Momma was brought some giraffe pyjamas for Christmas from Ms. Lexifer. It's not the most usual thing that Momma would wear, but not to spoil a good gift, she decided that they make great visiting attire to J1's House of Fun. In the cold mornings, Momma adorns her outfit, stalks down the stairs, gives each one of us a cuddle, which is nice, the giraffe suit is snuggly and then feeds us, puts the kettle on, does our trays, tidies away dishes and overnight toys and pours a little hot water on the herbal tea bags and then goes out to visit J1 and do the same for him.  Mornings at J1's are a quick affair, he gets to race about, shouting his head off at us through the window whilst Momma sweeps and cleans and lays out his rations until lunch time. Radio on and a light if it's a little dull out.  Then she visits the bin with our 'night's chocolate gold' and J1 invariably trots to the bins and then has a jolly good race back, ears fat, tail up and runs as fast as he can to get to his house before Momma for a treat.

Today is different! Today, J1 got to the bin first and tried to scale the bin and the shed roof and then the fence, momma made a desperate grab for him and told him, "No Jimmy". He turned on her and attacked her legs. she clapped her hands and made for the cat house in the usual way, but J1 was having none of the racing and the excitement that usually follows the bin procedure. Nope, he was adamant at harassing this giant of a creature that had pulled him unceremoniously from the smell of freedom. He went at the creature with vigour and a strong will.  Momma saw his sock full of marbles come out and that was that. She did have a chuckle at this point as being held at 'marble point' by a screaming wailing cat who sounded for all the world like a panther from the jungles of Java. 

It was hit and miss after that, he jumped, claws out and teeth shining (Momma very proud to see him showing them off) and Momma had to 'fend off' until there was a truce of sorts and she was edging her way to get him into his house without him realising it and without Momma being trapped in there with him.  She managed to coral him and closed the outer door to a screaming thud. He was up at the cage wire, feet through, battling with this creature that had provoked him. We all sat out in our CatPod, Lillibet was screaming blue murder at him and I, as good to my name 'slinked' inside with Faith tucked under one leg and Gracie under the other. But that Lillibet, she was fuming that J1 could be so rude.

Momma went inside, a little shaken and a little foolish at her swift movements, but to lose this pumped up young stud over the fence would have been devastating. She sat down with her cup of herbal and a very wiggly waggly Lillibet for company. Momma had a shower, changed into human clothes and went in to finish her duties with a little trepidation and armed with a soft toy sprayed with Pet Remedy and a Frenzy toy for diversion and dissociation techniques. She hadn't managed to close his inner door and it was -2 that morning and a shivering J1 was very pleased to see her and told her all about his ordeal with a wild animal and proceeded to groom Momma like he always does. Momma was a little wary to say the least, but they cuddled and chatted and she warmed him up.     

Momma tried the Giraffe pj's again, but he has a very strong aversion to them now. Such ashame, he so enjoyed his cuddles and snuggles. Oh well, at least he only holds a grudge against them and not Momma or humans!

KS =^..^=

Gracie is one lucky kitty. Every time someone visits recently, they bring oodles of Gracie toys.  I don' recall being visited and brought so many gifts? 

Today we had Miss Boucles around and she brought with her some bouncing rubbers all direction bouncing toys. Oh what fun they are, Gracie carries them all over the house and wants them thrown for her. If no one wants to play, then she carries them to the top of the stairs and drops them from the top and races down the stairs after them.

She has also been brought, by Grand MewMew a bag full of Flying Frenzy attachments and before she arrived, Mrs Sairung had brought her a basket full of new things to welcome her in to our home. On top of this Mrs. Sairung also brought with her the other day, whilst at Maystar HQ for coffee, some crinkle toys and a tube of bubbles.  The Crinkle toys are all gone. Where, we shall never know until the sofa is moved out and swept behind. Although, most will be under the bed as Faith is a crinkle pincher and stores them under the bed for ManSlave to get out with the help of his torch. 

But, as it always is, we all have our favourite toys and Momma has to put toys away and bring them back out as though they are our long lost friends.  I like it when this happens, they smell all fresh again and I thrash and drool over my catnip fishies, Faith finds renewed love for her crinkle toys, Lillibet loves her leopard mousie or the squeaky mousie and well, Gracie, well Gracie loves everything. She is a kitten!

So, with all these toys, you wouldn't think there would be any requirement for 'other' things?  Well there is!  Gracie fetches and carries just about anything she can fit in her mouth. I can't imagine what possesses her to do these things, but she presents them with such pride at the feet of the Parentals. So far she has brought a cotton wool package, a flannel, the steam mop head and todays gift Momma's 18ct gold watch. 
Whatever next? Should have called her magpie!

KS =^..^=

OWEEEEEEE! We all hear the scream, this time it's ManSlave, Gracie has just run up his naked back as he stood drying his hair in the mirror.  He is stood just below the wardrobe, where recently, everyone wants to hang out.  On the top shelf are our cat treats. We get one or three after ManSlave has dried his hair. 

