Doses given: full dose
Red had a great sleep last night. I know because I couldn't sleep because I was draped with two zonked cats! He was still chilled and relaxed this morning. Tonight when I came home he was a bit jittery and watching the door as the neighbour was doing some DIY.
I'd bought some Lick-e-lix youghurt treat to hide the powder in as hiding it in his food didn't work particularly well as proved by yesterday. He loved the LeL with the zylkene and no doubt I'm going to have to try to claim a place in bed so that I don't waken up par-boiled by two furnace hot cats.
Monday, 18 February 2013
Sunday, 17 February 2013
Zylkene trial - Day 2
Doses given: Very little
Accidental dose given: hopefully very little!
One day in and I've done exactly what I was trying to avoid!!
After giving Red a capsule of zylkene yesterday I did think he was more chilled and snuggly with me and a bit soggy 'licky' with my arm. However, as it was a relaxed weekend sort of day with little requirement for activity by human or feline then I could be mis-attributing this to the effects of the drug.
This morning I tried to normalise the drug administration by popping it in a little bit of gourmet gravy, in a normal bowl and giving it to a hungry Red without me standing over him. That didn't work. Turns out he wasn't that hungry and when I peeped in to see how he was getting on, there was a significant tortoiseshell rump in the 'bum up, head down' position lapping up the gravy and drug! This proves the drug is palatable and easily hidden in their food but little else. Magic is currently out cold in the dining room. No idea if this is drug related as it is Sunday and she doesnt look any different from her normal chilled state. I'll only know if it has had an effect on her if I have to 'pour' her into bed tonight.
It is still the weekend and, tho' I need to shift soon, I am still making the most of the down time. Which is why I nearly missed the first objective sign that the zylkene might be working for Red after one, and possibly a bit more, doses.
The bin men came with their big noisy lorry to do some bulk uplifts and I glanced up idly as I'm sitting at the window, watching tv and reading the papers on the internet. What I didn't immidiately 'twig' was that Red was still sitting up on the back of the sofa beside me watching them. He is great with me but if any noisy threat appears he legs it in blind terror leaving me to my fate, unlike Magic the magnificent who goes into her protective ' who dares come near my human' challenge mode.
When I realised what Red was doing I went to get the camera and he only moved to go in front of the net curtain to see them better! This is momentous, as the bin men and their noisy lorries terrify him the moment he hears them, even when he is at the back of the house. It was the bin men's arrival that caused him to bolt on his one and only trip into the garden last year as he could hear them from there. Yet today he is full of curiosity on the window ledge and was even watching them leave!! One up for zylkene I think.
Accidental dose given: hopefully very little!
One day in and I've done exactly what I was trying to avoid!!
After giving Red a capsule of zylkene yesterday I did think he was more chilled and snuggly with me and a bit soggy 'licky' with my arm. However, as it was a relaxed weekend sort of day with little requirement for activity by human or feline then I could be mis-attributing this to the effects of the drug.
This morning I tried to normalise the drug administration by popping it in a little bit of gourmet gravy, in a normal bowl and giving it to a hungry Red without me standing over him. That didn't work. Turns out he wasn't that hungry and when I peeped in to see how he was getting on, there was a significant tortoiseshell rump in the 'bum up, head down' position lapping up the gravy and drug! This proves the drug is palatable and easily hidden in their food but little else. Magic is currently out cold in the dining room. No idea if this is drug related as it is Sunday and she doesnt look any different from her normal chilled state. I'll only know if it has had an effect on her if I have to 'pour' her into bed tonight.
It is still the weekend and, tho' I need to shift soon, I am still making the most of the down time. Which is why I nearly missed the first objective sign that the zylkene might be working for Red after one, and possibly a bit more, doses.
The bin men came with their big noisy lorry to do some bulk uplifts and I glanced up idly as I'm sitting at the window, watching tv and reading the papers on the internet. What I didn't immidiately 'twig' was that Red was still sitting up on the back of the sofa beside me watching them. He is great with me but if any noisy threat appears he legs it in blind terror leaving me to my fate, unlike Magic the magnificent who goes into her protective ' who dares come near my human' challenge mode.
When I realised what Red was doing I went to get the camera and he only moved to go in front of the net curtain to see them better! This is momentous, as the bin men and their noisy lorries terrify him the moment he hears them, even when he is at the back of the house. It was the bin men's arrival that caused him to bolt on his one and only trip into the garden last year as he could hear them from there. Yet today he is full of curiosity on the window ledge and was even watching them leave!! One up for zylkene I think.
