the accidental smallholder :: diary archives

Felix, Circus Cat

Felix, Circus Cat from asmallholder on Vimeo.

Dogs and cats

One of the symptoms of an underactive thyroid in dogs is that they don't shed their skin in the normal way - so when the medication kicks in, all that retained skin comes off. So Meg now has SERIOUSLY bad dandruff. Today, we bathed her with a special shampoo. We don't bath the dogs often - well, actually, never. If they are really minging, they get hosed down outside and dried with a towel. Both have quite short coats and are pretty clean - I'm sure sure they're not "doggy" although it woudl probably take a "non-doggy" person to judge that.

Dan wanted to shampoo Meg outside, but I insisted that she went in the bath so we could have warm water. I know she was swimming in the Dam yesterday, but that's not the same as a bath. Anyway, I didn't want to have MY hands in cold water!

She was as good as gold (as Meg is generally), although I don't think she enjoyed it much. She's still flaky but she'll get washed again next weekend, too. The hair on her chest has grown back a lot and her tail's not so ratty; her nose is still bare though - the vet says it might be months before all the hair regrows. Just as well summer's coming!

Meg's rat tail

Our Collies will both be eight this year, so when Meg started sleeping a bit more, we put it down to middle age. Given her normal high energy hyperactivity, it was a bit of a relief. Then we noticed that her coat was thinning. She's never had a thick coat but we could see the dark patches of pigment on her chest, and her tail was "ratty". Although she was eating normally, the other end was fine and, for a normal dog (but not Meg), she was quite energetic, we suspected that something was amiss. So off to the vet!

Turns out she has an underactive thyroid (it's the only bit of her that's underactive); so she's got to take one pill a day and go back for another blood test in a couple of weeks. Ten days into the course of medication, and we've got our old Meg back! Irritating, obsessive, hyperactive - but we love her! Just like the vet promised - I did ask for thyroid pills and a sedative!

Cassius and the prawns

Cassius is well and truly in the dog house tonight after munching his way through about half a pound of prawns that were intended for our dinner. He's not guilty of going on the work surfaces, but he loves prawns and the temptation was obviously too much for him.

Never mind, there's some leftover bolognaise sauce that we can have; I'm sure it will be lovely...

Felix and the swede

No, not a native of Sweden! But the root vegetable.

I've posted before about how Felix only eats cat food. Cassius loves any kind of meat, prawns, fish, cheese, cream - Felix has been offered all these things, has sniffed tem, occasionally licked them but has never actually eaten them.

Tonight, Dan and I had haggis, tatties and neeps. There was a very small amount left on the plate - we were astonished to see Felix eating the swede!

Dan's real glad Felix sleeps on my side of the bed!

Tess, the bionic dog

Tess finally had her surgery on Thursday to repair the damage caused by the rupture of her cruciate ligament. She seems to be none the worse for it apart from a bad haircut! We've taken the wee bandage off her front leg but we're not brave enough to remove the dressing from the site of the operation - hey, that's what we pay vets for!

The report from the vet is that the surgery went very well. This problem usually arises in old dogs where there is degeneratin of the joint - because Tess is young, the joint is in good condition. The surgery - tibial plateau levelling osteotomy - involved stabilising the stifle joint by making a curved cut in the shin bone and altering the shape of the bone using a steel plate and screws, so it doesn't actually repair the ligament.

She's on reduced food and exercise for a week, then she can start going for a walk on the lead building up over 6-8 weeks until she sees the surgeon again. She can't have any free exercise until he sees her and Xrays the joint to make sure everything is OK.

All in all, she's doing well. She's a wee bit stir crazy and obsesses about the cats, but she always did that a bit. We'll keep you posted about her progress.

Strange little cat

Tess goes for her operation tomorrow - thank goodness, as she's getting a little stir crazy! We buy our cat food from the vet, so although we didn't have much left, I didn't buy any at the weekend, knowing that we'd get some tomorrow. Anyway, we really are down to the last few morsels so I opened a can of tuna for the cats. Cass is getting stuck in; Felix is licking it like I'm trying to poison him. So he's having the very last few bits of dried cat food, while Cass has a wee mouthful of cream.

Felix won't have anything other than dried cat food; Cass will eat most things with relish, especially things he's not meant to have - chicken, salmon, prawns (loves them), chips (which he whips off your plate with his paw), anything dairy including parmesan cheese, Weetabix. Before the welfare folk get on to me, we don't FEED him chips and Weetabix, but he's quite up to doing a bit of scavenging. This may go back to his previous life!

As I was giving him a prawn or two at the weekend, I pointed out to Dan that Cass has had a hard life. Dan pointed out that we've had him nearly seven years, which is probably at least half his life, so while it might have been hard at one time, it's been pretty cushy for most of it now.

I think he's got a long memory though. That's why he still scavenges chips.

Felix has now developed a taste for Heinz baked bean juice so maybe he's learning. Since he doesn't feature on the site much here's another photo of him:

Poor Tess!

One of our collies,Tess, has ruptured the cruciate ligament in her off hind leg. She injured a back leg when she was pup (I think it was that one) and she has been stiff on and off for a while. I've been giving her a food supplement and she's been on a diet!

She was a bit lame last weekend, so she was on "lead rest", but on Tuesday night, she got out an shot up the road after some small furry thing. I heard her yelp and when she came back, she couldn't put her paw down. She saw the vet on Wednesday, went in for more tests on Thursday and the vet confirmed his initial diagnosis - that she had ruptured the cruciate ligament.

She's on anti-inflammatory drugs (her happy pills) and she goes back to see the consultant on Wednesday. It's likely that she will need surgery to repair the damage.

Since she's only allowed out to the toilet, she's on reduced rations - I think that's bothering her more than the leg. She's pretty nifty on three legs!

Cassius and his medication

There are all sorts of urban myths and jokes about how difficult it is to get cats to take medication. Our Cassius hasn't read any of these. Although he can be "difficult" - he had a pop at me the other day when I went to make the bed on which he was resting and caught Dan a beauty when he tried to rescue his watch from the cat's paws, when it comes to taking pills, Cassius is a gem.

To be fair, he has had to take a lot of pills over the six years he's been here. And the cream helps!

Cats and carts

As Claire and i were getting ready to take Smokey for a drive yesterday, both our cats came to investigate, each with his own inmitable style.

Felix snuffled his way round the cart - Claire took this photograph as he reached the highest point and just before he slid rather inelegantly down the armrest and onto the floor. We don't have many photos of him so it was nice to get this one.

Cassius decided the new whip had the potential to offer some mousing practice - but he was so nonchalant as he sized it up!

Smokey was is great form. I think his weight loss suits him, in all sorts of ways. He was certainly stepping out as we headed along Kelliebank - Claire didn't fancy a canter (and neither did I), but he was also moving well on the way out.

