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Before that you need to identify if its the cat distribution system or the local feline monitoring system.

The latter is where the feline already has a home base and is simply ensuring that you are an approved individual moving into the area that the feline patrols.

Felines in such a position might accept redistribution, but previously owned servants of the feline might take offence at another servant attempting to steal their master.

Definitely Feline Monitoring.

I have lots of cushions across my two sofas. Some are especially soft.

Hence, as no Cat was found napping? I can only assume this was a recon mission.

And silliness aside? Until I spotted the exit toe bean marks? I was genuinely going to buy a bag of Dreamies, just in case Mystery Kitty had applied Stealth.

Figured no cat can resist those tasty treats.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Nevelon wrote:
Sounds like your next purchase needs to be a littler box, feeder, cat fountain, and some nip.

The cat distribution system is at work. Do not fight it.

Obey the Fuzzy Mistress. Let The Void into your heart.

Oh I am open to lovely fuzzballs. They seem to like me, because I know when visiting friends, you ignore Kitty until Kitty wants your specific attention. When I dropped by Trev’s to check in on the Nephloof and give him his pill? Luci, The Grand Old Dame put in an appearance, and I got adorable fuzzy headbutts, whilst I was scratching the Nephloofs’ ears in his cone of shame.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Actually….person I bought the house from had two lovely doggies. So I’m wondering if this might actually be a Feline Land Grab? A once off limits rear garden now open to annexation.

Are you sure it was a friendly animal and not a raccoon or bobcat? Maybe a lynx? Or a feral cat looking to cause havoc?

It did knock over your Star Wars toys, maybe the animal is a Star Trek Section 31 fan? Did you think of that?

(Honestly, when I was younger, I had a Luke Skywalker Lego I left outside with my other toys.

When I came back out from eating lunch, it was missing! It had been replaced with a pink hair barrette. Stupid Crows had stolen it and given me a pink hair barrette! I'm not bitter, no sir. Not at all.

Nope.

Grrrr....

Just remember, toys and wild animals don't mix.

This is Britain. We don’t have offensive animals as a rule, as we hunted them to extinction some time ago.

 Lathe Biosas wrote:
Are you sure it was a friendly animal and not a raccoon or bobcat? Maybe a lynx? Or a feral cat looking to cause havoc?

Mad Doc is in the UK so racoons, bobcats and lynx are all not an issue (though a few more extreme re-wilding groups are trying to get lynx back in the country).

Feral cat maybe but not true wildcat unless he's in the northern reaches of Scotland.

I’m at completely the opposite end of the country for honest to goodness Wildcats.

And for a coastal town? Whilst of course present, the local Seagulls are pretty well behaved. Likely due to stringent efforts by the local council to ensure commercial rubbish is in suitable, Seagull proof containment.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Back on topic.

Just nipped out to the hardware store nearby, picked up a ladder. Which means I can now reliably access the loft space.

I’ve stuck my head up there once before, and there’s some odds and sods of junk from the previous owner (potentially owners, that’s lofts for you), but need to properly get the space sussed out, as I need to get stuff stashed away up there, freeing up the Hobby Room. Even if the stuff doesn’t live up there on the permanent, getting that room cleared will allow me to start getting it into a workable space.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I’m at completely the opposite end of the country for honest to goodness Wildcats.

And for a coastal town? Whilst of course present, the local Seagulls are pretty well behaved. Likely due to stringent efforts by the local council to ensure commercial rubbish is in suitable, Seagull proof containment.

Good thing you don't live near a bay. Then you'd have issues with bagels.

☆☆☆

My knowledge of Scotland stops with a tour of Glasgow (with an Irish tour guide(ess) from Cork nonetheless)

From what she told me, I'm to understand that there's nothing north of Hadrian's wall.

Good gravy that loft hatch is impractically tiny! I could get up there like, so it’s not functionally too wee. But I’ll need to have a builder have a look, and give me an estimate for enlarging it.