Update: Magic obviously got more of the drug than I thought. She is absolutely stoned. She got up when I told her I was going out so that she could go in the bedrooom. She jumped off the sofa, looked confused, tried some tentative steps with her front paws only which clearly didn't feel right, then rolled onto her side to rub her ear/face up and down the carpet in bliss. I had to carry her to the room where she sat on the bed shaking her head.
I tried Red again later with the drug in the gravy but he would not buy it at all and just kept scraping and pawing the tiled floor around the bowl.
Saturday, 16 February 2013
Vet visit and chemical chill
Doses given: First dose
Time for the annual vaccines and health check visit again. This time it was left purposely for 18months as they both had serious reactions the last time. Hopefully, this time we are ok as both seem fine 3days on.
In discussing Red's psycho fear of any noises or visitors the vet suggested a new drug based on digested milk proteins. I took some (for him!) to be started a couple of days or so post-vacc to see if it would calm him and make him less reactively stressed. He is fine and very loving with me and quite boisterous around the house and Magic but others stress him terribly. It seems this drug works miraculously for some animals but has a variable onset and duration depending on the particular animal.
The drug seems not to have any side effects and owners on various forums are in the main raving about how 'Fluffy has stopped over grooming and spraying' or 'Rover has stopped using the postman as a chew toy'. A colleague also shared her positive experience of the drug with her tigger-style spaniel. Those who are unimpressed find it hasn't worked rather than because it had any side effects.
Coincidentally, I also found out it has been available for humans and was sold by Boots at even greater cost, mg per mg, than the animal version for what is just digested milk. However, bizarrely, the human version seems to be criticised on other sites as totally ineffective with a poor evidence base in the same way homoeopathy is decried as being totally reliant on the placebo effect. Certainly there appears to be a lack of good evidence to explain and reproducibly demonstrate why this drug is an effective anxiolytic, particularly in humans, so the scepticism seems justified. But, what I don't understand, is why is the drug so effective in animals when it is hidden in their food? How can an animal show such significant behavioural changes resulting from a purely placebo effect when they are unaware the drug has been hidden in their food?
Something doesn't add up but, as I can find no side effects or risks that would put my beloved little bundle of fear at any harm, I think this Pixie Dust worth a try. So this morning he had the powder from his first one hidden in some aerosol cream. I thought I would try it this way first so that I know he is getting the full dose initially before putting it in the food and risking the eternally chilled Magic getting even more horizontal till I know if it works for Red!
Time for the annual vaccines and health check visit again. This time it was left purposely for 18months as they both had serious reactions the last time. Hopefully, this time we are ok as both seem fine 3days on.
In discussing Red's psycho fear of any noises or visitors the vet suggested a new drug based on digested milk proteins. I took some (for him!) to be started a couple of days or so post-vacc to see if it would calm him and make him less reactively stressed. He is fine and very loving with me and quite boisterous around the house and Magic but others stress him terribly. It seems this drug works miraculously for some animals but has a variable onset and duration depending on the particular animal.
The drug seems not to have any side effects and owners on various forums are in the main raving about how 'Fluffy has stopped over grooming and spraying' or 'Rover has stopped using the postman as a chew toy'. A colleague also shared her positive experience of the drug with her tigger-style spaniel. Those who are unimpressed find it hasn't worked rather than because it had any side effects.
Coincidentally, I also found out it has been available for humans and was sold by Boots at even greater cost, mg per mg, than the animal version for what is just digested milk. However, bizarrely, the human version seems to be criticised on other sites as totally ineffective with a poor evidence base in the same way homoeopathy is decried as being totally reliant on the placebo effect. Certainly there appears to be a lack of good evidence to explain and reproducibly demonstrate why this drug is an effective anxiolytic, particularly in humans, so the scepticism seems justified. But, what I don't understand, is why is the drug so effective in animals when it is hidden in their food? How can an animal show such significant behavioural changes resulting from a purely placebo effect when they are unaware the drug has been hidden in their food?
Something doesn't add up but, as I can find no side effects or risks that would put my beloved little bundle of fear at any harm, I think this Pixie Dust worth a try. So this morning he had the powder from his first one hidden in some aerosol cream. I thought I would try it this way first so that I know he is getting the full dose initially before putting it in the food and risking the eternally chilled Magic getting even more horizontal till I know if it works for Red!
