Comfy?

 

I mean we've only got about ten cat beds, two cat trees, a cat cabin, dining chairs, beds, a squashy sofa and goodness knows what else... clearly Inds is happy here though. It doesn't look terribly comfortable.

 

We're all much the same really... Indigo and Sofia have been mildly antagonistic but nothing major. It's a bit too hot for arguments!

 

 

 

Mine!

 

 Ava and Sofia are pretty sure they need some of what I'm eating...

Morning! Oof, it's hot. Well, it's sticky anyway. I'm sure the cats are holding me personally responsible for this, given the glares I've been getting as they melt into puddles on the floor, the bed, the sofa and pretty much anywhere else they can find. It hasn't sweetened anyone's temper either, and Sofia and Indigo have had a few run ins over the past few days.

I've been going through old posts and labelling them properly, over the last few days. When blogger changed its design (grr) it became less easy to do this, or rather, it isn't hard, but the label setting is hidden and you have to click on it, which I rarely remember to do. It's not hard but it is a good deal less instinctive, I suppose I am saying. Anyway there was about 18 months worth of labelling to do.

Which of course took me right through the whole reintegration shenanigans, thinking Indigo couldn't possibly stay here, as things stood, and Ava getting thin as a rake with all the stress. Many times I was ready to give up... but nearly a year on, we've reached, touch wood, a more or less peaceful existence. And Ava, I think, is a normal weight. She hasn't been weighed for a while, but she looks normal for her- skinny rather than anorexic.

So a few cat fights isn't likely to bother me. Indigo is off the Ovarid now though, and we're waiting for it to leave her system so she can go into heat. That always provokes a few fireworks (and pees... or worse... grr) so we'll have to see how the shaky truce bears up.

Well, thanks...

Theo, Theo, Theo. I let you out into the big wide world and how do you repay me? Ruddy fleas, that's how!!!

You're welcome...

 

I was at the vets today with Theo and Indigo, getting their yearly boosters, and they gave me the bad news. Flea dirt in the fluff! Goodness, says I, but Indigo is allergic to flea bites and usually comes up in great big lumps, and then stopped short as I felt a great big lump right on the top of her head that I SWEAR wasn't there this morning. How very embarrassing.

Fortunately I always keep flea treatment supplies, so was able to treat them the moment I got home. Used the last of it though, so went online to order more. Goodness, but it is expensive! I usually Frontline, because it's so widely available, but going to try generic fipramil (the stuff in Frontline), and am seriously considering buying in bulk. I bulk buy food and litter, after all. You can get 6 Frontlines for about £20 (including p+p) if you look, that's around £3.50 a go, but in shops I've seen it sell for twice that. I have, however, just seen a bulk buy case of 60 for just over £2 a go, which would last my lot a year assuming I keep a kitten from this year's litter. I don't know what the shelf life is though, so have ordered a smaller box for now, not much good getting a year's supply if they only keep for four months.

You know when someone talks about head lice, and suddenly your head is itchy? I'm like that with fleas. I know full well people can't get cat fleas, but I am itching all over at the mere thought!! Oh well, Boil wash the bedding, spray the cat trees, go through the whole shebang, guess I'm going to have to get used to it now I have an outside cat!

On a better and absolutely less itchy note, Indigo has more or less stayed the same weight since her last visit, which hasn't been for some time. Hurrah! She hasn't lost any, so is still too heavy, but at least there's none on. And she's absolutely in the pink of health, so I can go ahead and mate her with no worries at all.

Confusing

 

I love how animals' expressions are sometimes contrary to their true feelings. Here, Indigo is happy, purring and kneading the bed, looking at me.

So why does she look as though she's wishing me a very long and painful death? LOL!

Us.

 

 

 

Me 'n' her

 

 

 

her 'n' me.

 

I love Indigo ever such a lot, even though the horror did wee on my shoes overnight! I had forgotten I had had the temerity to befriend another cat at the weekend who had naturally rubbed all over my trainers. An entire male cat, in fact, so  with a nice, 'dominant' smell which must have goaded Indigo into reasserting herself. On my trainers. Either that or she just felt like being a brat.

 

Thank goodness for washing machines, and biological washing powder is all I can say!



Beautiful

Indigo can be a right pest at times but my goodness, she's beautiful.

