Not Having Much Luck

Well, I was due to go to another cat show this weekend... but instead am ill... again!

I'm especially annoyed about this one. This is the Annual Tonkinese Cat Club Show and there will be, fairly obviously, lots of Tonks there. Tonks of all colours, kittens, older cats, studs and breeding queens... And lots of Tonk breeders as well. And, well, I do like to talk about my cats, and it's just a missed opportunity. Botheration!

Ah well, it can't be helped. The other Tonk club, the Tonkinese Breed Club, has a show in October. I'll try to make that one, instead!

Glare

Giving Theo the evil eye...see how she has her ears flattened?

Yes, Please!

Sofia, eager for another Furminating session!

I have Furminated every day, and the three girls I'm not getting a lot from now, certainly not the handfuls I was getting earlier on in the week. Theo's is still fairly prolific, but he doesn't tolerate the brushing for long.

Definitely worth the spend!

New Cat Bed?

Hellew

I haven't been getting much work done recently...  Indigo has decided my keyboard shelf makes a brilliant bed if I'm at my desk...

It's Jacob and Jonah!

Photos by C.F.

Awww, don't they look fab? Here's what their Mum had to say:

Jakey and Jonah are doing really well. They've got great appetites and bagfuls of energy (particularly late at night when I want to go to bed!) But they're wonderful, such great company and completely different characters. Jonah loves his hugs and is almost always with me... Jacob's a little tinker - he gets into everything (almost) and if he can't he certainly tries several times. If he succeeds, then Jonah will give it a go too!

Hehe they haven't changed much, have they? Lovely update and photos. I love the sheen they are getting to their coats now, this is one of my favourite things about the Tonkinese breed. It's not so obvious as roly poly kittens, but when they start to mature a bit... WOW.

Thank you C... such beautiful boys!

Yet Another Hairy Post

Theo, looking rumpled, post nap

Ok, so I tried the FURminator on Theo, with mixed success. He enjoyed having his chin brushed and tolerated (briefly) some of the longer floof on his haunches, but didn't like his back brushed much. But then he's not a huge fan of being brushed anyway.

I don't think it hurt him, I think the sensation was a bit too intense, as he'd purr and purr but then suddenly the paws would come out to warn me (gently, claws in...) but then he would thrust his face forward for more brushing. I stopped after a short time once his tail started swishing back and forth as this conveys irritation in a cat, he'd had enough.

So for Theo, not sure if it's for him. Ava and Sofia were up for another brush though, and several more handfuls of floof were removed!!! The Furminator doesn't cut or pull the hair, it removes already loose undercoat hairs in much the same way a cat would with its tongue, which is why cats get hairballs, of course. It's amazing how much they do shed though.

Another Hairy Post

I got a parcel yesterday, from Zooplus. In it was the usual order, litter, food and stinky treat sticks for bribing-uh- encouraging the cats to come when called (for the vet, etc...) but this one contained something I've been wanting for a while, a Furminator. Or a FURminator, as I think it prefers to be called lol.

A Furminator is apparently a super- effective kind of cat brush that is good at removing loose undercoat (the undercoat being the bit that builds up for insulation over the winter months) and I've heard a lot of people rave about it. So naturally I had to see for myself.

I was a little sceptical I must admit, because as I said the other day, I brush nightly anyway (at this time of year) so how much was it likely to get out? Heh... LOADS, that's how much. What is more, both Ava and Sofia loved the feel of the brush so much that they both rolled onto their backs and permitted me to brush their tummies briefly with the Furminator... unheard of for both of them.

Theo wasn't so thrilled, although he isn't so thrilled at being brushed anyway. Apparently there's one that's slightly wider, that's better for longhair breeds. What tickled me though is that the Furminator even got some floof off Indigo. Ok, a very small amount, admittedly, she didn't stay still long enough, but I reckon if I did it every night, it would soon make a difference to the state of the furniture!

So I would heartily recommend one if shedding bothers you, or if it's something you have to control carefully because of allergies and so on. Or even if your cat enjoys a good brush, like I said both Ava and Sofia like brushing in general but they went bonkers for this particular one. Oh, but don't buy it from Zooplus... it's way cheaper at Amazon. I could have kicked myself when I realised... but it was already ordered then. Ah well!

I'll just add that if anyone was wondering, nope, I have not been paid to say this or sent the item free for review. I have not and would not ever review a product sent to me for free without telling you I was doing so, and actually reviewing it, so if it was rubbish I'd jolly well say. I would NEVER accept payment for 'bespoke content writers' to plug something on this blog. Anyway I paid for this Furminator... but if anyone wants to send me the 'longhair' one for free... *grin*

Hair

Ava is the prettiest cat in real life... but somehow she never seems to take a good photograph. Or one that does her justice, anyway.

Well, it's that time of year again, and the cats are shedding their thick winter coats. Ava especially is looking very slinky at the moment. Sofia hasn't that much to lose and Theo will always be longhaired of course, although he sheds fairly excessively as well.

