Chitchat thread #24

[burnie]

I set my self a target weight area of 100-105 kg(I am a 6'3" ex rugby player) which is what I was as a fit and healthy 50 year old and I have been in that area for almost a year now. Exercise, next to no alcohol or chocolate, smaller meals and less snacking in between. A bit brutal to start, but you educate your hunger and I've lost 4 inches round my waist.

[Snoop Puss]

Snoop/Nicos - do your cats ever nip you with their teeth? I'm still trying to work out whether Lord Ginger is being playful. Last night he walked along the sofa to my head and after running his head on my hair, he gave my ear a nip - not a bite.

Frankie is definitely a nipper. He does it mostly in play, but sometimes in frustration. It took us quite a while to work out that when he launched himself at our legs on walks with the dog, he meant his ambushes to be in play even though they really hurt . He's a lot better in that respect now that we have Missie. Missie bites if she feels thwarted, say we pick her up when she doesn't want to be picked up.

The other thing about having two cats together is that they teach each other what the boundaries are. How hard they can bite or fight before they get a severe reaction from the other.

Cats respond to a firm voice and do learn what 'no' means and will eventually stop doing whatever it was that elicited a 'no'. We're having a dreadful time with Missie at the moment, as she walks on the table and work surfaces. I'm guessing this was tolerated where she was before as a kitten, but it's not something we accept. She's very food driven, almost as bad as a dog. We can't leave any food out, as she'll be there. Trying to get into the butter dish, even chewing on bread dough if I walk away while making dough. This I'm sure is food anxiety from when she was a kitten, competing for food. Though that's not relevant in your case.

Cats aren't easy to train but they do eventually learn. If Lord Ginger hurts you (love the name), he needs to be told. But I would say that walking along and rubbing his head on your hair is a gesture of affection. And the nip perhaps was an expression of nervousness on his part about how you might respond. Perhaps he's been hurt in another household, which is why he bit you way back when and has taken a long time to come around.

Nicos, was Hibou ever a biter/nipper?

[Nicos]

Hibou has never been a nipper nope.
We’ve tried to show affection towards her since we got her at 9 months old by loads of slow blinks and she responded really well.
I’m guessing Lord Ginger is almost flirting a potential friendship with you…a nice little nibble to show he likes you…but on his terms?
Loving and adorable Hibou is, she can’t stand being held and wont sit on our knees but she’ll blink at us endlessly and flop over stretched out on her back belly up .

If she has too much catnip she can get a bit rough forgetting to retract her claws so we remind her by instantly doing a high pitched yelp so she know she’s hurt us. Doesn’t happen very much at all, but she knows what that means now so stops.

We did have a cat years ago who would jump on the bed in the morning and nibble my chin with his tiny front teeth to wake me up.
(Hibou just walks on the pillow and yanks on our hair) Just his way of saying it was time to feed him. Very sweet as he wouldn’t do that to anyone else.

I think Lord Ginger is starting to appreciate you and trying to trust you. But it does have to be on his terms. Try the slow eye blinking thing. Have a goooogle if you’re not quite sure what it involves( tipping up of the chin etc at the same time)
I actually think this cold spell must have helped speed up the bond he’s starting to have with you!…well done with your calm but steady progress

[mothhawk]

Morning all.

The clouds are very pink tinged as the sun rises this morning and all the frost has gone. Wish I'd taken some photos of the hoar on the trees.

[greenishfing]

Good morning

Through a gap in the curtains the sky seems to be a fetching shade of apricot. ... I wonder if that qualifies for a shepherd's warning? It's 4°C, so I presume things are starting to thaw at long last.

Mr GF has an appointment at the hearing aid clinic later this morning. I really don't want him to miss it ... as I seem to have to shout more lately. Anything without subtitles on TV is impossible.

Right, best foot forward.... Time for coffee.

[Bren In Pots]

Morning

No frost on the cars or my GH this morning, oddly there was a 11pm last night, all we need now is for the snow to disappear from the garden.

Enjoy your day

[Snoop Puss]

Morning all.

A proper feat, Burnie. Congratulations.

Still in the minuses here, but bright blue and very still, a welcome change after the strong winds of recent days. Despite the sunshine, it's going to be cold all day apparently.

Got a nice balanced day today. A bit of baking to do today for gifts, plus a trip down the valley to visit the neighbours. Must make sure I do that early afternoon, otherwise it'll be perishing on the walk back. Other than that, the keyboard calls.

Have a great day, everyone.

[Florence Fennel]

Good Morning All Thank you Snoop and Nicos for the advice. I know he's not my cat, but I'm very fond of him.
it's a tad warmer here, but dull and dreary. Have a good day

[Nicos]

Mornin n’alln’all
Sunny and very cold here -6C. Might hit 0C later on.
Not at all happy about going out in the car as there will be black ice and frost in the back lanes which is the only way to get to the shops if I go to get the butter today. Glad we don’t have half melted snow to have to contend with too!

Indoor ‘stuff’ for me to crack on with today.Lots to choose from. I may even get the iron out and sort out the new teatowels I washed ( ready for the gites…mine just get stuffed in the drawer!)

Enjoy your day peeps, keep warm and safe!

[bramble]

Good morning all, and it's a warm 9 degs here.
All the partying and celebrating is over in our family for the time being do it's back yo hum drum.
Lots to do, and to be quite honest, I'm glad to be back to normal
Nicos hope your road trip goes safely.
Have a good day alll.

[burnie]

We have a 15 degree temperature swing today, from minus 5 to plus 10 in less than 24 hours, goodness knows what the garden and the wildlife think to it all.

[lottie dolly]

Afternoon all,glad it warmed up a bit more,just back from Choir,is great to be back in into a routine again,my bodywishes it had your determination Burnie,Good luck with lord ginger FF,need some light food now,and a big mug of coffee,and not making any other plans,have a lovely afternoon,

[greenishfing]

A balmy 6°C here right now. The snow is melting slowly. Even though I've been into the city in the car, and got stuck in roadworks, there is still about an inch of frozen snow on the roof of it. Considering that we had the heater on HOT, I presume that the interior must be really well insulated.

I took Mr GF for his appointment, called at a couple of shops on the way home, then visited my brother in law and delivered a photo I'd printed out for an old friend of my husband's.

Mr GF is really happy that I went and got him a bottle of his favourite wine. He thinks that I was being nice. Actually I'm fed up of him pinching "my" wine and then moaning how he doesn't like it all the time he's drinking it. We used to go over to France through the tunnel a couple of times a year to stock up on wine. One of the wine warehouses in Calais even used to pay for our day return fare if we pre-ordered our wine, and the order was sat on a trolley waiting for us when we got there.

[Nicos]

It’s easy chez nous gf…. OH loves red.
….and I love white, preferably fizz.

Not sure what the limit is now to take to the uk, but I guess it’ll be substantially less?
We just take a few bottles over for our family…they actually ask us not to. Can’t work out if they are being nice , but they happily tuck into it when we open a bottle Probably a bit like your OH gf

I’ve been to the shop!…Oh drove me just incase there was black ice…which there was in patches. I’ve experienced it once and it was a huuuge patch and it was horrible having absolutely no control of the car.
Stocked up on a few other things apart from butter including vodka for the mirabelles from the freezer. I’d packed them in there so carefully that a few months on it looks just as full- I’m clearly jumbling everything up now in the hunt for something else to eat .
So now the house smells of the BeRo stove top cakes…both of them cooling down before going into the oven, and another tea loaf soaking to cook this evening.
I’m a bit worried if the large oven will cope on its one setting so I’ll probably cook one at a time in the work top oven. This house is going to smell wonderful until bedtime!