I always thought squirrels were meant to hibernate in winter, but that was all a myth it seems. I know it to be true because Horrible Horace and his family seem to be at our feeding stations all the time. Today is no exception. There we were all thinking that the House of Fun was just for cats of an entire nature and in fact, as faith has been trying to tell us, it is in fact the very best place to watch squirrels, birds and pesky pigeons from. We are pleased as punch that squirrels don't hibernate now for seeing him and his jolly friends make us feel quite frisky. Especially when they are less than a sniffer away!

Gracie missed out terribly from our little adventure and no amount of coaxing or treats will make her set foot in the House of Fun. To her mind there is a big mean boy cat in there with a sock full of marbles and there is nothing that will change her mind. Nope. We even gave her squirrel cam and still she spat and hissed all the way back to the main house, dragging her newly washed tummy along the ground. Oh well, even more viewing space for us then. 

Faith couldn't wait to break into the second CatPod and as ManSlave went to take out rubbish, Faith hooked her claws into him for a free ride out. She screamed and screamed at the door until he relented and let her in. She squeaked with delight and padded all over the freshly washed bedding and rubbed herself along the windows in excitement. That drew Lillibet from her bed and off she went, following her Mother, the two of them in cahoots about which was the best view point. I, of course, only went out to make sure they were safe and found to my delight that J1 really had moved out and we had, to Faith's delight, moved in! Gracie might get over it eventually?

Either way, even if squirrels do not hibernate, I totally get the bigger dray thing now and feel quite happy about watching them play and thrash each other for our amusement. Now, who is watching who?  If only Squirrel was on the menu for Sunday Roasts!!

KS =^..^=

 

J1 has been undergoing some mighty harsh grooming sessions and I don't mean those with a brush. With the likes of the CatWomen at every opportunity it was really driving him crackers. He would be fine here for a few weeks and just when we thought all was OK and he was playing like a kitten again, whoosh. he would revert to Sock-n-Marbles tactics.  This was fine for Momma, she useto manage him with feather toys and fancy treats, but J1 and ManSlave had one too many altercations and the two of them would re-enact the wide eyed shuffle. Each not knowing what the other intended to do. Really, in both cases, it was pretty much nothing, but neither forgot the incident with the red rug. It was as ManSlave was saving his face from being shredded, he threw the rug over him and tussled J1 to the ground, leaving him to fight his way out whilst ManSlave beat a hasty retreat. From then on, the trust had gone and both were as terrified as each other. 

Momma would say "Soften your eyes to him, don't stare." but ManSlave was still wide eyed and never looked at J1 again.  J1 never softened his eyes either and kept them perfectly round and alert at all times too. 
"I am never softening my eyes" ManSlave would retort "He came this close to my nose." 
To be fair, I am with ManSlave on this one, I have seen and felt that sock full of marbles on me and I too walk around with eyes rounded and on guard. I still don't trust him even though the vet took his marbles away! But Momma thinks he is cute and loving? It's a girl thing obviously?

Well, Momma didn't even have to look for a home really. J1 had managed to make a very lovely couple very happy indeed. So they had to wait for hormones and things to settle before he could make the long journey to his new Bohemian home in Cardigan with lots of new hardened playmates. After all, he has been craving cat company for a long time, just not mine! He has lots of new friends and at first was a little daunted by all the new folks and felines but in true Devon fashion, he soon just hopped out of his carrier and met everyone and even a lovely dog too. I was the best thing for him and non too soon as that Gracie was starting to yell again and really upset all Momma's hard work. But looking at him in his new magenta abode I feel he will fit in exceptionally well as just like his new owners Greville & Stephanie being a little different is all it's about. Not conforming to society and being creative will suit everyone purrfectly.

KS =^..^=

Like butter wouldn't melt. Well I can tell you, it does melt. This lilac kitten of ours can demand melting butter at 10 paces. She can even make melted butter shudder and ripple and all with more than a look. It's all done with voice control. She can hit a pitch so loud and so ear piercing it sets the angels in heaven into a frenzy. I would like to say that she sings like an angel, but in reality, that angel might have spent the night with a packet of cigarettes and a bottle of scotch. It really is enough to hear her through walls and doors but Faith and I have the pleasure of sleeping with her and when I say sleep, I mean lay there with my paws stuffed in my ears.  Poor J1 though. He is getting mighty cheesed off with the whole singing thing. Just as his hormones settle, the CatWomen are off again. The sooner he collects $200 and passes go the better!

