Solved! The cat flap mystery.

[Steve Hague]

Wofe has seen how our cat manages to unlock the cat flap. You would
think an opposable thumb would be neccessarey to turn the knob, but he
sits there rapidly and repeatedly tapping one side of it until it turns
to the right position. He doesn't seem to be the brightest of cats, but
I appear to have underestimated him.
Steve

[Kate B]

Post by Steve Hague
Wofe has seen how our cat manages to unlock the cat flap. You would
think an opposable thumb would be neccessarey to turn the knob, but he
sits there rapidly and repeatedly tapping one side of it until it turns
to the right position. He doesn't seem to be the brightest of cats, but
I appear to have underestimated him.
Steve

Is this development even now on the way?

[Sally Thompson]

Post by Kate B

Post by Steve Hague
Wofe has seen how our cat manages to unlock the cat flap. You would
think an opposable thumb would be neccessarey to turn the knob, but he
sits there rapidly and repeatedly tapping one side of it until it turns
to the right position. He doesn't seem to be the brightest of cats, but
I appear to have underestimated him.
Steve

Is this development even now on the way?
http://youtu.be/IdA_fLC7WIQ

Love it! I've never seen that ad before. Mine dew, it wouldn't make me buy
the milk:-)

[Penny]

On Mon, 3 Sep 2018 10:06:09 +0100, Steve Hague <***@gmail.com>
scrawled in the dust...

Post by Steve Hague
Wofe has seen how our cat manages to unlock the cat flap. You would
think an opposable thumb would be neccessarey to turn the knob, but he
sits there rapidly and repeatedly tapping one side of it until it turns
to the right position. He doesn't seem to be the brightest of cats, but
I appear to have underestimated him.
Steve

Mine had no difficulty unlocking the cat flap by just scrabbling at it.

We had some problems with strange-cat-invasion at one time - the local
vet's bullying ginger tom would chase and attack other cats - my lovely
little (neutered) lad would lie beside the cat flap and attempt to fight
him off if he stuck his nose through the flap. For general peace of mind I
rigged a bit of curtain wire in a V shape - 2 hooks at the top and one in
the middle at the bottom - to stop the flap being pushed open from the
outside and our cats stayed indoors for the night without fear. The invader
never learnt to lift the flap open as mine did if he had failed to twist
the lock far enough to free up both sides.

[LFS]

Post by Penny
scrawled in the dust...

Post by Steve Hague
Wofe has seen how our cat manages to unlock the cat flap. You would
think an opposable thumb would be neccessarey to turn the knob, but he
sits there rapidly and repeatedly tapping one side of it until it turns
to the right position. He doesn't seem to be the brightest of cats, but
I appear to have underestimated him.
Steve

Mine had no difficulty unlocking the cat flap by just scrabbling at it.
We had some problems with strange-cat-invasion at one time - the local
vet's bullying ginger tom would chase and attack other cats - my lovely
little (neutered) lad would lie beside the cat flap and attempt to fight
him off if he stuck his nose through the flap. For general peace of mind I
rigged a bit of curtain wire in a V shape - 2 hooks at the top and one in
the middle at the bottom - to stop the flap being pushed open from the
outside and our cats stayed indoors for the night without fear. The invader
never learnt to lift the flap open as mine did if he had failed to twist
the lock far enough to free up both sides.

When we moved to this house we found that the previous owners had
installed a cat flap in the garage door (not the only strange thing we
discovered about them [1])

We never managed to get our first two cats to even go through it - after
all, there was little comfort or fun to be had in the garage and if it
was raining they could sit in the porch until one of the four people in
the house noticed them and welcomed them in through the front door.

[1] But nothing compared to the friends who found that the previous
occupants of their house had put in built in wardrobes with doors that
could only be secured from the inside...

[Nick Odell]

Post by LFS

Post by Penny
scrawled in the dust...

Post by Steve Hague
Wofe has seen how our cat manages to unlock the cat flap. You would
think an opposable thumb would be neccessarey to turn the knob, but he
sits there rapidly and repeatedly tapping one side of it until it turns
to the right position. He doesn't seem to be the brightest of cats, but
I appear to have underestimated him.
Steve

Mine had no difficulty unlocking the cat flap by just scrabbling at it.
We had some problems with strange-cat-invasion at one time - the local
vet's bullying ginger tom would chase and attack other cats - my lovely
little (neutered) lad would lie beside the cat flap and attempt to fight
him off if he stuck his nose through the flap. For general peace of mind I
rigged a bit of curtain wire in a V shape - 2 hooks at the top and one in
the middle at the bottom - to stop the flap being pushed open from the
outside and our cats stayed indoors for the night without fear. The invader
never learnt to lift the flap open as mine did if he had failed to twist
the lock far enough to free up both sides.

