Something very very exciting has been happening to Gracie. Although, in her first weeks it has not been too exciting, she had been so very poorly with hormone fluctuations that we all thought she would not be able to mate as she kept getting sick.  The very kind folks at the Peppadora Cattery have been updating Momma everyday about Gracie's ups and downs and how one day her tummy was so upset and another when she wouldn't eat and then how another day she spent it in bed having a duvet day and how her little body had been wracked with the fluctuations of her baby system, trying to get a grip on if she could pull through or if Simon would have to neuter her on her return in case of a pyometra (a womb infection).

But Momma couldn't have chosen a better place for her to be and know that everything was being done in their power to get her over these terrible days. ManSlave was on permanent stand by to collect her at a moments notice. But the team at Peppadora were incredible and nursed her and treated her so gently and introduced their lovely kind and knowledgeable stud boy to her and it was a hit from the start. love at first sight. Even thought Gracie's little hormones were all over the place, Sweep the Stud Muffin, was quiet and soft with her, tickling her into a full grown up call. The kind she has been having since she was a small kitten.

So, on Saturday the 18th, Sweep finally did his duty and made her a 'lady'. He very gently got her into position and she let him mate her successfully and now they are laying together like an old married couple. He visits her twice a day in a little purpose built chalet that is all washable as Sweep is a bit of a sprayer. Everything has to be disposable.  Gracie is happy, eating very heartily, chatting up a storm and not having any more duvet days. We are all thrilled. Peppadora as well as Maystar. Either way - kittens or no kittens, it has brought her out of this terrible time and it will be worth every penny to have her safe and sound Momma says. And, if she has to return to Peppadora Palaces for a repeat mating, she will be happy to leave home and see her beau.  I am sure ManSlave doesn't know anything about the costs of staying in such luxury accomodation or his wallet may well burst into tears after my little bill of £350!

The parentals will collect her at the weekend now. Let her stay and enjoy her visit properly and finish kissing her new boyfriend. She will really miss him and all the fuss. I feel she will not like a naked white older gentleman now she has had some young black curly hunk of a cat. Have to wait and see on that?  What I do know is Lillibet will not be very happy when her nemesis returns smelling of stud muffin and packets of Felix!

KS =^..^=

Photos courtesy of Peppadora Cattery

Not only have I had to endure having my wart off, I also got stung by a HORSE FLY! YAWP!!! It hurt a lot and I was rushed to Vet Simon once again. When he checked me out, he got a magnifying thingie and looked me up and down.  "There." He said "That's where he was bitten I think?" There was a tiny red mark on my now enlarged hump.  It looked like it was gelatinous and wobbling like a jelly on a summer picnic. This was no picnic, I got another NEEGUL! YAWP! I cried and yelped, because last time I was left behind and whilst I was awake they removed half of my body. Well, not quite half, I still have 'coobs' - That's 'cat boobs' to those new to this!

Anyway, I digress. Then, I don't get to stay this time and apparently the antihistamine I have just been given is... "Not licensed for cats." Simon states. Momma retorts "Nothing we have is ever licensed for cats." Oh yes, that's right, giggle at my expense whilst you try out all these human grade products on us unsuspecting felines.  Pfft.Although, I shall keep my Atopica THANK YOU!!

Well, to top of our visit, I have my bright purple stitches checked out and they look good. I am healing really well. We are all reminded that my wart - which, by the way is not a wart at all and a Malignant neoplasm - will require it's stitches out shortly.  I have plans for these stitches!  I also have plans for a malignant anything growing in my body and that is to fight it hard with everything I have. Simon hopes he has every last bit of it, but of course, he couldn't go too deep because I was writhing, awake, under his knife. You know what, he has done his best and it is healing well. I have washed it and tended for it and now we hope and pray it doesn't grow back again or get into my lymphatic system. But it won't and I am a fit 9yr old and I do miss Wart Gertrude very much as it gave me something to do all day, someone to talk to.  

Talking to folks, that's soon to change... Gracie will be home very soon. She will be chatting up a storm and has missed so much. I need to have a bath before then and look my best with only a little white line to show her where my gigantic cancer was growing.  If it stays away, Momma won't have to work the streets to look after me and pay for expensive operations that make ManSlaves wallet cringe!

KS =^..^=

Every year Momma gets to see Faith's kittens Jaz & Jamie, but this year, because of Momma's operation, they came to stay with us here at Maystar HQ. They were very well behaved considering they are normally up to no good and very bold!