There he is, vulnerable, holding in the pain of a kitten balanced on his back and shoulder with the only sharp claw she possesses dug into his skin to hold on. He is bleeding from the four scratch marks already and the pain from the hanging nail is making him wince. It was then that I saw my moment.  Boing, slippy slippy, grippy and I was up and over a prostrated ManSlave and onto the wardrobe and sat there like the King I am.  I left ManSlave to struggle with a slipping Gracie.  On my way up I had only used two claws. I am fast and fleet footed, but as heavy as four and a half bags of sugar! I had left puncture wounds in his ribs.  

Lillibet, never one to miss an opportunity, follows me in hot pursuit. Anyone bending over near the wardrobe is a likely step ladder to the world beyond and freedom to trek about in the dust and sniff the cobwebs. Oh, it's such a fab place.  ManSlave yelps as three and a half bags of sugar round on him and break his spirit. He is bleeding profusely now and poor Gracie is still struggling to hold on, too small to make the wardrobe unaided. ManSlave is gripped with pain and still trying to absorb with his arms flailing about to try and remove the source of the pain, but she skittles about his naked back like a woodpecker on a tree. Round and round she goes and all the while digging in her little feet to hang on.

No, wait, it can't be. Really... oh no.  Faith is up and over in one leap, she barely touches him, but he is winded by the further three and a half bags of sugar that have landed squarely on his flank and flown into the air like a trapeze artist. But, unfortunately for ManSlave, this new arrival upsets the balance on the wardrobe and I make a mad dash for freedom from two very busy CatWomen and pound my four and a half bags of sugar down onto his back, knocking Gracie from an almost perfect position for jumping and this creates it's own problems for her and him, but I am free to thunder around the house and YAWP!

The Yawping sets the CatWomen off and down they come like Tate and Lyle, raining down onto ManSlaves blooded body and off down the stairs to join me in a mad few moments of running and yawping. Gracie is still manoeuvring about his body in complete shock, does she follow or tempt fate and try for the empty wardrobe? She of course tries for the wardrobe and in her haste gives ManSlave his final wound, which is deep and unforgiving of a single bag of sugar.

All this time, Momma is sat, hysterically laughing and not really helping matters by raising the happiness and laughter mood and that makes us a little more giddy. Oh what fun this is.  Momma dresses ManSlaves wounds and rubs special ointment on him and soothes his furrowed brow.  He feels used and battered.  But he still rewards us with a snack each, and keeps well away from the wardrobe whilst doing it!

KS =^..^=         

We think Lillibet has a form of Hyperesthesia Syndrome?  After her little wobbly episode at Christmas she exhibits all of the behaviours found with this unusual syndrome. 

Lillibet is a flicky, fidgety, itchy and racey kind a gal and add to that a little bit paranoid. In addition to obsessive nibbling or grooming and running about, another frequently observed sign of hyperesthesia syndrome is a rippling or rolling of the skin on an affected cat’s back. “That’s because there is a skeletal muscle called the cutaneous trunci under the skin that is hyperresponsive when you scratch it,” Dr. de Lahunta explains, “and that makes the skin ripple. The skin can’t move by itself—it has to be stimulated by the muscle.”

Lillibet does this frequently throughout the day, but mainly after food, toileting or a sudden change or upset - like a flying Gracie!  She does get a tat upset at being held or touched and is pleasant, but grumbles.  This became worse after her Pyometra and the blood poisoning, as did her twitchy skin.  We tend to stop her if we catch her by distracting her or playing with her. Calling  her name at the moment is enough of a distraction. 

It is a wonder if this is related in some way to her little Seizure type thing at Christmas?  She has always been very unusual and that, in some ways, it's what makes her so endearing. A sweet natured, kind and all together quirky cat.

KS =^..^= 

Snap. Scream. OMC! what now???

It's Gracie ManSlave shouts, she has bounced onto the ornamental twigs in the lounge. Quick.

We all run into the lounge, where Lillibet is running out, belly to the ground and there we find an impaled kitten with a broken twig in the heavy vase, a smaller bit by her side and collection of snapped pieces where perhaps her and Lillibet had been experimenting picking the lock to the 'Dreamies Cabinet'?  She was clawing at her mouth and gagging and drooling. Then, as soon as that was done, it was back to racing about the house at full speed ahead.  It's 8pm and the vets is shut, but it's OK all is well, Momma checks her mouth and nothing to be seen, no damage. Phew.  But to be on the safe side, Gracie gets to sleep with the Parentals. YAWP!

