Christmouse (without the mouse)

That thing happened; the thing which humans call Christmouse. I got the first whiff of it when a tree appeared in our house! I couldn’t believe it. Then all these nice smells started coming from cupboards and the humans seemed very busy doing this or that – sometimes they were late giving me my dinner. The last part of this puzzle came to a head when Katty hung these strange things up on the door and I realised Christmouse had come and this kind human called Santa Paws was going to bring me some food in the night. Well I couldn’t sleep for a few minutes but then tiredness got the better of me and I awoke on Christmouse Day. Christmouse made up for this human slacking as I got all these nice treats and they gave me ham, turkey (which I haven’t had for ages), CATNIP (yum yum). Though the only thing that was slightly purr-plexing for me was there was no mouse. Anyhow that scrummy food… its making my mouth water as I write about it… got rid of my mystification as afterwards I was so full I fell asleep. I have put up my pictures of mine and Morgan’s stocking (can you work out whose is whose?) and then me eating my Christmouse dinner (ham).

The Tail of the Rat Catcher

I’ve been bursting to tell you this all week now. You never guess what I caught… a rat! It was so big but I caught it and killed it and took it home with me to prove it. I even wanted to put a picture of it on here so you would see it but Katty said no (I think she thought that you would be jealous). You should have seen their faces when I brought it through the flap and presented it on the floor – they were speechless. I sat next to its body pride radiating from my face. After a moment of silence they started squealing in delight. I soaked in the glory for a few seconds before heading off to the front room to tell Dad leaving the commotion behind me. Dad was ogling the crinkly paper so I went and lay on it upside down to bask in my glory and received an admiring tickle. When I had absorbed all the praise I could I waltzed in the kitchen and saw my prize gone. I’m sure they put it in my memory box to treasure for years to come.

Also this week I have been getting a sniff of the Christmouse. I have a suspicion that it is coming again. Not only have I been having lots and lots of catnip EVERY DAY (an Advent calendar?), the Christmouse paper has been out for me to play with and then they have put sparkly string (which they call tinsel) everywhere for me to chew. I have been watching all my humans very closely and there is certainly something going on. I’ll keep you posted.

A Dog's Dinner

Do I look like a dog? Last time I looked at my beautiful face and soft fur in the mirror (I love looking at myself in the mirror and purr very loudly when I do) I didn’t, so why did I end up eating dog food? Well it tasted good and it reminded me of my kittenhood when I was accidentally fed dog food then too. Scooby had scoffed all the cat food and so seeing my famished face staring pitifully at the empty bowl Dad gave us some out the garage. Unfortunately he didn’t look at the picture (of the dog) on the front so he put it in my bowl. It was only when Katty came home that she saw dog food in the bowl I was eating that the truth was discovered. I look bewildered as she took it from under my nose
Hey, I was eating that!
But then my nose told me something better was going to be placed before me so, instead of waiting I jumped on the cupboard and follow my nose until I found the smell
Hurry up, I’m hungry
And ate out the pouch she was putting out – I prefer eating out the pouch it gets in your stomach quicker! I think I prefer the pouch to dog food any day.

Things that go bang in the dark

Something’s happening out there that’s getting me all scared. Scooby isn’t worried, he got all upset about it on Saturday but the novelty’s worn off for him and he’s gone back to sleep. It’s the bangs that keep happening – big loud noises they are and they go on and on and on until late, stop for a while and then start all over again. I worry now when it gets dark and have spent the evening sitting on my new chair in the kitchen not being able to settle wondering what is going to follow. Katty said tonight I wouldn’t have to worry about them but they have come back. Why did she say that? The humans don’t seem very concerned – though they often seem to have hearing defects so that’s probably why. I hope it stops soon; I crave the night time hunting that I like to do and I want to be able to go to sleep without not being able to completely relax. There's some phoney bird sounds coming out of that box on the cupboard which are supposed to help me relax they say but there is only 1 way I can relax and that's if the bangs stop.

V-E-Ts and egg in my face

If anyone has had such an awful week it is me and I need to get it off my chest before I take it out on my brother. It was going ok until two days ago when I started smelling a rat. Not a real rat of course because if it had been Morgan would have caught it but a rat in the form of a locked cat flap. From that moment I tried to open it I knew I was doomed. I ran around the house from front door to window trying to escape knowing what was coming next. It didn't take long before the cage appeared. I tried to fight my way out of the clutches of human hands until I got thrown into the cage and I admitted my defeat. I cannot tell you what happened next, it makes me shiver now. THAT word that they use to describe that scary place... V-E-T. I survived the experience but how I don't know, it must have been down to bravery on my part - smelling all those foreign smells and seeing those dogs. It's enough to give me nightmares. That was two days ago now and I thought yesterday would be better. No such luck. It was really noisy last night it was banging away outside really loud. It worried Morgan as well. For once he got to bed on time with no fuss - he was in bed before me! That's never happened before from what I can remember. But that was after the disaster at teatime. Hold your breath... they gave me egg for my dinner. EGG! Yuk. Morgan eats it but they forget that I don't. I hate it. Detest it in fact. I tell them every week I don't like it but they still give it to me. I circled round the table twice and then showed them what it smelt like by pretending to bury it like I do my poo and then tucked in because it was that or nothing and my stomach was complaining that I had not eaten for an hour. I felt very hard done to and thought my last few days were the worst a cat has ever had. I hope it gets better or I might just stay in hibernation.

Morgan's miffed

It's not been a very good week for us. Scooby's refusing to talk to anyone (except at meal times) and I have done my fair share of moaning. Our friends have disappeared so it is no more chicken for us in the morning. I keep going everyday lots and lots to see if the have reappeared but they have not and as every day goes by I am getting more and more despondant. I can't understand why the have left us and if they had to go why didn't don't they come back every morning to give us our chicken? We are so hard done to. After I get up early to see if they have come back I go and stand by their door and meow and meow at the same volume I have to do in the morning so Katty wakes up so it is very loud and still that isn't waking them. Scooby had taken it badly and gone into almost permanant hibernation until they come back and I don't blame him. The humans tell me they have gone on holiday well I want them to come back!

