Do you know how many folks write to Momma or send in forms that they would like to have an 'allergy sitting'?  Well, we get a couple a month and at first, we helped many people out with such sittings, then it became a bit daft as so many people were dragging their allergic other halves here because they desperately wanted a cat.   

Some of the visits went like this.... Allergic partner would come in, Momma would introduce them to a few of us sociable girls with the floofier coats and immediately they would stroke us and then, to our horror, rub their faces in the hands and scrub their eyes and after a few minutes of rubbing and groping about their persons, they would announce to the other half that they were allergic to this one too.  'Too', I think? So how many poor unsuspecting cats are you rubbing all over your faces?

On one of the visits, a woman dropped Faith because she felt 'itchy' and Faith's knee cap was dislodged after being dropped and hitting the hard decking.  They were escorted off the premises by ManSLave as could not stop laughing as Faith was screaming in pain and Momma was trying to put her knee back into it's slot.  They didn't even text or mail to ask if she was OK, then had the audacity to ask for another visit 6months later.  Foxtrot Oscar people. This is an itch free zone!

True allergy sufferers and true cat lovers do go together and Momma now asks more questions to those who have allergies.  The majority of them get bored with the questions and don't get back to us and others persevere and then they can have a visit.  One such sufferer was a small boy who was not allergic to their old Devon Rex but was to their new one?  So she had to go and live with grandma.  It came as such a shock as the poor mite was covered in a terrible rash.  But loving her so much, this young man persevered and never gave up and now, 3 years later, he takes much care loving his surrogate kitty and makes sure he washes his hands and doesn't touch his face.  That's real love.   The kitty was so unsure of why he was unsure that she always gave him a wide berth.  So animals do know I guess? Being older now, he understands the implications of loving the little cat and takes measures to enjoy her in their own special way. 

ManSlave, here at Maystar, is terribly allergic but he chooses to manage the allergy on a daily basis with antihistamines and HEPA filters.  Momma vacuums a lot and covers up the main beds so the fur and dander don't infiltrate the bedding or the pillows especially.  Of course, loving us as he does, he has a permanent blocked sniffer. Of course, he invites us into the bed for snuggles under his knees and he is often found rolling around the kitchen floor with Ikon or rubbing his face into kitten bellies and kissing them.  But if you love something, you get on with it.  And, as he says, unless he moves to the seaside or spain and stays away from every smell going, he will always have a bunged up sniffer!   

I don't help ManSlave at all.  Each morning when it's time for his shower, I leap into his side of the bed and wash myself all over, then roll all over his pillows and sheets.  Then, once he is dressed I jump onto his shoulder and rub my body against his head and ride about until he gets the freeze dried beef out.  After that I get my wiggly worm for some fast speedy playtime and stir up the dust in the lounge for him to breathe in.  Ikon, on hearing any bathroom door, will run to ManSlave and turn his butt to be picked up.  Ikon is floofy and so soft that humans can't help but kiss him and Ikon responds with air padding paws and purring.  You can hear the purring all over the house and in we all pile to the smallest room in the house with no filters and door ajar, to saturate ManSlaves breathing space. We position ourselves on his shoulders at his feet, in the sink, anywhere we can get purchase and smother him in allergens.  Oh, is it such good fun.  Outside you can hear Momma say. "Have you had your antihistamines?" 

When Momma brought Ikon on the plane home from Poland, the flight attendant went stir crazy saying she was so allergic to cats and made such a huge fuss about him being on the plane.  She went on to complain about others who could be allergic too and how she can't breathe so Momma said politely "So why are you still standing here?"  She was a nasty bit of cat hater and the nicer attendant said Ikon could sit out of his carrier and to ignore his moaning colleague, he has made her stay at the far end of the plane.  As it was, Ikon wouldn't stay in the carrier and had a tantrum at take off and during the flight would not stay in his carrier and had to be held as he was terrified.  The people around were fine and we had an extra seat.  Momma was pleased when all flights out of Amsterdam were delayed as she took Ikon on the train instead to meet ManSlave!  Silly anti cat people. Take a pill - a chill pill!

Of course, allergies are serious things and after King Slinky's demise we thought we would never see anything like that again, except, now there is also me in the mix with foods. Mainly fish to be honest, and if I kept my nebby sniffer out of the fish tanks, I too would have a break from itchy skin.  OK, OK, so I don't go fishing, but I am a particularly good thief!  Momma is terribly allergic to barley and wheat and it only just dawned on her that Lillibet and Faith's diet food has wheat in it and she keeps touching her face after feeding them and she kisses them lots and they will have washed themselves with wheaty saliva and in turn Momma's lips get puffy from the transfer.  I suppose, in these days of implants and collagen, just come and kiss a cat!!!