The weather, however, is decidedly unbeautiful. Four grumpy cats skulk around the house by day, unable to find a puddle of sunshine to curl up in. It's a rough life, being a cat.  I took pity on them earlier and put the heating on- it's blooming cold! As in, really, really cold. I'm sure it's illegal to be this cold in May. Isn't it?

I got several packages in the mail today- nothing cat related but that didn't worry them, what they wanted was the boxes. They have all napped in at least one box at least once today. It's been a lot of napping, but to be honest it's been that kind of day. If I didn't have a Tesco order coming I may have taken to my bed too!

Brrrrrrr!

Stay warm x

Indigo Reflects

On the whole, she thinks she'll forgive me for banishing her back to the living room. But only if I keep up the head rubs.

Chaos

The teenager's bedroom is currently being redecorated. He is sleeping in the living room, which is, still, a living room. All his stuff, however, is in my bedroom. As you can see.

This includes the cats. The teenager doesn't like cats in his room, and given that it is his room, I am not going to insist (although I do occasionally let the better behaved cats in for a break if things get a bit tense.) We've also had the walls in the kitchen and bathroom bleached and repainted with anti mould paint (damp... sigh) so those rooms have been out of action too. The hall is full of mattresses and not yet put together furniture. So they really have been all thrown together in the one room.

It's been interesting really. Six months ago, I couldn't have considered it, of course, Indigo would have had to go to a cattery. Now... well they have all coped. Remarkably well, actually.

It hasn't been ideal. Poor Ava has found herself out in the hallway at night as Indigo won't let her near the bed, (which she naturally insists in being in ALL NIGHT, under the bedcovers, and my goodness, how comes one normal sized cat takes up about 75% of the bed?) I have quite a long scratch from Indigo as she launched herself at Ava one evening whilst having a cuddle. There have also been several 2am yowling matches with Sofia, and Theo has taken to spraying the door, just to let everyone know it's HIS room, actually. It's upset their little equilibriums (equilibrii?) enough to say Indigo won't be getting full time bedroom access any time soon.

 It's funny to think I used to have to keep the two sets of cats totally separate. It seems a long, long time ago, but it wasn't really. I'll still be using a cattery for holidays away- they all get along, sort of, if I am there to referee, but I dread to think of the shenanigans that would ensue if I wasn't about. But still, it's promising.

The Circle Of Life

It's been a fraught couple of weeks. All is fine with the cats, and my title, sorry, doesn't indicate there are kittens on the way. Life's been in the way though, so I thought I'd go a bit Lion King for a moment. All together now..... from the day we arrive on the planet....

A friend of mine, V, has been fighting ovarian cancer, the same cancer that struck her mother and her sister; and like her mother and sister she lost the fight. She was buried last week in a quiet ceremony with many tears. It was early, as relatives had to fly back, the snow fell gently, it was bitterly cold.  Ovarian cancer is one of those cancers that is virtually undetectable until the latter stages, and survival rates are not good. It's made me incredibly thankful for my grandmother, still with us after her own brush with this particular cancer 19 or so years ago.

V had always admired my gardening shenanigans. I'd planted some flower bulbs, in the hope of bringing her a steady supply over the summer. They were the first thing I planted this year.  I'd say something trite and comforting at this point if I could, but I don't believe in an afterlife. She won't be able to see them anyway, sitting on a little fluffy cloud and twanging a harp (she was more of a wine and cigarette girl anyway!). I do believe she knew she was loved though, flowers or no flowers. I hope that was a comfort to her in her last days.

On the day of the funeral, later on, I visited my friend Y to meet her very new grandson. It was a perfect antidote to a funeral. There's something very healing about baby cuddles, and seeing the love and happiness all around. And another new life, in a way... between my friend's death and funeral, a dear friend was married. I was bridesmaid, and despite being incredibly nervous AND managing to fall up the church steps (yes...) it was a lovely day. Funny how things balance each other up.

And move forward. Today I was delighted to see the flower bulbs, V's flowers, have begun to sprout. The sun came out today so I took myself out front to plant the garlic, and there they were, little green and purple shoots, tentatively poking through the soil. Perfect.

Oh, and because no entry would be complete without cats, I thought I might just share with you that this happened...

Briefly. Before they resumed trying to murder each other. But still, for a brief few moments there was purring, there was butt sniffing, there was even the touching of noses. OMG!!!!!

Little bit o nip...



 

Indigo trials the catnip banana...