Animal Welfare Week

As Animal Welfare Week draws to an end I look over how I have been spoiling myself and looking after my welfare. I stayed out all day all week catching 2 mice each day instead of 1, I nabbed Scooby's chicken one day and got lots of treats, thinking about it though I do all those things anyway!

Hibernating

You perhaps wonder why I we haven’t posted for awhile; the fact is that I have been hibernating. As soon as it got cold I decided to hibernate (a word told to me only hours before). The philosophy of hibernating fits me perfectly: sleeping throughout the winter non-stop. Morgan tried hibernating but after 6 hours wanted to go out again. I am successful at it though I get up sporadically to refuel to keep myself warmer.

Scooby Save's the Day

Katty says I have to be truthful when I write this blog – well the title is truthful, I am a hero just inadvertently. I bet you were expecting a story of immense bravery perhaps me saving a mouse Morgan was molesting or me getting in through the cat flap, getting the key and faithfully bringing them to the front to the locked out humans. I could conjure up a story but no, she said I had to tell the TRUTH. So here is THE TRUTH. A couple of nights ago around 8pm I was frolicking about by the side of the house hypnotised by the night aroma that seems to make me hyperactive (it has a deeper affect on Morgan, you get him frog-jumping on the grass but that is another story). Suddenly a loud noise made me jump and I ran out by the side to Dad who was puffing smoke into the air as he does at night (it affects him too).
“What you up to Scooby?” He spoke after a moment quite loudly as he does (it nearly bursts my eardrum his voice does!).
I purred “It wasn’t me” and this time it really wasn’t.
We put the incident behind us and I barely thought about it all night and through the next day; it faded into insignificance. The next day passed in a blur of sleep, food and endless meanders in the garden until early evening when Katty came up to me as I was sleeping soundly in my room.
“Scooby” she whispered as she entered my room, I felt the rush of warm air as she came towards me, paired with her smell; “you’re a hero.”
Tell me something I don’t know.
It transpired (she also tells me some humans are very busy so not to go on about insignificant details) that the loud noise that scared me the other night was actually some naughty human trying to get in some other humans house and territory. By bounding up to Dad and Dad speaking to me in his loud voice scared the bad humans away! I was very proud of my role in the stopping of this break-in however I also have sympathy for the naughty humans because whenever I try and walk in people’s houses they always stop me too (except for a few nice people) when I only want a sniff around. Saying that however when Boss from down the road tries to sit on MY garden it gets me angry so I understand both sides.
Below is a picture of me basking in my HERO status, also just in case you forgot what I looked like!

Keeping 'em sweet

There is nothing like getting toady to a human. They think you love them – well perhaps I do a bit – but it serves the cat no end to keep them sweet. In return for your ‘affection’ you get meals-on-demand, tickling-on-demand, treats, a warm bed… the list is endless. They call it manipulation. I call it Feline Sense.

"It wasn't me"

That’s what I said the morning this week that the empty (all except one) bag of catnip was discovered on the carpet by her door. Strictly this is true because it was Morgan that ‘accidentally’ knocked it off onto the floor and then tore it apart, I just helped him clean it up. However Katty looked like she needed some purr-suasion. I don’t know why but there is something in this house that means whenever anything happens they all look at me. It’s not my fault that a lot of things gets broken when I’m around when I don’t actually do anything. For example, once when I was sitting minding my own business on the windowsill I happened on walking to the other end to get a better view of the dog sauntering up the road. Just then for no reason the vase fell off the sill fell onto the coffee table and rolled onto the floor. The good news was the vase was ok, nevertheless the humans made a big fuss that the glass on the coffee table had broken into a thousand pieces. Trust them to find something wrong with everything. I was blamed for that and though was not scolded I didn’t appreciate my name being dragged through the dirt. Talk about clumsy, the vase took another tumbling only months later and unfortunately didn’t survive. By chance I was there when that happened too! Not only do I get blamed when things fall, when teeth marks were found in a raw chicken I was blamed for that too. Well perhaps I had investigated it a little too closely but Morgan could have snuck in, imprinted his teeth marks and snuck out again but they didn’t even think about this. So fast-forward to me looking at Katty looking at the empty packet of catnip on the floor.
“Seeing as you’ve eaten all those, the pair of you, you won’t need anymore treats for a month.”
That prophecy lasted for all of a day.

Ruby Alert

Like it always does it caught me completely off my usual status of guard cat. I was asleep on Sunday dreaming I was in the Land of Catnip (catnip grass, catnip bowls, even catnip Katty) and suddenly I heard a bark – was it my imagination? No it was real and what’s more it sounded like a Ruby bark. I considered removing myself from the warm duvet but I was still half asleep. I heard the front door open and muffled voices downstairs then the smell of Ruby drifted to my nose. I yawned and went back to sleep; it was time for Ruby Alert. Ruby Alert is quite sporadic in our house and comes into play three or four times a year. I didn’t have to do anything as such (thank goodness) just not venture downstairs for about 6 hours. I refuse to be inconvenienced though and add those six hours to my naptime though Morgan can get pretty upset with it (he once got so fed up he did the unthinkable and braved the downstairs for the speediest exit I’ve ever heard, even quicker than when the carrier appears). It is a bit annoying if I want an immediate cuddle or instant nourishment and also I get upset because I don’t like performing in front of Morgan but apart from that it’s Morgan who has the problem. Who is Ruby you are probably asking? Ruby is a dog. I am not 100% sure why they sometimes invite a dog to our house but I understand that they like her a lot and also her and her guardian-friends are somehow related to them. Anyway, when Ruby comes we are confined to the bedroom with the window open (leading onto pitched roof which we can climb down to on the garden). Though we do go in the garden it can be quite traumatic walking past a window and getting barked at so I usually stay in the sanctuary of my bedroom. If I do feel like a wander, like I did this weekend, my second home comes into good use.
You perhaps wonder why I do not mingle with Ruby. Personally I am not a doggy cat myself. I have never felt the urge to keep a dog as a pet as I have enough trouble with keeping the humans. Also dogs have loud barks that are disturbing and they answer you back Morgan has told me (unlike humans who are so easy to train). They like to appear big and scary but I know I could have one under my thumb in days. However I will give dogs (and Ruby) credit where it’s due, they are more intelligent than humans as they have more advanced smell and hearing than the simple human.

