Australia is planning to deal with its' feral cat population by air dropping poisoned sausages:

Feral cat cull

I think Umberto would be a great name for a cat.

Sad to relate that Grumpy Cat, aka Tadar Sauce, died a few days ago.  She was only 7.  I don't think she was really grumpy - it was just her markings. 

It's not just cats that come in through catflaps:

Larry has just tweeted @Number10cat

“I am announcing that I’m standing to become the next Prime Minister. If Boris Johnson is running, then people deserve a serious candidate too...” 
#LarryForPM #YesWeCat

Larry takes a nap under the President's car:

Dear all,
A moggy cartoon


Kind regards,
Abelard

Abelard, The Aristocrats is one of the classic Disney cartoons I never got around to seeing.  For some reason I was expecting to hear "Sous les Toits de Paris" - "les toits" became "the bridges when the song was translated into English for some reason - maybe fitting the words to the music required a two syllable word in English.

Another thought was what "O'Malley the alley cat" was doing in Paris - but then there have been notable Irish people who have spent time in France.  I can think of Samuel Beckett and Oscar Wilde (though with the latter it was after his fall from grace and he didn't live long).  I'm sure there are some Irish ladies who have spent time in France too (and I don't just mean holidays, university placements).

LadyinRetirement wrote:

Abelard, The Aristocrats is one of the classic Disney cartoons I never got around to seeing.  For some reason I was expecting to hear "Sous les Toits de Paris" - "les toits" became "the bridges when the song was translated into English for some reason - maybe fitting the words to the music required a two syllable word in English.
Another thought was what "O'Malley the alley cat" was doing in Paris - but then there have been notable Irish people who have spent time in France.  I can think of Samuel Beckett and Oscar Wilde (though with the latter it was after his fall from grace and he didn't live long).  I'm sure there are some Irish ladies who have spent time in France too (and I don't just mean holidays, university placements).

Lady,

before MM or Abelard "klopt mij in de race" (beat me in the race? Dirk, it can be that it is Southern Dutch dialect)...

"les ponts" Lady, "the bridges", "les toits": "the roofs"
It is easy for me because I am grown up with the chanson, it is nearly engraved in my mind.


And I bet that even an Abelard don't know who wrote the lyrics.
http://www.paris-a-nu.fr/sous-les-ponts-de-paris-par-georgel/

I found it after a lot of search in the mighty google, while I after all those years had mostly the music in the memory and as I now see it a poetic nearly "socialist" chanson. Words from 1913 by georgel
https://www.paroles-musique.com/eng/Andre_Claveau-Sous_Les_Ponts_De_Paris-lyrics,p119976

Kind regards from Paul.

Addendum about George Job
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgel

Kind regards from Paul.

Good find, Temp,

I said it already to LiR whne we spoke about the stupid Trump balloon. Cartoons that is the stuff that hurts and say in one picture nearly as much of a whole "essay" and en plus it speaks to the imagination and reachs more people. Today a cartoon in our daily: freedom of speech for Russia with the freed journalist and firing of a journalist in the US for saying something that not pleased to the government. Our future of the far-right Europe? I need a cartoonist...something of a Roman Emperor with the head of the right-wing Italian, you know who...

Kind regards from Paul.

Larry only goes in when he comes out. What on earth will happen next week?

I hope our Chief of Mousers doesn't run away - or, worse, finds himself  "moved to a nice home in the country" - Humphrey's fate when that Blair woman got the run of Number 10.

"Moved to the country"  is a very disturbing euphemism: as we all know, Richard III used it when his nephews disappeared.

There will be national disobedience and insurrection if a whisker of Larry's is harmed.

Hatshepsut wrote:

There will be national disobedience and insurrection if a whisker of Larry's is harmed.

Indeed, Hatshepsut, and Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson's extremely scary adviser, is well aware of the fact. His red wheelie suitcase contains a well-thumbed copy of 
Machiavellli's The Prince: he has briefed the Prime Minister on the vital importance of Chapter XIV: A Prince's Duty Concerning Feline Matters.

