Window

What's that on my window?????

The window is open... but it isn't... but it is...

Ava hides on the cat tree until her world goes back to normal!

Afternoon!

So ages ago (ie last year!) I got these window screens from Petersham Products (who have not paid me for this mention or have any idea I'm doing so!) but what with one thing and another I didn't do anything with them. They come in all component parts, you see, and you put them together yourself. I am not especially handy and they looked altogether a bit scary! Anyway, eventually a friend's Dad came to the rescue and assembled the things, so I could put them up.

So one went on the bedroom window, one in the living room... and oh my word, what a blessing they have been in this heat!

Ava's still not sure though. She largely avoids the window sill, and if she forgets and jumps up there, she'll have a growl-off with the screen until she gets scared and runs away! Silly puss! The others are fine with them, Indigo especially loving the breeze and the exciting outdoor smells.

Brothers

Awww look, its Bailey and his new brother Dylan. And they are snuggling! What a lovely pair they make don't they?

Now I know, I know, kittens grow into cats, but I still think of Bailey as a diddy little thing. Even so, WOULD YOU LOOK AT THE SIZE OF HIM NOW???? LOL his back foot is bigger than Dylan's entire head!

I'm sorry its been a week since I posted, the good weather  and a couple of weeks off work has caused a flurry of activity down at the allotment and a flurry of non activity here as the cats soak up some sunbeams and generally move as little as possible. What a life eh?

Gloomy

Giving me cattitude

Sorry Inds... wasn't me who turned the sun off again!

Bailey has a little brother! M's new little chocolate mink boy Dylan was finally old enough to come home. Apparently he- Bailey- hasn't been too thrilled about it and has been hissing up a storm but that's lessening now and there's even been some positive interaction going on now. I have no doubt they will be best friends before too long.

I am jealous of these chocolate mink kittens... oh for a bigger house! I would love a chocolate cat. One day!

Sun

Inds, enjoying a rare sunbeam.

I don't know where you are in the country/world, but here in Essex, UK, it's rained pretty much solidly for a month... and that's very unusual. The light quality has been so bad, and its been so cold and damp, that all my courgettes, squashes, tomatoes, aubergines and even some of my usually invincible cabbages have all withered and rotted. Not that I could plant them anyway, as the allotment is a bog. It's all been thoroughly depressing.

Oh and Theo ate the corn... again. Fortunately not all of it. He really is a bad boy though, he waits till he thinks I am asleep, then paws at the lid till it falls off. Munchie time! Grr.

Today's been lovely though. I've sown a second batch of courgettes and squash, and the cats have napped in puddles of sunlight all day.

There is hope after all!

Kitty Yoga

I have no idea where his other foot is... but he seems perfectly comfortable!

The Princess And The Pee

Ah, these towels have clearly been left here for me...

I always feel slightly alarmed when Indigo settles down on a pile of towels like this.  Firstly because she might decide to widdle on it, and secondly because I've clearly left a pile of towels accessible... she might have already done so!

Madam, I don't like what you are implying!



But I was Ok, this time she didn't, and I got the towels into the cupboard later with no further mishap. I couldn't resist the post title though, sorry... the stacked towels made me think of the many mattresses in the old fable. She looks like she's just detected a pea too doesn't she? I love how cats can look so outraged hehe.

Inds finds piles of towels, cushions and pillows a bit of an irresistable widdle-magnet I'm afraid. So 'her' room is set up to make things easier (for me) and to minimise damage. I recently changed our sofa to a wipe clean fake-leather affair and we have laminate flooring. She still widdles from time to time on her fleeces, or a blanket, or a pile of towels I've carelessly left on the table (ahem!) but thats easy to throw in the machine on a hot wash.

Its funny how cats change our space- I'm hoping to change our hall carpet soon. I got it pre cats, and it wasn't an especially expensive one then, it's a hall carpet so has seen heavy traffic. In addition, Indigo, Ava and Sofia all sharpen their claws on it, and what with Theo's incessant puking (which he doesn't do any more- odd), spraying and the ministrations of multiple kittens, it really has seen better days. Will I be getting another carpet? Not on your nelly- it will be a nice serviceable, WASHABLE lino!!!

Cats eh? Who'd have 'em? (me, me, me!)

Erm... oops!

The kittens are only five months old aren't they? Not six months. So there's no desperate hurry for the snip. I'm so sorry if I worried anyone, I miscounted! It seems like they left years ago, it really does. *sigh* Give them all a kiss from me please!

They can be 'done' now if you like though. Only you know your kitten, and what the right time is for them. Standard advice is 6 months for a girl and 6-8 months for a boy, although I wouldn't leave it as late as that for a boy to be honest. The earlier you have it done the easier it is on them anyway- Sulley just had his done and D reports he was running around in his usual bonkers fashion afterwards. It's a bit more involved for girls, but even then if its done at 6 months its no big deal.

Of course if you have a boy who starts being much more aggressive all of a sudden, develops suddenly very impressive genitalia (my goodness have you seen an unneutered Tomcat? I'm surprised they can walk!) or even *horrors* starts backing up to surfaces and waggling his tail about (spraying, some kittens go through the motions of spraying before they actually spray) then that's a very big hint that you need to neuter him ASAP! And if your girl goes into heat you'll know all about it. Tonks can do this at 6 months, so don't leave it too late!

But you have a few weeks. I'm sorry if I alarmed anyone... silly me!

By The Way, Kittens...

It's nearly time for your 'special visit' to the vet!

I know Mr Sulley has already lost a couple of ounces (hee!)

Howl!

Poor Inds! Tired out from a day of snoozing, sleeping and more snoozing...

Last cat show I went to, I got talking to some other breeders who suggested I could cut right down on the Ovarid, I was giving too much basically, and by giving less I would have more control over when Inds came into heat. So I thought I'd give it a go.

Oops. Might have known something like that would be BOUND to go wrong!

Anyway, clearly I didn't give her enough, as last week (or was it the week before?) she started howling! Grr so I had to give her a full dose of the Ovarid to take her out of heat again. So now she's had the full dose, I have no idea when, or if, to start giving her the smaller dose again. I guess its a case of watch and see.

Heat is stressful for cats, so I could kick myself for letting Inds start one unnecessarily. But she usually announces her impending hormonal state by weeing and other such delightful habits and this time she didn't. Must watch harder next time!

Isn't the weather awful? When the sun peeps out, the cats all dash to arrange themselves by the windows in the sumbeams, and when it goes in again 5 minutes later they all slink off, ears down, or huddle by the radiator, it being so cold that the heating is still on. And yes, they all still hold me personally responsible. *sigh*