Feline makes a beeline

For us this week has been quite mundane. Apart from being sick on the kitchen floor, Morgan has been strangely normal (I think he is contemplating his next move) and the biggest change for me is that I have now relocated myself onto Katty’s bed at night (well, until it gets a bit uncomfortable half an hour later). The best part of my week was when I had cottage cheese and chicken for dinner, the worst part was when I was run after by a small noisy human, quite the opposite of what is usually around me. I flead to my neighbours house for fuss, food and a refuge until the little human had gone away before coming home sometime later when they had gone. Of course I got a big cuddle and a few treats and the trauma didn’t last too long after that. The photo shows yours truly cuddling his human.

Imagining things is sometimes not enough, so I got myself videoed with my new toy to show you how much I really love it. Enjoy!

Life in the long grass

After last week’s ‘drama’, I’ve been told to keep my feet on the ground. So since it has been hot and lovely I’ve done my fair share of sprawling around outside. I have a number of favourite places to sleep depending on the position of the sun (I spend my morning in one place and as the sunshine leaves and moves to another and go with it). However, when I’m not sleeping I hunt and the best place to do this is in my long grass. I feel like a proper prowler stalking through the grass. I especially like it when Scooby or even a human sits oblivious that they have become my prey and I can hunt them and jump on them. They jump in the air when I leap onto them and I run off. I find this quite amusing. When no-one is there and just sit in the grass and watch out for the slightest movement or listen to the sounds that are around. The long grass makes me feel wild and free… just like I am.

It could only of happened to Morgan

I kept telling them but they wouldn’t listen “if you want Morgan, he’s on the roof.” They were getting agitated and worried continually shouting his name but they wouldn’t pay attention. I heard him a few hours earlier than they spotted him. I was sunbathing on the grass outside and I heard his pitiful meow. I looked everywhere for him and then as I climbed the tree the sound got nearer and there he was standing on top of our next-door-neighbours roof looking rather worried. Me: “What you doing up there?” Morgan: “I’m stuck” Me: “Oh dear…” Being me, I went indoors to the ignorant humans. They were concerned as his morning milk lay next to his tea both untouched (I had eaten his dinner), and frequently went out and shouted, however no matter how hard I tried to demonstrate Morgan’s unfortunate predicament those unintelligent humans passed my behaviour over as mere apprehension. It was late in the evening when it was announced they were going to do a sweep of the local area before bed. I went with them trying to convey that the he was under their nose (or above their heads as the case was). Shouting his name they started up the street only to be met with a feint reply from the heavens. “There he is!” it was declared triumphantly; I rolled my eyes and ran up the tree to observe Morgan’s state more closely. I couldn’t reach him I decided so I kept a watch as the situation unfolded. What happened next I can only describe as a ‘major procedure’ involving one scared cat, four humans, a carrier and a very tall ladder. Mum went up the ladder and after a failed attempt to bring Morgan down in her arms it was decided that the carrier was the only option. Morgan didn’t like that; as you know his relationship with the carrier isn’t a good one. After a struggle with 2 humans (mum and the next-door-neighbour) they finally got him down (cheered on by 2 more humans on the ground). They took him inside and I followed. Morgan sheepishly emerged from the carrier and went in the kitchen for his milk, tea and an extra bowl of milk for his troubles. I was banished from there half way through his first meal for ‘putting Morgan off his food’ (really I tried to help him eat it), so I wearily sauntered off to bed but not before I was given some treats for my part in the rescue operation. As sleep beckoned and I dozed on and off the family eventually came to bed. Last thing before I finally drifted off a comfortable, albeit exhausted Morgan curled up contently on a duvet with his paw in the hand of a sleeping Katty. I can guarantee the one thought that stuck in my head throughout his ordeal: it could of only happened to Morgan.

Morgan muses: ...and cats might fly!

Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain! All its been doing is raining! If you replace the 7 rains with sleeps you would see what I have been doing all week, Scooby too. How are we meant to have fun and get up to no good with all this rain? You can only jump on the humans sodden once before they see you coming! So I thought I would tell you of something that happened 2 years ago that I remember to entertain you. Unlike now it wasn’t raining then but I was inside… well outside funnily enough but not properly outside I was on the sill of a bedroom window. I was just gazing out into the garden when I heard footsteps behind me. I recognized them as Katty’s and smelt her as she came nearer. She spoke softly to me telling me she was curious where I was because I was quiet (I’m not usually quiet you see) and I tried to turn to see her. But then I realised I couldn’t. I couldn’t turn round. I panicked. My heart beat a million times. I struggled to keep my balance but the sill was slippy. No matter how hard I dug my claws they wouldn’t go. And then I was gone. It was a strange sensation I must say, was flying. I heard screams from above and though the drop lasted less then a minute I felt it was forever. It shook me up. I landed amongst the plants and I shook myself. A moment to find myself followed until the humans – all 4 of them – came running out shouting my name. I felt so embarrassed. “I meant to do that, honest” I purred, pretending that I meant to have flown down in some sort of extravagant finale. They looked me over twice, I got kissed and kissed (Yuk!) and then all sorts of goodies flowed my way: milk, catnip and later, fish. I think they believed me, you know.

