YOU SUCK: the venting thread

[Andre_P]

If we are talking about maladies of pussy cats, our MAN cat Custard * has had some kind of infection with his stomach, however he is now better and is still flopping over onto the carpet like a teenager.

* Full name is

Custard Cream O'Biscuit Barrel Alarm Code 1201

Custard Cream because these are my favourite biscuits

O'Biscuit Barrell because I wanted to get some reference to Python in there

Alarm Code 1201 for two good reasons,

1. to see if there is a Vet with the inner geek screaming to get out

2. Until after the event I thought the rf chip would store the entire name. The idea that Custard would apparently cause an Alarm Code to appear on some chip reader and thus cause some form of consternation. Sadly this will never be the case oh well, it amused me and he's my cat .

[riffraff]

Andre_P said:


If we are talking about maladies of pussy cats, our MAN cat Custard * has had some kind of infection with his stomach, however he is now better and is still flopping over onto the carpet like a teenager.

* Full name is

Custard Cream O'Biscuit Barrel Alarm Code 1201

Custard Cream because these are my favourite biscuits

O'Biscuit Barrell because I wanted to get some reference to Python in there

Alarm Code 1201 for two good reasons,

1. to see if there is a Vet with the inner geek screaming to get out

2. Until after the event I thought the rf chip would store the entire name. The idea that Custard would apparently cause an Alarm Code to appear on some chip reader and thus cause some form of consternation. Sadly this will never be the case oh well, it amused me and he's my cat .



You're an absolute b&$tard. "Alarm Code 1201" indeed. Before you'd ever hear about it, men in biohazard suits would be placing him in a barrel of liquid nitrogen and transporting his remains under military escort to the CDC.

[Andre_P]

Ah riFF raFF, this imminent departure of Custard to the US (will he get an orange suit as well ? ) was not thought of.

It's a reference to the Apollo Guidance Computer. The LEM AGC was quite happily landing the LEM on the surface to the moon even though it was being bombarded by rendevous radar data.

It was  beautiful piece of real time software running in the AGC, in fact it was effectively the first piece of real time software and the basic ideas formed back then I believe are still used to this day.

It just amused me to see if a Vet got the joke, ie STOP PRODDING ME !

[riffraff]

@ Andre_P

Now I remember. Yes. The Eagle has landed. I think my Vet would be one of the few who'd get it.

[liz]

The most sucky event of the last 24 hours (I say 24 so as not to include the Friday Night Trolls, three of whom needed banning this week) occurred last night. I was just cleaning up before going to bed, when there was a strange rustling sound in the kitchen, and Raffles (Mooncake's brother, who doesn't get to be the official Raspberry Pi Cat) started acting like a pointer dog.

There was a mouse behind the cooker.

My kitchen is scrupulously clean. But we do live in the countryside, and I assume it got in through the vent under the sink. I am not one to be freaked out by insects or animals, but I *did* find myself a little jumpy nonetheless - mouse! Kitchen! Humane traps have been purchased and baited with Nutella.

Our cats, sadly, couldn't catch a cold, and will have no luck with mice, which are fast and probably brighter than they are.

[spurious]

I have 3 cats, 2 of which catch mice... 1 of them likes to play with live catch and gets distracted easily.. so I get mice running around the house quite regularly. It can be quite disturbing catching something running in the corner of your eye.

[kme]

Your cats may be as useless as mine in hunting anything but the food bowl, but they'll get rid of your mouse anyway: Cats have an protein in their spit (getting distributed all over the fur when licking) that scares mice away. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10117428

PS: make sure to see the new "Puss in boots" if you are just slightly childish. Clearly made by cat owners.

[pauldow]

A couple years ago I ran network wires all through my house since when it was built 20 years ago I didn't know any better, and I put phone wire in for data (D'oh!)

Back to talking about meeses, I moved some insulation in the attic, and found a mouse skeleton. I guess that's better than finding mouse guts. I was amazed at how thin their bones are. Ribs aren't much thicker than hairs. That's why they can squeeze through a hole only a couple cm diameter.

