By Ruth aka Kattaddorra
Reading another PoC article about cats and goldfish prompted me to look out some old photos of our cats Walter and Jozef with the 3 goldfish we had until a few years ago. Walter was a very hyperactive kitten and needed a lot of amusing. Jozef did his best to keep up with his fun and games but he needed a rest sometimes….
…So we bought 3 tiny goldfish and a tank and set it up thinking it would keep Walter occupied watching them and so it did! He called them Caeser, Hercules and Achilles, well we actually named them and he purred his approval.
He often sat with them and all the fish used to come to the side of the tank to say hello, not at all frightened as they knew they were safe the other side of the glass and with a lid on the tank and all.
It’s said that goldfish have very short memories but they did seem to recognise Walter yet didn’t bother greeting Jozef, although he wasn’t that interested in them, just in sitting on the tank. He’s never been keen on fishy food at all.
The goldfish grew and grew and soon we had to buy a bigger tank, then they grew some more. Caeser was almost as big as a kipper! We worried what to do if they grew even more, we supposed a covered pond in the garden would be the next step.
But sadly, Achilles and Hercules died within days of each other at around 8 years old, they hadn’t been ill, starved or overfed, or put into icy cold water when the tank was cleaned, we had no idea why they died.
We debated whether Caeser would be lonely but he solved the problem himself as one morning we found him upside down on the top of the water, he had died too. What went wrong we don’t know but we decided it wasn’t fair to have any more goldfish, they had no luck living with us.
The goldfish ‘Fred’ we had when we were kids, was stolen and eaten by the ginger cat down our street. I think we are better sticking with having cats only! So since then the only fish Walter has seen are the ones in butter sauce he has for a treat occasionally, Jozef isn’t keen on that either, he licks a bit of the sauce just to show willing lol
(I mean’t thanks for sharing Ruth by the way 🙂
Thanks for sharing 🙂 – and I see you got started with the logo Michael. I got you a small painting with lions as I said and a whole bunch of great photos of a 23 going on 24 year old restaurant cat. I’ll send you when I get home. Very sweet tabby.
I love this story. I leave my computer on with a video of an aquarium and the cats love to sit and watch it in bed with me. I made a video of them watching a bird video. Gigi tries to go around behind the screen to get them.
They also love the games designed for cats on my big touch screen phone so I have decided to go and buy a full sized pad of some kind. It’s going to be the most expensive cat toy yet but i know Gigi is going to be digging under that thing and thwapping at it trying to catch the mice and things in the various games. They seem to love it. We spend a good 45mins every evening in bed playing with the screen games together.
I get back home to my cats tomorrow and I am so excited. Early flight back. Can’t wait!
Molly doesn’t go for the screen so much. I guess in the same way the Jozef is less of a fishy kind of guy 🙂 – cat’s are all different aren’t they and I love that about them actually. You never know who is going to like what actually.
I might even get the Samsung pad (I don’t like apple except for laptops) this weekend even as a coming home treat. Its going to be fun 🙂
The tanks are warm too 😉 I have seen lots of cats on top of fish tanks. Perfect environment; warm with a spot of entertainment to hand when you want it.
Ours didn’t seem to mind the cats looking at them and sitting on their tank at all, they seemed very happy fish. It was sad when they died, we dug graves in the garden. Some people just put them down the toilet, that’s awful!
It’s a lot of work keeping the tank nice and clean, even with a filter in, but fish are lovely and relaxing to watch, it’s like watching a water ballet.
It was very committed of you to buy goldfish for Walter and Jozef. Goldfish in their tank, are a bit like a TV for cats. Apparently the oldest goldfish lived 43 years! However, I think you did well. 8 years is probably longer than most.
Do you think goldfish mind being looked at by a cat? I doubt it. I must admit I rather like the idea of an aquarium because they are good for people – relaxing – and good for cats – stimulating. Interesting that.
The trouble is I am not sure my fish would last 8 months never mind 8 years.