My 3rd birthday tail

Yesterday was my 3rd birthday. Can you believe I’m 3 already? We didn’t do anything special in the morning. I had my breakfast and came downstairs but after I had been to collect my chicken from my friends I came back and had a nap – I was already exhausted! A commotion downstairs woke me suddenly. Nosily, I ran downstairs and was met by Morgan, a mouse and a mad Katty. The Mad Katty managed to get Morgan away from the mouse and Morgan wasn’t very happy. I tried to placate Morgan;
‘thank you Morgan, it was very kind that you remembered my birthday. Don’t worry about the present, it’s the thought that counts’ I purred.
He wasn’t in the mood to be pacified and spat at me. I suppose it is a let down when he’d gone to all the trouble to get me something as well…
The weather was nice to me on my birthday anyway. I spent awhile outside and drifted wherever my smell took me. I enjoyed wandering and my smell took me back home where I was greeted to a celebratory dinner of prawns and cheese – only the best for my birthday obviously – but then it got really strange. I went to look out my window in the front room and there were four people there and they all started caterwauling at me. It scared me a lot. I can put up with Katty caterwauling me – terrible clatter but bearable, however the attention of not one but 4 caterwauling humans shocked me and they were also looking at me. I ran out the room in shock and didn’t wait to see what the burning sticks were going to do after. I had seen enough.
So here I am, the morning after the night before recounting my tail to you. I posed with my cake to please the camera and show that I am, at 3, even more experienced than I was two days ago, aged 2.

Was it something I did?

I don’t know what I did. I hadn't scratched, I hadn't bitten, I hadn't hissed, what did I do to deserve such a nightmare? I went to the… I hate the word so much… vet. It was horrible. I knew once they shut me in I was done for and when they got The Cage out I panicked. I hate The Cage. I loathe it. When it comes out and a hand comes to shove me in it I know I’m in for bad disaster but it was too late. I tried to get away I did; behind the curtain, under the chair I ran about the house looking for security but I couldn’t find any – they had even closed the windows so I couldn’t get through one of those. I racked my brains. I fought a bitter battle with them. The best way to resist I have learnt is the ‘star trick.’ Put all your four legs out as wide as possible so in no way can they get you in The Cage. I shriek and growl and whine too. But none of these worked this time, they nearly did, but not quite. I’ll have try even harder next time. At the…. vets…I quieten down. This upsets them, you can see it in their eyes “poor Morgan” they think, but not the vet. She’s a ruthless person, completely callous she is. The humans don’t think so though. They aren’t scared. They can’t smell the fear in the place like I can. They talk to her like they should treat me, like she’s some sort of idol, hanging on to every word she says. I listen too though; fearfully. I can’t wait to get in The Cage again. They put it down and I can’t get in quick enough. I breathe a sigh of relief when they take me back in the car and I arrive home. Home sweet home. They release the door and I slowly edge out in case, just in case, they have more in store for me (you never know with these humans). I go to the window and stare out. A while ago I was innocently one of those cats strolling around boldly but now I sat recounting my terror coyly. Then I smelt it? That heavenly scent. It got nearer and nearer and before I had a chance to respond a bowl of fish was plaiced in front of me. For me? All I can say was it was well deserved, just like the kiss that was put softly on my head moments afterwards, but it was from I am not sure, I was too busy eating.

Bedtime Wars: 'Friends' At Last?

My message must have worked on Scooby, the next time I went upstairs he was curled on his own side leaving my side Scooby-smell free. Though he gave me the dirtiest look a cat can give and glared at me, he just sighed and perched his chin back on his leg (I’ll translate that: “I don’t like you anymore than I did before but am too tired to argue. You keep out of my place and I’ll keep out of yours.”). The next night I was late in and after I summoned the humans at 12.30am (they don’t half take a long time to wake up) to let me out the kitchen I was able to slip softly into my snug bed and fall asleep, no worries.

The all-you-can-eat holiday

The reason I haven’t written for the past few days is that I have been recovering emotionally since we were taken to a ‘cattery’ (as the humans call it). Apparently it was a holiday; well the warning signs were there – the suitcases, which for a moment I though were a new bed. Then when the baskets came out it stirred my memory and I hid. But those humans got me anyway and took me and Morgan to the ‘cattery.’ Full of unknown smells it was bewildering but I was put in a room with Morgan and from then on we comforted one another. It’s quite funny really because we are always tearing each others fur out at home, but in difficult circumstances the strangest friends are forged. The space was limited and we could hardly go out anyway because it was raining so much, trust them to take us to the wrong place. I slept for most of the day with Morgan; well not with Morgan really because when I tried to sit next to him he got up and moved a paw-length away. This black cloud of a few days did have a very silver lining though – I had double helpings of food! Morgan appeared off his grub so I helped him out with it. Purr about an all-you-can-eat holiday; I loved it. Towards the end of our time there it got even better because Morgan’s appetite lessened (i.e. he didn’t fight me when pushed my nose in his bowl). Unfortunately now we are back Morgan has started eating properly and they make sure I don’t eat his food which I find a bit unfair. Would I go to the ‘cattery’ again? Well only if I had too and as long as I was sharing with Morgan.

On Holiday!

Morgan and Scooby are on holiday this week, but they'll be back next week ready to tell you all about it...

Bedtime Wars: Scooby's story

When I read Morgan’s entry, it really upset me for a moment. I didn’t set out to hurt him; in fact, I didn’t think of him at all, I just wanted a change of scenery. I walked into my bedroom and jumped in my usual space, sniffed around, ate my treats and sat down. Then I decided sometimes you need a change of scenery and anyway, my side of the sofa bed wasn’t warm but the other side was so I moved across. Morgan sits in lots of different places: sometimes his kennel, sometimes the floor, and occasionally the sofa bed. After I read the entry, I thought about it for a minute remembered all the times he had taken things of mine: my mice, my food, my milk, but then I fell asleep. Waking up hours later I realised I forgot what I was thinking about and only later did I remember the problem and by this time it was bedtime so I again retreated to my new pad and decided to sleep on the issue some more. Only this time there wasn’t an issue because Morgan didn’t come in at bedtime. Nor did he the next night, or the next – in a strange way I rather missed him. Funny that; at the same time Morgan stopped coming in at night, sleeping on his side didn’t have the same attraction anymore. It suddenly became colder and more uncomfortable. Therefore, as of two nights ago I reverted to my old, cosy side. It’s somewhat nicer there anyway. Morgan can have the worser side if he wants too with pleasure.
I don’t like the things he said about me still especially about my smell. He calls it a ‘whiff,’ I call it an enchanting musk and there is absolutely nothing wrong with my fleas.