When we moved to this house we found that the previous owners had
installed a cat flap in the garage door (not the only strange thing we
discovered about them [1])
We never managed to get our first two cats to even go through it - after
all, there was little comfort or fun to be had in the garage and if it
was raining they could sit in the porch until one of the four people in
the house noticed them and welcomed them in through the front door.
[1] But nothing compared to the friends who found that the previous
occupants of their house had put in built in wardrobes with doors that
could only be secured from the inside...

I once met a chap who described his occupation as "Dungeon Builder."
Might he have had anything to do with those wardrobes?

Nick

[LFS]

Post by Nick Odell

Post by LFS

Post by Penny
scrawled in the dust...

Post by Steve Hague
Wofe has seen how our cat manages to unlock the cat flap. You would
think an opposable thumb would be neccessarey to turn the knob, but he
sits there rapidly and repeatedly tapping one side of it until it turns
to the right position. He doesn't seem to be the brightest of cats, but
I appear to have underestimated him.
Steve

Mine had no difficulty unlocking the cat flap by just scrabbling at it.
We had some problems with strange-cat-invasion at one time - the local
vet's bullying ginger tom would chase and attack other cats - my lovely
little (neutered) lad would lie beside the cat flap and attempt to fight
him off if he stuck his nose through the flap. For general peace of mind I
rigged a bit of curtain wire in a V shape - 2 hooks at the top and one in
the middle at the bottom - to stop the flap being pushed open from the
outside and our cats stayed indoors for the night without fear. The invader
never learnt to lift the flap open as mine did if he had failed to twist
the lock far enough to free up both sides.

When we moved to this house we found that the previous owners had
installed a cat flap in the garage door (not the only strange thing we
discovered about them [1])
We never managed to get our first two cats to even go through it -
after all, there was little comfort or fun to be had in the garage and
if it was raining they could sit in the porch until one of the four
people in the house noticed them and welcomed them in through the
front door.
[1] But nothing compared to the friends who found that the previous
occupants of their house had put in built in wardrobes with doors that
could only be secured from the inside...

I once met a chap who described his occupation as "Dungeon Builder."
Might he have had anything to do with those wardrobes?

I think that dungeons are secured from the outside, aren't they?

I still wonder how whoever fixed the latches got out. Apparently he was
a dentist.

[Nick Odell]

Post by LFS

Post by Nick Odell

Post by LFS

Post by Penny
scrawled in the dust...

Post by Steve Hague
Wofe has seen how our cat manages to unlock the cat flap. You would
think an opposable thumb would be neccessarey to turn the knob, but he
sits there rapidly and repeatedly tapping one side of it until it turns
to the right position. He doesn't seem to be the brightest of cats, but
I appear to have underestimated him.
Steve

Mine had no difficulty unlocking the cat flap by just scrabbling at it.
We had some problems with strange-cat-invasion at one time - the local
vet's bullying ginger tom would chase and attack other cats - my lovely
little (neutered) lad would lie beside the cat flap and attempt to fight
him off if he stuck his nose through the flap. For general peace of mind I
rigged a bit of curtain wire in a V shape - 2 hooks at the top and one in
the middle at the bottom - to stop the flap being pushed open from the
outside and our cats stayed indoors for the night without fear. The invader
never learnt to lift the flap open as mine did if he had failed to twist
the lock far enough to free up both sides.

When we moved to this house we found that the previous owners had
installed a cat flap in the garage door (not the only strange thing
we discovered about them [1])
We never managed to get our first two cats to even go through it -
after all, there was little comfort or fun to be had in the garage
and if it was raining they could sit in the porch until one of the
four people in the house noticed them and welcomed them in through
the front door.
[1] But nothing compared to the friends who found that the previous
occupants of their house had put in built in wardrobes with doors
that could only be secured from the inside...

I once met a chap who described his occupation as "Dungeon Builder."
Might he have had anything to do with those wardrobes?

I think that dungeons are secured from the outside, aren't they?

Erme, not that sort of dungeon.

Post by LFS
I still wonder how whoever fixed the latches got out. Apparently he was
a dentist.

I'm lost. Surely if he fixed the latches from inside he could unlatch
them and if he did it from the outside he was already outside but
couldn't get in. Or am I missing something?

