spread n couldn't escape.
she would have spent the rest of her life under there had i not rescued her.
they don't like full cartridges to play with tho. they prefer empty cases to use for hockey. the shiny brass is light enow to skitter around when batted by a paw.

My little dogs like the empty shells too! They're both not much bigger than Drifter or Stripe [emoji4] can't wait to see those photos. Happy 8 weeks to the kits!

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[susieqz]

well, ihad a hard time getting pics. harder than normal because it's always hard. they are very poor quality but if i get them fixed, i'll post them.
rather, someone will post them for me.

the kits get more athletic every day. constant practice running, climbing, jumping, fighting pays off.
they move like cats, but have attacks of clumsiness from time to time.
they learned fast that pate is kept in the fridge.
when i go near it i have kits climbing my legs.i wish they'd learn to beg like drifter does. she just rubs against me n meows.
kits have very sharp claws n i tend to be bare legged in the house, so, ouch!
but they aren't trying to hurt so i can't whack them.
i correct only due to intent.
heck, when drifter has a nightmare n is escaping monsters from between my legs, i get cut pretty good.
but, that's with back claws . she has no idea she's scratching me, so i never retaliate.
i only correct for aggression, but i've seen none.
the kits seem to think i'm just another cat that sometimes bugs them.
drifter sometimes grabs one n pins it to the floor while doing mom things.
i do the same. mostly they gallop over both of us or snuggle up with one of us for a nap.

drifter is finally getting some benefits for all the work, she has a good time playing with them. she gallops around with them chasing her. then she drops n grabs one or two to mess with.
i see real joy in her. she's having fun. i guess she needs other cats to play with because we don't play.
she only goes out for an hour now, instead of ten hous, like normal.

i thot it was time to get the kits used to the garden, so when one came on the stairs i plopped him down in the dirt.
he was very interested, but drifter got very upset, so i put them both back in the house.
drifter has been such a very good mom, in every respect, that i bow to her wishes.
she doesn't want the kits out yet, so i won't take them out.
she knows what she is doing.

 

[snubbyfan]

Cat pics from Susie

 

[susieqz]

thank you snub.
those are drifter, bear n natayo.

 

[Redbert31]

well, ihad a hard time getting pics. harder than normal because it's always hard. they are very poor quality but if i get them fixed, i'll post them.
rather, someone will post them for me.

the kits get more athletic every day. constant practice running, climbing, jumping, fighting pays off.
they move like cats, but have attacks of clumsiness from time to time.
they learned fast that pate is kept in the fridge.
when i go near it i have kits climbing my legs.i wish they'd learn to beg like drifter does. she just rubs against me n meows.
kits have very sharp claws n i tend to be bare legged in the house, so, ouch!
but they aren't trying to hurt so i can't whack them.
i correct only due to intent.
heck, when drifter has a nightmare n is escaping monsters from between my legs, i get cut pretty good.
but, that's with back claws . she has no idea she's scratching me, so i never retaliate.
i only correct for aggression, but i've seen none.
the kits seem to think i'm just another cat that sometimes bugs them.
drifter sometimes grabs one n pins it to the floor while doing mom things.
i do the same. mostly they gallop over both of us or snuggle up with one of us for a nap.

drifter is finally getting some benefits for all the work, she has a good time playing with them. she gallops around with them chasing her. then she drops n grabs one or two to mess with.
i see real joy in her. she's having fun. i guess she needs other cats to play with because we don't play.
she only goes out for an hour now, instead of ten hous, like normal.

i thot it was time to get the kits used to the garden, so when one came on the stairs i plopped him down in the dirt.
he was very interested, but drifter got very upset, so i put them both back in the house.
drifter has been such a very good mom, in every respect, that i bow to her wishes.
she doesn't want the kits out yet, so i won't take them out.
she knows what she is doing.

She does know what she's doing, and she may be smelling something dangerous out past the garden wall that you can't smell... So assume that since she's a good mom that she has a healthy dose of protective instinct working in her favor [emoji4] Glad that she's enjoying them and is tightly bonded to them. What a lovely life's adventure you all have the pleasure of sharing together [emoji307][emoji307] Thanks again for letting us peek over your shoulder [emoji176][emoji176] and share it too!

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[Redbert31]

thank you snub.
those are drifter, bear n natayo.

They're beautiful [emoji307][emoji307]

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[snubbyfan]

By the way, you made my wife go aww.

 

[Roadtrash]

Is the big cat, the 40 pounder, still coming around? Have you figured out what it is for sure?

 

[susieqz]

i haven't seen big cat since drifter went out of heat.
he doesn't seem to be a bobcat because he is solid smokey grey.
interestingly, 2 of my kits look solid grey at a glance. only if you look real close can you make out spots.
stripes is always around, which tells me big cat is gone.
stripes is huge for a normal cat, 15 lbs, but would be no match for big cat.
if drifter goes into heat she won't get out of the house, since there are horny boys all over.

 

[susieqz]

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