And The Cat Comes Too!

I know that I have written about 'World Sauntering Day'  (June 2012, wow, how time flies!). And the fact that you have to have a dog with floppy ears. What they failed to mention was that a Ginger Cat is becoming obligatory. And a challenge.

We walk every afternoon after watching 'Eastenders'. As soon as Alfie hears the closing theme music, he becomes animated, (AKA hysterical). And, this is now the signal for Basil to arrive from wherever he was and whatever he was doing, and join the party!

Most times we walk with friends who have a Standard Poodle and if this is the case, Basil sits under a bush in the road and howls. He is not scared of Cocoa, far from it, but she likes to 'mouth' him on the back of the neck, among other places, and leaves him literally soaking wet! So, he tends to avoid that as much as possible! And their little dog who is only just bigger than Basil, likes to chase him, so that also puts him off!

Me and my friend!

Winter's Coming!

There's a lovely saying that goes something like this: 'You can tell the warmth of the day by the length of the cat' That being so, our cats are now becoming curled up like hedgehogs in a sunny patch as the days cool down and the autumn chill sets in! Basil tucks up so firmly that it's hard to tell where he starts and stops!

Dopey last week.

In fact, two nights ago Rob lit our little stove for the first time this season, a fact that is now recorded on our chalk board in the kitchen. Originally put up as a shopping reminder, it now records the facts that we need to remember, like the last rain figures, or when we defrosted the freezer or last but not least, when the 'Honeysucker' last came to empty the tank! More important than a simple shopping list, it's easy to go without milk, but it's impossible to survive with a loo that refuses to empty!

Nine minus Three!

They say that a cat has nine lives. We have three cats, all ex-feral who have given up a life of hardship and uncertain meal times, for the luxury of having servants to cater to their every need. The first two to arrive I named Daffy and Dilly and the last one in I called Dopey. I should have called them Austin, Morris and Bentley, names that at least sound a little different from each other, as I end up saying 'Mind Daf, uh Dop uh Dil' just before I trip over one of them. Anyway, Dill is usually called Dilbert, we call Daffy, Daphne (don't ask), and Dopey, well, his name actually suits him. And, he is gradually working through his nine lives. And once those are used up, I imagine that he will move onto the other eighteen that belong to his pals!

Dopey, bird watching!

Our family grows

Soon after we moved into our new house, I noticed that there were a few cats that visited the garden but would not let me near them. They were fairly well fed so I presumed that they did have a home and were simply exploring. Clyde ignored them and Alfie tried to play with them. Then, as they became bolder, but not friendlier, I realised that they were in fact homeless cats, domesticated cats that for one reason or another had become stray, either through being abandoned or lost. Food was plentiful as the surrounding areas are alive with mice, but, as none of the cats were neutered or spayed, I was concerned that they would breed rapidly too!

Clyde

One morning I looked out to see Clyde sitting in his usual position, his back to us, surveying the garden; and sitting close to him was a small, sort of ‘Clyde Mini-Me’. As soon as I went near it, it ran, but came every day and spent time in the garden. I decided to feed it, and then, when it was used to me, I would grab it, box it and take it to our vet for neutering, before releasing it into the garden. So I started putting dry food out for it. Clyde thought this was wonderful, he had inside and outside food now! A few days later a tiny, pitch black kitten arrived with ‘Mini-Me’, so, more food went out. I began to feel a little nervous, how many cats would I finally be feeding?? And, more to the point, what would Rob say??