Nick

[LFS]

Post by Nick Odell

Post by LFS

Post by Nick Odell

Post by LFS

Post by Penny
On Mon, 3 Sep 2018 10:06:09 +0100, Steve Hague
scrawled in the dust...

Post by Steve Hague
Wofe has seen how our cat manages to unlock the cat flap. You would
think an opposable thumb would be neccessarey to turn the knob, but he
sits there rapidly and repeatedly tapping one side of it until it turns
to the right position. He doesn't seem to be the brightest of cats, but
I appear to have underestimated him.
Steve

Mine had no difficulty unlocking the cat flap by just scrabbling at it.
We had some problems with strange-cat-invasion at one time - the local
vet's bullying ginger tom would chase and attack other cats - my lovely
little (neutered) lad would lie beside the cat flap and attempt to fight
him off if he stuck his nose through the flap. For general peace of mind I
rigged a bit of curtain wire in a V shape - 2 hooks at the top and one in
the middle at the bottom - to stop the flap being pushed open from the
outside and our cats stayed indoors for the night without fear. The invader
never learnt to lift the flap open as mine did if he had failed to twist
the lock far enough to free up both sides.

When we moved to this house we found that the previous owners had
installed a cat flap in the garage door (not the only strange thing
we discovered about them [1])
We never managed to get our first two cats to even go through it -
after all, there was little comfort or fun to be had in the garage
and if it was raining they could sit in the porch until one of the
four people in the house noticed them and welcomed them in through
the front door.
[1] But nothing compared to the friends who found that the previous
occupants of their house had put in built in wardrobes with doors
that could only be secured from the inside...

I once met a chap who described his occupation as "Dungeon Builder."
Might he have had anything to do with those wardrobes?

I think that dungeons are secured from the outside, aren't they?

Erme, not that sort of dungeon.

<sound of dropping coin>

Post by Nick Odell

Post by LFS
I still wonder how whoever fixed the latches got out. Apparently he
was a dentist.

I'm lost. Surely if he fixed the latches from inside he could unlatch
them and if he did it from the outside he was already outside but
couldn't get in. Or am I missing something?

No, I'm having communication problems. Once he'd fixed the latches
inside he could get out but the latches could only be fastened if he
stayed in. It took my friends a little time to work out why the wardrobe
doors wouldn't stay closed.

[Chris J Dixon]

Post by LFS
No, I'm having communication problems. Once he'd fixed the latches
inside he could get out but the latches could only be fastened if he
stayed in. It took my friends a little time to work out why the wardrobe
doors wouldn't stay closed.

It was common for one of a pair of doors to have a bolt on the
inside, the other having the catch. I wonder if somehow they were
not matched pairs?

Chris

[LFS]

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by LFS
No, I'm having communication problems. Once he'd fixed the latches
inside he could get out but the latches could only be fastened if he
stayed in. It took my friends a little time to work out why the wardrobe
doors wouldn't stay closed.

It was common for one of a pair of doors to have a bolt on the
inside, the other having the catch. I wonder if somehow they were
not matched pairs?

Yes, we had cupboards like that when I was young. But IIRC - and this
was a long time ago - the latches in this case were just that: a sort of
hook and eye arrangement. It was what my dad would have described as "a
bit Heath Robinson".

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by LFS

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by LFS
No, I'm having communication problems. Once he'd fixed the latches
inside he could get out but the latches could only be fastened if he
stayed in. It took my friends a little time to work out why the wardrobe
doors wouldn't stay closed.

It was common for one of a pair of doors to have a bolt on the
inside, the other having the catch. I wonder if somehow they were
not matched pairs?

Yes, we had cupboards like that when I was young. But IIRC - and this
was a long time ago - the latches in this case were just that: a sort of
hook and eye arrangement. It was what my dad would have described as "a
bit Heath Robinson".

So you never found the secret passage behind the wardrobe?

It might have lead to one of Nick's friend's creations.

[Chris J Dixon]

Post by Sam Plusnet
So you never found the secret passage behind the wardrobe?
It might have lead to one of Nick's friend's creations.

My last house was built in that 30s style where the roof slope
continues down over the attached garage (1) . The space thus
formed was reached through the built-in wardrobe in the adjacent
bedroom, which was a lot easier than using the loft. (The roof
pitch was so steep that on stepping through the real loft hatch,
no bits of rafter were actually within grasp.)

(1) I think it is called a catslide roof.

