h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi all you who, for some reason, read my journal.

I need people. Normal people. Not geeky sad science-types who think about random useless unapplicable nonsense all day. I need lay-people who are productive members of society who know not that much about biology.

Why? I need to know if an entry I wrote on aging, which is in PR right now, makes any sense to you. Those who have commented so far seem to have a science background. I seem to attract other geeks. Which is quite a nice cosy feeling actually.

So then, if you're up for it (it's very interesting, honestly) then go here for the entry: A2449307

And the Peer Review thread starts here: F48874?thread=398269&skip=0&show=20

Thanks!

Ste

Thanks to all those who read and commented on my entry. It's much appreciated

Ste

I did read the entry and thought is was quite fine!

Didn't comment though cos I couldn't think of anything 'intelligent' to say . . . hey ho.

How are the kittens?

az

Cool! Thanks

They are little terrorists who wake us up at 6am every morning demanding food. I love 'em to bits though. They are so damn funny, they are up to mischeif all the time and it's so entertaining. They are also really affectionate. Henry just loves to lay in your arms and lick your nose. They are the most beautiful animals I have ever seen, too. I hope they stay this small and cute

Ste

Nah, they get bigger and fatter. And cuteness turns into peculiar neurotic behaviour. And yet they still remain adorably lovable somehow. Trade off from cuteness is not having curtains ripped to shreds. And also once the are big and set in their ways and you try to remember how bouncy and sweet they were as kittens, it ends up not even mattering anymore because you have all grown up together.

Dat's life!

az

Victoria will remain slim and stunningly beautiful, she's a supermodel cat. Henry will be fat and clumsy, he already is getting there. I love watching them grow up and learn stuff, it's so much fun. They are good with furniture and curtains. Our problem is toilet training (note: not litter box training, but toilet training). Henry has got it down, he actually likes to pee and poo in the loo water, but Victoria can pee in places where you don't want cat pee.

But still,

Ste

no litter box????



az

Nope. Henry LOVES using the toilet. His favourite bit is when we flush it. He stares intently at the water going down and then when it's all over he meows at us to make it flush again.

We started with a litter box. Then, we put a steel bowl in the toilet bowl and filled it with litter. The trick is to position their feet on the edge of the toilet seat so the squat over the edge to get them used to the position they need to take. We then slowly reduced the level of the litter and eventually replaced it with toilet paper. Now we're at the stage where we have to catch them peeing or pooing so we can take the bowl away and encourage them to use the loo without anything. This is what Victoria doesn't like, the little princess. Henry is way into it.



Ste

I have never heard of that before! How amazing!

Well, it's far too late to try and toilet train my old geezer cats. But when I first brought Azar in from the street (he was five months old at the time - it's his birthday next week, he'll be 9!) he immediately knew to use the litter box even though he had always been a street cat. No training required. Which I thought was also quite amazing.

I remember you saying before that you had always been a dog person and now you sound totally in love with your cats! I don't know what I would do without mine.

az

Yeah, you can get cats to do all sorts. You just have to outsmart them, which can be very difficult.

I think they use litter because they really like it. We held the right paw of our kittens and made them scratch at the litter. That's all that was needed to get them using the tray. Whenever the litter box was dirty, they used to meow at us. I know the exact meow Henry uses that says "can you clean the litterbox/bowl in the toilet, I need to use it". He's very very vocal, and we're starting to understand what each meow means, he has a lot of them. I never knew cats were so expressive and communicative.

I am still a dog person, but I'm also an animal person. I'm so glad my research is on plants. No dissecting or harming animals. I do totally love our kittens, you can't help it.

Ste