This is where our 15yr old cat Archimedes lives from 7am till about 5pm. She spends the evening in the house. Its an old cow bale and inside are logs and grass (imported!!of course) for her to scratch on... Australian animals have no defence against cats...they evolved without them and there is no natural predatir so the poor things breed like crazy in the wild...

Archimedes came to us in 1990 when Don used to answer the RSPCA phone... she lived with the girls when they first left home, then back here where dDon secretly paid the RSPCA $50 to take her (he hates cats)...and our girls went right round to the RSPCA and got her back minus the $50. So we reached a compromise... and she is the healthiest old cat I have ever seen. Needs no vaccinations because she doesn't mix with the hoi poloi of cat society.


I gave in some years back when I watched her run up a tree in front of me and pull down a baby bird...and we all chased her and got t back and she ran right back up that tree and brought down the other baby in the nest.

People who say their cats don't kill birds..HM She does and would still, and I recognise that. So the compromise was reached. I had trouble with it in the early days, but considering she is with me for over 12 hrs in the evening...sleeps with us we probably give her more attention than those who own cats and who see them for the few hours after work...

In other countries yes, perhaps but Australian wildlife is very vulnerable and although I would never admit it to Don, I am beginning to understand that he is right... Cats are lovely, but more lovely when they are not allowed to kill daily, not for hunger but because the poor bloody cats are subject to their own instinct. and have been bought to a country where cats really do do damage.

And knowing this I still love my cat, and my doggie... but I know what they are...cat and dog first, pets last!