This was the house, though it has since had a bedroom added into
"Narnia" above the garage. http://tinyurl.com/3ahhpl7

The adjoining property still has the original roofline.

Chris

[Serena Blanchflower]

Post by LFS
When we moved to this house we found that the previous owners had
installed a cat flap in the garage door (not the only strange thing we
discovered about them [1])

My cats have, and enjoy, a cat flap in the garage door (it's their front
door) but then, they do also have a cat flap from the garage into the
conservatory and one from the conservatory into the living room. This
is in addition to their back door from the conservatory to the garden.

My parents' cats were always put out at night but, when cat flaps became
readily available they put one into the garage, and made snug cat beds
out there, so that the cats had somewhere cosy to go on cold, or wet,
nights.

[Fenny]

On Mon, 3 Sep 2018 14:46:36 +0100, Serena Blanchflower

Post by Serena Blanchflower

Post by LFS
When we moved to this house we found that the previous owners had
installed a cat flap in the garage door (not the only strange thing we
discovered about them [1])

My cats have, and enjoy, a cat flap in the garage door (it's their front
door) but then, they do also have a cat flap from the garage into the
conservatory and one from the conservatory into the living room. This
is in addition to their back door from the conservatory to the garden.
My parents' cats were always put out at night but, when cat flaps became
readily available they put one into the garage, and made snug cat beds
out there, so that the cats had somewhere cosy to go on cold, or wet,
nights.

Yes, my friends in Hudds had a cat flap into the garage.

[[e-mail] Tony Smith Prestbury Glos.]

Post by Fenny
On Mon, 3 Sep 2018 14:46:36 +0100, Serena Blanchflower

Post by Serena Blanchflower

Post by LFS
When we moved to this house we found that the previous owners had
installed a cat flap in the garage door (not the only strange thing we
discovered about them [1])

My cats have, and enjoy, a cat flap in the garage door (it's their front
door) but then, they do also have a cat flap from the garage into the
conservatory and one from the conservatory into the living room. This
is in addition to their back door from the conservatory to the garden.
My parents' cats were always put out at night but, when cat flaps became
readily available they put one into the garage, and made snug cat beds
out there, so that the cats had somewhere cosy to go on cold, or wet,
nights.

Yes, my friends in Hudds had a cat flap into the garage.
--
Fenny

We still have the cat flap I once installed, but alas our cat is no longer extant.

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

Post by ***@gmail.com Tony Smith Prestbury Glos.

Post by Fenny
On Mon, 3 Sep 2018 14:46:36 +0100, Serena Blanchflower

[]

Post by ***@gmail.com Tony Smith Prestbury Glos.

Post by Fenny

Post by Serena Blanchflower
readily available they put one into the garage, and made snug cat beds
out there, so that the cats had somewhere cosy to go on cold, or wet,
nights.

Were they those metal frames supporting fleecy material, that hang on a
radiator? I have always thought they look very attractive place for a
cat to lie - once you have convinced the cat to try one, which I've
always thought would be no small problem.

Post by ***@gmail.com Tony Smith Prestbury Glos.

Post by Fenny
Yes, my friends in Hudds had a cat flap into the garage.

(And then flap out again?)

Post by ***@gmail.com Tony Smith Prestbury Glos.

Post by Fenny
--
Fenny

We still have the cat flap I once installed, but alas our cat is no longer extant.

Not sure if I've ever posted this link to UMRA before; anyway, if I
have, some may not have seen it. It' from Bill Wright of Wright's
Aerials, who I found through uk.tech.broadast. As it says on the
relevant index page, "If you’ve never put a roof over a cat’s head
you won’t like or understand this."
http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/annexe/we-have-no-cats.shtml

[LFS]

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
Not sure if I've ever posted this link to UMRA before; anyway, if I
have, some may not have seen it. It' from Bill Wright of Wright's
Aerials, who I found through uk.tech.broadast. As it says on the
relevant index page, "If you’ve never put a roof over a cat’s head you
won’t like or understand this."
http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/annexe/we-have-no-cats.shtml

I have been thinking of writing something about all the cats in my life.
I realise that I have hardly any photos of numbers four and five who
lived with us when the children were young: I think we took more cine
film than photos then and I didn't have a camera of my own. How things
have changed, I have hundreds of pictures of the last two on my phone.

It is ten months since our last cat and I still think I've seen him at
the door or in his favourite spots in the garden. I've had to rearrange
my study so that I'm not constantly reminded of him but the box where I
keep the printer paper, where he used to like to sleep, is still full of
his fur.

