Mundane Moments

I hope you sneered at them.

Of course. It was my duty. Grown men in football shirts…

[quote="@Russ"]
I don't know if they do football shirts, but the big one that a lot of NFL and NHL fans use is DHgate. Apparently quality is pretty decent.
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Thanks I’ll take a look.

I think you’re supposed to call them ‘dupes’ nowadays.

Not sure if that’s short for duplicates or for the person getting duped…

Little Miss Shady and I have been slowly wearing down Mrs Shady to let us get a cat. She seems to be coming around. For the last few years this has just been a futile game really, but I'm now having to face the reality of actually getting one which I wasn't really expecting. Any advice would be readily accepted? Things that are mulling in my head:

• try to get a breed that isn't as bad for allergies as Mrs Shady has a mild allergy (as do I). Good start huh.
• getting an old cat that needs a home is very worthy, but Little Miss Shady really wants a kitten, so.
• We have a kind of very small window at the back of the house in the downstairs toilet that opens onto the garden. I thinking we could use it as a 'cat flap' until we do an extension in 3-5 years at which point we'll install a proper one somewhere
• Food and litter stuff will need buying, aswell as some sort of carrier.
• Keep it inside for the first few weeks right
• Insurance? Vet stuff? I guess it needs jabs?

I'm sure there are guides around for this sort of thing but why bother when Talkback is to hand.

FTFY

Partly because roaming cats are a menace to other species, partly because it's fucking rude to just let your cat go shit on other people's property at will, partly because you don't want to have to explain to your daughter why she walked out the front door to go to school and was presented with the sight of Mr Tiddles being a 20ft long smear of blood and guts.

3 more to pick up today. Probably 10 or 12 a week on average

If you're ever passing I can help with food and stuff, the missus bulk buys cat food after they like one tin, then the fussy twats won't touch it again.

Keep inside until its old enough to have first jabs, there are a lot of cat diseases out there, and you should get it done so it cannot get (or get other cats) up the duff.

Our cat used to use the downstairs toilet window as a cat flap which two bigger lads used to pick on me about that but otherwise good plan.

Also ignore Russ, he's wrong about all of this because he's a dog person and you can't trust people who like to pick up dog shit with plastic bags for a hobby. Cats are excellent at keeping pests under control, are low maintenance and don't either cost you 7 million quid in kennels or mean you have to stay in accommodation that has dog hairs everywhere and smells of dog when you go on holiday.

It has nothing to do with dogs, and everything to do with irresponsible dickhead cat "owners" who just free range their cunty little killing machines to take down such evil pests as songbirds for sport.

Have cats if you want, I don't care. Just keep them in your house where pets are supposed to be.

You do know that houses without cats manage to avoid having pests just fine, right? Put a modicum of effort into home maintenance and you'll achieve the same outcome.

Also, I'm not saying don't have cats if you want them. I'm saying don't let them roam, which has nothing to do pest control.

I’m not Team Russ on cats in general.. but they should absolutely be kept indoors. It’s better for them and it’s better for whatever they’ll kill for kicks.

And, Jim, the main thing to do is get a rescue cat, not one that has been bred for sale. Getting a kitten is fine… though bear in mind that they aren’t kittens for long at all… going for a young adult means you can try and get one that’s got the temperament you want, and you avoid the chaos stage of kittendom (which is great… but not for everyone). Don’t get an older cat unless you want to teach the kid about death.

Just remember, an indoor cat shits indoors. For the next 15 years. Stinks the house out, and you stop noticing. But you might notice people stop visiting.

Genuine question;
What do people get out of cat ownership?
Even though I don’t have any pets I can see why people might want a dog - exercise, loyalty, companionship etc - but I’ve never understood what people get out of cats. Is it the cute and cuddly factor or is there more? It seems like a one way street in terms of attention and love.
Am not anti-cat, just genuinely baffled.
(I would ask Tricky in the pub but he’ll answer and I only have a spare hour)