Chris has flattened a track round the field so I'll try and get Smokey out tomorrow in the buggy in the field and see how he goes. Not as fast as he was tonight when Chris had his horse out in the exercise cart, I hope.

Tess's new home

If Dan or I are at home, Tess lives outside. She's always been an "independent" dog - we have a photo of her as a tiny pup NOT coming for a walk with us. We have considered getting her a kennel and letting her live outside. Actually, she's a really good watch dog - she's not aggressive but she's very good at letting you know if anyone's around.

Anyway, it's baby bunny season, so Tess is practically living down the bunny holes. She has three or four that she moves between - her nose and front paws are permanently muddy (or given the dry weather at the moment, dusty). She never catches anything - I think she expects a bunny just to run into her mouth. In fact, she spent so long down a hole, unmoving, that Chris across the road was about to come and tell us that our dog had either died or collapsed.

Cassius and the mini egg

You may recall that Cassius, our big black cat, was diagnosed with a nasal tumour a few weeks ago. He had an incisor removed February 2006 and we couldn't get the infection cleared - he had it cleaned twice last year and had long courses of antibiotics. About six weeks ago, he was real poorly - the infection was back, he dropped to 4kg (from 5.2kg) and was quite ill. After treatment, a biopsy showed that he had a nasal tumour. As the condemned man ate a hearty breakfast, Cass has been dining on freshly cooked chicken, salmon steaks, a bit of medium rare sirloin and double cream. He's on antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs.

He was back at the vet for a check up on Tuesday. He's back to 5.2kg, there's no swelling in the lymph nodes, indicating that the nasal tumour is primary, which is good news and his mouth looks really good. This was great news but no surprise to those of us living with him.

Cassius has spring fever. He's been tearing about in the house and the garden buut last night, he excelled himself. Dan and I were watching TV in bed, drinking tea and eating Cadbury's mini eggs (as you do at this time of year). Cassius was "resting" on the bed - until a mini-egg fell out of the bag! He was absolutely wild! He threw it around - picking it up in his mouth; he pounced; he leapt; he knocked it on to the floor and dribbled it round the room then up and down the hall; it was in my slippers; out my slippers; under cushions; under the bed. Heaven's knows where it is now. We were exhausted watching him; Felix was cowering on my pillow - he could have been next!

So Cassius will be back on Whiskas and I'll be on Metacam!

Remembering Copper

We recieved a card through the mail today from our veterinary practice, following Copper's death. I though I was pretty together but the verse in it just broke me up. It's by Isla Paschal Richardson:

...Grieve not,
nor speak of me with tears,
but laugh and talk of me,
as if I were beside you...
I loved you so -
'twas Heaven here with you.

Copper

Today we said "goodbye" to our wee tortie cat, Copper. At close to her 18th birthday, she'd had a good long life and she was so poorly that the decision wasn't hard to make, in the end.

Copper came to live with us three years ago, as a companion for our old cat, Homer. She was a real character - a real "little madam" and I'm sure she must have been a real fiesty youngster. Although she was quite a big cat (a 5kg cat in a 6.5kg body!), she had tiny paws and bustled about - she was a very busy cat, with an agenda to stick to. Like many females, she was quite vocal and was very good at letting you know exactly what you were required to do. Because she didn't go out much latterly, her claws were quite long , and we would hear her tippy tapping on the wooden floor, through to our bedroom in the early morning for a quick cuddle. Because she wasn't able to jump up on to our bed, she would scratch the bedside cabinet and call loudly to be lifted up. Actually, she probably could jump up, but why bother when you have well-trained humans to do the lifting!

Although she was diagnosed with kidney failure in October, medication and a special diet kept her well over this winter. In fact, on Sunday, she was out around the garden, chewing the newly emerging catmint and generally supervising operations. She was a bit quiet on Monday, which I put down to over exertion at the weekend (you know how it is!) but yesterday she was clearly quite unwell. Blood tests by the vet confirmed she was in acute renal failure. She came home last night to a roaring fire and lots of cuddles and Sarah, the vet, came out this afternoon to do the deed.

Copper's buried beside Homer, under a mass of Tete-a-tete narcissi. We'll miss her hugely.

Tess & the pigs

A video of Tess having fun with the pigs back in 2003 which I came across yesterday while going through old photos. Apologies for the poor quality, I'll try to improve it.

Bad news about Cassius

We've had some bad news about our big cat, Cassius, this week.

He's been off colour so I took him to the vet on Tuesday. He had a canine tooth removed about a year ago. It was very deep rooted and we've never been able to get the site clear of infection, despite several "flushes" and courses of antibiotics. We've now been told that he has a tumour on the site. It is likely to be quite aggressive, so we have resigned ourselves to parting with Cassius in the not too distant future. He has lost a lot of weight and is on anti-inflammatory and antibiotic drugs now. We will keep him as long as he seems well - as soon as he starts to deteriorate, we will bid him goodbye.

However, he's not quite a death's door yet. He was outside for his ablutions this morning. When Dan and I were eating our Saturday night steak, he came and sat on the table (yes, I know he shouldn't) and munched his way through a fair wee bit of prime sirloin. He also whacked the dogs today, which was heartening (for us, at least).

So, he's on R&R - fire, electric blanket, fresh chicken and salmon, for as long as he's around. Which is pretty much how it's been for the last six years, in fact.

Copper

Regular visitors will know that our old tortie cat, Copper, was diagnosed with kidney failure a few months ago. She's now on medication and a special diet and has taken on a new lease of life.

She is such a character. She and Felix get along fine except today he patted her bottom from behind, with his paw. That's like "goosing" your granny. Boy, did he get a telling off!

She's a very vocal cat and calls to you from her room to come and play. To let you understand, when we got Homer, we needed to keep him in an enclosed space so he lived in the guest bedroom. When we got Copper, she kind of moved in with him and it's now Copper's room. I expect it will always be Copper's room, even after she's long gone.

It's very nice. There are two windows - the east facing one has a specially made window cushion so Madam can catch the early morning sun in comfort. There is a very squashy armchair and two bean bags on the double bed, which extends the choice of sleeping and resting opportunities. She also has her heated sheepskin pad for cold days. Often, she lies on the bed, watching out the door and calls to us. If we respond, she wriggles around on her back, calling, until she gets a tummy tickle. She's a bit of a tart!

Copper also has her own ensuite facilities - at least, her litter tray is in the shower room. Her food and water is on a place mat by the door. All of this is secured by a toddler gate, allowing access for cats but excluding greedy dogs.

Not that Copper restricts herself to her room. At the moment, she's on Dan's chair in the study, helping me type this. Another favourite spot is on the south facing living room windowsill, on which she has a window cushion and a sheepskin. Horrors, sometimes she has to share this with Cassius! Of an evening, she's usually watching TV on someone's chest. If she's being stroked and wants me to stop, she will quite firmly move my hand with her paw and hold it out of the way.

