CATS HAVE PROBLEMS TOO! with Dr Basil ~ Featuring Today's Despurrate Dilemma **HELP! MY CAT WON'T STOP STEALING MY SOCKS!!!**

 Welcome to 

Happy Monday, furry floofers

Welcome to Cats Have Purroblems Too, where I give epically epic advice to cats and cat pawrents with despurrate dilemmas too great for them to solve alone. 

Also, mew may be pondering on what my professional credentials are, so purrlease purruse the list below:

Ph.D. in Kitty Psychology & Psychiatry

BSc (Hons) Headology  

Psy.D. Furry Logic

 MS. Fuzzy Logic

MA. Common Sense

My other Professional Credits include:

NOM Master
Snoozy Savant
Purr Master

AdvoCat of T.L. Treatment
Touchy Feely Therapy or T.F.T
Purrfume Aroma Treatment or P.A.T.

I can help mew to solve all your Pet Peeves, Purrsonal Problems and Despurrate Dilemmas, no matter how great or small they may be.

Plus, I only use the very latest techniques, some of which I have developed myself over my long and esteemed career, which include:

 Purr Therapy ~ For Uptight and Particularly Stressed Kitties 

Nom Zen ~The Art of Nomming in Total Tranquility 

ZZZ's Snooze Sensation ~ Including Mewsical CatNap Sessions tailored to your purrsonal requirements

YogiCat Meditation ~ Stretches and Breathing Techniques for the Severely Stressed & Overworked

Intense CatNip Therapy ~ This treatment speaks for itself (I find it very beneficial)

I am also an AdvoCat of Tough Love coupled with a healthy dose of common kitty sense

Purrfume Aroma Treatment ~ A Sensory Smelling Session S.S.S. to calm and soothe with highly aromatic blends of specially selected scents

To help mew release all your stresses and worries just drop by my clinic held here or, alternatively email me your purroblem, and I'll answer here. If mew require to remain anonymous or anon, purrlease include that in your email. 

Mew can contact me directly at the following address:

DearDrBasil (at) gmail (dot) com

So come and sit on my supurr comfy couch, reee-lax, breathe deeply and tell me of your troubles, as I'm ready, willing and able to help.

This is one of my cases via email:

HELP! MY CAT WON'T STOP STEALING MY SOCKS!!!

Dear Dr Basil, I find myself in a rather dire predicament with my beloved feline, Mr Whiskers. You see, he has developed a penchant for stealing my socks. Not just any socks, mind you, but the ones that I rely on for my daily endeavours—especially the mismatched ones that bring me joy! To make matters worse, I recently discovered the shocking revelation that he has started a "Sock Hoard" in a secret nook behind the couch. I fear I might have inadvertently stumbled into a feline society where sock theft is a noble pursuit! Now, I’m torn: should I attempt to negotiate a peace treaty with Mr Whiskers, offering him catnip in exchange for the return of my socks, or should I join forces with him and start a sock fashion line exclusively for cats? Help! What’s the best course of action for me—and to ensure the safety of my remaining sock collection?