They both made themselves at home in the House of Fun whilst the Parentals put on a dinner for Eva and David and did we see any of that? Nope. As usual, it was not for us and not for tasting!  Really, not on at all. It also seems that Jamie has a condition that his wee wee wizzer gets rocks in it, so he has to have have special food, a bit like me. But I bet that doesn't stop him from licking the odd plate or two when he can steal a chance.  It does mean that poor Jaz has to eat the same food or Jamie gets jealous! 

Faith was the first to sit in the Sky Bridge and watch them tear up the toys Momma had hidden everywhere. They were in catnip heaven! I am not sure if she honestly recognized them, but she was mighty interested in them. They certainly had so much fun out there, playing and running and climbing up things and sniffing stuff out and even used their litter tray and ate their tea. They are so well traveled and seem to be at home where ever they stop, but that is down to the parenting and they have Eva & David wrapped around their paws and in return they get love and anything they desire.

Both kitties and their Parentals are traveling from Cobh, in Ireland to Italy first. Then, later in the Summer, they are off to Crete. They told me how they were looking forward to destroying every hotel room on the way, so Momma brought them a scratch pad with a little house over it to help with the furniture destruction on their journey.

Once they had finished beating up all the toys in the House of Fun, it was bed time. We all slept in our usual places and they had the Parentals room. Boy that Jamie has a voice on him! 4am in the morning, he wakes Eva to feed him. YAWPING he was, like his throat had been cut. Then the two of them rampaged around the bedroom, where Momma had left cat tunnels and scratching posts and MORE TOYS! Poor Eva and David didn't get much sleep at all.

We were then put out of the kitchen so that Jaz and Jamie could get to see Momma with some quality time. They raided our toy box and took all the big squeaky toys that no one plays with anymore. It was such fun to watch them playing. At one point, Lillibet came and met up with her Brother & Sister and cried through a gap in the sliding glass door. Again, did she know it was really them?  Jamie just wanted to play with her or beat her up, one of the two? They beat her up as a kitten, so no change there then. Either way, he is twice her size and makes 4 of me. At a whopping 5.5K he is one big super cat and all muscle. Jaz is also quite big, but more dainty and very fluffy like Mr. Zeus.  Lillibet is smaller than both and Faith even smaller than Lillibet. How she ever made a kitty that big I will never know and it makes my eyes water!!!

KS =^..^= 

I have had this Wart on my back for some time now. It ended up being called Gertrude. Girl Warts are no fun. She teased and poked fun at me and grew and grew in size and strength. At one point Momma got out the ruler to measure her and decide what to do?  The last time we all saw Simon the vet was to have it checked out and he said leave it alone for now.  That was then. This is now - Gertrude has a mind of her own. She has her own blood supply and is making me want to nibble at her to shut her up. 

Last Sunday, Miss Boucles came over and I had been racing about in and out of the Sky Bridge and must have caught her on something as the top was ripped off. Momma doused me in stuff that dried her out quick smart! But still she tickled and jibed at me. So on Friday, I bit her off! I looked like a vampire cat, blood dripping from all over. She had driven me to it with her taunting!

Momma rang the vets and I was booked in with in the hour for a check and maybe a tie off? But Gertrude was reluctant to hang about and persuaded Simon to slice her off and send her for analysis. This is not good. I can hear, cut and still awake and stitches and stitches mean NEEGULS! YAWP! And boy did I Yawp when they stuck me with the anesthetic, that stuff stings like crazy. I tried to be good. Tried to sit still whilst Simon did his bit and sliced that monstrosity out of my life and into a test tube.    

I wooed the staff there and was wearing my diamante velvet collar. I am the dude you know. I traveled home on Momma's knee, looking out of the window and shouting at passers by. Then I leapt out of the car before Momma could catch me, she is a bit slow these days after her op, and I waited on the door mat to be let in. Then I ponced through the house and yelled for the CatWomen to come and kiss me and ask questions. Faith said I looked very handsome and macho now Gertrude was gone. See, I thought she was cramping my style. Lillibet thought it looked like a spider and Thwakked me right on the stitches! 

Then I wanted feeding and nursing. Nursing. Pffft, that's for pansies, I was off, racing about, testing out my new bits attached. Momma just cringed. ManSlave was also cringing at the dent in his wallet. Oops. Divorce is not cheap!  Then, it hit me. allergy! My eyes began to swell and my sniffer grew fat and I began to sneeze. I scratched at it and washed my eyes. Momma was on hand to nurse me then. My little body was all puffy and hot. I was put to bed and monitored. Fluids up, i got chicken soup. Mmm. Momma bathed my eyes and put horrid cream in them, but after the horrid bit, it felt nice and cooling. I spent all day yesterday in bed and only surfaced at meal times but I had lost my YAWP! It was gone. I opened my mouth and a rasp came out. Then it hurt to eat my dinner, so Momma put a little hot water over my kibble so i could drink it. By teatime I was all OK again and ready to take on the pigeons in the garden and watch ManSlave paint the faciers outside.