Yesterday, she was on one of the dining room chairs, which have slatted backs. When Dan went to move her (he had been sitting there, but had moved momentarily), she wrapped her front paws round the chair backs and hung on like a limpet. Eventually, Dan gave up the unequal struggle and got another chair.

Cats, eh, who'd have them...

Famous Five

It's not very often that we see both dogs and all three cats together, but the open fire is a terrific draw. Dan caught them all together a few nights ago.

From left to right, Tess, Felix, Copper, Meg, with Cassius in front, in the prime position. If we had smellivision, you would be able to detect the scent of singed cat!

I did suggest running this as a caption competition...

Copper's home

Thanks to those who sent us their support. It must have worked because Copper came home tonight, back, apparently, to normal! I can't tell you how relieved and delighted we are.

It is true that her kidneys are failing but she seems to have had an infection that made her poorly, so she has antibiotics plus medication and special food to help her kidneys function better. She goes back to the vet next week for a check-up and more blood tests.

The dogs seemed really pleased to see her - Meg was nearly in the cat box with her and Tess has been following her around all evening, which gives Felix, the usual recipient of Tess's attentions, a break. Cass, in his usual style, "welcomed" her home by trapping her in a corner and holding her there with a hard stare.

I suppose at her age we're on borrowed time, so we'll just make sure her quality of life is as good as it can be for as long as possible.

Tempting fate - Copper

Only a few days ago, I posted a diary entry saying how great Copper was doing for an 18 year old cat. I must have tempted fate.

Dan and I were away for the weekend and when we returned on Sunday afternoon, it was clear all was not well. Copper was endlessly drinking and weeing on the floor. She was fine on Saturday. I took her to the veterinary hospital immediately and she's still in.

It looks like her kidneys are failing. At the moment, the vets are still carrying out tests and trying to stabilise her. She's on a drip and not in pain - in fact, when I phoned to night for an update, the nurse said she was quite chirpy and displaying some "attitude"!

However, we don't expect the prognosis to be good,certainly not in the long term. It's almost twelve months exactly since we lost Homer to kidney failure.

So we're feeling a little sad...

Copper

Copper, our tortoiseshell cat, has just been for her annual check to the vet. At eighteen, she's quite an old lady now but is good value. In fact, she's probably healthier that either Cassius or Felix.

We changed their diet a few months ago - they now get one tin of Whiskas between the three of them each day plus Hill's Science plan Senior Lite dried food. The good news is that Copper has lost 1.2kg since her check-up last year. When I took her last year, she was 6.95kg - I pointed out to the vet that she WAS a big cat to whcih he laughed and said she was a 5kg cat with add-ons. However, he felt, as I did, that dieting her at 17 was not the right thing to do. So it's good news that she's shed a bit of weight over the year.

And as a result, she's had a new lease of life. She's much more active, goes out most days for a wander, follows us around and has become much more sociable. This time last year, I thought she might not see the winter through - she didn't leave the guest room, slept all the time and seemed really lethargic.

I wonder now if she was missing Homer, who died last October. Although they hadn't been together long (two years), they did spend a lot of time in close proximity. Who knows, but she seems much better now.

She has no symptoms of thyroid or diabetes, her eyes are fine although the pupils seems quite dilated a lot of the time and her coat is really glossy (daily brushing helps, I suppose). She's a wee bit stiff so needs lifted on to the bed and so on - she does ask very politely!

I hope we have her for many years yet - she's such a nice wee cat!

Happy birthday, Meg

It's Meg's sixth birthday today. It doesn't seem like anytime since she came to live with us, in November 2000. How she shattered Tess's peace - I don't think Tess has recovered emotionally!

We didn't plan to have a second pup just as quick as we did, but one of the farm dogs, Gyp, had pups and the farmer offered us one. When we brought her home, she had a little pot belly, which turned out to be the result of a terrible worm burden. After the treatment, she was real skinny and she still is. We're sure there's a bit of whippet in her breeding somewhere. Her sister, Sally, is still at the farm and they don't look alike at all. Unfortunately, Gyp has to be put to sleep last winter - she must have been about thirteen.

Meg wasn't the most attractive pup, especially in "adolescence", but she is a bonny dog now. She's incredibly active and very athletic, but a bit hyper and anxious, which is probably why she's so thin.

She's had some chicken for her birthday tea - she (unknowingly) shared it with Tess, Cassius, Copper and Felix - and she's now flat out, sound asleep under my desk. Little sweetheart...

Cassius, the hero

A couple of days ago, I entered the kitchen to find Cassius, our big, black cat, on the cooker hood. I called Dan - I'd never seen him on there before - it's stainless steel and sloping, so it's not the easiest surface to stay on.

A quick investigation by Dan revealed a baby sparrow trapped in the hood. Al animals were sent from the kitchen while the rescue was completed. After a few minutes on the windowsill, the wee bird flew off.

I rewarded Cassius with a little saucer of cream, even though Dan suggested that Cass's rescue might not have been entirely philanthropic...

Felix gets stuck

in the wardrobe. It was only a matter of time before this happened, he's so nosey. When I arrived home from work yesterday, there was no sign of Felix. All other pets were accounted for, but not he.

I shouted for him and heard a faint and pathetic mewing, which turned out to be coming from the wardrobe. He was awful pleased to see me, since he must have been in there since morning.

He'd made himself a nice bed by pulling most of the clothes off the hangers, but hadn't folded them first, so they had to be washed and ironed again. He must have known how much I enjoy ironing (not). Fortunately, he didn't need to "go" while he was stuck, so that was a blessing.

We'll need to start checking that he's "free" before we go out, to avoid any repeat. Poor Felix.

I am sixteen, going on seventeen

Now, get that song out of your head! No, not me (unfortunately) but Copper Cat who will be 17 on Saturday. She's pretty good value - enjoys her evening computing and grooming sessions - Dan keeps her brush on his desk. She's pretty fat and not so good at doing her own grooming now, but she's really perky and very, very vocal and purry.

Although she's a big cat (and I don't just mean fat). she has wee, tiny paws and she walks very quickly, with very small steps, like a lady in high heels. For some reason, she reminds me of Hyacinth Bucket or Margaret Thatcher. Dan, unfortunately, can't see it.

So, tuna for the birthday girl on Saturday - and her special guests!

Felix the Fearless and the Tamworth Two

After the pigs arrived yesterday, they were greeted in various ways by our other animals. Tess and Meg trembled from head to paw, the chooks followed the little rooters looking for worms and bugs (although Henry was too wimpy to go through the fence into the pig pen, unlike his wives) - but the star of the show was:

tah rah!! Felix the Fearless, who slipped into the pen and approached the pigs for a good sniff. It was apparent that the pigs were much more anxious about him that he was about them. Maybe they recognised him as a predator, even though a good gust of wind would blow him away. Having pushed them around a bit, Felix retired to a block of stone to keep an eye on them.