Right now, I’m not entirely sure I’d be able to get up there what needs to go up there.

Will get my mate over to help out and see how it goes.

 Overread wrote:
Mad Doc is in the UK so racoons, bobcats and lynx are all not an issue (though a few more extreme re-wilding groups are trying to get lynx back in the country).

Feral cat maybe but not true wildcat unless he's in the northern reaches of Scotland.

American wildlife is actually wild. And plentiful.

In theory, I live in a mature neighborhood (50 years old) of a college town going back to the 1850s, old by local standards.

But we have deer, turkeys, skunks, and incorrigible raccoons, among other visitors. A friend of mine's house has been invaded by squirrels. I've had bats in the attic that actually came through a cold air return - and met the swift stroke of a tennis racket. Ever and anon when the windows are open at night one will hear the death-scream of a groundhog.

And the bunnies. So many bunnies.

Wish we have bunnies too. But we have rampaging mooses who slam through 2 meters high metallic fence, boars roaming gardens and farms, and foxes and wolves raiding for cats and dogs. And gakhead bears and wolverines who just disaster. They attacking anything it's seen and break all what they come through. And I can't even shoot them because of law and rules, since I must pay first before I can hunt. Even if they ate my goose. Iirc reweld fences I think nine times this summer. Mooses and bears bend 50mm steel tubes and ripped metal sheets like they made from paper.

We do have bunnies here, but not typically in urban areas, unless an escaped pet. Which with cats and foxes probably isn’t long for this cruel, uncaring world.

Though this has reminded me I need to sort out the back gate. The padlock was weathered shut, so the scaffolder cut through it so we had rear access restored. Not an urgent job, as I of course lock up at night preventing intruders getting into the house.

But, with dog sitting duties pending, and of course Goober* yet to manifest, I need to ensure it’s secured to prevent Unauthorised Adventures.

*The Pup That Is Promised. By me to me.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
We do have bunnies here, but not typically in urban areas, unless an escaped pet. Which with cats and foxes probably isn’t long for this cruel, uncaring world.

Though this has reminded me I need to sort out the back gate. The padlock was weathered shut, so the scaffolder cut through it so we had rear access restored. Not an urgent job, as I of course lock up at night preventing intruders getting into the house.

But, with dog sitting duties pending, and of course Goober* yet to manifest, I need to ensure it’s secured to prevent Unauthorised Adventures.

*The Pup That Is Promised. By me to me.

Sounds like you need a Flemish Giant Bunny.

No cat is going to go after a 28 pound 3 foot long bunny.

Plus, you will love him, and hug him, and squeeze him, and call him George!

Imagine a dog with big floppy ears who doesn't bark, likes to cuddle, frightens local farmers when they see him, and let's you stand out when you go for walks.

(And if you are truly devious, you play stupid whenever people ask about his size... "I don't know, I was reading this book by HG Wells on feeding rabbits...")

And since you have gaming terrain, you can recreate scenes from the DeForest Kelly movie: Night of the Lepus.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
First major purchase was a replacement roof for £10k!

Don’t mind kitty breaking in really. Didn’t break anything, didn’t widdle on anything,


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We do have Foxes, but they tend to be pretty shy of coming into people homes. Gardens? Yes. Homes, no.

Had a couple of foxes come into my mums house over the years in Abbey Wood. London foxes though, so a more daring breed

Ordered a massive rug for the library. Also starting to consider a curtain to partition the library off from the kitchen area when I want cost.

There’s an existing arch between them, so should make for a pleasing and natural separation.

Not something I’d have drawn all the time. But in the long dark days of winter, it should provide some extra coziness and that for when I really just want to sit in the posh comfy chairs and pretend that….

1. I’m a Victorian.
2. I’m a gentleman, and not a wilfully uncouth oik.
3. It’s a proper separate room, and not simply a section of a three room run through type thing.

My favourite London fox is definately Romeo

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12573364?app-referrer=deep-link

My favourite fox, if you see him get his autograph:

But what did the fox say?

