Hot, hot, hot and NOT in a good way

I loathe the heat. I hate being sweaty and I can't stand sunbathing. You can always recognise me on a hot day as I am the scowly, grump in the shade muttering rain spells.

Today is very hot forecast to be around 26 degrees. The cats were fine and enjoyed the novelty of the sun this morning but somewhere around 10am it got too hot. Now they keep draping themselves in various places to see if there is any breeze at all or even just some respite. Red is draped over the top of the wardrobe and Magic had just got off the table beside me to lie on the sofa. She keeps looking at me beseechingly but I have nothing to offer her as I am red hot and sticky myself. I am planning to go and sit in a very cool bath with a good book and although I'll happily run a little bath for her in the bathroom sink I'm fairly certain she'll not be as enamoured with a cool bath as I will!

Cats are very difficult to help in the heat. I used to put ice cubes in the drinking water on hot days but my efforts were roundly rebuffed. Universally, they stare at the foreign object in the water, then look at me with incredulity, then back at the ice cubes, then back at me with a look of growing disbelief and anger at my treachery by giving them water with unidentified floating objects.....! Calm words explaining that this is a GOOD thing do not wash and I end up removing the bowl to replace it with a no-ice option alternately laughing at the look on their faces and muttering "ungrateful wee rats! That's the last time I try to help" etc, etc

UPDATE: Apparently the coolest place in the house is under the damp washing. Both cats know this and have claimed their spot. Sadly this leaves no room for me. It is my washing, and I could claim the airer and all rights to the cool spot but cats have VERY long memories...!

Flat Cat

Poor little Red became a pillow last night. While I was working on the computer he came up and ended up lying on his side between me and the computer, purring and softly pudging the air with his paws. While I was reading a document I leaned over and stroked his fur with my cheek while murmuring sweet words to him. Obviously he wasn't the only one soothed by this as I dozed off and only woke as he struggled up, most likely as my head got heavier on him.

I've had both cats fall asleep on me many times before, and I've fallen asleep beside them, but I think this is the first time I've ever actually fallen asleep ON one of them.

Die a'Horror

Poor little Red he is currently suffering from 'die a'horror' which more correctly translates to diarrhoea. The mispronounciation was coined by a family member many years ago and if you've every had it, then it is probably fair to say that it sums up how you feel more accurately.

Red is otherwise well but he is certainly suffering from a fair degree of 'gastrointestinal hurry' and it is probably my fault. Both cats have taken a real liking to the new Whiskas Bite and Chew sachets. Their diet consists of Felix Good as it Looks or Gourmet with Shrimp. They tend to refuse Whiskas, Kit-e-Kat and all of the lovely Applause or premium foods despite my attempts to vary their diet. Anyway I live in hope and, and as I love trying new things, I bought them a box of the Bite and Chew on the basis if they refused it I could donate it to a friend for their cat or to the SSPCA. This time they went nuts for this and as it was on an introductory offer it was my box of choice.

Normally I buy cat food in industrial quantities so that has been the dining option for a while. However, Bite and Chew wasn't on offer this week so it was back to the Felix as Good as it Looks. Red generally has a cast iron constitution and eats anything he can get in his mouth. Right now the problem is not what he puts in his mouth but what is coming from both gum and bum. He has been pooing like a trooper and tho' I'd have struggled to believe it could get any worse it is even smellier than his usual. How the wallpaper and paintwork hasn't melted is a mystery. In a spirit of going with the flow he has been chucking up furballs and his food too....deep joy! Good job it is a Sunday as I've been kneeling and worshipping the carpet to clean up the vomit and bowing to the litter box since last night. Suffice to say I am not having fun yet.

This does make me think tho', as both cats flip routinely between Gourmet and Felix without a flicker depending on what is currently on special offer. Magic is a vomiter but that is usually from emotion or eating too quickly when she is hungry. So for Red to be affected as he is does make me suspect that maybe Whiskas is not a good addition to the repertoire if it causes problems when withdrawn. My last cat had many problems and one was that she gradually refused all food bar Whiskas chicken sachets, then only cooked plain chicken then she refused all food. She also developed epilepsy around this time so it is questionable whether the diet issues were the cause or symptom of the illness or whether it was all circumstantial. That very old experience made me a teeny, tiny bit cautious of Whiskas which is why I like to keep varying their diet to prevent ever geting into a situation where only one flavour of one brand becomes a fixation. I did reckon that all things considered if they were eating all flavours then it wasnt a problem. However, I think if Whiskas Bite and Chew goes on special offer I may still buy some but only for use as an occasional treat and not as their regular food.

