Thursday 18 April 2013

Explosions

What can I say..... except that we send love and hugs to those who have been affected by the bombs in Boston and the explosion in West, Texas.  We are thinking of you.   xxxxx

Saturday 13 April 2013

Just Pray

My daughter in law is in hospital with pre eclampsia.  She is only 34 weeks on.  She's not been well with this pregnancy for a bit.  Looking it up on the internet, she has had the classic symptoms of PE.   The baby is very small (3lbs) and they think they might induce birth tomorrow...so the baby could be 'here' on Monday.   She and Son no 2 said they wanted me at the birth...so I am on tenterhoooks.  Can't wait to meet my newest, dearest grandaughter.

I am praying that Mum and Baby will be fine.  Please send them positive thoughts.

 

Thursday 11 April 2013

The Joys of Animal Ownership Part 5 - She's having me on!!

Darth Vader is still with us.   Yay!

Yes, her backside still has a mind of its own.... I spend time putting newspapers around the litter entrances, in case of 'misses'.    What does she do?  Misses  on purpose.   Yes, I am sure of it.  It's like she's saying "I'll bloody well make sure you remember me!'

Don't know what it is, but the mogs seem to be settling down at bedtime.    It's probably the cold weather and so the lure of a nice warm radiator/bed is much more tempting than a cold, windy cat run.  Keeping them fed and warm keeps ensures a peaceful...ish night.  Half a dozen mogs on your feet tends to stop blood flow!  lol.   Anyway...

The Joys of Animal Ownership Part 6 - Feline Matches in Our House.

Sunday 7 April 2013

The Joys of Animal Ownership Part 4 - Saying Goodbye

It sucks.

Little Darth Vader is not well at all.   She is so old. So thin....it goes with the 'territory' apparently.   She wheezes away..happily lounging on the window sill....above a hot radiator!...Bum warming is her favourite activity nowadays...and eating and crapping to excess.   She doesn't always wheeze,

Today, I noticed that she had some nose snot.  blood coloured.  Maybe that means that her nose nodules have bust a bit.  I dunno.  Don't want her to suffer but, equally, don't want to give up on her easily just because she is old.  She seems happy enough.  Being a semi-feral she has been a complete PAIN up the A.... when it comes to being a 'normal cat' re petting, flea treatment, worming, etc.  But, nowadays, she seems to want attention and...closeness,  She'll let me groom her now.  Wow!   She'll still do a sneaky on me and crap on the bedroom floor!  Ack!  Not a nice aroma at 4am!!!  The other mogs approach her and she trills....and they back off in respect.  You have to see it to believe it.

Still... I will blub when 'the time comes'...and it's not too far now.

Ow!

Heart broken, already.  That's why I spoil my Old Lady.

She crapped at 8pm tonight...so next one is?........

Bog roll at the ready...

The Joys of Animal Ownership part 3 - The Pecking Order

It is quite simple.

Those nice mogs come first.   Then the dog....Then we mere humans.

Thursday 4 April 2013

The Joys of Animal Ownership Part 2 - Puking

That retching sound!  Not something you want to hear at 4am...especially if it's under the bed!

You can hear them starting with the gloop, gloop, gloop.  So, I race towards the noise and try and usher the little vomit freak to somewhere more suitable re; more easily wipeable surface.  Sigh...  They don't have favourite 'puking sites'.  Anywhere will do, although they often try to camouflage their 'present' against the rug or carpet..or under a chair.   If they've 'chameleoned' it then chances are you'll put your foot in it!  Ack.

And the vomiting?  It's usually due to over stuffing or fur balls.  The latter are mank!  So we groom them alot.

Yesterday evening I felt sorry for Darth Vader and opened her a tin of tuna.  She sucks on her food nowadays and I thought mushed up fish would be ok for her.  It was.  She ate a bit and Tinks had a bit. The others weren't bothered.  Anyway, I turns my back for a minute and it was all gone.  Hmmm...one of the others must have eaten it.