Install a water purification system. Under the kitchen sink type. That well also increase your value. The other, check your water heater life span. Better yet install flex tubining to ease the pain of metal piping.

That’s a weird thing for a fox to say…

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

1. I’m a Victorian.
2. I’m a gentleman, and not a wilfully uncouth oik.
3. It’s a proper separate room, and not simply a section of a three room run through type thing.

It's all about attitude. Here in the States, class is a behavior, rather than something one buys or inherits. My grandmother was part of the country-club set, and taught me a great deal about it because there were a ton of club members who had great pedigrees (by American standards), were absolutely loaded, and utterly low-class.

Tasteful, cozy decoration and of course warm hospitality count for everything. If an orc offers you the comfy chair by the fire, pours out a decent brandy and offers you a pipe, is he really orc-ish?

Any one have issues with moles? I try everything, traps, poisoned food, sink tonnels with water and fosfex(phosphorus pils which produce gas) and today i even catch one when he run for his live out of hole. Any suggestions if some one know how fight them. Thats the little gakker who ruin my lawn

 Flinty wrote:
That’s a weird thing for a fox to say…

I didn't think foxes were that knowledgeable about water purification systems.

 kabaakaba wrote:
Any one have issues with moles? I try everything, traps, poisoned food, sink tonnels with water and fosfex(phosphorus pils which produce gas) and today i even catch one when he run for his live out of hole. Any suggestions if some one know how fight them. Thats the little gakker who ruin my lawn

You just need to be in the right frame of mind to fight your foe:

“Without a front, flanks or rear, we fought a formless war against a formless enemy who evaporated like the morning jungle mists, only to materialise in some unexpected place. It was a haphazard, episodic sort of combat. Most of the time nothing happened. But when something did, it happened instantaneously and without warning.”

Philip Caputo, US Marine and Vietnam veteran, writing in 1977

“We are fighting a war with no front lines, since the enemy hides among the people, in the jungles and mountains, and uses covertly border areas of neutral countries. One cannot measure [our] progress by lines on a map.”

General William C. Westmoreland, the commander of all U.S. military forces in Vietnam, in a speech to a joint session of Congress on April 28, 1967.

☆☆☆

This is going to sound odd, but this worked in Kentucky. We put up Owl habitats.

If you attract owls to live in your area, pests will diminish. The owls didn't get them all immediately, but the war was won with aerial superiority.

Moles aerate the soil, allowing for stronger root systems for plants, and eat pests.

Ordered the curtain and a nice bronze effect rail.

With the plank thing to extend the fireplace lintel in the library arriving tomorrow, and a massive rug also on order? Won’t be long at all until my comfy reading space is all sorted.

 kabaakaba wrote:
Any one have issues with moles? I try everything, traps, poisoned food, sink tonnels with water and fosfex(phosphorus pils which produce gas) and today i even catch one when he run for his live out of hole. Any suggestions if some one know how fight them. Thats the little gakker who ruin my lawn

It's leather jackets in my lawn. I've used digging for them and nematodes and lots of stamping on crane flies. It worked last year. Not sure how well it's worked for this year. Two years ago the neighbours' lawn was completely obliterated. Hundreds of leather jackets came out when their food was all gone and they were rolling around on their patio. It was like a scene from a horror movie.

 Kilkrazy wrote:

 kabaakaba wrote:
Any one have issues with moles? I try everything, traps, poisoned food, sink tonnels with water and fosfex(phosphorus pils which produce gas) and today i even catch one when he run for his live out of hole. Any suggestions if some one know how fight them. Thats the little gakker who ruin my lawn

It's leather jackets in my lawn. I've used digging for them and nematodes and lots of stamping on crane flies. It worked last year. Not sure how well it's worked for this year. Two years ago the neighbours' lawn was completely obliterated. Hundreds of leather jackets came out when their food was all gone and they were rolling around on their patio. It was like a scene from a horror movie.

I feel really stupid... leather jackets?