Cummings understands that Larry has become rather like the ravens in the Tower: England is safe while they - and Larry the Cat, Esq. - remain inviolate.


PS I hate to admit it, but I must say that I do admire a man who can turn up for important government meetings with all his stuff in a ittle red wheelie suitcase. For better or worse, we are now governed by eccentrics. "Mad, bad and brilliant" - God help us. 





The most dangerous man in Britain?

is he gripping a bottle of Tanqueray? 

Green glass with a silver top. 

I know these things.

I think it's a bottle of that posh italian water. There'll be none of that after October 31st - he'll have to drink tap water like the rest of us.



Back to serious matters. Larry is much loved, admired and respected in foreign parts: Brazil is his latest conquest. Our lad has had a video made about him:

Larry, o caçador de ratos

It's worth watching, even if you don't speak Portuguese. The best bit is the evil villain music when Palmerston appears.

that's a superb little film. Love it.

Some dreadful American journalist is making a complete fool out of our Larry. Can't but think this is a metaphor for our times. But I'm not sure who's the mouse and who's the cat any more...


https://twitter.com/i/status/1166974910520090624

This is my little cat (two fat ones outdoors in the sun).

When I became ill, and our daily lives and timetables disrupted, little cat Gemma became anxious. We think she picked up on our distress; we have spoken to three vets about this, and apparently it's quite common.She started to 'overgroom' her belly, and now it's bald along with the tops of her thighs.

Temperance wrote:

Some dreadful American journalist is making a complete fool out of our Larry. Can't but think this is a metaphor for our times. But I'm not sure who's the mouse and who's the cat any more...


https://twitter.com/i/status/1166974910520090624

Sorry Hatsheput to come with this mondaine news in the middle of your trouble, but as I expected something from Temperance and don' see anything (perhaps she is a Larry only fan) I risk to start this new episode in Larry's life...
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/downing-street-dog-boris-johnsons-new-rescue-puppy-arrives-at-number-10-a4226946.html





 
Is this an at random family event or just "politics" again? Or am I with my "dirty" mind, seeing too much in it?

Kind regards from Paul.

Pretty cat, Hatshepsut.

On another thread Gilgamesh had mentioned that humour doesn't always age well.  Radio4 Extra broadcast versions of Marx Brothers scripts some years ago but with different actors.  For me at least they had aged well enough.  But in case you are wondering why I am on the moggy thread, I still find this clip of "Kitten Kong" from the Goodies in the early 1970s funny, even though the scale miniature scale models for the special effects are old hat compared to modern computer generated graphics.  

I am worried about Palmerston. The photographers who are camping out permanently in Downing Street say he has not been seen for ages. His (official) Twitter account mentioned ages ago that he was  looking forward to "going on his holidays", but in these dark political times that could be a euphemism for something dreadful.

Has Palmerston been purged?

Latest rumour about Larry is that he has been seen rubbing up against Cummings' leg: if true this could prove  - or may already have been proved - to be an unholy alliance. Poor Palmerston.

Temperance wrote:

I am worried about Palmerston. The photographers who are camping out permanently in Downing Street say he has not been seen for ages. His (official) Twitter account mentioned ages ago that he was  looking forward to "going on his holidays", but in these dark political times that could be a euphemism for something dreadful.

Has Palmerston been purged?

Latest rumour about Larry is that he has been seen rubbing up against Cummings' leg: if true this could prove  - or may already have been proved - to be an unholy alliance. Poor Palmerston.

Dear Temperance,

Palmerston for God's sake???
https://www.historyextra.com/period/victorian/lord-palmerston-politician-queen-victoria-prime-minister-peoples-champion/

Sweet sister, you are perhaps worser than Gil . You both ask too much from a Belgian Continental...and will that now worsen with that border in the Channel..? 

I try to solve the enigma...is it a portrait of Palmerston that is removed...from where?...OOPS...Downing street...perhaps a statue???
That of Dominic Cummings I understand...

Kind regards from Paul.