[Vicky Ayech]

Post by LFS
It is ten months since our last cat and I still think I've seen him at
the door or in his favourite spots in the garden. I've had to rearrange
my study so that I'm not constantly reminded of him but the box where I
keep the printer paper, where he used to like to sleep, is still full of
his fur.

B is sure he saw Molly, the dog who died in January 2017, several
times at night and heard her now and then. I wish I had. Oddly,
grandaughter, aged 3, has talked about her when visiting as if she is
still here but only actually met her a few times as daughter wouldn't
allow dogs in the house.

[Sam Plusnet]

On 04-Sep-18 7:14, LFS wrote:
snip

Post by LFS
It is ten months since our last cat

Surely this must be the first sentence of the first address to Felines
Anonymous.

Around 5 years for us.

[Serena Blanchflower]

Post by Sam Plusnet
snip

Post by LFS
It is ten months since our last cat

Surely this must be the first sentence of the first address to Felines
Anonymous.
Around 5 years for us.

While, last time I had an interregnum, I lasted about 2½ weeks before
being claimed by my current pair.

[LFS]

Post by Serena Blanchflower

Post by Sam Plusnet
snip

Post by LFS
It is ten months since our last cat

Surely this must be the first sentence of the first address to Felines
Anonymous.
Around 5 years for us.

While, last time I had an interregnum, I lasted about 2½ weeks before
being claimed by my current pair.

We've lasted up to a year in between cats in the past. We have announced
that there will be no more cats but it is not impossible that Son's cat
may wish to move in when displaced by Grandbaby. He has been for a visit
which I suspect was a way of testing us out. Given his rather rackety
life to date, I fear that this would be rather like accommodating an
aging hippy with very self-indulgent habits.

[Chris McMillan]

Post by LFS

Post by Serena Blanchflower

Post by Sam Plusnet
snip

Post by LFS
It is ten months since our last cat

Surely this must be the first sentence of the first address to Felines
Anonymous.
Around 5 years for us.

While, last time I had an interregnum, I lasted about 2½ weeks before
being claimed by my current pair.

We've lasted up to a year in between cats in the past. We have announced
that there will be no more cats but it is not impossible that Son's cat
may wish to move in when displaced by Grandbaby. He has been for a visit
which I suspect was a way of testing us out. Given his rather rackety
life to date, I fear that this would be rather like accommodating an
aging hippy with very self-indulgent habits.

Guffaw!

Sincerely Chris

[Sam Plusnet]

Post by LFS

Post by Serena Blanchflower

Post by Sam Plusnet
snip

Post by LFS
It is ten months since our last cat

Surely this must be the first sentence of the first address to
Felines Anonymous.
Around 5 years for us.

While, last time I had an interregnum, I lasted about 2½ weeks before
being claimed by my current pair.

We've lasted up to a year in between cats in the past. We have announced
that there will be no more cats but it is not impossible that Son's cat
may wish to move in when displaced by Grandbaby. He has been for a visit
which I suspect was a way of testing us out. Given his rather rackety
life to date, I fear that this would be rather like accommodating an
aging hippy with very self-indulgent habits.

With the exception of our very first cat, that description could apply
to just about all of ours. Each one decided (often against our will &
that of the current crop) to move in & take up residence.

[Serena Blanchflower]

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)

Post by Fenny
On Mon, 3 Sep 2018 14:46:36 +0100, Serena Blanchflower

[]

Post by Fenny

Post by Serena Blanchflower
readily available they put one into the garage, and made snug cat beds
out there, so that the cats had somewhere cosy to go on cold, or wet,
nights.

Were they those metal frames supporting fleecy material, that hang on a
radiator? I have always thought they look very attractive place for a
cat to lie - once you have convinced the cat to try one, which I've
always thought would be no small problem.

No, I'm pretty sure those weren't available, in those days. The beds my
parents made up for the cats were old packing cases, filled with hay,
rather than anything produced commercially.

I've had a couple of the fleecy radiator beds for my cats but only one
of my cats would have anything to do with them. The others didn't seem
to consider they felt very safe - plus, most cats have a strong
prejudice against any bed which has been manufactured and sold as a cat
bed. They far prefer commandeering human furniture and fittings.

