[plumseverywhere]

   scattybiker - our kitten gave us more sleepless nights than our last daughter with her antics so I can relate to what you are going through!!
my older 3 cats are also getting podgy but don't seem to look their age other than that. one of them is 1/2 persian and he is catching mice, bringing them in live and passing them to the kitten. its almost fascinating to watch in a way how he is teaching her!

[CameronS]

Earlier this year we had an unexpected litter of kittens, they caused so much problems, unfortunatley we lost their mother about a week after we rehomed 3 out of 4 (we kept the last) as she was hit by a car 
Our remaining kitten i'm posative not thinks he is a hen, as i keep finding him, clinging to the perches underneath my LS hens 

[sabrina]

Had to get our old cat Paws put to sleep on Friday as he was failing fast. He hated the car so getting him to the vets was quite stressful but once there he settled and his last moments were very peacefull. I had dug his grave the day before in the garden close to where his brother was buried in 2007. As you know losing any animal is upsetting but his last weeks we made as happy as we could feeding him all his favorite things and keeping him in the house. It was funny to see him curled up next to me in the evenings with our Jack Russell doing his very best to pretend the cat was not there. When he did try to nose him once Paws gave him a quick swipe and that was the end of that game. We will miss him every day but I know he had a long and happy life. He came along with his brother from the cats protection as 6 week old kittens so when I am ready I will get another cat from them to keep Jaks company. She is a wonderful mouser being only three years old I feel she would be happier with a companion.

[sagehen]

I'm so sorry to hear that    *hugs* It's good to hear that he went away peacefully, and that his last weeks were full of his favourite things.

[mcginty]

my cat has got matti hair on its back.tried to bush them out.any ideas.

[doganjo]

Get a hound slicker from your pet shop. It's a pad with a handle, the pad has pins that are bent over at the top.  It is intended for use on soft fine hair, like some of the hound breeds and cats.

[egbert]

I have one cat called Spook I rescued form the RSPCA as a kitten - she was found on a rubbish dump with 2 others presumably her brothers as they were together, except they were black and white and Spook is clearly a mix of Russian Blue - if is wasn't for slight markings on her tail and the colour of her eyes she would look purebred.

She is almost 12 now, and loves living here in the country for the last 4 years. She has turned form a timid towncat who was chased by everything - birds and other cats - into a much sleeker and trim hunter who is forever dumping dead mice and weasels on the doorstop. If I go outside she always follows me round - we went for a walk around the 10 acre field and she stuck to me the  whole way. She was a bit put out by the arrivals of the kids, but is incredibly patient with them, although prefers to be out of reach.

I was considering getting some kittens this year but I am not sure it's fair to Spook - she has had to put up with being moved from most important person in the house who slept on my bed, to being shut downstairs away from kids and cots at night - a kitten or 2 might just push her over the edge since she hates other cats. Any ideas how well an older cat will take to new kittens?

[Daisys Mum]

I have a lovely big cat called Barney who is now 13yrs old and has just been diagnosed with an over active thyroid so will be on tablets for the rest of his days. He is a bit agrophobic and can only be outside if he can see the patio doors are open, when he was a kitten he got trapped under a pallet of roof tiles and it took quite a while to get him free. We had another younger cat who died from cancer when he was only about 8
he used to sleep on top of the telly and we wondered if that was what caused his cancer.

[Rosemary]

I think it depends on the cat. We had two cats - Felix and cassius. cass was way boss cat. Felix is a wee sweetie. After Cass died, we got two kittens - litter brothers, called Harry and Bertie. Felix is 11. I was bit concerned at how he would cope.

Well, they love each other. Harry and Felix cuddle up together - Felix grooms Harry. Felix and Bertie aren't so friendly - there's no nonsense, but they don't sleep together or groom each other. Harry and Bertie are sometimes just a pile of cats. It's given Felix a new lease of life as he plays with them too. And they all eat together happily.

[Cinderhills]

I love a chance to talk about my cats.  Pushkin was nearly 18 years old when she died.  I have two cats at the moment.  Stella is 15 years old (Tinker is only).  I adopted Stella in New York City where I lived for 3 years and she came on a British Airways flight home when we moved back.  She has asthma and in NYC was getting steroid shots every 2-3 months.  Since she has lived here she only has to have one about once a year.  Just goes to show how healthy country air is.  But she is now showing signs of ageing with loss of hearing, thinning at the temples and losing weight even though she eats well.