PS: As a fan of you I hope that you don't think that I am denigrating your humour appraoch...on the contrary...just that I don't understand it all...
PPS: As I also mentioned Gil and his enigmas, I say again: Kind regards to both of you from Paul.

With regard to what Hatshepsut said about her cat over grooming.  Not the same thing exactly but my cat had to be shaven on her right side and her underbelly so that an ultrascan could be done.  Her fur is growing back but it's still shorter than her other fur in that location.

Your post above has shocked me, Paul, in that it reveals that you have obviously not been giving the messages on this thread the serious study they deserve. You have clearly been wasting your time researching and discussing frivolous topics such as Charlemagne, Greek architecture and the political structure of the Roman state, rather than concentrating on our analysis here of the doings of Larry and Palmerston.

When we mention Palmerston on the Moggy thread, we are not referring to some old Victorian geezer, but to the Chief Mouser at the Foreign Office - the young feline who has become Larry Number 10 Cat's mortal foe. Larry has emerged the victor in recent months (see images on the link below and note that Res Historica Moggy Thread 3 is mentioned beneath one), and some sort of modus vivendi has been established between the two warring mousers, but, with the recent change of leadership (using the word leadership loosely) in government, anything could happen. Palmerston has not been seen since the beginning of the summer holidays at Westminster, and it seems that Larry is now listening to "advisers" who do not have his best interests at heart. Who is manipulating whom is not clear at the present time. 

Please pay more attention in future to this important thread.


Larry and Palmerston



PS Before you ask, Palmerston is the black and white one - he is the more handsome and photogenic of the two.



PPS LiR Hope Pebbles is OK. Fur growing back is a good sign.

I hope Palmerston is okay, Temperance.

Dear Temperance, thank you very much for the enlightenment about my acute?, pressing? (prangend)
problem.

I can only reply, as it is seemingly the custom now, with  .

PS: But I stick still to the: " " as it seems to be the "real" written English (up to now).
PPS: With all my failures, there was nevertheless something positive in my research, as I learned again! something new about British history...

Kind regards from Paul.

David Cameron has offended the highest in the land - Her Majesty the Queen and Larry Number 10 Cat - with his careless remarks this week, remarks about the Queen's attitude to Scotland and about Larry's size.

An "amount of displeasure" has been reported  both at the Palace and in Downing Street: Larry was understandably incensed to learn that his former butler had referred to him as "that chunky tabby". As our favourite political animal himself has tweeted: "That's pretty rich coming from a flabby Tory."


PS Did anyone else see that disapproving Scottish politician yesterday on BBC News channel? He was commenting on how Cameron revealed that Her Majesty "purred" when she heard the results of the Scotttish referendum. The man's Scottish pronunciation of "purrrrrrrrrrrrrred" was wonderful. Wish I could find it on YouTube, but I can't. Where is Trike when you need him?

if Cameron thinks the cat got chunky he has only himself to blame. We were told that when he took over what with gold reserves sold off, pension funds raided and some generous spending there was nothing in the kitty.

Chapeau, Priscilla! 

Meanwhile I see that Larry - like the Prime Minister of Luxembourg - is quite prepared to turn his back on Alexander de Piffle-Paffle Johnson.

Someone should put Larry on that podium with Xavier Bettel:

A picture showing Larry in one of his more dignified poses, I mean, not looking as though he has just sprayed the Luxembourg chap. That would never do.

I have to take Pebbles (my cat) for a test at the vet on Thursday next.  One of her kidneys is enlarged so  they are doing something like a biopsy on it but not opening her up.  At times she can be off her food - though yesterday I managed to get her to lick some off a spoon.   Then at other times she's eaten okay if only in small amounts.  (I'm under vet's instructions to feed her little and often).

I don't know if this will work but a picture of Pebbles (well her head and shoulders) before she got sick (which seems to have happened quickly).  She was quite a big cat as you can see but has lost much weight.  Try and ignore the items awaiting ironing in the background.