What a cat!

Felix and the painter 2

Felix nearly caused the painter to have a heart attack. Mackie was filling the kettle and gazing at the river when Felix jumped from the table on to his head. I really meant to warn him about that...

Felix, the pear and the painter

Felix's ability to find fun in almost anything astounds me. Pushing a pen around on the desk, chasing feet and hands under the duvet, chasing the PC cursor - all great fun for Felix. But a pear? Our fruit dish is on the kitchen table. So, quite often, is Felix. A pear must have fallen off the dish just to be a toy for Felix to play with. He spins it round with his paws, drags it around by the stalk and rolls it onto the floor, so that Tess can run away with it (it's covered in teeth marks).

Better than that, we've got the painter in painting the hall and living room. Poor guy, he must be harassed to death by Felix and the dogs. Because it's the hall, the door handles are off every room, so I can't shut them in anywhere. Well, you just KNOW someone's going to get covered in white paint and, of course, it's Felix. As well as his natty white collar (caused, if you remember by a flea collar or a too-tight collar, before we got him), he now has an attractive dusting of white down one side of his face, neck and one shoulder.

Heaven knows what he'll look like by the end of the week.

Having a Border Collie

We love our Border Collies. They are fit, healthy (being, to all intents and purposes, mongrels), not too big, not too small but they are both totally bonkers. Tonight, Meg is playing "seek". She has a red rubber ring about 4" diameter. It was the first toy we bought Tess six years ago and Meg loves it. I hide the ring, she seeks it. She can keep it up for ages. Tess, meanwhile, is shadowing Felix.

They'll take as much physical exercise as you'll give (actually, for Tess, that's not that much) but it's the mental stimulation I think they enjoy too, and the interaction with their "pack". They seem to really enjoy weekends when we all just mess in the garden. I did obedience training with Tess and agility with Meg but didn't have time to pursue either seriously - Tess and I still do our "Crufts" stuff in the garden.

They wouldn't be everyone's choice (nor should they be, and I can understand why many end up in being placed for rehoming) but I think they're just great.

Oh, here comes Meg with her ring again. Must go and find somewhere really obscure to hide it!!

Good news about Felix

Members of the Felix fan club will be glad to know that he has tested negative for both Feline Leukemia Virus and FIV. He will be vaccinated against FLeV next week.

The antibiotics and eyedrops seem to be helping and his snuffle is much reduced. He has another 11 days course of antibiotics, to complete.

Today he's been gardening, both in and out of the greenhouse, and stalking the Brown Leghorn. He was flat out on his sheepskin on the windowsill, in the sun this afternoon.

It's a hard life being a media star!

A tale of two poorly pussycats

Dan took Cassius for his annual check and booster last Tuesday (Valentine's Day - don't say I don't know how to spoil a bloke!). When he came home without him, I was a little concerned. Cass has been sneezing for a couple of weeks - dry sneezing, not snotty ones like Felix. He had a sneezing fit at the vet's and burst a blood vessel in his nose, poor boy.

Anyway, the vet had a look and thought he had something stuck up his nose (more like something that would happen to Felix, really). It turned out that he had a rotten tooth that was making his eye and nose run. We had noticed the runny eye and nose, but were just bathing them wth salt water; we had been told previously that he had very deepset eyes that might be prone to mattering. The offending tooth was broken when we got him but it wasn't extracted because it wasn't giving any problems at the time and, being a canine, woudl have had a really deep root.

So Cassius is on a course of antibiotics, still hasn't had his booster but seems well on the mend, eye and nose now completely clear.

Felix, not to be outdone, has been wheezing and snotting for Britain. Cass's problem set me wondering if his teeth might be a problem. A visit to teh vet on Tuesday confirmed that his teeth were in good condition but that he does have an upper respiratory tract problem, caused by his cat flu infection as a kitten. The vet doesn't think we'll get clear of it mut she thinks it can be managed. So Felix is on antibiotics and eye drops. I'm pleased to say that there seems to be an improvement already. However, the vet wants to test him for Feline Leukemia Virus and FIV, so we've that to look forward to.

Today, Dan had cut a bit of willow and Felix was chasing it round the garden. Tess decided she wanted the willow, took it off Dan and started running round the garden with it in her mouth. Felix didn't care who was dragging the willow - Dan or Tess - and took off in hot pursuit, leaping on the end of the twig. Tess nearly had a heart attack when she noticed him! I think they might have good fun come the summer and I can't wait to see Felix's reaction to the pigs!

Further adventures of Felix the Cat

Felix has been up the chimney again. Fortunatley, he "swept" it so well last time that he wasn't half as dirty this time. We've closed the wee flap, so he can't try that one anymore.

He also seemed to have been paddling somewhere - he came rushing in, from outside, we think, because he was cold, wet to the ankles (or the cat equivalent of ankles). Our first thought was that he had fallen down the toilet - he's quite interested in the toilet - but investigation confirmed that all toilet seats were down. It wasn't wet underfoot outside, so the best we can come up with is that he has somehow fallen into the birds' water dish. With Felix, nothing is impossible.

He had to have his face washed today. His eyes, periodically, get a bit gungy. So he lies on his back, cradled in my left arm, while I wash and dry his face. Cassius would never tolerate such treatment!! If Felix gets unhappy, he attacks my hand by holding it in his front paws and giving it a really severe licking! Cassius would be through to the bone!

Never a dull moment!

Felix and his friend

Shortly after Felix moved in, he was introduced to the three horses in the field across the track. I don't THINK he had seen horse before but, in typical Felix style, he was quite relaxed, touching noses with them as I held him.

Well, what did we start? Felix has an obsession for horses. Twice recently, we've found him way up the field, but yesterday he outdid himself. The photo really doesn't do him justice. He was rubbing round their legs, especially the horse in the photo, but the other two weren't excluded. At one point, he had his paws up the horse's front leg and looked like he was licking it, in the same way as he stretches up us and licks our ears or noses. The horse seemed quite relaxed about it all.

I hope he doesn't get hurt - the horses certainly aren't threatened by him in any way - but we can't watch him all the time. I wonder if he's going to take up riding...

The new adventures of Felix the Cat

Felix has decided it would be great to have some adventures. I don't know how much access he had to the great outdoors before we got him, but he always seemed a bit overwhelmed by "outside", didn't seem awfully confident walking along fences and stuff - things that Cass seems to do without thinking. And he just tears around the garden at 100 miles an hour, which is quite entertaining.

Anyway, Felix has been practising his adventure skills.