Allergies to cats can come in a few forms.  Allergy to saliva of the cat which is very common and tends to cause the awful skin irritation and blotchy red and itchy skin rashes.  Or, there is the dander part of us that comes from our skin, and yours by the way!!  This is the kind of thing that causes the breathing difficulties, blocked nose, itchy or watery eyes. A bit like hayfever.   Then there is the fur on us and although we do not shed very much fur at all, we still do shed and those little bits of fur get up peoples sniffers and tickle inside their heads.  Then there are just some folk that don't want a cat at all and make up such rubbish to get out of having one!  If you rub your eyes for 10 minutes solid, you too can look like you have an allergy to us!  GET OUT!! Be sensible people. Then there are those that have allergies and won't visit because you have cats - they are lying too, they just don't like cats!  Some folks are predisposed to allergens and just have to live with all sorts of stuff up their sniffers.  But should it stop you living your life without a cat?  I know for sure if I was allergic to humans, I would be very thin and hungry!  The stomach rules the cats universe, end of!  

Here is to all the cat floof sufferers
It's not nice and it's not funny 
to have your eyes and nose so runny
to scratch and itch all day
never to have a cat to play
Never to have a feline to cuddle
your immune system all in a muddle
To never have the love of a cat
to never be able to sit where we've sat
to come home to an empty house
over run with the odd mouse
It's us your body is craving
stroke a cat, send your allergies raging
give in and buy a moggy
and enjoy the fact your nose is soggy
take us to bed and enjoy your life
we are far better than a husband or wife
So what if you itch like crazy
just stay in bed and be super lazy
With a cat beside you as a life long friend
We can itch together until the end.

With love from Queen Vee =^..^=

All this crazy mad weather has been hitting us a little hard over the weekend, not as hard as most but hard enough to have birds flying nearly upside down and dear old Horrible Horrace grabbed on horizontally to a branch, flying like aloft like a pennant in the high winds.  His wife and family were much safer in their dray and had called out for 'Just Eat' but Horrace being the sole provider decided that he would try his paw at a smart abseil and a quick hop and a spring over the fence to Maystar HQ but the poor guy was caught in an updraft and whooosh, fur and tail floofed out, here is was hanging on for dear life to a branch with his family yelling at him to come home immediately.  We are not sure what happened to him other than he reappeared later stealing more slate to sure up his tree apartment.  

As for us, we haven't been outside for days, well, except pearl who every morning swaps places with Ikon over the bridge and each evening, Momma calls her in and she billows over in a flurry of fur.  Ikon has stayed in for the last two nights, just in case we lose a roof or a sky bridge or even our electrics as has happened every night for a few days. We can't have our main guy getting chilly where it's frilly now can we?

6 days ago i started some new medication due to breathing issues. It tastes mightily disgusting and has given me quite the deli-belly.  However, in 6 days I have not had any issues breathing which is excellent.  Mind you, it is making me feel extra hungry and any opportunity I can grab, I am inside that kitten pen and thieving anything i can set my licker on, especially the late night tuna flakes that Flaire leaves around the edge of her dish. She is just so wasteful.  Flaire likes me around and trusts me to care for her babies, of which I have no intention of doing besides a quick wash on my way in. She never says a word and a few tuna flakes is a good reward.  Momma has now become wise to this and now has to sit with Flaire with every meal and seeing as this is every two hours during daylight hours, that adds up to easily an hour a day playing tickle tickle with the Flairelings and less time playing wiggly worm with me - I really did do myself two injustices.  Pfft. 

The house has been split a little since the Tygalings were born and even more so now Flairelings are here.  Flaire has just the kitten pen and the Mariachi band, so nicknamed because they march and remind everyone of those Mexican sombrero singing  guys with huge mustaches.  It is hard to describe, but it is hillariously funny as they sway and march about.   Ikon comes in during the day and the kitchen door is firmly closed to stop him widdling.  He does have his man pants on with a tenalady for good measure and he struts about high stepping hind legs in a waddling walk and enjoys an hour or so entertainment with the babies, who hiss, spit and smack him.  He never once smacks them back.  He is so kind and gentle, except for Bree, he likes to smack her lost and she likes to whallop him back.  Because of the split, Faith, Lillibet and Pearl have been forced to live together and bond a little more.  We tried to send Pearl to a new home and it lasted 8 days when she was sent home totally unhandleable.  What a real shame, she could really do with being a single cat on her own.  Never mind, she has gained some spunk and has decided to stand up for herself instead of being picked on by the neuters.  I do like her very much but unless she has kittens, she can be quite miserable. 

