One Wall

I've just been across to our 'new' house to check on progress and the painter has completed the wall in our front hall.  (Don't worry, most of the rest of the house will be pretty boring):

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The Cats at No 4

Curiosity will be satisfied.  Or satiated.  Or piqued. Or ...  well, possibly there is none.  Never mind, I will do my best.

First, this chap:

Ratty in bonnet

Our Ratty.  Remember when he was AWOL in January, and we thought we'd lost him to either the Great Poisoning or to a third 'neurological meltdown', and then he reappeared like a bad penny?  We think during his rambling, he picked up a fungal infection which has caused itching, welts, loss of fur gloss etc.  Actually he was quite poorly with it for a while.  Much expense, special food, nutritional supplements, anti-fungal drugs and ointment has been lavished on this street cat.  He responded well, was out of his bonnet for about a month, coat good, energy and spirit returned and then, (co-incidence?  is it all psychosomatic Ratty?) I went away and he re-lapsed.  So he is back wearing the bonnet and taking the expensive medicine and being made a fuss of.

Mdm Wolfe:

Divine, thanks.  Haven't yet succeeded in evicting that obnoxious Mr Macc, but I am persevering.  I broke a fang last week, which is annoying - not that its loss spoils my looks as you can hardly tell, but when I 'open wide' I don't look quite as fearsome with three-and-a-half fangs, as I did with the full set.  Shame.

Miss Ming &  Mr Macc

 We are both well, thank you for inquiring.  It is a little cooler these days so we are able to take the morning air on the balcony, which we enjoy immensely.  Sometimes we are invaded by young Ratty but he is mostly harmless.  Silly but harmless.  We will not speak of that other creature who is trying to take over our home. 

Of course, the others don't know that their world is about to be upended (they don't understand human-speak as well as we do, of course).  In the next week or so, cardboard boxes will be infiltrating the peace, accompanied by rolls of bubble wrap (what has happened to the wonderfully rippable and crunchy  tissue paper that packers once used?) and then lots of men in big boots.  Mother has organised an hotel for us for a few nights, not that that will compensate for the chaos and confusion, at all.  We have our territory delineated here.  Who knows what mischief that Wolfe will inflict on us in a new house?


I think that is enough cat talk for the time being.  There is much news from the street which I will save for another day.  


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They are all well ...

the 'upstairs cats' Macc & Ming

the luxury-loving 'downstairs cat' Ratty, formerly a street cat, if you would believe it

and the magnificent Miss Beowulf - Norse Woods - Doyle, in her favourite fruit bowl:  definitely a 'downstairs cat'

I wish I could say that peace reigns supreme and that the er, tensions between Mr Macc and Miss Wolfe were all distant memories, buried by the hatchet of time.  This is not the case.  Even while I was uploading these photos there was another chase, roaring and hair pulling incident:  very tiresome.

The survivors of the mass poisoning are thriving.  We have lost none of the street cats since January.  Tiny Tim has been sort-of adopted by next door and is flourishing on regular meals.  LG is the healthiest I've ever  known her, thanks to not having kittens I surmise, while Helmet (who should be 'Bonnet'), Scout and Skippy are also doing well. 

I must try to get a photo of Seams before she disgorges her current bus load of passengers as she looks quite funny - picture a double-decker on its side but not red and you have an idea of her shape.  If we could have her spayed we would stabilise our population because she is the mother -- the super-successful mother -- of almost all of the street cats.  She is very wily and skittish and I think, impossible to catch:  I have touched her once in the years I've known her.  I am sure it was a momentary aberration when distracted by food.


Here are some of them enjoying breakfast:

clockwise from the top:  Skippy, Tiny Tim and Black Tom

I know that I have been neglecting you all, and my blogs, for the last little while, which I apologise for.  Thanks for your continuing interest in our sagas.  As for me,  I think you can fill in the gaps ...  next week I go in for an experimental treatment which might help.

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Ming

Drawn with the mouse - which must be appropriate! 

For all of you who may have a need to procrastinate, Prima told me about this site called 'Scribbler' that turns one's doodles into ...  I was going to say 'Art' but I think 'scribbles' is more apt.  I would love to have a stylus and a tablet to experiment with as the  tethered mouse is awkward, to say the least. 

Thank you for all your good wishes during my absence.

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Georgie

Today the dog turns 13.  Is it mad to celebrate a dog's birthday?  A dog who lives on the other side of the world from you and who is 'not long for this world'?

Athletic!

(They are old photos).

January 2012

See, not just cats ...

The cats are all well and were delighted when we returned home.  Ratty did another walkabout last week, in celebration I suspect, of the full moon.  He was determined to come out for our evening walk with us then took off into the golf course.  He was AWOL for 36 hours, but when I came home from hospital on Thursday morning, he was in the back garden, lounging on one of the chairs.  He came bounding in, full of song when he heard my voice.

It has been a stressful few weeks, especially in London where I ended up visiting three professors, rather than my usual one.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to meet any of our fellow bloggers, next time perhaps?

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