Must dash, I can smell chemcal warfare drifting from the litter box....!

Tidbits

This one is still making me smile. I had an oven pizza and king prawns for dinner last night and ended up chopping up a significant number of my nice prawns for Red who scoffed them at speed. Magic doesn't like prawns but she likes to be involved. Normally, if she is beside me when I am eating I show her what I have, she nods a little Royal Assent then settles down for a sleep. All very collegial and congenial.

I wondered if some chicken might take her fancy so I showed her a little chunk of chicken from the pizza. She delicately inhaled from a distance then turned away with a little supercillious pout. As the chicken was untouched and she wasn't interested I popped it in my mouth. I'd no sooner done this than she rounded on me with a look of absolute scandalised disgust that I'd eaten her little treat.

Apparently, this time the pouting was just a bit of mannerly delay to show she wasn't as uncouth as Red who devours his food. I'd let her down entirely by wolfing her tidbit while she was working out which pinkie should be raised for an impromtu snack. She looked so aghast I couldn't help laughing. I did give her some more chicken but she kept shooting me sideways glances which clearly indicated how disappointed she was by my manners!

God, my Nana would have loved Magic for upholding the standards!

My brave protector

I am seriously deafened while writing this and am having to contend with a tail swishing over the keyboard. Magic is sitting on the table 'protecting' me from the exceptionally loud police helicopter sitting right above our street. As soon as it appeared Magic got up and came to head bump and paw me and sit beside me. It is funny but is she sitting with her back to me so that she can be watching and assessing the situation. I can stroke her and she will try to groom my hair but she wont let me hold her as she wants to be ready for action. What a wee love she is.

I've no idea what is going on but it has been there for the past 40mins or so and is low enough to blow the roof tiles off, as if we need that again, and the birds outside are going ballistic. Red, predictably, has legged it and is missing-in-inaction again!

As I've said before although this is an urban area we are fairly light on entertainment. So unsurprisingly the place is awash with dog walkers doing an unsheduled walk, bewildered children being dragged very slowly for a pre-bedtime stroll and I've even seen some elderly folk perambulating up the main road with their roller frames.

It is still there and though it has moved once or twice it is still there and VERY loud. I can only hope they find what they are looking for or run out of kerosene and need to go to be refuelled.

Update:
Wonders will never cease, an hour into this ruddy annoyance, Red reappeared with eyes like saucers, sadly it was all too much for him and he legged it again. Still, he did try and you've got to love him for that.

Mary, Mungo and Midge

One Morning Red was knocking hell out of fur mouse at stupid O'clock and using me as a trampoline. I was too tired to do anything about it so when he next passed I grabbed the mouse and tucked it under the covers with me. Hardly hygienic but it did allow me some more precious sleep before getting up. That same night it was obviously cold and Magic reckoned under the covers was better than at the foot of the bed. I dislike cats in beds and am constantly changing the pillowcases and bedding or covering it with fleece blankets however, as I am used to cats sleeping at the bottom of the bed and moving around I sometimes don't notice when Magic decides to avail herself of the warm underside of the covers. This morning it made me laugh as when I woke I was accompanied by a fur mouse and a cat who looked seriously disgusted at the mousey intruder. This meant there were three bods in the room that morning who were not impressed with their bedmates. Red was bereft as his mouse had been stolen, Magic looked affronted by the mouse and I was unchuffed at having either sleeping companion.