I went back to plugging holes with expanding foam insulation, and putting steel wool in front.

[Jongoleur]

kme said:

PS: make sure to see the new "Puss in boots" if you are just slightly childish. Clearly made by cat owners.

You don't have to be "just slightly childish" to appreciate a well made animated feature.  Despite being a Disney imprint nowadays, Pixar do things well and their movies aren't always reflections of Disney morés though the corn syrup level does sometimes want to make you gag. (And that sucks if you're not expecting it!)

Anyhow, I'd dispute "Cat Owners", I'd say it was made by Cat People.....

[ukscone]

spurious said:


I have 3 cats, 2 of which catch mice... 1 of them likes to play with live catch and gets distracted easily.. so I get mice running around the house quite regularly. It can be quite disturbing catching something running in the corner of your eye.


Our previous cat (Tigger) not only played with them but gave them rides, protected them from us and gave them parts of his food so we had several mouse families staying with us. After he passed away and we got George (from a neighbour who had found him living on the street but couldn't keep him because his other cats used to beat him up and not allow him to eat) and within a week all the mice had packed their bags on moved on to friendlier environs. We haven't seen a mouse in 18 months and both George and Gizmo make regular patrols just to ensure no intruders.

[ukscone]

liz said:


Kitchen! Humane traps have been purchased and baited with Nutella.


Sods the humane traps I want blood and guts as revenge for them encroching on my living space. If I could get a shotgun license i'd be sitting in the kitchen with the light out ready to blast them al a jasper carrott and his moles.

[Luny]

Driving about suck these days.
We have a mini round-about, here, which is surrounded by buildings, so you have to approach with care and look for headlight shine at night. So there I was, slow approach, then well across the round about, when another car comes whizzing from the right hand exit (to my position), who did not even slow, probably doing 30 when they crossed the line, then flashes me as if I"m in the wrong.

I must admit it has been a little while since I have read the highway code, but the way I see it is you must slow down when approaching a junction and cars already on the round-about have priority.

Or is there some new rule where I must not cross the line and must wait until another car comes along and crosses first, how ever long it takes.

[Jongoleur]

liz said:

mouse! Kitchen! Humane traps have been purchased and baited with Nutella.


Aren't mice classed as "vermin"?

I do know that the problem with "humane" traps is that once caught, you STILL have to kill the piteously squeaking balls of fluff as AFAIK and IANAL, its illegal to release vermin into the countryside.  Thats certainly what we've been told with regard to grey squirrels and rats.

"Little Nippers" armed with bacon are the preferred lethal weapons.  Its quick and humane too. Disposal then boils down to holding the damn device at arms length over a tesco bag before lifting the arm to let the former mouse drop inro the bag.

I mean, imagine you were in a "humane" trap, watching the giants dithering between the lumphammer, the shovel or the brick.....

Or don't feed the carnivores so often.

[Andre_P]

@Luny I think the guy was an arse. In these situations I think of some former projects and exactly how much damage a 120W CO2 Laser can do

[Luny]

Here, here. I can't wait for the Apocalypse and we live like Mad Max. I'm going to mount a huge gun of the rear and get one of the kids to man it. he he.

Anyway thanks for the vote of confidence and that you agree.  I rode above it all though, as I didn't get nearly as mad as I use to. Why waste energy on such tossers. However the rant helped a lot.

[TheEponymousBob]

In our previous flat (and before Harvey came into our lives), I saw a mouse run across our living room floor late one night. Being without any made-for-purpose traps, and with shops being shut, I created a make-shift effort by propping a tupperware tub against the bookshelf it was hiding behind, with a square of tost in the far corner, and running a piece of string with a knot a the end from the tub to the settee where I was sitting. Ten minutes of sitting absolutely still saw the wee beastie poke its nose out, but still I waited. A short while later it ran all the way out, and I pulled the string, trapping it under the tub.

