Elderly cat breathing difficulties when purring

[MaxBaz]

Was rather rudely awaken by Edwina this morning at 5.03am making her "rooster" noise.

 

I tried a change of routine last night - instead of closing them in the roosting area of the cube at 9.00pm - I left it open so they could wander down whenever they liked in the morning.

 

I usually open up for them at 5.30am, and at that point bring the topped up Grub into the cube.

 

HOWEVER - this morning when they woke up (presumably at 5.02am) there wasn't any food - just grit and water - and Edwina was NOT happy.

 

My question is - is it OK to leave the Grub/food out in the cube overnight so I don't get this again tomorrow? I'd been following Forum advise and bringing it in each night presumably to a) stop mice eating it and b) stop it going sour in damp weather.

 

I usually top up the food anyway in the morning so overnight there isn't that much in the grub.

 

I feel SO sorry for my next door neighbour - their bedrooms are much nearer the Cube than mine are........

[Egluntyne]

I leave mine out.

 

Some would say not to because of rats, but I did have a spell of bringing it in....and we still had rats so on balance I'd rather risk it and have an extra hour in bed.

[WitchHazel]

Now the weather is warm I've been leaving my Cube door open (foxes can't get in, my Run is weldmesh and has a roof), and leaving the food out in the Run so the girls can help themselves when they get up.

 

Previously I would shut the pop hole at night, then bring the feeders into the house, puttin gthem back in the run just before I opened the pop hole in the morning.

 

They get up really early now and are very quiet compared to when they were shut in.

 

Not sure they are going to like the change back when the cold weather sets inl. Neither am I. DH is experimenting with an electric car aerial at the moment hoping to autoimate the opening of the pop hole.

[MaxBaz]

Thanks Witchazel - sounds like you and I had the same routine.

 

I think once the cold weather hits - the days will be shorter and they won't be so keen on getting up at 5.03am..........

 

Will leave the Grub in tonight and see if Edwina is happier.....

[Chickybaby]

I leave my food/water out all night plus now the weather is warmer I leave the eglu door open. Doesn't stop them waking me at 5am every morning though! I get up, let them out into the garden and go back to bed. This seems to be the routine every summer.....roll on winter so I can have a nice lay in! Trouble is my chickens are spoilt and I give in to their demands.......just can't resist their little faces begging to be let out.

[redfrock]

we have always left their food out, and have never had any problems, and to be honest they get through it so quickly that it doesn't have a chance to go off. When we had the eglus we left the doors ajar throughout the year so that they could push their way out when they were ready. Now we have the cubes we leave the doors open - we have noticed that with the 10 of them they keep each other warm and shift around - maybe as their bottoms get a bit chilly when they are near the door. When the clocks change again and we are getting up in the dark we shall start to shut the door overnight as we will be awake before they are. We also have a weld mesh run with roof so foxes getting into the run isn't an issue.

[Gallina]

I don't think letting the hens out without any food is an option.

 

Either keep them locked up until the food has been put out, or leave the door open and make food available.

 

But it is a good idea to bring the food in during the winter, because it is too cold to fiddle about outside, and it won't get so damp or attract slugs. The hens get up so late then that opening the door at the same time as putting out the food is easy.

 

(But if you have foxes about, as always I would say don't leave the door open.)

[chickencam]

We leave our Eglu door open except on the coldest winter nights and the food and water in the run. Our best layer Dippy the White Star gets up at about 4am has some food then goes to sleep in the run for a bit. I only know this because hubby tends to wake up at that time and watches her out of the window. I sleep on until 6.45am

[BarbaraJ]

i did get an idea the other day about food for chickens whose owners dont want food left out over night, use one of those timed cat/dog automatic feeders about £10 to open at whatever time your chickens let themselves out of eglu?

[Stevie]

I got up at 4.00am this morning to have a pee and when i looked out the bathroom window-there was Sage & Onion busy stuffing their faces with pellets! Im up at 5.30am,but talk about early risers!

[Gamebird]

I leave the food out and the ramp down so that when they get up at 4.30am they have something to keep them occupied. So far I have not had any vermin problems, the chickens are quiet and I get some extra sleep.

[MaxBaz]

It worked!!!

 

Left the food grub in the cube overnight and didn't hear a peep out of them - as soon as they saw me at 5.30am they started to call, but none of the crowing from yesterday morning!

 

I did note that my next door neighbours bedroom window was CLOSED though this morning...........