Cat Litter Trays

[Alex]

A piece from the RSPCA webpage about automatic closing litter trays - incase anyone here has bought one for their cat.

RSPCA (England & Wales)
Yesterday at 09:00  ·
Safety warning: self-closing cat litter trays ⚠️

There are serious risks posed by unregulated self-closing cat litter trays, including claims that they have caused tragic deaths.

They're becoming common in the US and we're concerned about them gaining popularity in the UK. We urge people to avoid purchasing them and to stick to reputable brands.

Please share to protect cats in your community.

[JBR]

A piece from the RSPCA webpage about automatic closing litter trays - incase anyone here has bought one for their cat.

RSPCA (England & Wales)
Yesterday at 09:00  ·
Safety warning: self-closing cat litter trays ⚠️

There are serious risks posed by unregulated self-closing cat litter trays, including claims that they have caused tragic deaths.

They're becoming common in the US and we're concerned about them gaining popularity in the UK. We urge people to avoid purchasing them and to stick to reputable brands.

Please share to protect cats in your community.

No way would I have one of them.  I suppose there are quite different models, but one which could close around a cat's neck should be banned and the manufacturer punished severely for creating dangerous designs.

Our cats poo safely... outside.  All it needs is a cat flap and some areas of rough earth for them to use.  They naturally cover up their droppings (perhaps to prevent other animals knowing where they are).
Yes, cats are far more intelligent than dogs.
(Uh-oh!  Watching out for responses from dog owners!)

[Raven]

Each animal to it's own, some are clever some are daft. You pays your money and takes your choice.
Dageus was a mix of his parents, he had his mother's poodle intelligence and his dad's golden retriever scattiness. You ever knew what one you would get.

[Cassandra]

Each animal to it's own, some are clever some are daft. You pays your money and takes your choice.
Dageus was a mix of his parents, he had his mother's poodle intelligence and his dad's golden retriever scattiness. You ever knew what one you would get.

Lovely way of putting it Raven, very descriptive and his personality must have been fantastic for it. By the way 'Redd', appeared with his head inside the Kitchen's 'Stable Door' early evening looking very pleased with himself. He'd managed to open the old meadow gate latch.

The look on his face was one of pride at this achievement. He followed me back down to the field and thankfully the five bar gate had 'clipped' shut to keep his fellow occupants contained. A lot of snorting and nodding head exclamations followed. So as we'd just finished the Stable Stall for him, I led him to it and he flopped down on the fresh hay looking very pleased with himself, his new name emblazoned on the door. It was almost as if he knew what we'd been doing all day! It's a double (birthing pen) so large and very comfortable for his "lordship's" accommodation.

I'm sure he's working me, in a very nice way of course, his face, as I left said it all ...

[Scrumpy]

Cassandra.. You sound like Dr Dolittle... What a lovely world you live in..

[Raven]

Lovely way of putting it Raven, very descriptive and his personality must have been fantastic for it. By the way 'Redd', appeared with his head inside the Kitchen's 'Stable Door' early evening looking very pleased with himself. He'd managed to open the old meadow gate latch.

The look on his face was one of pride at this achievement. He followed me back down to the field and thankfully the five bar gate had 'clipped' shut to keep his fellow occupants contained. A lot of snorting and nodding head exclamations followed. So as we'd just finished the Stable Stall for him, I led him to it and he flopped down on the fresh hay looking very pleased with himself, his new name emblazoned on the door. It was almost as if he knew what we'd been doing all day! It's a double (birthing pen) so large and very comfortable for his "lordship's" accommodation.

I'm sure he's working me, in a very nice way of course, his face, as I left said it all ...

Redd sounds an absolute sweetheart, but I bet he's testing the waters (so to speak) just now. He'll be seeing just what he can get away with lol.
Can I twist my new dad around my hoof? Hmmmm lets try this n that. See how it goes down.   

[Mups]

Quote from  JBR:     

"Yes, cats are far more intelligent than dogs.
(Uh-oh!  Watching out for responses from dog owners!)"

*

Well my reply is how many 'Assistance Cats'  or  'Guide Cats'  do you know,  JBR? 

I have just this morning read of an assistance dog,  a huge Wolfhound, who alerts his owner to a chemical she is very allergic to,  and also to Bees, as she is reactive to their sting.
This amazing dog even alerts her to changes in her blood pressure would you believe, and if the lady ignores the dog's initial  gentle 'bump' with it's head,  the dog will jump up and put his paws on her shoulders and make eye contact.
The owner says -  "This dog has changed my life in ways I cannot express.    This chemical is in so many foods, vape products, and cleaning products, that even trips to the supermarket may leave me struggling to breathe."   