Bedtime Wars: Morgan's Story

I am not happy chappy; Scooby has taken my place on the sofa bed at bedtime and replaced my aroma with his whiff. Now whenever I go up to bed and sit down on there its just not the same anymore and Scooby soon comes along and sits so close to me and roars at me I have to get off. You might say I have my kennel but I do not want to sleep there I want to sleep in MY bit of the bed. It was all right until a week ago when I got upstairs tired and yearning for my bed just to see him curled up on it. It gobsmacked me (and I am not easily gobsmacked). I glared at him but he just closed his eyes innocently. He has his blanket on the other side that is covered with his fur and fleas but now my side is covered with them too. I have slept on the floor for so many nights now like a meagre alley cat and my unhappiness is growing. In my time, I have put up with so many things but stealing my pad goes beyond the pale. It is something I expect from a human, not one of my own kind. GET OFF MY BED SCOOBY!!! GRRR...

What does Scooby have to say in his defence? Find out next week!!

All in a days scratch

This week has been miserable because all it has done is rained so being me I decided to explore the house because its funny how new things pop up that you don’t notice and you’ll never guess what I found. A kind of luxury tree had created itself right in our garage! What’s the chance of that? When they saw us on it they moved it to the front room and so now me and Scooby (obviously taking the following from my brilliant idea) have a tree to play on - inside! When we play fight its brilliant because we can hide behind it and then I can jump out from behind! Apparently I got it for my birthday – well why didn’t they tell me before?

Max's story: part 2

This is the 2nd part of Max's Story which I think, on a website about her son's, needs to be told. Next week the boys will be back with their moans, groans, thoughts and diary.
...continued
Shortly afterwards, Max got pregnant but that did not seem to faze her for a moment. She took her pregnancy in her stride. It’s funny; I guessed she was having 6 kittens, probably through the knowledge that Max never did things by halves. Her condition never stopped her for a moment she still hunted frequently, if not more often, and brought us back her catches. She searched for somewhere to have her kittens, you could tell as she poked her nose in all the crevices that she was searching for the perfect place. She came up with a small locker located in quite a busy part of the house but that was Max inside out – a trusting soul perhaps too much so. On Good Friday (Max had a thing for Friday’s especially when it came to bearing kittens) Morgan was born a month early alongside his 5 siblings who sadly did not make it. Some people said Max was a bad mother, this an unfounded claim as all the babies were very weak at birth and thus the odds of their survival in any conditions would have been low. In fact Max should be a celebrated mum for even though her bond with the surviving kitten, Morgan, was not strong she later developed a very strong, if not sometimes amusing, bond with her only son and though used to leave him for periods of time he was left in good faith that he was protected. Her premature labour was put down by the vet to a virus.
Time passed and Morgan grew and it became apparent soon enough that so would Max’s tummy. The rights or wrongs of Max being again pregnant slipped into the background as once again she bloomed beautifully and began searching for her nest. We helped her decide the best place for her to give birth and Morgan left. The 16th July 2004 arrived and so did six healthy kittens. That morning Max jumped on my bed ‘telling’ me they were on the way. She nursed and nurtured them through their kittenhood, the proud mother she was. Her own health though was at times poor and after 5 of her kittens had left to make their own way in the world she was quickly spayed. Scooby stayed behind to keep his mum company. I truly believed in my heart, at this point, that it was like a new beginning for her. She quickly gained weight (she had been unhealthily thin before) and looked stunning. She became lively and we became closer. Towards the end was the time we really got to know what Max was like instead of what she was like as a mother. She was so funny and affectionate, her bright eyes glowed and she lived for herself, for the moment. To say she was a ‘normal’ cat, I feel is selling her short. She wasn’t. She had her own personality, her own mind and she was beautiful. People often comment how all cats look the same. This could not be further from the truth. Scooby, for example, has all the same markings as Max but you can look at his face and know he is not. Max somehow looked older than Scooby, even when they were the same size; there was something that you couldn’t put your finger on that distinguished them.
Slipping into May, Max took her place every night in the room I shared with Kim. Sometimes she would summon me in the early hours of the morning to let her go out. It became a nightly routine except that night when she wanted to leave just before I went to bed. Dutifully I let her and how I wish that she had stayed. For that finishes her story and I return to where I started; two years one week ago, sitting next to my darling’s shell in a bright porch on a sunny day in May. Except she was not my darling anymore, she was my angel up in heaven with Minnie and her babies.
I never wanted this to be a sad entry; there is enough sadness in this world as it is. I wanted to celebrate her full, special, albeit short, life and to make sure she is remembered in the way she deserves. Some beings leave this life in such a way that no matter how long they are gone, they are never forgotten. I want to make sure Max is one of those because, as did her babies and Minnie, they left paw prints on mine, and many other people’s heart.