Yesterday, I looked out the bedroom window and noticed a wee black shape moving up the field, followed by the three horses. Felix seems to be fascinated by the horses and they're quite interested in him. I shouted on him and he came tearing back, meoiwing loudly.

This morning, Dan brought him home, having met him way up the field (with the horses again), when Dan was returning home with the dogs.

Tonight, however, Felix tried a new trick. He went up the chimney. Dan had noticed him sniffing round the fire screen earlier. When we came through to the study, Felix came with us, as usual. Dan stroked him, as usual, then noticed his hand was black. Then we realised the smokey smell was - Felix. He's been brushed - I did consider a bath - but he's still failing the white tissue test. I guess I'll be washing the white pillow case, where he sleeps, tomorrow.

He's turning into a right little devil!!

The Cat's Dish

Felix and his friends (I use the term loosely), Cassius and Copper, are featuring as "Cats of the Week" on a new weblog called "The Cat's Dish"

Felix and the onion

Felix has a new toy (actually, had) - it was an onion. We've bought him loads of toys but yesterday, he had a happy time playing with an onion on the kitchen floor. Unfortunately, Dan used it for soup.

Strange bedfellows

I was reflecting today on how the winter sun makes strange bedfellows. The search for warmth has lead to Felix and Cassius sharing the sheepskin pads on the windowsill. Cassius is remarkably tolerant of Felix - in fact, I think he quite likes him. The photo says it all!

Both now sleep on our bed, Felix at the top and Cass at the bottom. Felix sleeps on my pillow, above my head. It's great just now - like sleeping in a fur hat - but it might be too much come the summer.

Most surprisingly, Cass and Felix have been seen to play together - Felix chased (!) Cass behind the curtains, following which there was much batting of the curtains from both sides.

For sure, I never thought I would see that!

Strange little cat

Felix is now well settled. He seems to have got the hang of the cat flap, which is good. He's an odd wee creature, though. Or maybe it's just our lack of experience with cats that makes him seem so.

Although he's six, he seems very kittenish. Everything is new and exciting and generates lots of snuffly sniffs. He tears about the house, treating no-one with any respect. However, he and Cass both sleep with us and share a sofa. Copper tolerates him but whacked him tonight when he got too familiar (he was trying to play with her tail, the cheek of it!).

He's been helping me wrap presents tonight - mainly playing with the bags, rolling the pen off the table and chasing the scissors.

Last night, I went out late to bring the wheelie bin back from the road end. Tess, Meg and Felix came with me. Last weekend, Felix only went as far as our neighbour' house then waited on the track for the dogs and I to return. Last night, he came right to the end of the track, running along with the dogs, way in front of me. On the way back, I lost sight of him (I was fighting off the dogs, who like to chase and bite the wheelie bin wheels). I went back towards our neighbours' house and there was Felix, nose hard up against the glass door into the kitchen, with Linford, our neighbours' Weimaraner, with his nose hard up to the glass on the other side. No sense, no feeling. Maybe Felix knows Linford is a big softy.

Felix is a wee comic and no mistake. We'll keep you updated with his antics, with photos if we're quick enough. We can't wait for summer, so he can really get outside to explore.

Felix

We have a new addition to our family. After losing Homer a few weeks ago, I had a wee trip to the local cat shelter last week, to hand in a donation. There were lots of lovely cats and kittens, but one in particular caught my eye. So he moved in on Saturday.

His name is Felix. He's a six(ish) year old black (mainly) ex-tom cat. His previous mum and dad split up, and his mum couldn't keep him in her new house.

He's absolutely lovely but...
we were told he had a cleft palate and that made him snuffly. He'd also had cat flu as a kitten, which also contributed to his snuffle. And snuffle he does!

Dan took him to our vet today and he's pretty much got a clean bill of health. Our vet says he doesn't have a cleft palate - he has a small abnormality in his mouth. He also has chronic flu most likely caused by a feline herpes infection when he was young. Stress probably makes his snuffle worse, so hopefully it will get better once he's settled in.

Felix has really interesting markings. He has a white collar. I thought this was really special, but the vet says it's been caused either by a flea collar or a collar that was too tight. I hate collars on cats.

Felix is very small compared to Copper and Cassius, but then, they are big cats. He is very affectionate and has a splendid vocal range. He loves to sit on your shoulder and lick your ears or the back of your neck or your face. Within an hour of arriving here, he was flat out on the sofa with Dan and Tess.

Cass has whacked him a couple of times mostly when he found Felix in his bed. Meg showed him her teeth when he tried to get into her food bowl. Copper spits and hisses, but tolerates him. Tess loves him and follows him about all the time. I don't know if Copper is devastated or relieved to no longer be the focus of Tess's attention.

I think he'd like to get outside, but it's too early yet. Being much younger than our usual cats, he's much more active than our other cats, so we need to get used to that. Can't imagine he'll be much of a hunter unless the mices are deaf - the snuffle's quite loud.

Once we get some decent pictures, we'll put them up.

Homer

Sad news. We had to have Homer put to sleep this morning. He had been diagnosed with chronic kidney failure some weeks ago and had been on medication to alleviate the symptoms. However, it became clear this morning that he was failing fast. Our vet came to the house and it was all very peaceful at the end.

We've had nearly two good years together. Homer went from living under the bed to being first to greet us on Friday when we returned from a few days holiday. He had his place in the sun and by the fire; he was never cold or hungry and knew only kind words and gentle hands. He was content, I think.

Our thanks to Cat Protection League for finding him for us and to Alastair and the staff at Broadleys Veterinary Hospital for their care.

Poor Homer

We've had a bit of a scare with Homer this weekend. For those who don't know Homer's background, we rehomed him from the Cat Protection League in December 2003. He was very depressed in the shelter, had been a stray a long time and was very nervous of people. He was "10 plus" years old then and shortly after we got hime, he was diagnosed with FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus). He's come on great since then - he used to live under the bed in the guest room, but now he's comparatively sociable and will sit on the sofa with you and get a stroke.

Anyway, I noticed towards the end of last week that he seemed to be drinking a lot and seemed a bit off colour. I took him to the vet on Friday and his first reaction was that Homer had a tumour on his kidney, which was hugely enlarged. I was in bits. When we got him, we knew we probably wouldn't have him long but it was very upsetting just the same. Anyway, Homer was kept in for tests and an X-ray. Dan and I discusssed what we might do and decided that we would not have him operated on. If it was a tumour, and he was in pain, then we would have him put to sleep, at home.

However, all was not as bad as it first seemed. Homer is in chronic renal failure. This is the most common cause of death in old cats - if a road accident or other disease doesn't get them, the kidneys will be the organ to pack in. He's been on a drip and medication all weekend and he's now home and looking pretty good. He's got a special diet and pills that he will have to take for the rest of his life. The nurse said she knew he was getting better when he started hissing at her when she went into the room.