Sincerely,

Sockless and Stressed, aka Mr Whiskers Mom, Cynthia

This is my Expert Reply

Dear Sockless and Stressed, Ah, the age-old battle of humans versus their furry overlords! Mr Whiskers has clearly declared war on your sock drawer, and it’s time to approach this situation with both diplomacy and a sprinkle of humour. **Step 1: Understand His Motivation** First, mew must appreciate that Mr Whiskers is not merely a thief; he is an artist in the realm of sock craftsmanship. He sees your socks as not just footwear but as important artefacts in his daily kingdom. Take a moment to analyze the designs he prefers—perhaps they resonate with his uniquely impeccable taste! **Step 2: Host a Sock Summit** Consider organizing a "Sock Summit"—a playful negotiation session. Lay out a selection of his favourite socks (mismatched and otherwise) and your catnip offerings. Engage him with a mix of treats and, perhaps, a cat toy that he loves. Present these as peace offerings to show mew respect his sock-stealing enterprise. **Step 3: Create a Sock Decoy** Once trust is established, introduce a "decoy sock" for him. One that is specifically designed for his enjoyment—maybe one stuffed with catnip or with jingles inside. This way, he can still indulge his love for socks without pillaging your collection. **Step 4: Set Boundaries with Humour** Humour can be a powerful tool. Create a funny "Sock Code of Conduct" that outlines the terms of your treaty. For example, “All mismatched socks belong to Mr Whiskers, but the cozy winter ones remain off-limits.” Deliver this decree in a fun tone, perhaps while sporting a particularly comical sock ensemble yourself, and do offer copious amounts of primo catnip during this parle! By approaching the situation with creativity and a touch of humour, mew might just find that mew and Mr Whiskers can coexist in a harmonious sock-sharing arrangement. Remember, a happy cat = a happy home!

Yours most sincerely

Dr Basil

@ The Cats have Purroblems Too Clinic T.M.

Today's Top Tip is:

~ Sharing is Caring ~ 

If mew can relate to Cynthia's problem or feel that mew need any assistance, purrlease leave a comment to: Dear Dr Basil with your dilemma or email me directly, and I'll get back to mew.

Thank mew all for joining me today at The Cats have Purroblems Too Clinic, and I'll be back soon with another open clinic and a brand new case study.

Until then, Keep Calm and Purr on

Dr Basil

Ph.D. ~ BSc. (Hons) ~ Psy.D. ~ M.S. ~ M.A. 

'The Paw Print Seal of Approval'

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Pandora's Supurr Cute Outdoor Selfie on The Sunday Selfies Blog Hop & Caturday Art Hop

Supurr Sunday greetings furiends

Welcome to another BBHQ selfie selection.

Today, Pandora is sharing an adorable selfie when she was under the gazebo the other day, and even though it was rather chilly outside, she said, and I quote, "I've got the best fur coat ever!" MOL Well, mew can't argue with that, can mew? 

Pandora's Supurr Cute Outdoor Selfie  

Pandora loves being outside, and here's a little bit of gossip mew may not know, her nickname is Dora the Splora! MOL

We're also joining Athena's Fabulous Art Hop so do stop by and show off your pawesome arty-farty skills.

We love the new GFX filters; they keep adding new ones, so this week, we tried one, and we think it's purrfect!

The effect was created with Befunky - AI Enhancer + Polyart GFX.

 

We also turned this fab arty-farty picture into a puzzle, so do stop by the puzzle page and take the Puzzle Challenge, see if mew can beat our time of 7 mins 22 secs. 

Anyhoo, it's time for us to go on a quick pawtrol around the garden, as it's still pretty cold at BBHQ. Lunch will be served at 1.30pm sharp. Smooch is very particular about his timekeeping, and this week, he says the roast chicken will be epic, so we are really looking forward to that.

Later today, the P.A. said she might get a jigsaw puzzle out, and mew don't know how excited we are about that. What's better than batting the little misshaped pieces off the table? It's the best fun ever! MOL

We hope you have an epic day, and we look forward to your company tomorrow when we're back with another couch session with Dear Dr Basil, offering some sage advice on this week's Despurrate Dilemma! 

In the meantime...

Wing Commander Basil & The B Team

Don't forget to join in the pawesome Sunday Selfies Blog Hop with

 Angel Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Angel Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo, Cooper Murphy and Sawyer ~ visit them at their pawesome blog:

www.thecatonmyhead.com

Link up coming later...

Don't furget to subscribe to our blog and never miss another post. 