Like before, if anyone who knew Max has memories of her, I would love to hear them. Please leave them below in the "comment" bit. Otherwise feel free if you just want to say something also to use the "comment" bit :-)

Max's Day: Part 1

A celebration of the life of our Max

Two years ago today Max had her car accident. I am not going to bleat on about the unfairness of it all even though she was only a month off her 2nd birthday, nor even tell you of the words I spoke when I sat next to her empty shell at noon on that sunny day which seems to long ago now. I will tell you though of the bouncy kitten that had made her home with us less than two years before. Also of her kitten hood friend Minnie who used to frolic with her that summer. They came before they had their injections so they could not go out for the first few weeks though there was plenty of people to care and play with them. They were treated like the tiny kittens they were, and allowed themselves to be picked up like human babies and cradled in blankets. They enjoyed running around and even managed to get themselves inside the sofas. After their injections they were allowed in the big world. Running up and down the trees and playing on the grass, they were making the most out of their innocence – a sight that many humans find alluring. It is indeed strange how in the depths of despondency ones so small can touch your heart and somehow makes everything appear not so futile, but Max and Minnie were that to me – just like Morgan and Scooby now – and many people at the house. As they got bigger their independence grew and so did their taste for adventure. I recall a particular time I was staring out a window and saw Max discover a hole in the bottom of a fence, straight away after discovering it she ran back. I imagined Max running excitedly to her playmate; “Look what I have found Minnie, a hole! Come and see with me!” Less than a minute later the two appeared again to uncover the mysterious that lay beyond. Right up to Minnie’s death that February, they were best of friends. Indeed Max had to be placated that evening as she appeared anxious of her companion’s absence though, as animals seem to be renowned for, adapted quickly to this change. Not saying that Minnie was forgotten however his death seemed to somehow mark the end of her kitten-hood and her descent into what nature had instore for her and beyond.

To continue next week... in the meantime if anyone who knew Max has any memories of her, or Minnie, please leave a 'comment' - we would love to hear them!!

Prowler on the Block

I've put Scooby on lookout whilst I patrol the grounds. The unthinkable has happened - a new cat has appeared and is coming onto my territory. I've been so busy fretting I haven't had time to post this week. I am sick with worry. The culprit is orange and mangey looking, not a patch on my fresh looks. He keeps looking over our way and he's edging in. I have spat at him and hissed at him and it doesn't seem to be putting him of. I could smell his scent yesterday. I didn't put Scooby on patrol because he's too soft, it takes a man to sort this out and no mere 2-year-old can possibly do it. I think I have it under control. We'll have to keep our paws crossed that he doesn't come back.

Are you waiting for something Scooby?

The morning after the night before...

What can I say? It’s 3 in the afternoon and I have just got up from my 6-hour nap. I am still sleepy but food beckons my empty stomach. I got inside in the early hours of the morning (I think I was sternly muttered to that it was 1am when I summoned my humans to let me out of the kitchen and upstairs into my bedroom) after being out on the prowl all night. I had so much fun but now I’m receiving the consequences of my night-time expedition. I feel like I’ve been drugged up to my eyeballs with catnip and after my temporary ‘high’ have reached a new low of fatigue and hunger. Oh well, I can quickly cure the hunger pains…
Would I do it again tonight?
It’s a date.

Scooby's Egg-celent Feast

I had a golden Easter egg that I saw sitting there,
And to leave it on its own I just couldn't bear,
It had the most scrumptious smell that I just couldn’t resist,
So I knocked it off the table and thought ‘I’ll get my claws in this’
It was hard to tear the foil off but it was a job well done
For now the whole things sitting in the bottom of my tum!!

Happy Birthday to me - Morgan is 3!!

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear Morgan, happy birthday to me… it’s my birthday!! I’m 3 today (20 in my years)! I’ve got lots of nice presents and lots of yucky kisses (its so embarrassing when I'm kissed I'm not a kitten anymore)! 3 years ago today a very special boy was born… me! I was made a nice cake and we had a little party but I missed most of it because I was outside celebrating in my own way. I got a mouse this morning for me to celebrate with. I also got this big aerobic gym though I haven’t been on it yet I have been too busy munching all the nice fish down. It’s my favourite (the fish I mean!). Also I got lots of catnip – yum, yum and Scooby is having none of it! I had a birthday nap and a birthday clean, not to mention a birthday lick… wait a moment, whats that… it sounds like a - mouse… Scooby’s got a mouse! Scooby has a mouse! Got to go. This birthday is just getting interesting! Have to get there before Katty spoils it…

Does Morgan know something we don't?

Spring has sprung

At long last the sun has come into our garden. Morgan was the first to jump out of his bed and run outside and I followed reluctantly – although I like the sun very much the rain always seems to fall the moment I get outside. I love spring – lots of flowers to sniff, more birds appear and such a mixture of smells but all lovely. There is more movement from Billy, Mikey and Elly and lots of visitors have come to our pond looking so attractive to play with (frogs they are called). I could sit watching them for hours. At the moment, Morgan is running up the tree and disappears for hours somewhere (even I don't know where he goes). I make regular trips to my friend’s house for fuss and food. Only a while to go now until summer is in full swing with the heat and long catnaps in the sun. The days seem to last longer so I have adjusted my naps time and awake time accordingly – now I have longer sleeping and longer playing but in that case I should have more food as logic goes but I’m not so I don’t like that. Morgan gets the same problem but he supplements it with having more mice – AND he won’t share. How cattish is that?

A Mothering Sunday message to our mum

To Mum,
Hello mummy, we haven’t spoken in a while. Look at us! Are you proud of us? We are! We were nothing like this when you last saw us – just as gorgeous perhaps but not as big or as grown-up. You’ve made us like this mum – we’re just like you – especially me! We still remember you though we couldn’t forget. Morgan and me have agreed (on the rare occasions we do) that some of our best moments were curled up with you in our basket nuzzling you. Morgan giggles as he remembers still trying to nuzzle you when you were pregnant with me and my brothers and sisters you weren’t half angry he says but agrees he was pushing his luck a bit. So what you doing mum? Still hunting in the great cat land in the sky, or are you tenderly looking after your lost babies just like you wanted to when they were born? You were a great mum – well you must have been to have spawn offspring like us. You should see the things Morgan catches – he’s doing it for you too… and for me. I sleep like you instead mum, Morgan’s more the hunter. And you should see how much we eat. It would be too much for even you. But we’re big boys now – was our dad big because we know we didn’t get it from you. You were tiny and delicate and when I was little I kept jumping on you and you told me off is it because one day you knew I would be too big to jump on you and I’d hurt you?
We’re still sad you had to go mum and we still miss you though we treasure it when you occasionally visit us from the other side – can’t you stay a bit longer though? Me and Morgan would do anything for a last cuddle – we have to make do with the humans and you know how useless they are.
This Mothering Sunday mum, we bought you a bowl. Do you like it? I know you were a great lover of food – you liked things like mice and birds and perhaps the odd squirrel but we were told no, we couldn't catch one in your memory so.a bowl it was to be. Now every time we eat out of it we’ll think of you and remember the life you bought to our old house. You gave us life too mum and without you we wouldn’t be here at all.
We love you mummy; Happy Mothering Sunday.
Lots of love and catnip,
Morgan and Scooby purr, purr, purr