Sunday, 10 February 2013
Privacy please
Cats are intensely private animals but don't seem to extend this courtesy to others. This includes the fact that even my bathroom related activities are a communal event.
In our new house I am still struggling to come to terms with living 'low down' and knowing that people can see in the windows. For this reason we have vertical blinds, net curtains and curtains proper...overkill?....ya, think? I'm sure the neighbours think this is weird as the blinds at the front of the house are closed most of the time. Mainly of this is for privacy but, a little bit of it is refusing to conform, as the neighbours use blind opening as an indicator to check when people get up in the morning! I am sure with time accepting that people passing by can peer over the hedge will become the norm but for now the need for privacy is winning. However, in the meantime Red is NOT helping.
If I am using the front living room during the day I let the net curtains provide their screening and I sit on the sofa which is parallel to the window which means I am more or less hidden. Theoretically this should work, however, every time Red jumps from the window ledge to the back of the sofa he manages to hook the curtain over the sofa which leaves me in full view of the street. Way to go boy, that's really helping me manage my privacy issues.....!
In our new house I am still struggling to come to terms with living 'low down' and knowing that people can see in the windows. For this reason we have vertical blinds, net curtains and curtains proper...overkill?....ya, think? I'm sure the neighbours think this is weird as the blinds at the front of the house are closed most of the time. Mainly of this is for privacy but, a little bit of it is refusing to conform, as the neighbours use blind opening as an indicator to check when people get up in the morning! I am sure with time accepting that people passing by can peer over the hedge will become the norm but for now the need for privacy is winning. However, in the meantime Red is NOT helping.
If I am using the front living room during the day I let the net curtains provide their screening and I sit on the sofa which is parallel to the window which means I am more or less hidden. Theoretically this should work, however, every time Red jumps from the window ledge to the back of the sofa he manages to hook the curtain over the sofa which leaves me in full view of the street. Way to go boy, that's really helping me manage my privacy issues.....!
Cats on Duty
Cat's work shifts - who knew...?
Recently I was rather floored by a sneaky and rather unpleasant 'double dip' cold. Initially it was a dreadful cough but over the weekend I didn't feel quite so deathly. Unfortunately, over the next couple of days, despite me insisting I was getting better to my colleagues, I was finally beaten by it. I got up for work and realised post-shower I'd used up all my energy and couldn't keep up with my runny nose.
After making the dreaded 'I can't come to work call', I stumbled to the sofa to medicate myself, increase the profits for Kleenex Balsam and sleep in between coughing myself awake. The cats predictably came to comfort me/use me as a life sized hot water bottle.
Over the days I was unwell and not moving much I noticed a really odd pattern. Initially both cats tried be find a space on the sofa to be with me but, given that Magic refuses to see Red in her road, this was not working out well. So, one cat would sit with/on me and the other one would wander off and sleep in the dining room. However, at 10pm each night the 'off duty' cat would come and relieve the other one and that cat would stay with me until 10pm the next night. After the first couple of days of this I watched the pattern and, sure enough at 10pm, it was shift change time.
I've noticed at weekends or holidays one cat with be around more than the other, then the next day the other cat will be more conspicuous, but this was really marked and time specific. To be fair they were both excellent and very conscientious carers but I wonder what would have happened if I had been unwell for longer...would they have wanted some days off, would they have wanted overtime or worse, would they have got one of the local cats in to do a locum shift to let them get some rest...??? Luckily, I got better and went back to work, so we will never know.
Recently I was rather floored by a sneaky and rather unpleasant 'double dip' cold. Initially it was a dreadful cough but over the weekend I didn't feel quite so deathly. Unfortunately, over the next couple of days, despite me insisting I was getting better to my colleagues, I was finally beaten by it. I got up for work and realised post-shower I'd used up all my energy and couldn't keep up with my runny nose.
After making the dreaded 'I can't come to work call', I stumbled to the sofa to medicate myself, increase the profits for Kleenex Balsam and sleep in between coughing myself awake. The cats predictably came to comfort me/use me as a life sized hot water bottle.
Over the days I was unwell and not moving much I noticed a really odd pattern. Initially both cats tried be find a space on the sofa to be with me but, given that Magic refuses to see Red in her road, this was not working out well. So, one cat would sit with/on me and the other one would wander off and sleep in the dining room. However, at 10pm each night the 'off duty' cat would come and relieve the other one and that cat would stay with me until 10pm the next night. After the first couple of days of this I watched the pattern and, sure enough at 10pm, it was shift change time.