At that point, I realised that I had a mouse trapped under a tupperware tub, and no idea what to do with it. I decided that our baking sheet would slide under the tub, but not knowing how strong the wee bugger was, I left our iron on top of the tub while I left the room. Happily it was still there when I returned, and I was able to slide the tray underneath and transport the lot to our balcony, where I introduced our little visitor to the concept of gravity.

[Luny]

That reminds me of a sad story when we had mice.

One of them got cheeky one day and came out during the day, while I was lifting the carpet to work on some wiring. I cornered him but just could catch him so I let him go again. I finished my work and rolled the carpet back, then shuffled with my feet to even out the carpet. But I noticed a small lump and thought my speaker wire had got twisted underneath the underlay.  When I lifted it again, it was the mouse minus a brain. The poor thing had hidden in the rolled up carpet and got squashed when I shuffle along to flatten the carpet. Hopefully it was quick.

[scep]

There is no legal definition of 'vermin' under UK law. It is therefore not illegal to release mice or brown rats once caught (unlike, say, grey squirrlels or black rats which are alien species and can't be released).

However - the moment you have caught a mouse (or any animal) you are now bound by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which puts a duty of care on you for that animal's well-being (which includes checking the traps at least twice a day). And releasing it isn't necessarily the best thing for the animal (or other humans). UFAW say that releasing them is "often likely to be an unwise thing to do either because it is counterproductive to control and/or because it may have adverse welfare consequences for the animal."

Realistically, humanely killing pest rodents is the only opyion. Though if it happens to be a grey squirrel you get the benefit of a nice braise in cider

[scep]

Jongoleur said:

...AFAIK and IANAL, its illegal to release vermin into the countryside.  Thats certainly what we've been told with regard to grey squirrels and rats.
This is the case with grey squirrels and black rats because they are not native UK species.

[Jongoleur]

@scep:

Benefit of not being dogmatic on subjects I only have a passing knowledge of....  

Though I do know of someone who was tenderhearted towards mice,  caught them humanely and released them several miles away.  They were convinced that the mice got back home before them.....

Squirrel* hmmm I'd just decapitate them and bury them in a shallow grave. With a stake through the heart.  Murdering b£$@^"!s.  I wouldn't even give them the consolation that they'd been useful in the afterlife!

*Not RED squirrels, obviously.  Poor little Tufty!

[scep]

I only know the law because when I shoot stuff I don't want to get arrrested As for greys, you're missing out there: tasty, low fat, free meat. Nice.

[Jongoleur]

What really sucks (as far as my aged mother is concerned) is "quote" Bloody Tennis!  And thats verbatim.  She was all set up for an enjoyable afternoon watching the Figure Skating championship highlights on BBC2 and the Aussie Open final overran.

"Hours and bloody hours of it"......

[spamel]

Got to agree on the subject of squirrels: I like to see red squirrels, fat chance of that in most of England though and for that reason I despise the greys with a passion. I also shoot, haven't been out much lately, but hares, rabbits, rooks and tree rats are our prime targets.  The rabbit population has took a severe hit with mixy though, so they are off the menu, the rooks are only shot around April May as it is the "branchers" we are after, only a couple of hares a year to keep the population healthy so that leaves squirrels: any time, any place, any where! All of these animals are eaten, unless diseased. Squirrel gets cooked by my buddy in an oriental stylee, he is damned good at that sort of thing!

Sucky thing is the lack of shooting last year due to the mixy, which is a sucky manmade disease. Hopefully the numbers will come back up again as the fox population also suffers when the numbers are down.  I also miss seeing the three kestrels hunting for little critters on the farm.

[meltwater]

Only ever seen 1 hare in the wild, at least I know now who to blame.  I didn't think there were any significant numbers of them any-more.

This thread is about the only thread which doesn't feel like ground-hog day, thankfully.

[Jongoleur]

meltwater said:


This thread is about the only thread which doesn't feel like ground-hog day, thankfully.


Mainly because any groundhogs that pop up here get promptly shot!

Oh DAMN!  Thought it was a squirrel….

Edit:  Change of species for effect