 

 

... while Ava gets high on the chilli pepper

 

 

It's ridiculous really. The cats have a bajillion and one toys, most of which they totally ignore, but still I find myself incapable of going onto a pet store and not picking a new one up. This time it was brightly coloured catnip toys. 'Cosmic Catnip'. They are apparently filled with 100% strong, American nip, and true enough, you could smell it in the pet shop

 

The cats could certainly smell it. The moment I got home they all woke up, sniffing, eager to get at what was in the bags, and I immediately regretted only buying two- Ava and Theo had to wait for their fix. I bought a pepper and a banana, but there were four more in the set, which doesn't bode well for future spending! But they weren't too expensive- £3- £4 each I think, so we might find a fish, or a carrot, or whatever joins the collection some time soon.

 

The nipfest is, for now, over, temporarily at least, the toys are limp and drool-sodden (urgh) and all four mogs are sozzled. Recommended!

The Joys Of Spring

It's that time of year again. Springtime. The time when Theo feels the need to coat the house in liberal amounts of urine to show any passing female he is indeed The Mancat About Town.

Oh.... good.

Indigo just went into semi-heat, I managed to pill her in enough time to avoid the yowls but we had several days of the most lascivious rolling imaginable, the hussy. This has encouraged Theo into his latest efforts. And he is very displeased with me at the moment, because I, understandably, do not appreciate the house being scented like a festival portaloo, and have been fighting back with every trick in the book.

Today, I'd just finished cleaning my kitchen floor with vast amounts of anti-catstink solution. Theo was watching me, with a horrified expression on his face... what did I think I was doing, mopping up all the delightful smells he had so carefully laid? Was I insane??? If ever I saw a cat look disgusted, he did. And just to emphasize his disgust he twitched his tail, and piddled all up the wall.

Charming.

He then looked at me, to see if I'd got the message, and stalked off in a huff. Whereupon I collapsed into a fit of giggles before reaching for the spray again. You can't win this one Theo my old chum... although I'm sure you will keep trying for a while.

Cold

There's been plenty of this in the Indikon household in the past few days. Radiators have become fiercely defended hangouts and activity has ground to a halt. Soft southern housecats, the lot of them...

Indigo, in particular will scarcely allow me to sit down without her climbing all over me. I'd be flattered, but I know it's only because I'm warmer than the bed! Still, it's quite pleasant, unless I'm trying to work and then it becomes rather less so. Indigo can be VERY persistant, and being a pampered princess doesn't help, 'no' doesn't seem to exist in her vocabulary.

Brrr. Can't wait for the spring. Stay warm everyone!

Bad Girls, Bad Girls...

 

Ava looks THRILLED doesn't she? Hehe.

 

Yes, I have all three girls in one picture. For about 30 seconds. The camera never lies they say, but it can be deceptive. This is how it happened.

 

Indigo got into bed with Ava.

 

Ava made some not very happy, growly noises.

 

Sofia sidled up, sniffed Ava, and settled down on her other side (not in the bed though).

 

I took a photo.

 

Sofia thought better of it, and sidled off.

 

Ava decided she wasn't happy either and stood up.

 

Then Indigo bit her in the leg, and it all descended into anarchy!

 

Oh well!

They're At It Again

 

Inds, looking very smug

My goodness. Seems the cold weather is addling my cats' brains somewhat as once again Indigo has climbed into a cat bed with Ava. I may have encouraged her a little, but she got in of her own accord. She even tried grooming Ava a little, but Ava said grrrrrrrrrrmeowwwwrrrrr so Inds backed off on that one. (yes, backed off, not thwapped her or growled back...)

Inds is purring.. Ava is... well, I suspect Ava is seething, she doesn't look too happy and the looks she is shooting Indigo are most unsisterly. But she hasn't moved and she can move pretty quickly when she chooses to. So, y'know... she's OK.

And they've been there for half an hour now.

Battling The Bulge

I went for a bridesmaid's dress fitting today. I've put on four or five pounds since the last one and... well anyway. The dress will have to be let out somewhat. The dressmaker announced to the bride and other maids that I'd eaten too many mince pies over Christmas... oh it was embarassing. Fortunately the bride, my friend J, loves me for me and not the narrowness- or otherwise- of my hips!!!

She said what now????

Indigo is also struggling to keep her weight down. Ok, I am, I don't think she cares one way or the other hehe.