Five minutes later, I can hear the gloop, gloop, gloop coming from the lounge and there they were.  Two nice piles of nice, warm bleurgh....courtesy of the dog!     Greedy little toerag had burgled the tuna from behind my back.   She thinks cat food is nicer than her Senior Dog Food and so will nick it before eating her own.  From now on, she's barred to the other side of the dog gate until feline feeding time is over.

Feeding time leads on  to the next.   The Joys of Animal Ownership Part 3 - The Pecking Order.

The Joys of Animal Ownership, Part 1...Bullying

It goes on everywhere.  It sucks, as they say...especially in the feline world.

Well, Spook..one of the Old Ladies, is a cantankerous little sod, I have to say.  But, she is just set in her ways.  However, some of the younger mogs delight in 'ambushing' her.    Let me say that this does her no good....16 year old heart and all that....and she poops herself when they do that to her.    So, I am protective of her...and her sis Darth Vader..(.but she is much more wiley and streetwise and has the others 'sussed and under control'.  :o)))  )   Muppet.aka Darth Vader, is a skinny little thing.  Spook is not.  Think basketball on legs.   Spook sleeps at my side on the bed.  Protection for her..and I don't blame her.   The others usually prefer to be at the foot of or under the bed.  Popeye will do his best to harass her, if he's about.  He is just a naughty, loveable boy.   Tinks likes to ambush en-route to or from the litter.  Spook isn't fussed.  She'll crap anywhere!!  Bowels aren't what they used to be!!

So, I am on a mission for 'A peaceful night's sleep'.    If I separate the 'unruly' lot from the 'goodies' then there is pandemonium.  PARTAY!!!  If I let them kip together, then my day starts at 5am.   To any feline lover...that is......litter time!!...and then all the house is awake!  Arghh.  To any Rheumatoid Arthritis sufferer....anyone who interrupts your kip (unless it's your bladder and co')...then......grrrrr.

I would not be bothered in the slightest if we lived in a detached house.....if only.......  The mogs just like to play....at the wrong time of day, of course!  It's just how it is.   We can hear our neighbours all the time. They don't see it that way, though.

Tip:   If you, for some reason, find yourself 'with kitten'....DON'T fall for the 'Oh, Mummy, can we keep them all...I'LL LOOK AFTER THEM..PROMISE!'  Pah!

The Joys of Animal Ownership.  Part 2 coming up....puking!  Bleurgh!!!




Monday 1 April 2013

Is it Summer time? Nah, not here.

It's still cold...freezing.  I'm having to wear fingerless gloves IN THE HOUSE!  We still have a bus load of snow in the back garden and I have only just managed to prise my way out of the back door.  With the garden room..which is really a greenhouse,lean-to type of construction, every time I open the door..down comes a whole wodge of snow and ice because of the vibrations.  Not good if it lands on your head.  So, we have avoided the back until now.  I had to hack away the snow and ice and chiselled a little path to the main garden using a garden hoe.    Can't put salt down to 'melt' the snow and ice because of the dog.   Went out there, to the bottom and put some food out for the birds.  Mealworms (Eeew) and bread crumbs.  I doubt they'll eat them.  Don't know why that is because they do come into the garden and the sparrows are nesting in the hedge.  Could be that my 'bird cuisine' is not up to scratch?   Never put mealworms down before, though, so maybe they'll eat them.   

Poor Junior has not been feeling well.  She has started with the lurgy.. - 'bunged-up sore throat'..as she puts it.  So, she has been miserable and ratty.  The mogs have sensed this and the majority of them have 'stayed well clear'...and bunked in with me!   lol    I bought her some nail varnish to cheer her up.  When all else fails.... lol.

Now that I have sort of managed to suss out my new camera,  here are some gratuitous pics.


Henry and Tinks looking out at the white stuff.  There's a radiator under this window sill, so they are multi-tasking and bum warming as well as surveying the land.

Henry with his 'Have you seen that...where's it coming from?' look.  He's a very talkative, friendly and nice chap.  He trills and talks away to Junior.   Tinks has a new fetish and likes to play with hair bobbles.  We hide them but the mog still finds them.  You can hear her 'pinging' them around the house.
She smiles:o)