The High Life or the High Way

Despite the fact that both cats sleep at the bottom of the bed during the winter before they settle down they vie for supremacy over who will sit where. Usually Red likes the top of the wardrobe but on this night he'd had a go at Magic so she stole his favourite space in revenge. Red was so annoyed he didnt think what he was doing and leapt past Magic so that they were both on the wardrobe and worse, he was on the long drop side! They both did a bit of growling and posturing but realised I think(!) that they were a little stuck and it was a little too dangerous for their usual shenanigans. I was horrified and tried to intervene but they were too high to do anything meaningful. I had visions of broken legs and multiple injuries.

Interestingly they resolved it by turning their heads away, like they do when sharing the bed, and pretending the other didn't exist. Who knew cats were just like politicians!

Laundry Hide and Go Seek

Like all cats Red reckons he is invisible if he is under something and is looking at the floor. I was sorting out the clean white laundry for folding when he hopped onto the little shelf under the table which he reckoned made him invisible. When I told him "I can see you, you know..." he made me laugh as he was soooo crestfallen.

'Scuse the dirty laundry on the floor, it was just waiting for its turn in the machine.

Going Somewhere...?

I was recently forced to do some ironing so that some clothes could be packed. I do not 'do' ironing and normally dress to the rule of 1) is it clean? and 2) does it need ironed? If the answer is yes and no, then it is fit to be worn. However, on this occasion I was forced to do a fair load of ironing, for the other human, I might add. Red took exception to the suitcase scenario which always worries him and he decided that he'd better stake his claim to whatever was going on!

Sleepy Cats

No post is ever complete without some cute snaps of them sleeping, or heading that way...

Hairy Paws 3

From the quest to document the size of the angora shovels. From claw to 'wrist' they really don't look like they belong to him...

Snow Bear

Snow Bear, Gregory and Little Ted used to sit on my bed some years ago. Recently I found them while clearing out a wardrobe and all three were looking like a wash wouldn't go amiss. So I popped them in a lingerie bag and washed them. I laughed when Snow Bear came out looking rather the worse for wear and looked like I feel in the morning.

However, after a little brush she looked more like herself and ready to face the day!

Your limousine awaits

Two snaps from their last trip to the vet in their new carriers.

Red is all exhausted and keeping his eyes closed as he hates the vet and the car journey. Magic is giving it longing looks to the outside.

I bought the new carriers as I was finding it difficult to carry both cats when I was on my own and to evict them from the carrier when we got to the vet.  There was also the issue of remembering which cat had to go into which carrier. Red needed the small one despite the fact his is the bigger cat as he needs to be in the foot well otherwise he howls all the way if he can see the scenery rushing past. Magic on the other hand had to rattle around in the large one as she 'HAS' to see the scenery otherwise, she howls all the way. I did try strapping the old carriers into the back seat belts once but they both howled!

These ones come with a shoulder strap, can fit in either foot well or on the seat and also sneakily open at the top. They were expensive but were on special offer. I did initially want to get Red a 'boy' colour but as only the pink was on offer I didn't feel his machismo was worth paying an extra £20 for when he is only in it for short hops to the vet or cattery.

The carriers are a a little bulky but they are worth their weight in gold as you can open the top. When we got to the vet Red had sidled way back and was giving it his self-satisfied no chance you are getting me out look. So when the vet opened the top and lifted him out he put up no resistance and came out like a wet piece of spaghetti with an expression that was simultaneously bemused, affronted and scandalised at having been out foxed! The vet admitted she loves this type of carrier as there is no risky sticking your hand into a waiting set of claws or teeth to get the cat out or the alternative upending the carrier and shaking it like a ketchup bottle. Magic was fine, she just wanted to explore and kept trying to skydive off the table. The injection didn't go down well and as usual she tried to back away which meant she actually backed onto the needle and effectively gave herself her injection! Unfortunately both had fairly awful reactions to their vaccines, which is another post on its own.

Hairy Paws 2

I continue in my challenge to capture the size of the boy's paws. He seems to have stopped growing in height and length and is now putting on his adult weight as I can feel him getting a little heavier. The paws however still look like they belong to another beast entirely as they are huge, angora soft and almost cartoonish.

They are lovely tho' and he is perfectly happy for you to play with his paws when he is sleeping on your lap.

Warning for Suckers

Honestly, if you need to put this warning on your Pet Hair Eraser Vacuum for your customers then you probably shouldn't be selling it to them...!