She now hasn't had a respiratory attack for 2 years since she had her dog,  before that it was happening almost daily.

*

Yes, of course cats can be a huge emotional support to their family,  but I ask again,  how many trained Assistance cats do you know?    I rest my case.       

[JBR]

Quote from  JBR:     

"Yes, cats are far more intelligent than dogs.
(Uh-oh!  Watching out for responses from dog owners!)"

*

Well my reply is how many 'Assistance Cats'  or  'Guide Cats'  do you know,  JBR? 

I have just this morning read of an assistance dog,  a huge Wolfhound, who alerts his owner to a chemical she is very allergic to,  and also to Bees, as she is reactive to their sting.
This amazing dog even alerts her to changes in her blood pressure would you believe, and if the lady ignores the dog's initial  gentle 'bump' with it's head,  the dog will jump up and put his paws on her shoulders and make eye contact.
The owner says -  "This dog has changed my life in ways I cannot express.    This chemical is in so many foods, vape products, and cleaning products, that even trips to the supermarket may leave me struggling to breathe."   

She now hasn't had a respiratory attack for 2 years since she had her dog,  before that it was happening almost daily.

*

Yes, of course cats can be a huge emotional support to their family,  but I ask again,  how many trained Assistance cats do you know?    I rest my case.       

I cannot dispute any of this.
However, I suggest that these working dogs have only developed these abilities due to training by humans.

Cats are far more difficult to train, mainly because they have minds of their own!

[Mups]

I cannot dispute any of this.
However, I suggest that these working dogs have only developed these abilities due to training by humans.

Cats are far more difficult to train, mainly because they have minds of their own!

Of course these dogs are trained by humans, I realise that.
But the difference is most dogs naturally want to please,  it's in their nature,  so that can make training so rewarding for both parties.
Not sure cats want to please us daily in the same way,  they seem much more independent.

I guess we all have our favourites though,  which is a good thing,  else there would be a lot more unwanted  animals in the world than there already are. 

[Cassandra]

Redd sounds an absolute sweetheart, but I bet he's testing the waters (so to speak) just now. He'll be seeing just what he can get away with lol.
Can I twist my new dad around my hoof? Hmmmm lets try this n that. See how it goes down.   

Yes,   I now have four ladies who help out with looking after the little 'herd'  (Donkeys are now on the way too), who love the chance to venture away from their domestic lives for a few hours a week. Two are impossibly beautiful identical twins, which causes problems for me at times, calling them by the wrong names!. However the horses can recognise them 'independently' immediately. I provide breakfast or tea and scones whenever they come. They hail from Texas and one is married, the other single. 'Florentine' said yesterday ~ "my but Redd is a big ol boy', and he's clever too. I plumb thought he'd be a dumb ass, but man he's as smart as a tack, ways ya up all the time to see what he can git". Also they speak separately, but in complete harmony such as, "we love comin up here", (one sister), finished off by the other  "it's so full of goodness", "our daddy was like you judge and as he were dying all the hosses came up to the fence, side by side, an just stood there, "when he was gone", "they went too". "Nope siree an they never dun it before", "nor since".

All this a far cry from 'The Bailey' or 'The Strand' ...

[Raven]

Blimey, I'd have to listen really close to them to understand what they were saying.   I wonder what they'd make of my West Islands Burr.  

[dextrous63]

I've spent years trying to train my cat using the command "kill".  Never worked yet.

[Cassandra]

Cassandra.. You sound like Dr Dolittle... What a lovely world you live in..

And it all just happened (the animals) really? Compared to when I arrived, the old place has taken a new character. I just thought, all the empty fields and stables were needed once to make creatures happy. We're going to build a series of structures in the meadows too, starting next Monday for day shelters, as storms do whip in quickly off the lake and the lightening can be lethal. Such can strike an 'unprotected' object like a tree, with a horse, pony, donkey sheltering underneath. Also stable-pens in each, to bed them in. They make superb wooden frame 'throw up' examples out here and once the concrete tray is laid they are finished in a day by a team of four, with the right tools etc.

[Alex]

Well Cass you had some doubts before the move, remember ?  A big step to take but obviously the right one.  Look forward to seeing and hearing about the day shelters 

[Ashy]

Well my reply is how many 'Assistance Cats'  or  'Guide Cats'  do you know,  JBR? 

Doesn't that just prove how clever cats are?