🤫 Secret Cat Language 🤫
We have no idea why, but after many years of Cinders coming all throughout the year, she has a new night time language 🤷🏼♂️ She does this every night, at our last late night check in before we go to beddy. Now we're just trying to work out what she's saying! Any ideas ??
🎶 Needs Sound 🎶
Meet Pablo 🩵 It's his first holiday with us. His history in staying at Catteries hasn't been so great in the past, with him struggling to eat anything at all, including his own food. With a few tactics trialled in the first 24hrs, we recognised very early on that he responds well to reassurance - especially eye contact & pats.
By dinner on the second day, he was already eating, with lots of reassurance! By day 5 he didn't even need the reassurance other than a quick glance. He's now devouring everything we put Infront of him. We're rapt. His pawrents are rapt. And we think Pablo has given his paw of approval to his new holiday house 🐾🩵🐾🩵
Very very occasionally we will get a tough nut to crack, that no matter what we try it just won't work. It may just be that they're not suited to a Cattery environment. But most of the time, with understanding, observation & extra time given, as well as their own food if you know your cat may struggle to eat normally, we come out with a win 💪🏼
Marty Mouse is in the House, entertaining guests when it's a little too chilly to go out onto the decks. All our elderly guests (which is 3/4 of the Cat House at the moment) prefer to sleep but the younger ones are loving it! 🐁🐁🐁
Think it's time for another *Bayley's Blind Diary* post 🩵 He doesn't go out on his catio much anymore, but when he does, him & his blindness master it like a pro. Love our boy 💕
** Bayley's Blind Diaries **
Bayley has always been extremely playful. It's probably the one thing that pulls at our heart strings since he became blind (he can't play with, or on things, like he used to be able to). But as always, this little guy never gives up.
This is his current game 💙 at a quick glance it might seem like he's chasing my finger just like any cat. But he's actually just going off the sound of scratching on the surface of the lounge 🎶
There's no denying it, when a furry guest gives us the paw of approval, you just know 🤣🤣 We had polite boy Bandit a few weeks ago showing his appreciation & now it's Nala's turn 🩷
🎶 can you feel the love tonight... 🐈 🎶
When we get a run of families asking how our boy is doing, we know it's time for a **Bayley's Video Diary** 🥰🥰
He never ceases to amaze us with how he deals with his blindness. With careful placement of certain things to prevent him running into hard objects/walls or jumping into the back of a lounge chair, he continues to work his way round the whole house like a pro.
This video shows how he finds "Bayley's" lounge. He taps the soft gnome & knows to walk around it, taps the towel with his nose & knows he's safe to jump up.
No matter what the disability is - blindness, deafness, 3-legs (we get heaps of furry tripod guests) or an inability to do something "normal" - we love how cats just adapt and go with it, no complaints. Humans could learn a thing or two!
Ultra quiet lil' Milly has the tiniest meow in the world. Apart from when she doesn't know we're watching and listening!! After an entire day of trying to catch her in the act, we finally got her on a secret video! Cheeky bugger.
** 🎶 Needs Sound 🎶 **
Regular guest Bonnie is 15yrs old and has been deaf for many years. She's featured in this video to demonstrate the tactic we use to let any of our deaf furry guests know we are there. This way we can still give them attention, wake them for medications, or to let them know their window is open etc, without freaking them out 😻🥰
🎶 ** Best with Sound ** 🎶
It was 15yrs ago that we tossed in our “normal” lives for a total change to our Cattery and we have never looked back.
We had many supporters at the time, as well as a few who told us we would fail 🥴 Yet here we are 15yrs later - Still loving life, with a successful Cattery, that yes! comes with a very busy lifestyle, but also comes with our beautiful property, loved home and wonderful neighbourhood.
And how many people have you met who really love what they do? Because we actually DO! 💕
From day one we threw our heart and soul into this place we call home. And in it's first 12 months we had a fully booked Cattery every day of the year. It's been like this ever since (apart from 18 months of covid).
While some stilllll think all we do is pat cats for a few hours a day 🤪 Most realise it is a huge 24/7, 365 day a year commitment that you need to have a passion for.
Almost weekly, we get asked if we are thinking of selling. And our answer is "hell no!". It's been a great 15yrs and we both well and truly plan to be here for another 15. We’ve had good times, some not-so-good times and plenty of grrrreat times. Life is never boring, that's for sure!
Whether you are new to us or been coming for years, many of you have shared your lives with us, as we have with you. We have loads of stories, shared a tear or two and laughed heaps!! We’ve met some great people and soooo many wonderful cats, that we think of as part of the family 🥰
As the years pass, we’ve shared losses (both yours and ours) ❤️🩹 but they have never faded from our memory and never will. Each and every one has meant something to us. Just ask us about a cat on our Memorial Wall and we can tell you everything about them.
Your support and loyalty never goes unnoticed. Without you, we wouldn’t be here and neither would our cherished business & life! And we truly hope our passion and dedication shines through to all of you. Thank you all for being a part of this ride and
Just a little change 🥰 We've always liked our pink & blue name tags but find them a bit 'clunky' with needing magnetic clips (which the more active cats just climb up and push off!). The new tags are magnetic labels and, although not so bright, they look more clean & tidy. All the furry guests gave their paw of approval for their own being replaced today, so that's a good sign 🐾 👍
** Apologies for the lack of pics of our current group of guests. We've been busy lil' beavers trawling through old photos, for a special video coming up soon! **
We promise another group photo post is coming but just had to share our beeeeeautiful boy Bayley's "goodnight kisses" routine. He won't go to bed without doing this to both of us 💙
Covid/bronchitis took my voice away for 8 days. Our furry guests are so used to us constantly talking to them for hours & hours every day. So when it came back the first thing was to greet them like always. This was their reaction 🤣🤣
🎵 ** Needs sound up! ** 🎵
The Dinner Dance presented by:
Jabby, Beau, Chippa, Harvey, Murphy, Abby, Venice & Zala 😋🍽️😻🐾
Lil' furry guest Malee might only be a young chicky, but she needs a puffer daily to manage her asthma. And she absolutely 💯% knows it helps her. She races for it & gets in "puffer position"! No matter where she is - asleep inside, out on the deck, up high on the shelf - she always comes running for it. And if we don't give her head scratches at the same time, she lines up for take #2 🤣
Our boy Bayley in another video showing how he moves around the house blind. While his 2 x strokes a few weeks back have taken his memory of certain things, he never lost his ability to deal with no sight. Thankfully!! *Click on vid for full view of his story *
This is the purrrrfect example of our well-managed outdoor areas. Cats aren't social like dogs are! We don't let any cats out onto the verandah on the day of arrival to give every cat time to get used to the change. If they need a tad bit longer than the first day to settle in, we hold off another day for the wellbeing of our guest. Their holiday is meant to be relaxing, not stressful.
There's a sheet of Perspex between all our outdoor areas so no cat can physically touch & we always keep our eyes & ears switched on for the rare personality conflict, so we can manage this. It means most end up relaxed & happily socialising (if they want to) or playing like our furry guests, in this video.
"I likez to drink like dis.... every time" 🤪😋😻
~ Sascha the Water Baby 💙