We've taken his bandage off tonight, where the IV drip was. The pill giving will be fun, although it might do Homer good to be handled. In retrospect, maybe we should have forced the issue more, in preparation for this. Who knows?

So we will be taking each day as it comes. We'll be watching his condition carefully - any deterioration, and he'll be back to the vet pronto. As long as his quality of life seems fine, we're happy.

I've even lit the fire for him tonight, as a little treat. He deserves it.

It's a dog's life

As part of the "Grassroots" programme, we wanted to "show" a meal that was all home produced. Tonight, that meant roast pork, "Red Duke of York" potatoes, courgettes and carrots.

We duly roasted the pork - Nancy recorded the sound of it sizzling as Dan took it from the oven. It was a magnificent roast with lovely crackling, succulent and juicy. The house was full of the warm smell of good meat. We all tried a bit - it was delicious.

After Nancy left, Dan popped into the study and I popped out to get some potatoes from the garage.

Meg popped onto the worktop AND STOLE THE ROAST. By the time we found it, she had had her fill and Tess was finishing it off.

I cannot tell you how gutted we were. The veggies were nice though (sob, sob).

Poorly Cassius

We've had a bit of a scare with Cassius this week.

On Saturday, we noticed that he was straining to pee and couldn't. We called our vet's emergency service and were told to bring him in right away. It turns out he had crystals in his urine that had irritated his bladder, causing it to block completely. Without treatment, he would have been dead in 48 hours. The build up of waste in his body woudl have caused heart failure (given he has a dicky ticker anyway).

However, after four nights in hospital, an X-ray and ultrasound and some other less pleasant treatments, King Cass is now home again. He's lost a bit of weight, has a special diet and some medication to take but he looks fine. He couldn't wait to get outside - we think he was a bit stir crazy!

Homer, Copper and the dogs are hugely disappointed - life is so much less hazardous when Cass isn't around. But Dan and I missed him.

Because he's the youngest of our cats (we think) and given that Homer is FIV, we've always assumed that Cass would be around for longer than the other two. So we always assumed that he would be the one to "teach" a vacancy-filling kitten how to be proper cat. The thought of Homer (dysfunctional) or Copper (obese) "teaching" a kitten life skills is too odd to contemplate.

Thankfully, Cass seems well on the mend. He goes back for a check-up tomorrow. Thanks heavens for pet insurance!

Poor Tess!

Once our dogs had passed the puppy chewy stage, we bought them bean bags from a company called Barka Parka. They are probably one of our best ever buys.

The bags are made of heavy cotton drill and have a top cover that's easily removable for washing. However, the material seems to shrug off hair and dirt and a good shake usually renders them pretty clean.

The dogs love them. However, so does Homer. He has adopted the one by the radiator, much to Tess's chagrin. Homer's really funny. He loves the bed but seems to find the texture funny to walk on so he sort of pounces from the floor into the middle.

So, today I ordered two cat sized beds; one for Homer and one for Copper. Copper has a little sheepskin bed but it gets really dirty and hairy, so hopefully she'll like her new bean bag. We should have the new beds by Christmas.

Knowing cats, there is a possibility that Homer will continue to occupy Tess's bed and Tess will be perched on a cat sized bed. But we'll cross that bridget when we come to it.

Curiousity makes the cat

Now the nights have drawn in, and there's less to do in and around the smallholding, it's time to turn our focus back to this site a little. We've loads of gallery images to add, and we're trying loads of new recipes, so these will feature soon.

This entry is about Cas though, as nosy a cat as you could ever meet. Leave anything open and he's into it - cardboard box, garage door, coal bunker, greenhouse, anything. More than once we've opened the car in the morning to go to work, only to find Cas sauntering out as if it were his choice to spend the night there. Here he is in his new basket, on top of the dresser, a good seven feet off the ground. Goodness knows why, just because it was there I suppose, like a good mountaineer.

One other thing I have to mention, although I'll get lynched by the wife for sullying TAS with talk of games, is Half-Life 2 which was released today. Not only is it a magnificent piece of software engineering, and loads of fun to boot, the people who wrote it seem to really care about their customers, a trait lacking in many walks of commercial life these days.

Homer

We've had some bad news about Homer. He's had a viral pneumonia for about a week and has been attendoing the vet every second day. Because she was concerned that he wasn't getting better as quickly as might be expected, the vet has tested him for Feline Leukemia Virus (FLeV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). Unfortunately, Homer has tested positive for FIV.

On the bright side, he's recovered from his pneumonia, is eating well and looks great. He also tested negative for FLeV. He goes back to the vet on 30th October for a check up and, hopefully, his boosters and a vaccination against FLeV.

We're researching FIV but so far it doesn't look too drastic. Although there's no cure, cats can live quite healthy lives for a while after infection. We'll just need to cosset him a bit - prawns for tea! I'm also looking at possible homeopathic remedies to boost his immune system.

We now have to decide whether to have Cassius and Copper tested for FIV. It is possible that they could also be infected.

We'll keep you posted...

Cassius' Story

Homer's had quite a lot of coverage on the site and Copper has her spot, but Cassius only gets a passing mention. But, in fact, if it wasn't for Cass, we wouldn't have either Homer or Copper.

When Dan and I moved here, we both wanted a dog. We were dog lovers. So we got Tess. Then we got Meg. Cats didn't really feature and Dan professed to not being a cat lover. Ha!

Although I had never owned a cat, my Gran always had a cat and I've always liked them, although Gran used to embarass me by talking to any cat we met out in a "silly" voice. (Which is exactly what I do now).When I worked on the farm, the cats always became my "pets".

So once we had the dogs, I started to think that "a house isn't a home without a cat". I suggested to Dan that we might get one and he didn't say"no" (quickly enough). So I bought a bowl with "cat" on it, a dish with a picture of a cat on it and a cat carry box. After these had been on the kitchen table for a few days, Dan asked if we were getting a cat.

A few days later, I was out to lunch with a girlfriend at a little place that, when I thought about it, was quite close to the SSPCA shelter. So, after lunch, I popped along to see if they had two tabby kittens (female). These were to be called Merry and Pippin, after the Hobbits. I had it all planned in my head!

But, best laid plans etc etc. The shelter had NO CATS. Oh, hang on a minute, yes, they did but it wasn't a kitten and did I want a look? So in I went to be shown this large, black, "recently ex"-tom cat. He limped out of the cage (he'd been injured). I picked him up. He leaned back in my arms, looked me in the eye, then put his head on my shoulder and started to purr. Was I hooked?

I consulted with Dan, who was resigned. Six days later, Cass came home. He is called Cassius because he is big, black and beautiful. And had one fight too many!