See, women of any sort turn your life upside down and cost you money!

KS =^..^= 

Gracie keeps getting poorly. It's just so horrible to watch her going up and down like a yo-yo. One minute all fine, racing about and next minute not eating, shivering, runny tummy. The Parentals took her to see vet Simon as her temperature keeps dropping and her haws come over her eyes and she has lost weight.  Momma thinks she knows what is wrong, but is all the same, very very worried.  

Gracie is just 10months old and has been calling for a boy since she was 4 months old. It has been a very worrying time because when Lillibet was 11 months old she had a Pyometra and then blood poisoning from it. We don't want the same for Gracie but now it all seems to be making her very poorly. Luckily, when Simon feels her he can't feel anything inside her tummy that might suggest it but also states that she should be mated at this tender age to stop any progression of such a thing.  The problem is, she is 'stuck' in mid call - has been for a month now. nearly there but gets too ill once the hormones kick in. Stuck in an endless cycle of it. Simon also states that he does not enjoy spaying girls in heat - it can be done, but really shouldn't be.   Also discussed the Neuter-UM chip too. Just like the one Faith had, but Gracie is a virgin!

There is nothing for it then - she will be going to her new boyfriend 'up-north'.  He is a nice Yorkshire lad of a young age but very experienced and gentle. He is a black smoke and exceptionally handsome and to boot he is a Grand Champion. Oooh 'eck.  Being a 'nesh' southerner from the Somerset she will need to have heated rugs and molly coddling. Thankfully for the Parentals, such kind people exist and they are willing to take our baby Gracie and make her a lady - once she is knocked up with a bairn or two of course, this is no finishing school!

KS =^..^=

Fifi, I checked Facebook and you aren't here
You are one of those dogs I hold very dear
Funny and silly as you play in the grass
Sometimes hilarious when you fall on your arse.

Your sniffer so long and up to no good
Sniffing out squirrels in the mighty wood
Bounding over fallen trees
Running in meadows up to your knees.

You won't be forgotten here on Earth
We will miss your posts for what it's worth
But the sad fact is that you are gone
Let your spirit run home where you belong.

You mustn't, in your ghostly form
Let those pussies keep your bed warm
You are the boss now of hide and seek
You can scare those pussers whilst they sleep.

You can rest your head on the lap of your folkes
No more silliness, no more jokes
Give them comfort and nudge their hand
They may not see you but they understand.

You are always around in your special way
Reminding your family every day
That you were are dog with the biggest heart
Right up to the point where you did depart.

We miss you Fifi and love you loads
You made us laugh at horses and toads
You brought fun to my life each Facebook day
I shall not forget you, no never, no way.

KS =^..^=

Whilst J1 was still about here, we were sharing the communal area and it was the first time Gracie had ever 'been outside' proper. It was all so exciting. This was way before the sky bridge was built. 

Unbeknownst to Momma, Gracie and I had been eating and licking up slug trails. There are loads of the shiny things all over everything and away we would go together, me showing her a free tasty snack or two. 

Like I say, this is awhile back now and Momma remembered the story because the wormers fell out of the cupboard this morning and it hit me on my head! This prompted me to write about these slippery creatures.

Well, I don't know if you all know but snails and such carry nematodes which can get into our system. It starts very quickly before it turns serious like get into your lings and makes you cough and get very poorly. It starts with tummy ache and a very stinky Chocolate Gold! Being the creator of such stenches Momma knows when something is bad in that department and reaches for the wormers. We all got a Milbemax. YUCK! But it didn't work, our Chocolate Gold was not as it should be. Nothing else for it then - Panacur granules. I don't mind these, I get a bit of Gracie's dinner to have mine in, the CatWomen all get Miamor paste to have theirs in. 3 days of this. YUMMY! Then all cured.

There is always a product for everything Momma says but never over worms us. It was pretty bad because Lillibet had a number of seizures after her wormer. She is such a delicate soul, but at least she doesn't have worms.  Because of lillibet, we are now NOT allowed out into the communal area and have to stay in the CatPods. that's OK, loads of spiders in there to chase and eat.  Momma is continuing her slug hunt and sends them all to the tip with some greenery for their travels. Sadly, our resident newt and frog are missing out a bit! 

KS =^..^=