Graphics created with paid licence @www.canva.com or www.befunky.com

**THE BBHQ MIDWEEK NEWS ROUND-UP** **U.F.O. U.A.P. SIGHTING AT MEWTON-CLAWSON ~ FOR REAL!!!** Parsley on U.F.O. U.A.P. Watch, What The Fluff, Fudge? Smooch Ruins Fudge's Vibe, and Melvyn's Modelling This Weeks Top Pick Bandana

Pawesome Greetings Furbulous Furiends

Welcome to the BBHQ midweek news round-up!

Well, it's been really cold and supurr frosty for days, and the poor plants have been like this!

Luckily, today, Monday, the frost has fluffed right off, and the pond is thawing out, as the P.A. has been melting a patch of the ice every day for any frogs that may still be in there.

Anyhoo, we know that mew really want to know about the U.F.O. or U.A.P. (Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon). To be honest, I really don't like the U.A.P. tag. I like the good old U, fluffing F, O, name, but obviously, somepawdy needed to fix what wasn't broken. 

So what was this 'close encounter?' mew ask. 

Guys mew know weird stuff happens here a lot, and it's not like we're actively seeking these 'experiences', in fact, The B Team and I have decided that the P.A. is some sort of Strange and Unexplained Phenomenon Magnet, aka S.U.P.M. - yep she is.

So over Catmas, much of the U.K. was blanketed in fog for days on end, including BBHQ, which was thick enough and low enough not to see any sky. 

Anyhoo, I have to digress for a moment to explain why the P.A. is outside in freezing cold weather at all hours. She is at that age where she literally combusts with heat several times a day/night, and therefore, she goes outside under the gazebo to cool off. In fact, she did say the other day that she's sick of being so HOT it's no fun whatsoever! MOL

Oh, and this experience/encounter was not a hotness-induced hallucination, just in case mew’re wondering.

Back to the story, the fog was really low, visibility was not great, and usually, Mewton-Clawson is a pretty quiet place, especially after dark when it's cold. Therefore, there is no noise at all. Mew may hear the odd train trundle by in the distance and a car or two along Main Street, but generally, mew can hear a pin drop.

While outside on an extensive cooling mission, she noticed that a lot of the neighbourhood dogs were barking, as it was so still she could hear them yapping away all over the place, which she thought was quite odd, but then she heard something else.

Now, it's really difficult to describe the exact sound, but at first, she thought there was a drone flying really low and zipping above the garden and surrounding area, but it wasn't the buzzy sound a drone makes. It was a high-pitched spinning, whirring sound at speed. She can only liken it to a special effects sound used in sci-fi movies for spacecraft or the like. 

So she's sitting there, listening intently as the 'thing' swoops down over the garden several times and circles around the village. The dogs are going off their chops, and she opens the patio doors and asks Cat Dad to come and listen. He did, plus he looked everywhere and couldn't see a thing, but he heard it and said. "That's no drone, and anyway, what kind of numpty would be flying one in the dark, in the fog, and it's freezing out here?" 

Good point!

For the next few days, while the fog was still present, the same noise was zipping around at all hours through the night. The dogs were still barking intermittently, yet there was still no visual of the 'thing'.

When the fog finally left, there were no more strange noises until Sunday morning. 

Caturday evening, the P.A. heard the sheep bleating a couple of fields away, and given that these sheep don't usually bleat at night, her S.U.P.M. radar pinged onto high alert.

But it wasn't until 6.30am on Sunday morning that she heard the whirring sound again. It was a clear sky, still pitch black but clear, and she could hear the noise in the direction of the field where the sheep were.

So she wandered onto the back patio to stare at the sky but still couldn't see anything, and then she thought, 'Oh, I'll get my phone and check if I can see anything through the camera app!' Out comes the phone, and she's scanning the sky, but still, there's no visual, and the whirring sound is still down the field. 

And then, she had the idea to take a photo while standing under the gazebo. But as she was taking the picture, Melvyn, who was watching from the patio doors, started clawing at the glass and going, for want of a better word, berserk, like he was screaming at her to come inside. Which she did after snapping a picture of what she thought was an empty sky.