We were told Cass was between two and three. Our vet thought he was between 6 and 10 and had been in a road accident at some time, resulting in a (now healed) broken pelvis and a large (but stable) hernia. He also had raging halitosis, which had nothing to do with the accident, but required urgent action, for no other reason than Cass has a penchant for sitting on your chest, gazing deep into your eyes. One whiff of breath, and you were retching.

We brought Cass home in March 2002. Since then, his claim to fame is having to visit the vet every festive season. In 2002, it was his hernia that finally needed repaired. In 2003, he had a urinary infection, which lead to the diagnosis of a heart murmur. What a bargain he's turned out to be! When the vet sees us coming, he gets right on the phone to his travel agent.

But Cass is a dream. He is such an affectionate cat. We'll never know his story or why he ended up in the shelter, but I'm sure he must have been a well loved pet. Did he belong to an elderly person who passed away? He's certainly never been abused - he is the most confident cat with humans (and dogs!).

He's very beautiful, lazy, lithe and a consummate killer. He can always find the best spots for sunbathing and the cosiest spots in winter. He enjoys a bit of computing and likes reading the local newspapers (if he can read through his bum). He's such a smart cat!

We just love him to bits and he has made us into cat lovers. That's why we have three of them and wouldn't be without them. But if it hadn't been for Cass, who knows...

Cat Flap Tennis

In honour of Wimbledon Fortnight, Homer and Copper have developed a new game. It's called "Cat Flap Tennis". I'm not really sure what the objective of the game is or how a player wins or loses, but it involves two cats, one on either side of the cat flap. Cat 1 slaps the flap with his / her paw. Cat 2 slaps it back. Really skilled cats like Homer catch the flap with their paw as it opens towards them. Maybe the object is not to get biffed on the nose(?).

It's quite a noisy game especially when played in the quiet of the wee, small hours of the night. Cass, of course, doesn't get involved. Or maybe he's not invited...

Anyway, seems to amuse Copper and Homer.

Homer's Odyssey Part 4

To keep you up to date with Homer's progress, he's coming along nicely. He likes to sit in the kitchen, usually under the table, while you work about. If a small piece of cheese should not be required by the cook then Homer will take care of it. I'm not advocating feeding cats mountains of cheese, by the way, but food has been a successful way to Homer's heart!

Tonight I was on the phone to my sister. I sat in the front hall, with Homer and Cassius. It is becoming increasingly difficult to tell the difference between the two, in certain circumstances. Cass popped out through the cat flap - except it wasn't Cass, it was Homer. Casual as you like, the boy's gone for a wander round the garden! He must have been out for at least half an hour and probably longer - when I next saw him, he was appearing round the greenhouse and coming home.

Homer has also taken to clearing up Cass's breakfast if Cass is too full of fresh bunny to manage his Whiskas. I have to confess that it is Cass's habit to have his breakfast on the kitchen table - I do clean it before we use it. Anyway, Cass was eating his breakfast, on the table, when Homer came through, having finished his and jumped on the table to finish Cass's. I don't know which of the cats was more surprised. Needless to say, Homer jumped straight of the table again.

Yesterday, I fed Copper and Homer their Whiskas, then took Cass's into the garden to call him in. I could see him by the beech hedge so I walked down, to find he had a fresh kill. As I looked from my little spoonful of Whiskas to his fat furry bunny, I knew I couldn't compete and gave the Whiskas to the dogs!

Homer's Odyssey Part 3

Our two week holiday at home has certainly helped Homer. He's more relaxed and confident and YES! he goes outside! Not for long, mind, a few minutes is enough then he heads back indoors, exhausted.

It's been very sunny and warm while we've been off and he's been happy toasting his bones at the french doors or the front door, if it is left open.

He then progressed to sitting outside on the back doorstep, sniffing the air and surveying the territory. Finally, he braved a walk round the yard, a sniffy examination of the car and a roll about in the dust.

Today, he and I were lying on the doormat with the front door open, catching a few rays, when he upped and sauntered out the front door like he'd always done it. He sat on the doorstep, watching the chickens dust bathing, then wandered round for a closer look. He was probably out for less than 5 minutes but he seemed completely relaxed.

He's now curled up in his bed, sound asleep, worn out by his exertions. He's such a sweetie.

Pussycat, pussycat, where have you been?

Not to London to look at the Queen, we assume. Cass disappeared for a couple of days this week. I was really worrie, imagining the worst. However, he's back and hungry. I suspect he got shut in somewhere. He's SO nosey.

Homer has been OUTSIDE. Not very far; only on to the doorstep. And not for very long, but out nevertheless. He's becoming much more laid back about the dogs. I think his mentor, Copper, has wised him up on how to deal with canines.

Cass and Copper seem to be getting along better. Both were curled up on our bed yesterday. That would have been unthinkable even a week ago. In fact, Copper would barely stay in the same room as Cass. Actually, she used to scarper before he chased her.

Copper's on a diet. She has a huge appetite for one so small, so she hoovers up anything the other cats leave. Cass is used to kind of adlib feeding, so doesn't really recognise mealtimes. But now we have to have mealtmes and anything left gets lifted. Cass has to have wee fly meals when he comes in. I've even started weighing Copper's food. Fifty grammes isn't very much!

Homer's Odyssey Part 2

Homer's journey to becoming a full member of the family continues. Physically he looks really well - his coat is black and glossy and he's probably about optimum weight. Mentally and emotionally, he's making progress, too.

Firstly, he now acknowledges his name and will come when you call him (usually). Secondly, he's much less nervous around us. He rarely starts away now if approached, he's happy to be brushed and we can stroke him with two hands at the same time (this used to freak him out). Thirdly, he is treating the dogs with the same disdain as Copper and Cassius do. He now comes out of his room when the dogs are around, particularly at feeding time. He's also chased Tess, who's back at bottom spot in the heirarchy. Finally, he started getting out and about right through the house - on windowsills, the settees and the chest of drawers in the kitchen, which is one of Cass's spots.

His progress has probably been helped by the fact that Cass has been lame for about 10 days. He's been to the vet twice but she can't find any injury. In fact, he'd been going around on three legs for a few days but when Dan took him to the vet, he sauntered out of the box sound as a bell. Anyway, he's been on house rest for a week, stir crazy. But his inability to whack the other animals seems to have reinforced Homer's confidence.

Homer still has a way to go, though. He likes to sit on the windowsill, and to look out of the french doors and through the cat flap. But if you open the door, he retreats pdq. During a grooming session this morning, I gently tried to lift him - no way! He skedaddled. So, progress but not there yet. It's lovely to see him coming on though.