It's amazing just how much they DO shed, actually. Brushfuls, every night. The first year it happened, I was brushing Ava and so much fur came away I thought something was wrong with her! I'm paying special attention to Theo's underparts too, as I don't want knots. He was in an especially mellow mood last night, and I managed to get a good brushing session in- thanks boy!

I barely notice it with Indigo though... she does get 'fluffier' in the winter, but she seems to lose the excess without much assistance. Just as well, because she wouldn't stay still long enough to be brushed, I suspect :)

Fleabag

Madam, I don't believe I like your tone...

Right. The cats have been treated. The house is in the process of being treated (tiresome!) We shall be flea free before we know it.

I am cool, calm and collected. Not that I've seen any of the beggars, I might add. If I did, I'd probably run fleeing from the room.

Ugh, ugh and UGH!

Ah... Indigo's allergy? She has FLEAS! Or rather, she has an allergy to flea saliva, which amounts to the same thing really. My baby is being nibbled.

Ok, and she has a food allergy too, as I'd thought. Two allergies. The food allergy is still there, and as far as I know sorted, because we changed the food and it cleared up. This most recent head soreness is nothing to do with the food allergy. I know this because when it showed up first, Indigo had a thorough examination plus skin scrapes at the vet's... it's all documented here on the site. No fleas then.

We've never had fleas, before. Cats get them from other cats, and from lying around in long grass and things like that, none of which my cats do, and even Theo on his daily walks doesn't have much chance to pick up anything, it's all concrete, round here. I suppose it's possible though. I mean there are other neighbourhood cats, and I suppose it only takes one, or two, I suppose, or one female about to lay eggs if that's how they do it, to be honest I've never looked at the reproductive cycle of a flea!

However, I suspect it's not Theo who's the culprit here. I go to my allotment and potter away, spending long periods of time kneeling on the ground in the grass and in the dirt and wiping my hands down my trousers. Of course I've made the acquaintance of the neighbourhood moggies as well. And then I come home to Indigo meowling for my attention, so what do I do? I immediately tell her what a beautiful puss she is... and scratch her on the head.

Face. Palm.

Yes, I suspect I have given my poor puss fleas! And been lax about flea defence, too! Being an indoor household, the cats have been getting flea treatments once every two or even three months, and only then as a precaution (In fact the last time they got them was the last time the kittens were treated) Not any more, they aren't. Monthly, on the dot, whether they like it or not, from now on! And the house will be sprayed, too. I will just arrange for half my wages to be paid directly to Frontline. The other half already gets mainlined to the vet's coffers.

Ah well. I suppose when one has cats, one will have to deal with fleas at some point or other. The other results of the tests were a very mild allergen response to several other things- dust, mould, etc, but clinically insignificant. And the tests for pollen etc didn't yield any response. So, without wishing to tempt fate in any way whatsoever, a good Frontline regime should sort Indie's head issues. Fingers crossed anyway.

I took that call earlier today. It's like hearing someone's child has headlice... straight away you begin to itch. Humans can't have cat fleas, but they can bite humans, so I suppose I'll know aaaaaaaaallllll about it if I don't get on top of the issue shortly. Ugh, ugh and ugh, as I said. Has it stopped me kissing and cuddling my Indie today though? Not on your nelly. She's still my angel... even if she is an old fleabag as well.

Introducing.... Indigo!

I've formally introduced the other cats... but not Indigo, apparently!

I insist you rectify that AT ONCE Madam... and couldn't you find a better picture than THAT?

Better....

This is Indigo, otherwise known as Indie, Inds, Pindie, Pindles, Babygirl... and occasionally Wendigo or Horrid Cat. She's a lilac solid Tonkinese, and I can honestly say I've never met a cat quite like her before!

Indigo is very motivated by people, she's extremely sociable- with people- and needs a lot of input to keep her happy. She's very cuddly, filling a lap the moment you've sat down. She has a trick of tipping herself upside down to be cradled, as you might a baby. She's completely bonkers, playing 'fetch' and other games like a dog, a trick she seems to have taught to at least one of her babies. She's active, alert and playful.

She's not keen on my other two girl cats, in fact I have to keep her mostly seperate from them, although they do occasionally bond over some catnip. However, Indigo is very fond of Theo, my floofy boy. She's also been an extremely good mother to her kittens, devoted and attentive, and from what I've heard the kittens are growing into affectionate and playful companions.

She can sometimes be a Royal Pain In The Butt... but I wouldn't be without her :)

Theo And Indigo

What?

Snuggling.

Theo has such a chilled relationship with all the cats. Ok, he terrorises Ava, but frankly a shadow would terrorise Ava... and even then I caught Ava and Theo snuggling the other day. But Indigo is especially fond of him.

Theo, of course, takes all the adoration as only his right...