I've noticed at weekends or holidays one cat with be around more than the other, then the next day the other cat will be more conspicuous, but this was really marked and time specific. To be fair they were both excellent and very conscientious carers but I wonder what would have happened if I had been unwell for longer...would they have wanted some days off, would they have wanted overtime or worse, would they have got one of the local cats in to do a locum shift to let them get some rest...??? Luckily, I got better and went back to work, so we will never know.
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
New Best Toy
Red has adopted a new best toy. It wasn't made for him, but he has appropriated it for his exclusive use. Given the way his little eye light up when he sees it, it clearly is way better than a bag handle, which is high praise indeed.
So what is this wonder toy? Well, it is a stolen knotting experiment. I tried for ages to make a monkey's fist knot with paracord with little success. When I tried again I saw where I had gone wrong and managed to create a vaguely passable first attempt.
I was so chuffed I had worked it out that I decided to rest on my laurels and celebrate my success with a bath (big time, eh?). Magic came with me and was perched on a towel on the toilet lid on Health and Safety duty as usual as she always feels she has to guard me. She may have a point, as I managed a spectacular fall a couple of weeks ago and had some impressive abdominal and rib bruising and scrapes, which hurt!
On this occasion tho' I was quite safe. Red had been sleeping but as I tried to relaxed in the bath all I could hear was him battering something senseless up and down the hall and having a high old time. I had my suspicions it was my poor monkey knot, and sure enough when I'd finished there was the evidence in a damp but surprisingly undamaged heap.
Paracord seems remarkably robust as a cat toy and despite prolonged chewing it looks as good a new. The only odd thing about this as he runs up to get me to throw it is that it looks like a little string yellow moustache hanging down either side of his mouth.
So what is this wonder toy? Well, it is a stolen knotting experiment. I tried for ages to make a monkey's fist knot with paracord with little success. When I tried again I saw where I had gone wrong and managed to create a vaguely passable first attempt.
I was so chuffed I had worked it out that I decided to rest on my laurels and celebrate my success with a bath (big time, eh?). Magic came with me and was perched on a towel on the toilet lid on Health and Safety duty as usual as she always feels she has to guard me. She may have a point, as I managed a spectacular fall a couple of weeks ago and had some impressive abdominal and rib bruising and scrapes, which hurt!
On this occasion tho' I was quite safe. Red had been sleeping but as I tried to relaxed in the bath all I could hear was him battering something senseless up and down the hall and having a high old time. I had my suspicions it was my poor monkey knot, and sure enough when I'd finished there was the evidence in a damp but surprisingly undamaged heap.
Paracord seems remarkably robust as a cat toy and despite prolonged chewing it looks as good a new. The only odd thing about this as he runs up to get me to throw it is that it looks like a little string yellow moustache hanging down either side of his mouth.
Thursday, 24 January 2013
Wardrobe puss
Just some nice pics of the boy from the old house when he had access to his beloved wardrobe eyrie.
The face is just so smug as he knows I cannot get him down unless he wants to come down....!
Sunday, 2 December 2012
First Snow
I'm ridiculously excited right now as it is snowing. I know it is sad and childish but I just cant help it. Just as I can't help craving a big mug of soup to take to bed as my brain somehow insists snow, sleep and soup are a divine trinity.
This is the first snow any of us have experienced living in a house with a garden. As soon as I realised it was snowing I could not wait to get into the garden to take pics and throw some snowballs.
After I'd done that I brought the cats through from the bedroom and opened the patio door to see what they'd do. Magic went first, stood on the step, looked at the white stuff, took half a dozen investigatory steps before coming back in and looking up at me as if I was nuts. She sat on the rug guarding the door and watching Red with incredulity.
Red gave it more of a shot. He spent ages at the doorway, made three forays out onto the snow, which I didn't manage to catch on film as he was too quick. Each time he flew back in shaking his big fluffy paws and making 'gruggly' noises. Then two seconds later was back at the door mesmerised by the white cold stuff and white fluff falling from the sky just begging to be caught.
Another lovely memory in the history of our lovely wee house.
This is the first snow any of us have experienced living in a house with a garden. As soon as I realised it was snowing I could not wait to get into the garden to take pics and throw some snowballs.