You can see Reso, the one exception to this, in his radiator hammock, at
<https://www.flickr.com/photos/***@N00/1416319441/in/album-72157594229329749/>

[Mike]

Post by Serena Blanchflower

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)

Post by Fenny
On Mon, 3 Sep 2018 14:46:36 +0100, Serena Blanchflower

[]

Post by Fenny

Post by Serena Blanchflower
readily available they put one into the garage, and made snug cat beds
out there, so that the cats had somewhere cosy to go on cold, or wet,
nights.

Were they those metal frames supporting fleecy material, that hang on a
radiator? I have always thought they look very attractive place for a
cat to lie - once you have convinced the cat to try one, which I've
always thought would be no small problem.

No, I'm pretty sure those weren't available, in those days. The beds my
parents made up for the cats were old packing cases, filled with hay,
rather than anything produced commercially.
I've had a couple of the fleecy radiator beds for my cats but only one
of my cats would have anything to do with them. The others didn't seem
to consider they felt very safe - plus, most cats have a strong
prejudice against any bed which has been manufactured and sold as a cat
bed. They far prefer commandeering human furniture and fittings.
You can see Reso, the one exception to this, in his radiator hammock, at

The Umra bbq meat arrived in capacious expanded polystyrene boxes with
freezer thingie sheets lining them; we gave one box to a cat owning
neighbour. The cat in question preferred to sleep outside and was quite
partial to the front porch; open and with tiled floor. The cat took to the
box in the winter nights quite happily.

[LFS]

Post by Mike

Post by Serena Blanchflower

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)

Post by Fenny
On Mon, 3 Sep 2018 14:46:36 +0100, Serena Blanchflower

[]

Post by Fenny

Post by Serena Blanchflower
readily available they put one into the garage, and made snug cat beds
out there, so that the cats had somewhere cosy to go on cold, or wet,
nights.

Were they those metal frames supporting fleecy material, that hang on a
radiator? I have always thought they look very attractive place for a
cat to lie - once you have convinced the cat to try one, which I've
always thought would be no small problem.

No, I'm pretty sure those weren't available, in those days. The beds my
parents made up for the cats were old packing cases, filled with hay,
rather than anything produced commercially.
I've had a couple of the fleecy radiator beds for my cats but only one
of my cats would have anything to do with them. The others didn't seem
to consider they felt very safe - plus, most cats have a strong
prejudice against any bed which has been manufactured and sold as a cat
bed. They far prefer commandeering human furniture and fittings.
You can see Reso, the one exception to this, in his radiator hammock, at

The Umra bbq meat arrived in capacious expanded polystyrene boxes with
freezer thingie sheets lining them; we gave one box to a cat owning
neighbour. The cat in question preferred to sleep outside and was quite
partial to the front porch; open and with tiled floor. The cat took to the
box in the winter nights quite happily.

Figgy, the last cat of my parents, was provided with external shelter of
great quality. My dad covered a tea chest with roofing felt and lined
the base with old blankets. My mum often observed that he had put more
effort and care into the project than into any other of his DIY
undertakings.

[Mike]

Post by LFS

Post by Mike

Post by Serena Blanchflower

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)

Post by Fenny
On Mon, 3 Sep 2018 14:46:36 +0100, Serena Blanchflower

[]

Post by Fenny

Post by Serena Blanchflower
readily available they put one into the garage, and made snug cat beds
out there, so that the cats had somewhere cosy to go on cold, or wet,
nights.

Were they those metal frames supporting fleecy material, that hang on a
radiator? I have always thought they look very attractive place for a
cat to lie - once you have convinced the cat to try one, which I've
always thought would be no small problem.

No, I'm pretty sure those weren't available, in those days. The beds my
parents made up for the cats were old packing cases, filled with hay,
rather than anything produced commercially.
I've had a couple of the fleecy radiator beds for my cats but only one
of my cats would have anything to do with them. The others didn't seem
to consider they felt very safe - plus, most cats have a strong
prejudice against any bed which has been manufactured and sold as a cat
bed. They far prefer commandeering human furniture and fittings.
You can see Reso, the one exception to this, in his radiator hammock, at

The Umra bbq meat arrived in capacious expanded polystyrene boxes with
freezer thingie sheets lining them; we gave one box to a cat owning
neighbour. The cat in question preferred to sleep outside and was quite
partial to the front porch; open and with tiled floor. The cat took to the
box in the winter nights quite happily.

Figgy, the last cat of my parents, was provided with external shelter of
great quality. My dad covered a tea chest with roofing felt and lined
the base with old blankets. My mum often observed that he had put more
effort and care into the project than into any other of his DIY
undertakings.

Our last pair of cats lived in the built on garage at night; I built them a
comfortable box incorporating a heated element as underfloor heating...