The picture of my cat (a .jpg taken on the laptop) worked at first but when I logged in again after logging out it had shrunk.  I did a straightforward copy and paste.  Some time ago other Res Historians instructed me how to use a host for pictures so I'll have to try and find those instructions again.  Unfortunately any picture I had of the cat on my "old" mobile phone disappeared when that phone was either lost or stolen.  The phone I have at present is a very basic one [dates from 2006] and doesn't take photographs.

Deleted - tried to  post a picture of my cat again but it just shrinks (looks okay when freshly posted but doesn't last).

Deleted.

Sorry to hear that, LiR, but it's always the way. They worm their way into your heart, then they break it.

Oh don't they just, but they give a lot back too. 

Sorry to hear about your cat LiR, how old is she? I guess she'd be quite a good age as you've been mentioning her for many years now. But it's never easy when an animal is not well ... if only they could speak and say what's really wrong. Give her an extra cuddle from me, and from doggy-dog. He was brought up as a little puppy surrounded by cats - I sometimes think he still believes he's half cat himself - and he is still the first to notice and react if something is wrong with one of my cats or if one has gone missing.

Green George wrote:

Sorry to hear that, LiR, but it's always the way. They worm their way into your heart, then they break it.

Cats are just like men, in fact...

Bosworth has recently gone to the great Dreamies factory in the sky, LiR, so I really do sympathise.

Oh sorry, Temperance I didn't realise that about Bosworth so I'm sorry if I put my size 9s in it.  I seem to be doing that a lot on the board recently - putting my foot in it even if not deliberately.

Thank you so much for the kind words fellow Res Historians.

I don't have many photos of Pebbles so I'll take a few over the next few days. I have to monitor her over the next few days but if she doesn't pick up shortly the option the vet gave was the worst one and I can't bring myself to type it.

PS To cheer us up, perhaps you should post pics of the babies, MM????? Hope all is well with them?

Crossed posts - not at all, LiR - see PM I've just sent. Keep posting and keep making your points!!!!

Going mad with the punctuation - always a bad sign.

Ah ... sorry to be the harbinger of yet more bad news, but while Posca (my young female cat) chose a much better place this time, she was unfortunately thwarted by the weather. Shortly after she had given birth we had a very unseasonable cold snap with snow on the mountains (most unusual for August), then torrential rain and flooding. I found one kit, soaked and stone cold, well away from the nest ... the other I've never found at all. 

But on a brighter note ... I'd feared my old cat, Zwartje, who is now about 25 years old, had wandered off to die as I hadn't seen her for several days. But then the neighbours came round and asked for help moving a big marble table ... and while I was at their place (only about 100m away from me), who should I see but little Zwartje, now apparently regularly getting her meals with them. I'm pleased she's being looked after (and she's still welcome here too) but it's just what her mother did before she finally died. Her mother spent a month or so mostly around the neighbours' house, but then finally came back here, chez moi, in the last few days. So we'll see ... at the moment Zwartje seems in good form, but she is 25 years old, rather frail, and almost comletely deaf. I expect it will not be long now before the end, and, for all the distress and heart-ache, I would still like her to come back home to die.

And commisserations for Bosworth. I still don't know if that was really his name but it was nevertheless a very good on-line name, and as you said he was a good, stalwart cat. He'll certainly be remembered here.

Yes, MM, I remember Prudence, our/my first cat. She vanished for some time, only to return home to die. My first experience of a death - can't have been more than about 2 - 3 so best part of 70 years ago, and I'd forgotten till your story brought it back to mind.

Green George wrote:

Yes, MM, I remember Prudence, our/my first cat. She vanished for some time, only to return home to die. My first experience of a death - can't have been more than about 2 - 3 so best part of 70 years ago, and I'd forgotten till your story brought it back to mind.

Gil,

we had average some three cats in our home near Ostend and as our house was near a busy road, especially the tom cats were nearly each year dead under a lorry or a car, while they were perhaps always wandering searching a she-cat? (they translate "kattin" that way in English). The she-cats were cleverer and could hold years near the road. Allthough if the she-cat was "loops" (they translate "in heat") she too wasn't also always responsible for her deeds. (we called it the "katterol")
So one became perhaps hardened by all that. But when after some 16 years my she-cat, that survived all those years was flattened on the road, I had also a difficult moment.