All tucked up in bed at midnight and Momma puts her hand down to comfort Gracie who had started to gag, it was wet on the bed, she hadn't started to gag, but had just finished being sick.  Oh great. Lights on, and WOAH! A silent sicker! The bed was dripping edge to edge with regurgitated pilchards! The smell hit the Parentals nostrils, ManSlave was out of bed, gagging and Gracie was gagging and the whole room took on the smell of the canning factory at New Quay. Two hours later and clean sheets and a little water for Gracie and out came the next lot, this time from earlier in the day and well, that we could smell in the kitchen!

It's now 2am and Gracie, now voided of all noms starts to cry and is hungry. Momma does not relent but suspects a stick or other foreign object stuck somewhere in her tiny body.  It's not long until 7am and vets opening times. She is perky and bright and climbing the FlatCatz window panels trying to escape the smell and pouncing on feet and generally being a pain in the butt! Then by the 7am there is a temperature to accompany her swelling throat. Oh great. This is going to be fun explaining this little lot to Vet Simon.

Gracie is whisked down to the vets and Simon takes a good and says, "not convinced there is a blockage, lets treat conservatively". She was, by this time gagging and having trouble swallowing and must have had a heck of a sore throat.  "Take her home, keep her warm, let the metacam and AB's start their work and don't feed until 2pm." Simon tells the Parentals.  Well, quiet was an understatement, she would not sit still, she was buzzing and on a high! Really Gracie?  Poor Lillibet had a run for her money and I got ridden around the top floor like a top point to pointer. This kid needs to calm down.  She just wouldn't stop and way hyper, Momma fed her at 1.30pm, it was a compromise, she was going nuts! She crashed and slept until 5pm where upon she woke up and deposited chicken worms all over ManSlaves shoes! Simon is contacted, he says bring her straight down. Again, he double checks her and decides, 'Do nothing' but this time feed tiny meals of no more than 10mgs of A/D and water every hour. See you in the morning if that stays in. See you in a few hours if it doesn't!  It stayed in.

All night she seemed to be just OK and was hungry and very sore and the Metacam was half way through it's work and she began to get worse and worse and hot and sticky and very sore, but the Noms stayed in, so the Parentals took her right back before open surgery to see Vet Simon again. Now he is worried, but is sure no blockage now as passed a small pooh. But the temperature should be gone? More Metacam and more tiny feeds and more monitoring.  Momma starts to add manuka honey to her hourly feeds. Manuka has good antibacterial properties and thinking about how if feels when your throat is sore, keeping it moist is the key to recovery as is fluids to flush any bacteria or virus through the body. Lots of electrolites, lots of wees and with every wee some improvement and every manuka dose, better swallowing and less gagging and the Noms stayed in full time. Bingo.

Update: 15/01/14:- Gracie was with Vet Simon again this morning and he is now happy that there is no foreign object, her mouth is clean and not swollen anymore, she is eating proper food again, albeit my very special mini sachets of fishy surprise I have to hide the taste of my Atopica. Oh well, In true Devon fashion bounced back good and proper, leaving Vet Simon with great assurance that a little Pharyngitis from stick poking has occurred and rectified as quickly as it came. She is on antibiotics for a few days and made to rest and sleeping in with Momma until she can swallow normally. Yesterday it all looked so grim, but today she did the 'cancan' over the consulting table and took the Furmometer with a little annoyance and a Devon Scowl. She is back, our Racy Gracie. 

KS =^..^=

Sunday is a day of rest, but not in our house, Sunday is Roast Dinner Day and Bed Linen Day all rolled into one.  ManSlave gently takes out his prize free range piece of whatever and nestles it amongst the tin foil and loving caresses it into place.  I watch and drool as he slides the little number into the oven and whispers sweet nothings as he closes the door.  I YAWP and continue to YAWP until whatever roast it is has cooked and is taken out to rest. Then my YAWPING gets more and more.

Now, today, we have a small, but perfectly formed meat stalker in Gracie.  She is a real little carnivore and woe betide any piece of meat that now makes it to the oven with out first passing her taste test.  She has managed to do in one month, what I have been unable to achieve in six long years - a pre lick of the roast.  ::shakes head:: That is one super smart and speedy little madam who has melted ManSlaves heart and made him bend to her will powers of seduction. She 'scweems and scweems' with her little pink mouth all wanton and like a mother bird, he feeds her.  I swear he would even regurgitate for her!

So, what of bed making?  Well, Linen Day is a washing day and such fun to have all fresh new bedding each Sunday to start the week. The old covers and sheets make for a wonderful game of tag and today was no exception as Lillibet was enticed into a game of chase with Gracie.  It is the first time in 12 days she has played at all and it was pleasing to both myself and Faith to take a break from baby sitting and see the two youngsters racing about. Lillibet was still a little growly and hissy and very Thwakky, but I think, after the two weeks she has just had, it is most acceptable. Momma talks to her, because she was Thwakking Gracie really hard in a pillowcase and Lillibet gets a silly wiggly bottom and tail and then makes for a mad dash around the bed on her head. Oh how she makes us laugh. One minute neurotic, next minute the clown.