Morgan's going up in the world

Do you like my new patch? I do I love it. I like being high up you see I feel powerful I don’t have to be on alert all the time. I came in one night and my kennel had moved – for the better. Of course I had that idea a long time before but nobody listened to me and now at last it’s moved Katty wants appreciation for it. Well she knows my viewpoint on appreciation (any cat that shows gratitude is not a cat). But about the kennel… my biggest complaint about it is that it takes so much effort getting up there you need a rest after, also the floor of it is a bit bumpy. Scooby doesn’t know what to make of it (but that’s not unusual). I do like it though. It’s so far up; I can’t even reach it standing on my hind legs. I love it and to make it sweeter, treats are in it every night waiting for me. After my recent disappointment (some senseless person concreted over my new toilet outside)… it’s the kind of thing to cheer you up. It gives you a big lift looking down on all those lowly mortals.

Waterloo

Some kind people are digging me a toilet outside. I watch them everyday from my window checking on its progress. I tried to use it yesterday but it’s not ready yet. Some unthoughtful human being has put a cold tunnel down the middle of it (I tried to see inside but I was unable to find the entrance and it seems to small for me after I ate all those pancakes) and I'm not going in the wet that has accumulated at the bottom (I've smelt it to make sure someone hasn't got there before me but it is rain water). Lucky for me they have put signs round it for people to not step in it and a sort of barrier, so only cats can enter.. That is good because I hate being disturbed when I’m relieving myself and all too often, when you’re doing it on grass or a garden people start shouting and waving at you (I know that I’m in demand but even handsome boys like me need a few moments on their own). I have to protect it though and guard it so Scooby doesn’t find it first and christen it before me. He shouldn’t do though because there is further ones up the street (just in case you can’t wait).
It appears that, at long last, the fight for animal rights is beginning to be successful and provisions for cats, especially me, is being made in our area.

I'm dreaming of a white carpet

You won’t believe this. A white carpet has appeared all down the street and on the road. It’s really cold to stand on and to be honest it’s not that fun to look at it… it’s too er, white. Yesterday I slept most of the day because the surprise overwhelmed me. Morgan says it’s called snow. I have a vague recollection of it but I must have repressed the memory because I didn’t like it much (or perhaps I slept through the whole thing). It sort of falls from the sky – just like Morgan did when he fell out the window – but it smells like rain really just colder. Anyway I have not had much fun the last few days because of this snow so it’s quite depressing. Morgan doesn’t like it either. I’ve seen him come through the cat flap all despondent and he’s sleeping more than usual (but not as much as me yet). The snow hasn’t stopped me completely though, I have to brave it when I go to my friend’s house, snow isn’t robbing me of my right to chicken.

Missing... and found!

Scooby gave us all a bit of a scare on Friday after he went missing. To understand why it was such an ordeal it's best if I tell you abit about Scooby's character. When I am at home he stays in most of the time sleeping. If he goes out he usually spends at the most of an hour out before coming back. he's in and out usually all day. Scooby never misses a meal. That is why at midday on Fridat without seeing Scooby since he went out in the morning I was a bit worried. Brushing aside my anxieties as over-protectiveness the hours passed and I did nothing. When my parents returned they were surprised of his absence but told me he had probably just found somewhere to sleep that was warm, perhaps his friends, Beryl and Alan's house. An hour later my mind couldn't rest so I went round to see if he was there. They hadn't seen him all day, which to them was surprising because he usually visited half a dozen times! I panicked. It wasn't like Scooby at all. Morgan too seemed worried in his own way. He wouldn't settle down and kept popping out.

We really started to panic when it got dark though. It was most unlike Scooby. We walked round the streets calling his name and again, at the sound of his name Scooby usually appears galloping across the grass anticipating a cuddle - or food. We decided that an explanation was he was accidentally shut in a garage so we, including Morgan, went to the neighbours asking if they had seen him (Morgan offered to look round their house - or was he just being nosy?) and politely asked for them to look in their sheds.

It was still early days, he had only been missing for 12 hours, but the bad thoughts sneak into your minds uninvited. Thankfully, when at the RSPCA, Scooby (as is Morgan) was microchipped. These microchips are tiny, like a grain of rice, and are painlessly placed under the animals skin with a unique number. When a cat or or other animal is admitted to an animal centre they are always scanned for a microchip whereby the details of the animals "owners" are placed on a database so if found can be contacted and reunited. It gave us some reassurance that if he had become disorientated or injured we could be identified as his family. This was one of the fears we had for him.

At 9 we went for a last trawl round the streets willing him to come out from wherever he was. We would never ever have given up on Scooby however we placated ourseleves with the fact there was little more we could do tonight to find him and faced a night without him.At 9.30 who should walk through the door but Scooby. I can say that I’ve never been so glad to see him before in my life. We are not sure what happened to him but presume he got shut somewhere, which does happen and we are not bitter towards the person who did it as we know well of the curiosity of cats and (unlike people) their delicate, if not sly, way of doing things. Ourselves have gone out to see Morgan's paw coming under the locked door of the garage. It was quite traumatic for everyone but I think it was for Scooby. He wouldn’t go out hardly yesterday and today - even less than usual. We don’t know what happened to him (and he's refusing to talk about it) but we are presuming that he got shut up somewhere.

