A few words from Alan Francis

[Sputnik]

I am off to try this right now. I still have some good quality cat food that I bought for my skink, who is all sleepy now. My cats will get jealous but they can always lick the packet.

James, I have fallen in love again! This is Janosch, born on the 21st of November. He's the grandson of my lovely Milka. And as far as I know he has one little ginger brother who is still not promissed to anyone. They will be ready for their new homes around my birthday at the beginning of February!

[Sputnik]

I heard they have cats in England
I know for a fact they have 'em in Wales and Ireland
I mean I've seen them there

Are you being sarcastic or are you talking about the big cats that people spot ever so often? The escaped Panthers, etc? Apparently there is a large black specimen wandering round the outskirts of our town.

[drache]

I was being sarcastic - I doubt there's a place in the world without cats
but tell me more about the big cats - that sounds like a better story
I've lived somewhere once where there was a mountain lion you had to be careful of at night

oh and James
I think you absolutely should go for that ginger boy, if you can get your hands on him

[Sputnik]

Ah, phew, I would have been very surprised...


Well, people here occasionally see cats that are far too large to be domestic animals, especially in our local area. It's not always after having been to the pub. People, that is, not the cats, lol. A boy in my son's class saw one recently when he was out with his parents and a few days later it was spotted by other people. It is thought that they have either escaped from small private zoos, because people haven't been able to keep them properly or that they have been "abandoned" due to the dangerous animal act, which makes the keeping of dangerous animals far more complicated. (rightly so, of course!). As long as there are sheep and calves in the fields, these big cats can keep themselves alive in the wild, but tend to be shy or clever and keep out of humans' way the majority of the time.

BBC - Wiltshire - Moonraking - Big cats in Wiltshire

Weird Wiltshire - Big Cat Sightings

Off Duty Police Spot Big Cat (from Wiltshire Times)

www.ukbigcats.co.uk - The Definitive Guide To UK Big Cats

[drache]

cool
i had no idea
thanks

[CrazyHedgehog]

In the late 1960's the cool pet to have was a big cat, people kept them like... well like cats or dogs..! happily tamed (loosely speaking of course) and lounging on the sofa. When the wild animal act was brought in people unindated the zoos to give their pet a new home. but the zoos could only take so many.... so the alternative was to have your pet put to sleep by a vet. Many people could not do that and so gave the animal a fighting chance and turned it loose! so thinking about the amount that were actually set free.... is it any wonder we still have thriving cats here?

When a few breed too well, then there are more cats than the local land can support, its at times like these that they are seen out of hiding, one stalked my brother and his young son, My brother thought it was quite amusing until he realized the size of it!, picked my nephew up by the back of his shirt and ran as fast as he could back to the car.... My nephew remembers it as the day daddy showed him a big cat, then he suddenly flew through the woods!!!

Oh and that ginger kitten is just too damn cute!!!!!