After I'd done that I brought the cats through from the bedroom and opened the patio door to see what they'd do. Magic went first, stood on the step, looked at the white stuff, took half a dozen investigatory steps before coming back in and looking up at me as if I was nuts. She sat on the rug guarding the door and watching Red with incredulity.
Red gave it more of a shot. He spent ages at the doorway, made three forays out onto the snow, which I didn't manage to catch on film as he was too quick. Each time he flew back in shaking his big fluffy paws and making 'gruggly' noises. Then two seconds later was back at the door mesmerised by the white cold stuff and white fluff falling from the sky just begging to be caught.
Another lovely memory in the history of our lovely wee house.
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Who's the doughnut
My friend was coming over and I thought I heard the door. However, on looking, there seemed to be no-one at the door but Red was tossing himself over some boxes to get into one of his hidey-holes. When I realised the noise had only been him I said "Was that you, you doughnut...?" before going off and leaving him to it.
Anyway a few seconds later the door was knocked by my friend who greeted me with "Who's a doughnut?" as she came in. Yes, it had been her who knocked on the door, and yes it was Red doing his Greta Garbo 'I vant to be aloooone' impression.
Anyway a few seconds later the door was knocked by my friend who greeted me with "Who's a doughnut?" as she came in. Yes, it had been her who knocked on the door, and yes it was Red doing his Greta Garbo 'I vant to be aloooone' impression.
Too Early
Poor Red. I had to be up super early yesterday to take a train down south for work. As is always the way, I'd footered about and gone to bed late, not slept well for fear of sleeping in and woken very early when the three phone alarms (!) went off.
As I dashed about getting ready; well, ok, maybe that is overstating the speed and purposefulness of the activity. I suppose what actually was occurring was me bumbling about like a womble as I am more of a natural owl than lark. Anyway, wee Red was sitting quietly in the hall at the bedroom doorway as I was dressing. As he looked a bit shell-shocked I asked him if it was too early for him to be up. In response he very delicately opened his mouth and very, very slowly did the biggest yawn I've ever seen. It obviously was a big deal for him too as his eyes were rolling when his 'flip-top' head went back into shape!
As I dashed about getting ready; well, ok, maybe that is overstating the speed and purposefulness of the activity. I suppose what actually was occurring was me bumbling about like a womble as I am more of a natural owl than lark. Anyway, wee Red was sitting quietly in the hall at the bedroom doorway as I was dressing. As he looked a bit shell-shocked I asked him if it was too early for him to be up. In response he very delicately opened his mouth and very, very slowly did the biggest yawn I've ever seen. It obviously was a big deal for him too as his eyes were rolling when his 'flip-top' head went back into shape!
Saturday, 29 September 2012
Meet the locals
I woke up around 5am to the sound of Red making an odd noise somewhere between a growl and that horrible 'I'm going to yak up a furball' one. He was sitting on the window ledge so i got up to see what the matter was. He was sitting bolt upright and making faces at his reflection in the window. I rolled my eyes and tried to persuade him off the window ledge. He moved over a bit but wasnt happy and neither was I when I realised his shadow wasnt following him! Wide eyed I looked again and saw what is quite possibly the ugliest cat I've ever seen which is quite some comment for such a dyed in the wool cat lover like me. Ugly mog was sitting on the outside ledge making faces at my beloved boy. I tried shoo-ing and trying to persuade him to leave but to no avail. I did consider opening the window to get rid of him but was afraid he'd get in or mine would get out. In the end I went back to bed and left them to posture at each other through the window.
This is quite some big leap for Red. Firstly, everything in the outside world terrifies him and he hides under whatever is available or bolts. Yet, last night, there he was guarding our room by taking on an ugly big mog through the window and growling it off his territory while we slept. Pretty impressive for the boy with nerves of candyfloss!
As I went back to sleep I thought how damn cheeky of the cat to sit on the ledge and how I've never had this bother before....before remembering that the last place was on the second floor and a cat on the window ledge would have been really impressive.
This is quite some big leap for Red. Firstly, everything in the outside world terrifies him and he hides under whatever is available or bolts. Yet, last night, there he was guarding our room by taking on an ugly big mog through the window and growling it off his territory while we slept. Pretty impressive for the boy with nerves of candyfloss!
As I went back to sleep I thought how damn cheeky of the cat to sit on the ledge and how I've never had this bother before....before remembering that the last place was on the second floor and a cat on the window ledge would have been really impressive.