It will soon be Spring and we can all go outside and get away from each other a bit more.  We all certainly need it, especially us neuters as the fat is piling around our bellies and Lillibet being the laziest, is looking like a small suckling pig! I can say this because Momma sings her 'this little piggy went to market' So I tease her and sing 'to market to market to buy a fat pig - home again home again jiggedy jig' - she has a temper and it it quite imperative that you duck or have a mighty fist of fives in your face.

For now - roll on Spring a ding ding
​Lots of love from your Queen Vee =^..^=

It has been such a busy time here at Maystar and I just have not been able to to get to the PC because Momma has been doing accounts and year end and then doesn't want to sit with me and be on the PC even more!

The Pearlings have grown and flown the nest with the exception of Bree, who stayed here with us.  I really like her, she is lots of fun and plays hard.  But boy does she have a foul potty mouth! She sure is a red head and has a mind of her own. Typical tortie!  Her Mother, Pearl, hates her on sight and Bree smacks her Mum and spits at her. She also spits at Ikon, Flaire, Lillibet & Faith.  She tried to moan at Momma - that didn't work.  She has found purring gets her more attention.

Then there is the Tygalings litter, which Momma has nicknamed the Mariachi Band.  When they are let out of the kitten pen each morning, they come out in a line, stand in a semi circle and strike up their band.  She just can  not look at them without seeing sombreros, trumpets, vioins and guitar in paws and then they begin to march to the food in the bathroom and across the landing.  All Momma can hear is the Mariachi music in her head as they trundle, tails up, sombreros balanced into the bathroom.  Ok, so it's a bit nuts, but seriously, even ManSlave agrees that they are super funny, especially as Momma puts music to their marching and swaying and ManSlave rolls with laughter.

They have all been having regular photo shoots and behaved pretty well, if you can count swinging from the background, jumping on the lighting umbrellas and fighting between every shot. They look so sweet and innocent once that shutter clicks down.  

At the end of January there was the third and final litter for some time born to Flaire & Ikon.  She had 5 babies to start with, but we lost the teeniest member at 41gms, dear sweet Stix. So, now we have four fluffy teddy bears to contend with.  three boys and another tortie girl.  The colours have all been exceptional and are a mixture of Ikon's Burmese restriction colouration and Flaire's Colourpoint colouration making some really cute minky tonkinese coloured babies.  It will be fun choosing what colour is what.  All very exciting.  We will have to test for blood groups and decide which one to keep.  

I have also been to the vets yesterday because I had trouble breathing and been a bit stumbly.  Then, I started to piddle on the door mat and then the windowsill.  It was so difficult the vet said as to what to give me, if anything?  If I have my usual steroids I can not them have them in case I need Metacam.  So I have to be monitored over the weekend and absolutely no playing!  I mean, I love love love to play, especially with Bree and the Mariarchi band and even more so with Wiggly Worm, but it has to be the green one, not the purple one!

Ikon had to take time out after Christmas because he kept piddling everywhere and it stank.  So we used cat pants and he peed so much they leaked.  As long as he  doesn't see Flaire, he doesn't spray and he can come in the kitchen, pant free. Because all the girls are taking a break now, we will just have to manage Ikon and he really loves being in the house, although, he loves his cat wheel too and a mixed indoor, outdoor life with neuter girl company seems to suit his active brain and body. 

There is just one thing now after Flaire moved the kittens last night into the kitten pen herself is where do we put the Mariarchi Band again?  The landing served as a basic creche for a few weeks, so I guess it will be in bed with Momma then - providing they don't snuggle into her too much because i take right armpit every night regardless!  And shall I remind them not to sleep near her legs and feet as you are likely to be kicked from the bed with a thump.  I should know, I have thudded to the floor enough times.... Mmm, maybe i should let them know?

Right now, I am off for a further nap, I have watched birds for a few hours, all toys are away, so there is nothing to do but sleep. 

With all my Royal Love 
Queen Vee -^...^=
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