I have three cats ...
does your cat have a personality? They are all very different
could you describe that personality? Shanti is curious, moody, bold, naughty, demonstrative (for good or bad), loving, playful, and highly territorial. She likes being sung to, and sitting watching me in the kitchen. She loves any sort of bag, and will empty one before attempting to get in it herself! She likes to play 'catch me if you can' when it's time to come in, and is constantly thinking up new ingenious ways to get food off my plate! (The latest was lying on her back along my knee looking as cute as she possibly could, then with lightning speed twisting and launching herself at my plate and making a grab for my lamb chop! The one before that was sitting demure as you like under the coffee table where I eat, and slowly slowly reaching her paw up from under the table to where my plate was
) You know if Shanti is in a mood, she even 'humphs' if I pick her up at those times! Then growls crossly if I don't put her down, and swipes (no claws) at any of us just to let us all know she's cross!
Meesha is very sensible, except she has to rush at everything as if there's a sudden emergency! She 'tells' me what she is doing with chattering miaows, and lets me know if she wants the litter cleaned, or wants to go upstairs for a cuddle. She is highly intelligent, and very very gentle and sweet. She tries to open my eyes in the morning with her paw, and seems to trust me completely and utterly. She goes into the carrier herself when she has to go to the vet
Meesh is very obedient, and if she protests it's only with little miaows just to let me know her feelings on the subject. She plays a proper game of fetch, and goes to find the ball and bring it to me when she fancies playing
She also loves opening drawers and taking things out! She is mum to Sabu, and absolutely adores him
Sabu (Sabby) is a complete 'boy'! If someone comes home covered in something, it's Sabby! He's the one who
still climbs the curtains even though he's far too big now! I swear if he could he'd have conkers, sticky half-eaten sweets, and bits of string in his pockets! However, he is very easily spooked, shuns most humans, and is absolutely terrified of children. Sabby is a very 'honest' cat - no guile or games. He always greets me with great big jumping head butts, and always seems happy and bouncy (except when spooked). He whines like a spoiled kid when disturbed from sleep though!
why did you choose to get your cat? I saw Meesh and Shanti on Cats Protection website, and they didn't look that 'remarkable' as in, they didn't have distinctive or beautiful markings, or anything else that made them physically 'special'. I figured that out of all the cats there they were the least likely to get adopted, so I went to see them! (I'm a firm believer that it's the personality that counts). Sabby was the last of Meesha's kittens, and would have been all alone if I hadn't brought him home too! So glad we all found each other!
is he/she now a part of the family or do the 2 of you live alone? The ARE my family! Better than most housemates I've lived with, too! (Certainly a great deal cleaner!)
do you miss each other when at work/out for the day? Sometimes I miss them, especially when having a bad day. I always look forward to getting home to them
I think Shanti kinda misses me, as she pays me a lot of attention when I'm home.
what do you feed your cat? Proprietary cat food - Whiskas, Felix etc. wet food, plus a variety of dry.
have you or would you ever make him/her a homecooked meal? If by that you mean cooking up some chicken or heart especially for them, then yes, occasionally.
what activities does your cat enjoy doing during the day? Meesha hangs around at home sleeping mostly, but will sometimes go off on little jaunts with Sabby or sun herself in the garden. Shanti juggles between home, the garden, and next door's house, just generally mooching about, and getting the neighbours to play with her! Sabby likes hanging out with either Meesha or other cats in the neighbourhood - I have no idea where he goes, but he spends most of his day outdoors and out of sight. He likes catching mice, though. I know that someone (probably Sabby) sometimes takes it into their head to find each and every ball in the house and take them outside, some of which end up in the drain!
If I go into the garden, nine times out of ten all three suddenly appear!
what brand of cat food do you buy?Mostly Whiskas or Felix, but they get bored with the same brands all the time, so I throw in the odd tin of Kit-e-Kat or Tesco's own, or something else for a bit of a change. Dry food wise, it's usually what's on offer at Pets at Home - again, they get bored with the same stuff all the time. Very occasionally they have pouches, but they're a treat, as I can't recycle the packaging.
how much money would you spend on your cat in a week? (including treats and meals or toys)I honestly couldn't say - I just go and do a bulk shop when I'm running out of something, and usually end up spending around £40 for litter, food, treats and the inevitable new toy.
is your cat/s a fussy eater?They try to be from time to time! Usually when they've had a 'run' of pouches, and hold out on the 'boring' tinned stuff until they realise if they don't eat it they won't get anything else!
how much would you be willing to pay for the best cat food on the market?No idea - would depend on why it's 'best', for a start. Generally speaking, though, unless one of them had a particular dietary need, I wouldn't buy the most expensive just because it's supposed to be 'good' - with three cats I can't afford the best at all times (nor do I have the 'best' food all the time, either!)
would you say cats are more intelligent than people might think they are? (any examples/reasons)Absolutely, 100%! People seem to think that dogs are more intelligent "because you can train them", but this is only dogs' pack instinct manifesting. Cats are cleverer than that ... they don't do anything unless there's something in it for them! My lot are trained, though ... they all use the scratch post, and are generally well behaved (except for the odd curtain climbing moment!). They all know and respond to a variety of words ... cats are quite capable of doing this, it's just that most of the time, "dogs come when called, cats take a message and get back to you"! My lot all know... no, down, up, bye bye, night night, hello, teatime, and Shanti knows 'mousie', and Meesha knows 'ball'. They all respond to their own names, and I never ever shout, so it's not just tone of voice. Meesha is especially intelligent, and will copy me - for example, she watched me pull the curtain aside so that I could look out the window, and straight after she did exactly the same thing, pulling the curtain back with her paw and peering round it. She does that quite often now. They all respond to gestures too - like if I want them to all go in the front room, I only have to point and say 'come on then' and they all trot in good as gold. I haven't trained them to do that, they've just learned. Shanti is very intelligent too, but often uses her intelligence for naughty purposes! (read her personality above as examples). She has also worked out how to raise the blinds, but can't really get a proper grip on the cords. Meesha likes me holding her up so she can turn the lights on and off, and has worked out how to make my decks go and stop (I'm a DJ in my spare time!). Sabby will notice if I'm anywhere other than here, and immediately make a beeline for my computer chair as he has worked out that it must be empty if I'm somewhere else! They can all open drawers (the ones with slots for handles), and will also open my wardrobe doors as they are strong enough to do that. Rather than bringing me mice or birds, Meesha brings me leaves, I think because she sees me eating 'green stuff'. I could go on! (ooops, I have
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Good luck with your research