Monday, 24 September 2012
Taking time
This holiday weekend I have given myself a really valuable gift. It is more precious than anything right now and a reminder of how life should be lived. A very wise person I know talks about the need to find 'shafts of stillness in your life' and I think this has been a wonderful, unexpected example.
Everyone is busy and has their own worries and commitments to deal with and I've never met anyone who says they have a great life and an abundance of time. So riccocheting from one challenge to another carrying forward concerns and future problems with snatched pockets of 'me' time seems like the norm. I particularly hate the feeling of not being able to do 'everything' which makes me feel overwhelmed and stops me achieving anything at all, which in turn stresses me further. I want everything fixed and sorted and finalised. I hate ongoing 'projects' which drag on as I lose interest, I much prefer putting in some concentrated effort to get something sorted. This is probably why I've never finished the knitted cardigan I began in the 1980's as I lost interest, the pattern and then the wool over time as the ruddy thing just wouldn't be finished! Getting this new house 'sorted', as in fixed, finished and exactly to our taste and comfort is proving more difficult than expected and a rush of unexpected emergency bills all with a minimum of two '00's at the end have wiped out the contingency funds and are making Visa a profit.
Anyway, this weekend has been fun, a word not often used. I took my own advice and treated myself as I would someone I really liked. I did nice things, none of them exciting, but uplifting nonetheless. I got up on Sat am and decided the day was mine and mine alone. It was sunny and the day seemed to hold real potential. I had promised myself I'd watch James Martin's Saturday Kitchen in dining/summer sitting room now that the new chair was fixed. So I showered, dressed in my 'home' clothes and relocated and connected up my bedroom tv and the new freesat box and watched it with a cooked breakfast which was a nice achievement. As it was a lovely day I left Red in the bedroom to sleep, threw open the patio doors and let Magic wander the morning garden. I decided to tackle the minor jobs that would enable me to use the dining/summer sitting room properly, sort the bathroom storage and find/launder our clothes that have been stored since moving. So, by the time I settled down to watch the BBC4 Crime drama at 9pm I'd emptied three suitcases, done 5 laundry loads and hung them out, scrubbed down and sun dried a bamboo chest of drawers which subsequently proved too bulky for the bathroom, set up the tv in the kitchen, given the new leather suite its cream protector treatment and watched some favourite films while pottering about. I texted a friend all through Insp. Montalbano as she was watching it too and I enjoyed some crisps and choccies which I've been abstaining from over this last month. Even going out in the pitch dark and icy cold at 11pm to rescue the last loads of washing I'd forgotten about was a thought, but it gave my heart a lift when I looked in to see the warm glow of the summer sitting room that was now functional. There was a little blip over the other human's behaviour and demands but instead of reacting and letting it drag me back to the depths I decided to review the situation the following day.
In fact I enjoyed this kind of day so much that I decreed Sunday would be more of the same. I chose to leave my usual obligations to sort themselves out and focussed on doing the things that would make my life better which normally I subjugate for others. Another five laundry loads, kitchen cleaning, cooking a nice meal and even a little afternoon snooze after curling up with a book I've wanted to read for ages were all allowed under the new regime. Before I knew it Downton Abbey and bedtime with the book were there.
So what has any of this got to do with my cats? Well, the extra attention both have received has been as good for them as me. Magic is loving getting outside and even barged past me when I went to hang out a fleece. I tried to get her back in but she wasn't buying it. Instead I found her on the bedroom window ledge taunting Red! This is a first as Red is continually terrified of everything. However, as of this weekend, he is actively showing genuine interest in the world outside the windows and not bolting if you come up to the window to talk to him from the garden. So much so, that I am thinking it might be worth trying to harness train him whereas before I'd reckoned he would be unlikely to brave the garden. He is much happier for contact, wanting attention and initiating 'snuggles' and staying to snooze even if Magic is lying beside me. He's been bolder and was challenging Magic by jumping on her and springing at her even when she was growling and warning him off. Both cats are more keen to sleep beside me if I am sitting and they've even worked out the new chair has arms wide and is soft enough for a decent sleep while I watch tv or use the 'puter'. Best of all Red seems to be putting on a bit more weight.
Real life and commitments are looming. However, hopefully this very lovely and unexpected 'shaft of stillness' has recharged my batteries and will help me face whatever lies ahead with a bit more energy and fortitude.