Kind regards from Paul.

Paul :
Not a cat, but a drake. Donald, our Aylesbury drake, died earlier this year aged 15. He'd been blind and a bit lame for some time, but considering we bought him at a livestock market, with Daisy the duck, as Christmas dinner 14 years ago, that wasn't bad. Still feel a pang at not letting him out onto the lawn every morning. (Daisy died a few years ago - we presume the strain of laying eggs for years told on her)

Was your family cat, Prudence, called after the Prudence kitten children's programme from back in the day, Gilgamesh? I remember Prudence and her sister, Primrose and Nelson the sea-cat (Primrose's husband).  There was Princess Tai-Lu in the programme "Whirligig".  And Snowy the kitten in the interlude they used to have on BBC in the 1950s. My first cat was Mitten (after Mitten the kitten, the kitten with a mitten, I'm Mitten the kitten yo-ho).   He came to grief on the road though my Mum thought somebody might have put down poisonous food because there wasn't a mark on him (he was somewhat amorous though I didn't realise it as a child).

These fictional kitties gave way to Top Cat when I was in my teens.  In the cartoons I always empathised more with Tom than Jerry and with Jinks rather than Pixie and Dixie.

Not a cat, or even a duck, but a wasp.

I and a member of that species have been living in peaceful cohabitation for about 5 months since he (I am assuming "he" on the basis that I spotted no obvious crown, ermine trimmings or tiara in evidence) meandered in through an open french-balcony door back in early May. Despite having open egress possibilities available to him pretty much 24/7 for four of these months my little pal seemed happy to spend his days flitting occasionally between some rotten jam provided for him by yours truly and the glass pane situated right next to the vast expanse of open window available to him, which very occasionally he head-butted, but I think just to show me that he was at least making token attempts to flee.

We came to an understanding very quickly about nocturnal flitting, and also where to hide when guests were present, and as long as the jam was there we also seemed to have established a very robust non-aggression pact that both sides honoured with diligence and consistency. His assigned role of guardian of the premises while I was out, even during a prolonged foreign holiday, he assumed and performed with what I can only describe as hymenopteric dedication to the role, and though his habit of insisting on watching TV at very close range could be irksome at times I put this down to the difficulty of obtaining spectacles for compound eyes containing thousands of independent focal facilities working independently, or at least ones at a reasonable price from Specsavers.

About a week ago as Autumn finally descended and I first had to actually close all my windows did I notice also that I hadn't actually seen my striated friend in a day or two, and it was a very poignant moment when I finally located him, more carapice than cadaver, curled up in peaceful repose behind the curtain, having presumably made one last venture to the pane to wish his fellow Vespula Germanicæ farewell and shuffle off this mortal comb.

I am not sure how old he was when he first came to jam with me, but based on how long he survived as a housemate I have certainly had my previous assumptions regarding Apocritical life-spans well and truly adjusted after the experience.

Of course it could always have been a few hundred little stripey beggars working in sneaky shifts, but I am prepared to be content with my more generous attribution of absolute gentlewasplike civility to a little Alloa Athletic pal.

Unusual for a wasp to do that, I think. Young queens are prone to sojourn indoors in the winter, of course, but they haven't yet (round here) moved into winter quarters.

Prudence was indeed named from Annette Mills' puppet. Her sucessor was called "Benjamin" because she arrived in a box with that written on it. Despite our hopes that it would fool the toms, she proved a remarkably fecund queen.

I knew the Muffin the Mule puppet from 1950s children's TV belonged to Annette Mills (sister of actor John Mills, aunt of Hayley and Juliet).  I didn't realise she did Prudence Kitten as well.  One cinema has closed recently in my town (because of the opening of the multiplex Odeon recently I think).  One of the town's other monoscreens has been a bingo hall for many years and another has been a Wetherspoon's pub for less years but I think for more than 10 years now.

It looks like my kitty has gone.