Thanks to God that he is back, that's all we can say.

Part 2: Our holiday

...continued from last week
I am going to describe the room we stayed in. It was long and thin. We slept in a nicely made bed. I have never slept in a bed before, well not since I was small. We have beds, don’t think we don’t, but there is usually somewhere better to sleep especially when the humans warm up seats for us. Katty had bought my triangle for me (she gave the scratching post to Scooby), one home comfort that made all the difference. The lady who looked after us was calm and nice she had a sweet smell of cats on her and there was a calm atmosphere in the place. We had room service twice a day. I was a bit worried that we would miss out on our nightly treat of catnip but to my relief it came to us each night. I’m not a cat to hide my feelings and so I made it plain that I expected high quality service (Katty had left us here so it is ok to expect nothing less than the best, I am a Prince after all). Through the week I went through a washing machine of emotions... at first I was disorientated, then I was angry, then curious, bewildered, sad, hungry, full, relaxed, sleepy, angry, hungry again, anxious, sleepy, sleepy still, tired, peckish… Finally when I first saw Katty again I was a bit annoyed because she decided to come in when I was asleep but apart from that I was relieved to see her. I wanted to ask her lots of questions: why could I smell cat on her? Had she been cheating on me? But I didn’t have time because no sooner had I seen the door open she was smothering me with love and it was too close for my liking but for once I didn’t meow a sound and just put up with it (her sporadic exhibitions of love for me are quite embarrassing – you have to accept Katty, I’m not your baby anymore, I’m nearly 3 years old!). Out came The Cage and I thought ‘oh no where are you taking me this time?’ I tried to resist (that bought back memories) but I didn’t have a choice as I was pushed in there by not one, not two but three people. I was taken into the car and we drove back. Where were we going I thought? I was a bit worried but Katty was back and though I wouldn’t trust anyone or being with my life I know in my heart Katty would never intentionally scare me or hurt me. Call it cat’s intuition but when we parked I knew we were home. That familiar smell soon went up my nose and I knew I was home once more. As a cat I don’t look back in anger, in fact I don’t look back at all however I felt I learned a valuable lesson from my adventure: cats don’t like holidays and if you hear the word ‘cattery’ it’s best to run out the cat flap.

Part 1: Our Holiday by Morgan

Sorry we haven't posted recently. We were just getting over Christmas when the suitcases came out. Scooby was bemused but me being the cleverer one (obviously) knew what was going on straight away. They call it a holiday. I have a long memory of these holidays; Katty leaves us at home when she goes. It makes me sad and Katty always looks sad too. Apart from the suitcases there are ways to tell when a holiday is coming. Firstly we get spoilt. Katty gets guilty and I hear shouting. She tells us she loves us a lot... Scooby has just said she always tells us she loves us and though that’s true instead of telling us 5 times a day, she tells us 10. It’s a bad sign when she says that she would never ever let anything bad happen to us, that usually means that something is going to happen. She whispers it in my ear at the vet. The last sign is when the cat flap won't let you out. Usually in the morning its locked but it's not the morning it's the early evening. That’s when I panic. It happened last time when I went to the vet to get my scar and the time before to get prodded and poked at the vets so I think we are going to the vets but then Scooby isn’t allowed out either. We have never gone to the vets together before. Is this better or worse? I don’t know. I look at Scooby to see what he thinks but he’s never been a cat bowl of information it’s me who usually sniffs something being wrong first. I here the word cattery said again and again and I wonder if that has something to do with it.After a while The Cage comes out. This is bad news. The Cage emerges just before we go in the car usually. The Cage is my cue to hide. As I stand looking it disappears. In its place a body starts coming nearer to me. I don’t care whose it is. I leg it. Across the front room, behind the sofa, stop… take a breath, peep out from behind. No-one that way. I turn round and see a dark shadow. Out from behind the sofa, under some chairs. The chairs move and I run into the path of another person. That person, I don’t even look who it is, tries shoving me in the The Cage. Paws and legs outstretched they can’t get me in. I use my body to push up and wriggle as much as I can. They give up and put Scooby in there. Scooby’s not as much as a pro as me. He wriggles as well but it’s in vain. For obvious reasons, we only have one of The Cage. Scooby’s in that so I think I don’t have to worry but they try to get me in a cardboard box. I feel defeated – momentarily. The close the lid so I can’t jump up. There are little holes in the side big enough for me to put my paws through and see out and that gives me an idea… If I can’t get out the top I’ll have to get out the side. I’ll push my way out. Katty was absolutely gob smacked she told me later. Using the force of my body I ripped a nice Morgan sized hole in the side of it (I’m proud) and go and sit victoriously on the top of the stairs. No-one chases me, no-one calls my name. I lie purring. I hear the front door open and bangs shut as usual. The voices go and the car starts up. It’s a victory for Morgan… …I thought so anyway. Mum came back 10 minutes later for me. She threw me in the cage quicker than you could say “catnip.” Katty wasn’t with her. Has she taken her to the same place she’s taking me? We draw up at a house. No mention of vets just holidays. I was carried through in the open air but I could sniff the resident cats there. I was finally rested in a warm room. I could smell the previous cats who had been there but it wasn’t a smell of fear like at the vets, it was more of… food. Yes, it smelt of food and it was cosy and nice but it wasn’t home. Katty tried to tempt me with some food – ham, but I was too busy exploring. I could see Scooby next to me but a glass wall separated us. I was very inquisitive. It looked nice enough but what was it all about? I couldn’t understand. I looked at Katty for reason. She just looked sad. She whispered words to me but I didn’t want to hear she gave up and went next door to Scooby who had already (surprise, surprise) settled down in his bed. After a while mum spoke. Katty looked even sadder. It made me sad. Where was I? Why was I here? I had questions rushing through my head. I looked at the person who could perhaps answer them – Katty – but with little more than a goodbye she was already gone.

Where are they and what is a holiday? Find out next Thursday in Part 2 of my tail