[Mike]

Post by Mike

Post by LFS

Post by Mike

Post by Serena Blanchflower

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)

Post by Fenny
On Mon, 3 Sep 2018 14:46:36 +0100, Serena Blanchflower

[]

Post by Fenny

Post by Serena Blanchflower
readily available they put one into the garage, and made snug cat beds
out there, so that the cats had somewhere cosy to go on cold, or wet,
nights.

Were they those metal frames supporting fleecy material, that hang on a
radiator? I have always thought they look very attractive place for a
cat to lie - once you have convinced the cat to try one, which I've
always thought would be no small problem.

No, I'm pretty sure those weren't available, in those days. The beds my
parents made up for the cats were old packing cases, filled with hay,
rather than anything produced commercially.
I've had a couple of the fleecy radiator beds for my cats but only one
of my cats would have anything to do with them. The others didn't seem
to consider they felt very safe - plus, most cats have a strong
prejudice against any bed which has been manufactured and sold as a cat
bed. They far prefer commandeering human furniture and fittings.
You can see Reso, the one exception to this, in his radiator hammock, at

The Umra bbq meat arrived in capacious expanded polystyrene boxes with
freezer thingie sheets lining them; we gave one box to a cat owning
neighbour. The cat in question preferred to sleep outside and was quite
partial to the front porch; open and with tiled floor. The cat took to the
box in the winter nights quite happily.

Figgy, the last cat of my parents, was provided with external shelter of
great quality. My dad covered a tea chest with roofing felt and lined
the base with old blankets. My mum often observed that he had put more
effort and care into the project than into any other of his DIY
undertakings.

Our last pair of cats lived in the built on garage at night; I built them a
comfortable box incorporating a heated element as underfloor heating...

Of course, one of the first jobs for any cat moving into a new residence in
colder weather that they deign to let you share is to carry out a full
thermal benefit survey; within a short time, they have mapped out not only
all the radiators and other heat dissipation devices but the hot pipe runs
too! ;-)))

[Sally Thompson]

Post by LFS

Post by Mike

Post by Serena Blanchflower

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)

Post by Fenny
On Mon, 3 Sep 2018 14:46:36 +0100, Serena Blanchflower

[]

Post by Fenny

Post by Serena Blanchflower
readily available they put one into the garage, and made snug cat beds
out there, so that the cats had somewhere cosy to go on cold, or wet,
nights.

Were they those metal frames supporting fleecy material, that hang on a
radiator? I have always thought they look very attractive place for a
cat to lie - once you have convinced the cat to try one, which I've
always thought would be no small problem.

No, I'm pretty sure those weren't available, in those days. The beds my
parents made up for the cats were old packing cases, filled with hay,
rather than anything produced commercially.
I've had a couple of the fleecy radiator beds for my cats but only one
of my cats would have anything to do with them. The others didn't seem
to consider they felt very safe - plus, most cats have a strong
prejudice against any bed which has been manufactured and sold as a cat
bed. They far prefer commandeering human furniture and fittings.
You can see Reso, the one exception to this, in his radiator hammock, at

The Umra bbq meat arrived in capacious expanded polystyrene boxes with
freezer thingie sheets lining them; we gave one box to a cat owning
neighbour. The cat in question preferred to sleep outside and was quite
partial to the front porch; open and with tiled floor. The cat took to the
box in the winter nights quite happily.

Figgy, the last cat of my parents, was provided with external shelter of
great quality. My dad covered a tea chest with roofing felt and lined
the base with old blankets. My mum often observed that he had put more
effort and care into the project than into any other of his DIY
undertakings.

Hmmm, rather similar to my OH observing that I do more housework in the hen
house than the human one.

[Chris J Dixon]

Post by Sally Thompson
Hmmm, rather similar to my OH observing that I do more housework in the hen
house than the human one.

Hopefully the human occupants are a little better house trained?

Chris

[BrritSki]

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by Sally Thompson
Hmmm, rather similar to my OH observing that I do more housework in the hen
house than the human one.

Hopefully the human occupants are a little better house trained?

And you don't eat their eggs ?

[Mike]

Post by BrritSki

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by Sally Thompson
Hmmm, rather similar to my OH observing that I do more housework in the hen
house than the human one.

Hopefully the human occupants are a little better house trained?

And you don't eat their eggs ?

They are kept for the yokels to enjoy.

[Sally Thompson]

Post by Chris J Dixon

Post by Sally Thompson
Hmmm, rather similar to my OH observing that I do more housework in the hen
house than the human one.