Take a look at this. No, it's not photoshopped. It would be impossible for a light refraction to look like that. This is very real.

Mew can see the tiny blue light just to the right of the middle upright on the gazebo.

Anyhoo, the P.A. looked at the picture after taking it but couldn't see anything apart from a blue dot, which she thought was possibly some sort of light refraction.

It wasn't until she'd gone back inside, made a cup of coffee and decided to zoom in on said light refraction that she saw this. And then wished she hadn't taken the photo AT ALL, LIKE EVER!

HOLY MUTHER OF COD, WHAT THE FLUFFING FLUFF IS IT?

If mew are seeing what we are seeing, then that is NOT A DRONE of the like we are used to. And no, it's not a spider; if it was, it would make Shelob look like a tiny house spider.

Plus, it's about 100 yards away down the field. It must have been quite big, but there were no visible lights on it that could be seen by the naked eye. It is a disc-shaped craft with, I suppose, mew would call them, external fins, which we are guessing are placed curving around the main body from top centre to bottom centre.

And given its shape, that makes sense aerodynamically for the spinning whirring noise, well it does for us! MOL

So what is it? 

What the fluff is it doing in Mewton-Clawson? 

Should we be worried?

And

If it is extraterrestrial, why are they at BBHQ? 

Are they coming in peace, or is it a potential cat-napping job for experimentation/cloning? (As we are so fluffing epic! MOL)

Now, we did see many U.F.O. or U.A.P. sightings/encounters in New Jersey U.S.A. and other places around the world just before Catmas. 

Is this thing the same as what was appearing in other places? 

Because if so, HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!

Also, we hope no sheep have gone missing! 

Guys, what do mew think it is? Because right now, we think something seriously hinky is happening!

And on that note, let's look at this week's other headlines! MOL

First up in the news

 Parsley on U.F.O. U.A.P. Watch

After Melvyn had gone a bit wild at the patio doors, Parsley sat in the catservatory watching the skies. Just look at his eyes; they're like saucers! 

Next up in the news

 What The Fluff, Fudge? 

In completely unrelated U.F.O. or U.A.P. news, Fudge was amusing himself in the sitting room.

The game was, how many catnip kickers can mew fit on a cat?

Please don't try to say that fast three times! MOL

In other news...

Smooch Ruins Fudge's Vibe

Fudge was having a grand old time until Smooch appeared and said, "Dude, what the fluff are mew doing?"

Then he added, "Seriously dude, do mew need some help, like of a special variety? I can make a call for mew!"

This did not go down well with Fudge, whose catnip kicker challenge was ruined in less time than it took to say, 'Fluff me, there's an alien invasion in the garden!' 

And he promptly stormed off in a huff! Oh dear! MOL

Finally this week

Melvyn's Modelling The Top Bandana Pick

Last week mew voted for the Smart Cats bandana.

There's chaos on the BBHQ catwalk this week, as Cat Dad had just unboxed Melvyn's new toy! MOL

So everything went to fluff in a knitting basket, Fudge was being a trip hazard, W.D.G. ran off and all Melvyn wanted to do was chase the toy! MOL

Check out Melvyn's videos on your preferred social media channel:

TikTok

Instagram

YouTube

Which one is your favourite this week?

Which one should he model next?

Here's the bandana collection for January. 

The January Collection

In clockwise order:

1. Off To Space

2. Zero Fox Given

3. Smart Cats

4. Owl at The Moon

Tell us your top pick for next week in the comments!

That's us done for today, apart from being on U.F.O. U.A.P. Alert! MOL 

Amber will be back on Friday with another meowvellous book, and if mew missed any other posts, here are the links:

 Smooch's Selfie

Colouring with Cats

Amber's Latest Book Review

Check out the latest episodes of The Purrminator, we'll be back with Chapter Nine in Melvyn's epically epic origin story on Caturday:

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Wishing mew a furbulous day, and remember to always...

Wing Commander Basil & The B Team 

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