In order to get Ava's weight up I've had to make sure there is food available for her at all times. She isn't a big eater and will graze rather than make a big meal. Unfortunately this means there's food around for Indigo all day as well. Indigo goes into the lounge overnight with half a sachet of wet food- which she gobbles straight away- and a dish of water, she has no other food until 9 or 10 hours later and absolutely no treats. She gets plenty of stimulation and is an active cat but even with all that reducing her seems an unattainable goal.

*sigh*... I know the feeling. Sofia now, she seems to have settled into a slightly plump middle age. 18 months or so ago she was really quite chubby, so perhaps there's hope for Indigo? Me, I think I am beyond redemption. Bring on the pies...

World Domination

When my friend saw this photo, she asked 'why do cats always look like they are plotting evil plans to take over the world?'

I replied 'this one probably is'...

Looks very pretty while she does it though!

Speechless

Oh my. Oh my, oh my, oh my.

Entry written several days ago- have managed to upload photos another way but NOT COOL blogger, please to fix your upload function asap!

Yesterday, Indigo did this...

Nope... you aren't seeing things. Indigo was faffing around on my desk, tromping over the mouse and keyboard as she does and acting like she wanted something. I thought she wanted to go on the windowsill, which, being lazy cats, they find unable to do unless I hold the curtain up for them. Of course when I am out of the room they manage just fine without any help. Little... dears.

Anyway, that wasn't it. Inds then very carefully got into the cat bed whilst Ava was in it. They were actually touching. Truth be told. Ava looked appalled, and neither of them 'relaxed' as such. Inds was twitchy, they were watchful and their ears were alert- Ava's were somewhat flattened. I say watchful, they glanced round at each other regularly but were careful not to make actual eye contact.

They stayed in there for a good ten minutes. I suspect they might have been there longer if I hadn't needed the loo, Ava clearly wasn't happy about staying there if I wasn't there too! Plus there was a new cardboard box on the bed she hadn't investigated yet. So up she got, but again, there was no hissing or smacking.

As if that wasn't enough, Sofia watched the whole proceeeding with interest, and snuggled down a metre away on the bed!

 

Ava and Indigo used to be close. Indigo had a rocky beginning here as a kitten, it took a LONG time to integrate her but she did develop quite a strong bond with Ava, snuggling in bed with her and Ava used to wash her ears. Ava has a thing about ears.Then Indigo got big and bolshy and it all deteriorated from there really. Inds is nearly 4 now though, could she possibly be mellowing with age?

Hah- the way she'd behaved today, somehow I have my doubts!!!

Peace On Earth, And Goodwill To All Cats

Whoops... this was meant to post on Christmas Day. Oh well, better late than never...

 

 

I walked in on this shocking scene the other day. I can't say either Sofia or Indigo were precisely relaxed, both were obviously still on their guard, but they weren't growling or yowling or facing off.

 

I nearly keeled over fromm the shock... but ran for my camera instead.

 

Must be all that catnip.

Merry Christmas

Theo approves of his new reindeer cat bed

 

 

Indigo takes a turn

In fact they have all slept in this bed since I got it out a week ago, so I am declaring it a success. They have another present too.... a bigger one... I can't wait till they see it!
Merry Christmas from us all here :)

What Book?

Weren't reading that, were you? Thought not...

Once again, we are the House of Plague and have taken to our beds. Indigo is very happy about this state of affairs, and has spent much of her time snuggled in beside me. Or on me, or more likely on my book! It can't be comfortable...

Things are calmish, though. The living room is back in service, so the cats have a bit more breathing space. Inds isn't happy about going into her room at night, and a nightly 'chase' ensues, followed by indignant meowing when she finds herself incarcerated. She'll get used to it soon, I'm sure. I feel bad, but the other cats are more relaxed, they were starting to show signs of stress- the beginnings of a peeathon, and Theo started chewing far more than he usually does- including right through my favourite bra!!!

I am starting to think 'kitten' again now, not sure if I'm going to mate Inds soon after Christmas, or in the autumn. Probably I will wait till the autumn as summer is always a busier time for me, but we will see. It's nice having them in the winter. The past two Decembers we've had little fat squeaking sausages around, it seems very odd not to be doing so this year, and January and February always seems to be a good time for placing kittens in homes, as there are fewer of them available. I miss not having them now. But I'm glad of it, given our general state of germiness!

Ok, heading back to my pit. Hope everyone is having a better week than we are :)