If you're thinking about getting a cat, do consider homing an older cat. They have a lot to offer, and, generally, they don't run up the curtains! Try contacting Cats Protection League

Cassius' presents

Cassius, number 1 cat, has taken to bringing us presents of dead rabbits. They seem to be his favourite prey at the moment. On Sunday, we noticed one of the dogs sniffing round our bed - we thought Cass was under it, but further investigation revealed the very small remains of a rabbit. Today (Tuesday), he appeared on the doorstep dragging a fresh kill. Shut out, he devoured it on the patio, with an audience of half a dozen hens.

The good side is that I've stopped worrrying about him not eating his cat food. But it's certainly nature red in tooth and claw...

Homer's Odyssey

I'm pleased to report that Homer's journey back into the family is continuing. He now makes his way around the house at night, once the dogs have gone to bed. Although he's still nervous around people, he's much more relaxed than he was.

A couple of nights ago, we were sitting in the living room when we heard thumping in the hall. On investigation, this turned out to be Homer chasing his tail and leaping around on the rug. This was the first time we'd seen him play and I have to confess I had a bit of a lump in my throat.

His physical condition continues to improve and I think he'd quite like to go out. He was looking out the front door yesterday when I had it open to feed the hens. I'm not sure if he knows how to use a cat flap, so a wee training session might be in order. I'm just worried that he goes out, gets a fright and bolts, but maybe I'm being over protective.

Mind you, he won't want to go out tonight. It's bucketing rain and blowing a gale. Good night to be in, I think.

Out and about

It's been a lovely weekend here, so Copper had her first outing on Saturday. She had a lovely time exploring the garden, particularly Cassius's cat mint, sizing up the hens and chasing the dogs. We're pleased that she seems to be quite settled and happy. She's been out again today (Sunday) and, after a sardine tea, she's been lying in front of the open fire toasting her toes. She is an absolute sweetheart and we're really glad to have her.

However, we've discovered Copper's weakness - chimneys! We have an open fire in the living room. The fire has a little hatch at the back, presumably to stop draughts when the fire isn't lit. This hatch had been left open last night and Dan spotted Copper's tail disappearing up through the hatch this morning. Fortunately, she couldn't go far but she was pretty dirty and was very smokey smelling when she reappeared. The hatch is now firmly shut when the fire isn't lit.

Homer's doing well - becoming much more relaxed and proactive. I think he likes Copper. He is, at least, fascinated by her. She's very vocal and the two of them seem to "talk" to each other.

Cassius is still top cat, without a doubt. We've hardly seen him this weekend, as the sap rises and new, baby bunnies make an appearance. He'll barely eat at home for the next few months.

Tess and Meg have had a great weekend - out and about all day, each day. Both have been very busy digging today. No idea what for, but it certainly tires them out...

Settling in

Well, Copper seems to be settling in OK. She's a wee bit anxious but she's eating and all her bodily functions seem to be operating just fine.

Meg is officially freaked by the new arrival so she had an extra scoop of "Calm-a-Pet" on her dinner tonight. By next week, she'll be worrying about something else. Tess, I'm pleased to say, still loves Cass best.

I've only really noticed how big Cass is, now we've got Copper. He's quite stocky and weighed in at 5.75kg at his last visit to the vet, although he's certainly not overweight. He seems fine with Copper, although Meg barked at both of them tonight - the cats shot under our bed and obviously found themselves too close for comfort, then sorted themselves out in a flurry of spitting. They seem to have patched up their differences, now, though. Watching them, it looks like Cass is dominant - she won't try to stare him down, but it all seems pretty non-aggressive.

It's a bit like musical beds though. Copper has adopted Cass's old bed in the front hall, while Homer seems to have taken a liking to Copper's wee sheepskin bed. As befits the top cat, Cassius sleeps right in front of the fire and on our bed!

I'll be glad when Copper can go out, because Cass's comings and goings are a bit restricted. And those rabbits need to be kept under control!

Meet Copper

This afternoon the latest (and last for the time being) addition to our domestic menagerie arrived. Copper is a 13 year-old female tortoiseshell cat who until today lived with a work colleague. Unfortunately the arrival of a new baby has turned out to be too much for said colleague, and we heard about Copper via an advert on the work intranet.

We're delighted to have her. She's only been here a few hours but we already have no doubt that she will get on just fine with our two existing cats, Cassius and Homer - she's met both without incident - and the dogs. She'll spend a week or so confined to the house, and next weekend we'll open the cat flaps and let her explore the garden and surrounding countryside. We know we may not have her long, but we'll do our best to make sure what time she does have here is as happy as possible.

On the subject of cats, we had Cas at the vet yesterday for a routine booster. We mentioned to the vet that we had taken Homer from the CPL just before Xmas, and that we hadn't been able to get him into a cat carrier to see the vet (he makes himself about 4 feet wide at the sight of his carrier). The vet suggested we try a plug-in pheromone diffuser, which creates a so-called 'Happy Cat' environment which cats find calming. Well, we got one (a Feliway) and it works! Within an hour Homer could be approached without hm moving away or exhibiting any of his usual nervousness. It's a shame we didn't know about it before, but we're glad we do now.

What I did on Hogmanay

Happy New Year everybody!

Last night I had an unexpected trip to the vets with Cassius, our first rescue cat who's been with us nearly 2 years now. He was having trouble passing water, and seemed to be in some discomfort. A quick call to the vet confirmed that we needed to get him seen as quickly as possible, so at about 6.30pm, in driving sleet, I whisked him over to Broadleys Veterinary Hospital in Stirling. They found some crystals in his urine, so he's on a course of anti-biotics and anti-flammatory drugs, and will be assessed at the end of the course.

While examining Cas the vet listened to his heart for a long time, and told us that he has a heart murmur. His first question was 'Is he insured?'. It seems that exploring heart murmurs is an expensive business, and thankfully Cas is insured with PetPlan, which will cover all the treatment and drugs required, whatever the vet's findings.

This isn't the first time out pets have needed urgent medical attention on an important occasion. On the morning of our wedding in 2001 I was in Broadleys while Meg had a wound in her throat stitched caused by her running onto a thrown stick. Luckily (or maybe not) I had plenty of time and made it to the wedding on time.

Homer's purr

A big breakthrough this afternoon with our new rescue cat, Homer. We got him just a week ago from the Clackmannanshire Cats Protection League who took him in as a stray. They think he's about 10.

He was depressed having been in their shelter for 3 months, very subdued, and a little underweight. He's staying in our spare room, where he will probably be for some weeks and maybe months while he builds up his strength and gets on his feet again. Then the fun of introducing him to the rest of the menagerie will begin...

R has done miracles already, feeding him up with turkey, milk, chicken and other goodies. Until today he has stayed well away from us when we visit, hiding under the bed or behind the sofa. This afternoon R took him a wee morsel and gave him a gentle stroke, and he broke into a deep, sonorous purr. It's a small step, but he's on the right road.