I am not sure if her voice has actually broken?  Faith can hit an all time low, but Gracie can go lower. Faith can hit an all time high, but Gracie tops that too. She really is the master of the voice and a demon vocalist. Just a real shame her pitch is way off and every rendition of God Save The Queen is a little heavy on the 'God' bit! Sometimes Momma takes the Lords name in vain which is a bit naughty because it's not Gods fault but still she shouts "God, shut up!" No wonder Gracie is confused about her name?

Momma has been having many baths recently. All due to this sore leggie she was left with from the surgery. It pains her so much that laying in the bath is a good way to relieve the soreness. It was meant to be a pain free experience until, enter Gracie stage left. "Send her victorious, happy and glorious...fa la la la." and on about gifts and pleased to paw? She never has quite mastered the words and so hums and little and then blasts out "Long may she reign."  Momma starts shouting at God again the acoustics are so good in there, Gracie starts on the bit about 'Sing with heart and voice'. It's all too much, the bath is ruined. Gracie rolls delighted on the bath mat, covered in soap suds that are meant to put a stop to such yawpings and all is forgiven with bursts of laughter and Gracie races to Momma and pushes her face into Momma's hands and purrs loudly humming the chorus...


KS =^..^=

Today it is my Birthday. I have all these things planned as I am 9 years old. Once a vet told Momma I wouldn't get past 5years old. But in a miracle of life, I struggled through and took my steroids like a good boy, but I was getting really thin and quite ill and my ticker became very poorly. That's when Momma met Simon at a Pet Show and asked him all about me. My treatment was the same for a little bit and we sort of had to start again whilst he got to know me. But then he prescribed my miracle drug 'Atopica'. The side effects can be pretty brutal, but I am now down to 2 drops every 4-5 days. This makes me so fit and healthy that i am a new me!

I have YAWPED all day and told everyone how lucky I am to be here and how I want a huge party with all my friends. I want pole dancing CatWomen and copious amounts of catnip and maybe a little Valerian thrown in. I have a restaurant booked and have ordered raw chicken wing tips. They are my favourite. Momma always makes a great fishcake with candles in and I can have the catflap open all night and have as many friends over. The only one who isn't invited is J1, I don't want any brawling.

I can party hard and will live it up for one night. ManSlave has organised a stripper for me. He is so cool. I wonder what fluffy babe is going to take her fur off for me?

KS =^..^=

It's a funny thing to think one minute you have visitors and the next they are not arriving. Unfortunately, GrandMewMew was poorly today, she couldn't make Sunday Roast Day. A real shame as Momma had prepared a gigantic free range chook and lathered it in PiriPiri sauce. Momma had intended to blow everyones ears out with the hot sauce, which would have helped GrandMewMew's sore lughole. In the event, Momma forgot all about the chilli in the whole thing, so thankfully, lunch was not ruined for our special guest. ManSlave was highly disappointed, it's one of his favourites!

I YAWPED all afternoon yesterday until Momma gave me the very small wingtips of the chook. Then I YAWPED all day today whilst it cooked. I didn't think it fair really, Momma cut off it's wings and running bits when she knew there wouldn't be so many for lunch, which in reality, I thought was highly unfair!  I figured we all might share in the wonderment of piripiri chicken without the piripiri? 

Well, actually, for a rare time, Faith, Gracie and I sat along side Momma at lunchtime and enjoyed the very inner part of the virgin breast. Quite a way to share among friends. Even J1 got in on the act. He enjoyed copious amounts of it too. He really loves chook as much as I do, but he doesn't need a pink tray afterwards. Whilst the CatWomen eat a good amount, really all I get is the odd bit of chook string thrown my way - it did end up being thrown too, I bit Momma by accident. I knew when I bit down it was attached as a swipe across my lughole confirmed I should let go!

I don't know about you GrandMewMew but my lughole is now ringing out the tune of "Sia - Swing from the chandelier." No, wait, I am laying on Momma's phone!

KS =^..^=

It's Gracie's first Spring. She was born in the Autumn and at the end of a not particularly warm Summer. She had seen the last of the 8Leggeds die off and not so many 'LaddyDonglegs' as it was so wet but Spring has brought with it a copious amount of creepy crawlies. It has also brought with it lots of warm Orb Shine. She is enjoying that very much and is very excited and a bit giddy about all the smells and new things to investigate. She moved in here at Maystar HQ in December, so it was all about Christmas and tinsel. Then Momma had her operation and it was all about snuggling in bed and playing Nurse Gracie, but now... now it' about collecting bugs and eating them.