Hopefully the human occupants are a little better house trained?
Chris

It's a close call!

[Jenny M Benson]

Post by Sally Thompson
Hmmm, rather similar to my OH observing that I do more housework in the hen
house than the human one.

Same syndrome as me ensuring my cats and dogs have a very healthy diet
and am scrupulous about keeping their weight down.

[Penny]

On Tue, 4 Sep 2018 06:50:44 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver (John)"

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
Not sure if I've ever posted this link to UMRA before; anyway, if I
have, some may not have seen it. It' from Bill Wright of Wright's
Aerials, who I found through uk.tech.broadast. As it says on the
relevant index page, "If you’ve never put a roof over a cat’s head
you won’t like or understand this."
http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/annexe/we-have-no-cats.shtml

I both liked and understood it, thank you.
I've been ten years catless but the neighbourhood cats like (and use) my
garden. My latest thought on persuading them to 'use' it less is to shift
the fibreglass piglet to the lawn (it used to spook our cat Five*) and
surround it with lion poo (I bought it on ebay) but I haven't implemented
this yet.

Whenever I consider acquiring a cat (or dog) I manage to talk myself out of
it.

* d#2 thought numbers were appropriate names for animals - for logical
reasons I won't go into now.

[Jenny M Benson]

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
Were they those metal frames supporting fleecy material, that hang on a
radiator? I have always thought they look very attractive place for a
cat to lie - once you have convinced the cat to try one, which I've
always thought would be no small problem.

No problem at all in the case of my Sorry. She loves "the Pit" as it is
known here. I don't think I've seen Ludo use it - he loves the bathroom
washbasin, though, which is similar but not as warm in winter! I've had
"the Pit" for years and it was much favoured by earlier cats, too.

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

Post by Jenny M Benson

Post by J. P. Gilliver (John)
Were they those metal frames supporting fleecy material, that hang
on a radiator? I have always thought they look very attractive place
for a cat to lie - once you have convinced the cat to try one, which
I've always thought would be no small problem.

No problem at all in the case of my Sorry. She loves "the Pit" as it
is known here. I don't think I've seen Ludo use it - he loves the
bathroom washbasin, though, which is similar but not as warm in winter!
I've had "the Pit" for years and it was much favoured by earlier cats,
too.

Pleased to hear it! So something devised by humans for cats is actually
appreciated by them. IME, unusual!

[Nick Odell]

Post by Serena Blanchflower

Post by LFS
When we moved to this house we found that the previous owners had
installed a cat flap in the garage door (not the only strange thing we
discovered about them [1])

My cats have, and enjoy, a cat flap in the garage door (it's their front
door) but then, they do also have a cat flap from the garage into the
conservatory and one from the conservatory into the living room.  This
is in addition to their back door from the conservatory to the garden.
My parents' cats were always put out at night but, when cat flaps became
readily available they put one into the garage, and made snug cat beds
out there, so that the cats had somewhere cosy to go on cold, or wet,
nights.

It started to get chilly this evening so I closed both the porch door
and the back door.

A few hours later, the dog wanted to go outside and as I opened the back
door a very irritated cat shot back inside from her forced internment in
the porch.

A few hours later the dog wanted to go outside (again - he does have
diabetes, you know) and as I opened the back door another irritated cat
shot back inside from his forced internment in the porch. It appears
that in all the confusion surrounding the first cat's exit, the second
can had made an unnoticed entrance.

You can't win, can you?

Nick

[Mike]

Post by Steve Hague
Wofe has seen how our cat manages to unlock the cat flap. You would
think an opposable thumb would be neccessarey to turn the knob, but he
sits there rapidly and repeatedly tapping one side of it until it turns
to the right position. He doesn't seem to be the brightest of cats, but
I appear to have underestimated him.
Steve

We had a ‘bit of a bruiser’ cat (Mickey) who muscled his way out of a lock
flat cap; we had several replacements from the supplier, but, he was not to
be defeated. In the end, I had to put a heavy board in front of the flat
cap and wedge it in place!

[Serena Blanchflower]

Post by Steve Hague
Wofe has seen how our cat manages to unlock the cat flap. You would
think an opposable thumb would be neccessarey to turn the knob, but he
sits there rapidly and repeatedly tapping one side of it until it turns
to the right position. He doesn't seem to be the brightest of cats, but
I appear to have underestimated him.
Steve

Cats can be incredibly persistent when they're trying to fix something!