What does my cat do when I am not there?

[wolf63]

This is a question that has been posted in the Telegraph Vets problem page - do you agree with the findings?

Answer)) A recent study by a pet-food company investigated cats’ activities in detail. Fifty house cats were given collar cameras that took a photo every 15 minutes.

The cats spent six per cent of their time sleeping, and four per cent eating or looking at food. Most of their time (53 per cent) was spent looking out of windows and sitting around the house. They interacted with other pets for 12 per cent of the day, they climbed on furniture for eight per cent of their time, spent six per cent of their leisure looking at computers or televisions, and six per cent hiding under tables. They only played with toys for five per cent of their time.

You could easily replicate the study on your own cats by fitting them with collar-cams, available from www.mr-lee-catcam.de for about £40.

We could all take clips of "A day in the life of my Cat" and we would have a film that was part Blair Witch Project and Part Big Brother. A Hollywood blockbuster in the making.

http://www.telegraph....-when-Im-at-work.html

[bednobs]

i absolutely don't believe that cats spend only 6% of their time sleeping!

[NazNomad]

Check out any of the 'Simon's Cat' videos on YouTube, you'll see what they do.

[B00]

I've often wondered that about my dog.

There's only one day a week, when the poor thing is on her own all day and in my guilt I visualise her pining the day away. In reality sh'es probably zzing on the sofa in the duvet i've purposely left on there for her watching the TV, which yet again i've left on for her.

£40.00 eh? tempting to really find out!

[boxtops]

I spent last weekend in the company of my three cats, I would say that on average they slept for about 70% of the day - they lay on the sofas and sprawled about, we had to sit on the computer chair and the pouffé.

[bednobs]

since i have been on Maternity leave, i can tell you what dogs do all day. I get up and feed them in the morning, mr b takes them out. Then they come back and fall asleep for all of the day, sometime alternating between sofa, chair and cushion

[wolf63]

The first Simon's cat video was the best - the first time my last cat licked my eye lid to waken me up I nearly had a heart attack.

Frankie watches the pigeons on the flat roof at the back of the building, during the summer he spends hours on the high shelf in the bathroom watching them. During the window he watches them through the skylight/velux window but doing that takes him away from a radiator.

I don't know about the rest of you and your gods but my two do things incessantly for a week or so and then go on and do something else. Frankie re-discovered his catnip mice a few weeks back and has been throwing them around the house and even throwing them down the stairs.

They are strange, complex animals and very opinionated and headstrong.

I love dogs very much but they are very different to cats.

[Barmaid]

Judging by the pile of mud on my bed, the pile of puke on my step daughters bed, the food strewn across the kitchen and the bird feathers on the stairs I have a reasonable idea.

[NazNomad]

pmsl ^^^

[wolf63]

Yes BM but you have many suspects. And with your knowledge of the law you know it may be difficult to force a confession. You know it will be the "usual suspect" but can you prove it?

[B00]

Now im not one to cause trouble, but....Barmaid, is this your cat?

;-)

http://www.kittens-la...n/articles/img104.jpg

[NazNomad]

B00, this is BM's cat ... http://tinyurl.com/3gyg7p

[B00]

Heh!

[seadogg]

Tht'll teach her not to steal the vindaloo off the table.

[Barmaid]

^^^^ those are two of mine for sure.

Unfortunately, (and the FH does not get this), I can usually tell which cat has crapped or puked (viscosity, you understand), which cat has murdered (position of said feathers and carcasses) and which cat has opened the bloody rubbish bin and dragged the contents across the floor (now I just KNOW that is FatBoy). Unfortunately with 4 of the little barstewards there is always going to be something.

ASBO on the other hand does not puke or crap and does not raid the bins, he just brings the biggest animals he can through the flap. I just hope he doesn't develop a taste for chickens...............

[NazNomad]

lmfao @ feline-forensics ... if ever we needed a ''we're not worthy'' smiley.

[wolf63]

I can tell which two is using the litter tray. Merlin is a lady is quite quiet whilst she is using the facilities - dainty little wees and then she leaves.

Frankie either floods the tray with a gallon of wee or stinks it out with digested stinky cat food. The he digs and digs and digs, and after digging he has to clean his paws off every surface in the bathroom.

Merlin won't go into the bathroom/litter tray room when somebody is there - she sits outside and cries. If Frankie is in there watching birds from the window he has to leave so she can get in.

Frankie is a 'bloke' and regardless of who is in the room he will stomp in and do what he has to. A friend was in there recently and hadn't shut the door right - Frankie slams the door open and stomps in muttering to himself, he glared at my friend, used the litter tray and then left.

[rowanwitch]

I dread to think what Tinkerbella gets up to... but at least I only have one puss in the frame for furballs, regurgitated cat food, dead spiders, overturned vases, pawmarks on the windows, and scratches on the sofa..... And how does one cat fill a litter tray at least twice a day....

[wolf63]

Maybe Tinkerbella is inviting 'gentlemen' cats over when you are out during the day. :-)

I moved my bed recently and found a few piles of barfed up hairballs and cat food.

I am off back to reclaim the duvet - was wakened by things being turfed off a high ledge onto my head. I have 2 cats but only 1 suspect - and it is male.

[milly143]

On the weekends when I am home most of the day I know I will be able to find the cat in one of two places, either stuffing his face in the kitchen or in his bed, asleep. Every morning when I leave for work I shout goodbye to him in his bed and I would very much doubt he moves from there more than twice a day to eat again.

[pastafreak]

LOL.....they're having a laugh...a total of 10% of their time is spent sleeping and eating? nooooooo!
It Caspar even senses movement on my part,it is a signal that he NEEDS food-and he's there,shouting and trying to sound like the poor starved wee beastie that he isn't.
He spends his waking hour gazing out the window in the spare room....but I've moved the table that was his perch-so that may complicate things.
Maybe the cats in the study didn't sleep much because they had a camera stuck to their necks.......