Momma lets us out into the CatPod and in the early afternoon, if the Orb is shining, we can venture out into the communal area to enjoy the flowers and the water fountain and sit on the decking and sun ourselves.  Well, this is what I do. I know for a fact that over that 6ft fence there is a very painful World of black thorn and stingers. I once fell in when I was their age and boy did I suffer. I was stabbed and scratched and bumpy for days. I howled and howled for the Parentals to find me. It hurt so bad! It makes me wince even now to think of where that black thorn went. ::wincing::

But like CatWomen, they have to explore. Momma sits with the hose on jet stream and zaps any unsuspecting CatWoman that reaches more than half way. Faith is the fastest. She can launch a good three foot, then she is off, scaling the wire of the House of Fun and off along the roof.  She really is a Ninja. Lillibet is coerced into doing bad things. If Faith gets told off, she goes over to Lillibet, tells her what to do.  Momma gets up to take Lillibet down, for some reason, she never gets told off? Anyway, whilst Momma and Lillibet are busy, Faith makes a running leap at the three foot holding fence and makes her escape into the big wide world. She is speedy for a matron, but can't help going all silly and on her tippy toes when Momma says silly things to her about escaping. That's her downfall, it slows her down all that tail shuddering, tiptoeing and squeaking. 

Gracie thinks the gate and the wooden fence is a better bet. It's for running up whilst chasing bees.  ::Shakes head:: Bees. Oh my. I hope Momma has some Piriton at the ready for that day of Bee reckoning! But onwards she goes and upwards she climbs.  She gets the water pistol the most. She doesn't listen like the rest of the CatWomen. She is practically deaf you see or should I rephrase that? She has selective hearing! She doesn't come to her name, arches her back and tiptoes along or swings her ears in the right direction but she never comes back.  She is lovingly known as 'PEST'. I think it suits her. Dis-Graceful, Pest or Spot. Take your pick. In my mind it all adds to the rich tapestry that is the new Purple & White Bug Hunter of Maystar Gardens! Maybe, just maybe she thinks she is called 'come on'. Everyone thinks they are called 'come on'. That's the phrase for NOMS!

KS =^..^=

 

I have been here for an hour, YAWPING! I just can't stop. The more I yawp, the more I am getting attention. You see, it's Sunday and that means roast dinner.  It all started yesterday really when Momma took out a forerib from the freezer. it had to defrost. I spent the entire day looking at it through the glass in the microwave. Now, I am here, on the edge of the cutlery box, looking into the oven and surveying all that is my domain.  I know it will take a few more hours and all I want is a small morsel, anything. But nothing comes my way.

I shan't leave my post for fear of missing it all together. Faith is keeping me company right now, but she was a replacement for Gracie, but she got distracted, like kittens do. Nope, this is a vigil I will hold out on and maybe get me a taste a little later from a stolen lick in the dirty sink water or some such place. I don't care.  When I drool i can taste the home reared moo cow with every slaver. There will be free range carrots and such for the veggies out there, but tell me, what carrot smells like beef?

KS =^..^=

My strange little friend Lillibet has been having a terrible time of late.  After our vet visit last week, it seems that the vaccination has upset the balance in Lillibets head?  She got very very hot in the day and then in the night her temperature plummeted.  No one knew what was going on and Gracie rushed to Momma and woke her up, she knew something was wrong with Lillibet.  It was very odd. Momma was cuddling Gracie and stroking all of us in the dark and then her hand fell on Lillibets body - it was stone cold. Even in the dark we could see how worried Momma was. 

The light was on then, we are all blinking and getting used to it, but Lillibet was so cold and 'out of it' that she didn't know the light was on. Momma touched her cold body all over and there was a heart beat. Normally when Momma touches us all in the dark, we curl gently and respond. Lillibet, since a tiny kitten has always made a teeny tiny chirrup. But nothing!  Momma woke her up gently, lifting her up. She growled.  This is not good. OK, so Lillibet spends her whole days growling at Gracie and anything that is odd, but she never growls when Momma touches her. There was something dreadfully wrong.

Momma took Lillibet into the bathroom and prepared some warm kitten milk & miamor paste mix and gave her emergency steroid. Even in her dazed state Lillibet thankfully drank it and took the tiny tablet. She immediately brightened and warmed up. She was hungry, so Momma gave her a sweet pouch of Felix. That woke her up. She was very doddery and upset, her eyes were very fixed and she stared into space all the time.

Momma brought her back to bed. Lillibet became very upset with Gracie and really was showing signs of hurting her badly. She was fixated on the very worried and nosy Gracie. So Gracie went in with ManSlave for a few hours until Lillibet felt better. She even bit Faith and that is unheard of.  Poor mite. Momma stayed up all night and the next day with her. It is important her sugar levels are kept up, so she has lots of small meals to make her body recover from the shock as well as a heated bed.  At least this time she didn't lose use of her legs and have to visit Simon the Vet, but, she will be wobbly for a good few days to come. 

=^..^=