 Lathe Biosas wrote:

 Kilkrazy wrote:

 kabaakaba wrote:
Any one have issues with moles? I try everything, traps, poisoned food, sink tonnels with water and fosfex(phosphorus pils which produce gas) and today i even catch one when he run for his live out of hole. Any suggestions if some one know how fight them. Thats the little gakker who ruin my lawn

It's leather jackets in my lawn. I've used digging for them and nematodes and lots of stamping on crane flies. It worked last year. Not sure how well it's worked for this year. Two years ago the neighbours' lawn was completely obliterated. Hundreds of leather jackets came out when their food was all gone and they were rolling around on their patio. It was like a scene from a horror movie.

I feel really stupid... leather jackets?

Crane fly larvae. I was also unfamiliar with that term.

 A Town Called Malus wrote:

Crane fly larvae. I was also unfamiliar with that term.

We have a large categories of bugs known as "fish flies" for obvious reasons. Mostly seen on the coast (of which Michigan has much) and along some river/inland lakes.

Far more annoying are mosquitoes. I believe it has been adopted as the state bird by all the Upper Midwestern states. As one goes farther north, there are black flies, which actually bite (painfully so).

I've lived in this area for most of my life and have never seen so many critters. My guess is that when I was young, many of the subdivisions were only a decade or so old, so wildlife had been driven out when the forests were cut down, pipes laid and roads built. That development continued to spread outwards, so even after things grew back, there was a belt of construction acting as a barrier.

That stalled in a lot of places, so now the critters are repopulating, feasting upon lush greenery and unprotected gardens. Indeed, I've noticed that old style garden plots have disappeared, replaced with fortified enclosures, often elevated in steel or wooden planters. The deer are a menace, and overpopulation on their part has driven the smaller critters into acts of dietary desperation.

The city council has hired professionals to cull the herd, which seems to help. Hunting is forbidden within city limits, presumably due to close proximity, but the deer are bold enough that one could easily take one with a snub-nose revolver. It is highly annoying to go a few miles out of town and find zero deer during hunting season and then return home to find a herd grazing on my front lawn.

This year's garden defenses proved adequate, which was nice.

Odd observation. And one which I fully appreciate may sound a bit snobbish, but isn’t intended that way.

Since moving, I’ve noticed my new neighbourhood has a different vibe to where I was.

Previously, the street I was on was mostly rental flats, and two adult care homes. The folk and area were nice. But now? It’s houses, and the majority are home owners rather than tenants. And it just feels a bit more loved. Like, where the people and families living here are inherently more permanently settled, there’s that little bit more impetus and interest to keep it clean, neat and tidy.

It’s a nice and very welcoming feeling. And yes, I’ve got a massive bowl of sweeties ready for Halloween. And no One Per Person Policy.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Odd observation. And one which I fully appreciate may sound a bit snobbish, but isn’t intended that way.

Since moving, I’ve noticed my new neighbourhood has a different vibe to where I was.

Previously, the street I was on was mostly rental flats, and two adult care homes. The folk and area were nice. But now? It’s houses, and the majority are home owners rather than tenants. And it just feels a bit more loved. Like, where the people and families living here are inherently more permanently settled, there’s that little bit more impetus and interest to keep it clean, neat and tidy.

It’s a nice and very welcoming feeling. And yes, I’ve got a massive bowl of sweeties ready for Halloween. And no One Per Person Policy.

Neighborhoods matter. Before moving to my present residence, the neighborhood was reasonably safe, but one had to keep an eye on things. Bikes left in the yard tended to disappear. Minor property damage was not uncommon, or was it unusual to find trash left out and about. Things could get loud at night from time to time and the police rolled through regularly.

The current area is much quieter, and people keep a close eye on things. Very much keeping up with the Joneses going on. One person mows and then everyone around them does, lest their yard be considered unkempt. You can tell who has kids by the toys left in the yard. When the police show up, people gawk.

And yes, we get inundated by trick-or-treaters.