General Chat

we are back in devon, and boy have we had a lovely day today. the cats are pleased to be "home" and have been out checking on the estate! flynn the tabby thinks that wherever we are it is all his, can cause problems with the local cats, but he is so dominant that his threats usually win the day.
survived the motorhome service etc yesterday, passed the mot ok phew, but the bill was quite a big one but as i only have running costs of the moltorhome to pay with no household bills i cant complain.
went down to exmouth sea-front this morning with a friend, beautiful to look across to dawlish, teignmouth and torbay, i am lucky to be able to live in a gorgeous area, couldnt afford a house down here, other people like it here as well!
have a good september, then we have the autumn to lokk forward to.
val

will let you know how it goes.
the best or worse bit is getting the cats into their baskets,
first put both cats in the toilet/shower room, then get the baskets and put together, then get one cat at a time and put into basket. have to do it this way because if they see the baskets getting ready, they both disappear into the back of the luton, the overcab storage/bed area and i cant reach them and they know it. i had to get an old wooden walking stick with a hook handle, hook it around a feline tummy and pull til a bit of cat gets within reach and then just pull them out by hand, so to reduce the stress levels for me the toilet/shower it has to be. either way is stressful for the cats.
update tomorrow

as i live in a motorhome my options are limited ,and like you sandie my worktop and table [ notice the singular of worktop ] are dimpled, i even use a piecec of what in the old days was called oilcloth to roll out my pastry to prevent the flour getting in the dimples.
by the way i am at the motorhome dealers as the motorhome is having service, mot and habitation check tomorrow and i let out the extrovert cat for an explore, and four and a half hours later he has decided to come back. there was me having kittens so to speak, he does this


every four years or so, i was mentally rebooking the service etc, or imagining finding him dead in a gutter, ever the optimist. anyway, he is in and no one with four legs is going out til tomorrow morning and then they will be in their travel baskets.
so think of us sat in the reception area til the work is done, all this stress and then i get a gi-normous bill.

Daff, cant stand the smell of pine disinfectant so I am alright there! Always use a lavender one., or in necessity, Milton.

We used the anti bacterial sprays when I was ill, and until my immune system had renewed itself... we are back to using them again, but.... a drop of bleach and washing up liquid in water as hot as you can take, is better than the disinfectant sprays, in my opinion, and also according to my Top Doctor Man. And not toxic to cats or dogs, either

It is the stuff that is extracted from pine that is toxic to cats. No pine stuff should be used on floors, either.

I am sure there are other things, but the pine is the main one that I know of, and it takes just a little for a cat to be affected.

Love

Daff xxxxxx

I wonder what it contains that is dangerous to pets - and, apparently, not harmful to humans!!
Strikes me, unless you have some auto-immune disease, germs & most bacteria are a lot less harmful to us than the chemicals contained in antibacterial sprays.
I've never needed to eat a substance (actimel?) that. apparently contains 'useful' bacteria!! LOL

hi sandie,
my cats are shoed off the work surfaces and table, but when i am nor there they do go up there, [pawprints as proof] to look out the windows. i have never been able to train a cat like a dog, cats are climbing animals, they like height and exploring and are much more independent.
but thanks for the comments.

We dont suffer from any after effects of not using any disinfecting sprays on anything. I think they are a waste of money and take away your natural immunity. Washing up liquid and clean cloths are sufficient. We use disinfectant on floors and toilet to make them smell sweet.

A useful non toxic method of killing ants is a 50/50 mixture of bicarbonate of soda( backing powder) and icing sugar.......the ants cant separate the bicab and it causes them to produce co2 internally which kills them...... the granules are of similar size.......Bob

I have to be very careful what I use on the patio which is enclosed as we have Harold the tortoise who is nearly fifty and its his wandering area. Used to have big problems with ants and had to very careful and put barriers around anywhere we sprayed. Have BIG problems this year with Slugs almost the size of small snakes! and I go out at night on slug patrol with the drum of salt . Have to wash it down in the morning just in case salt is harmful for Harold

bought a bottle of own label antibacterial spray from one of the big four. was about to use it and read the instructions to find out basically it should not be used anywhere that cats could go. they must not walk on the surface while it is still wet, doesnt say anything about what happens if their paws are wet, and they must not lick surfaces that have been sprayed or wiped with the cleaner.
before you all shout that cats should not be on work surfaces, i know and they do not get up there with my permission!! we all know that cats make their own rules, they listen to you and then do their own thing.
the warning applies to all pets but especially cats.
needless to say i will be taking my unused bottle back to m******* tomorrow and will in future read the label BEFORE i buy
just cant believe that firms sell something that is poisonous to our pets.
end of rant
val
ps will be contacting m******* as well