Everyone is busy and has their own worries and commitments to deal with and I've never met anyone who says they have a great life and an abundance of time. So riccocheting from one challenge to another carrying forward concerns and future problems with snatched pockets of 'me' time seems like the norm. I particularly hate the feeling of not being able to do 'everything' which makes me feel overwhelmed and stops me achieving anything at all, which in turn stresses me further. I want everything fixed and sorted and finalised. I hate ongoing 'projects' which drag on as I lose interest, I much prefer putting in some concentrated effort to get something sorted. This is probably why I've never finished the knitted cardigan I began in the 1980's as I lost interest, the pattern and then the wool over time as the ruddy thing just wouldn't be finished! Getting this new house 'sorted', as in fixed, finished and exactly to our taste and comfort is proving more difficult than expected and a rush of unexpected emergency bills all with a minimum of two '00's at the end have wiped out the contingency funds and are making Visa a profit.
Anyway, this weekend has been fun, a word not often used. I took my own advice and treated myself as I would someone I really liked. I did nice things, none of them exciting, but uplifting nonetheless. I got up on Sat am and decided the day was mine and mine alone. It was sunny and the day seemed to hold real potential. I had promised myself I'd watch James Martin's Saturday Kitchen in dining/summer sitting room now that the new chair was fixed. So I showered, dressed in my 'home' clothes and relocated and connected up my bedroom tv and the new freesat box and watched it with a cooked breakfast which was a nice achievement. As it was a lovely day I left Red in the bedroom to sleep, threw open the patio doors and let Magic wander the morning garden. I decided to tackle the minor jobs that would enable me to use the dining/summer sitting room properly, sort the bathroom storage and find/launder our clothes that have been stored since moving. So, by the time I settled down to watch the BBC4 Crime drama at 9pm I'd emptied three suitcases, done 5 laundry loads and hung them out, scrubbed down and sun dried a bamboo chest of drawers which subsequently proved too bulky for the bathroom, set up the tv in the kitchen, given the new leather suite its cream protector treatment and watched some favourite films while pottering about. I texted a friend all through Insp. Montalbano as she was watching it too and I enjoyed some crisps and choccies which I've been abstaining from over this last month. Even going out in the pitch dark and icy cold at 11pm to rescue the last loads of washing I'd forgotten about was a thought, but it gave my heart a lift when I looked in to see the warm glow of the summer sitting room that was now functional. There was a little blip over the other human's behaviour and demands but instead of reacting and letting it drag me back to the depths I decided to review the situation the following day.
In fact I enjoyed this kind of day so much that I decreed Sunday would be more of the same. I chose to leave my usual obligations to sort themselves out and focussed on doing the things that would make my life better which normally I subjugate for others. Another five laundry loads, kitchen cleaning, cooking a nice meal and even a little afternoon snooze after curling up with a book I've wanted to read for ages were all allowed under the new regime. Before I knew it Downton Abbey and bedtime with the book were there.
So what has any of this got to do with my cats? Well, the extra attention both have received has been as good for them as me. Magic is loving getting outside and even barged past me when I went to hang out a fleece. I tried to get her back in but she wasn't buying it. Instead I found her on the bedroom window ledge taunting Red! This is a first as Red is continually terrified of everything. However, as of this weekend, he is actively showing genuine interest in the world outside the windows and not bolting if you come up to the window to talk to him from the garden. So much so, that I am thinking it might be worth trying to harness train him whereas before I'd reckoned he would be unlikely to brave the garden. He is much happier for contact, wanting attention and initiating 'snuggles' and staying to snooze even if Magic is lying beside me. He's been bolder and was challenging Magic by jumping on her and springing at her even when she was growling and warning him off. Both cats are more keen to sleep beside me if I am sitting and they've even worked out the new chair has arms wide and is soft enough for a decent sleep while I watch tv or use the 'puter'. Best of all Red seems to be putting on a bit more weight.
Real life and commitments are looming. However, hopefully this very lovely and unexpected 'shaft of stillness' has recharged my batteries and will help me face whatever lies ahead with a bit more energy and fortitude.
...and I thought wisdom came with age...!
Magic as just done something blindingly stupid which has totally surprised me as I fully expected Red to be the one involved.
The main lounge is somewhere between a storage facility and a 'project' right now. Essentially there is a narrow path from door to the sofa under the window. It had been getting there and was on its way to becoming a functional space for the inhabitants and guests. Then the serial arrivals of the carpet cleaner, satellite installation man, joiner and furniture inspection man over the past few weekends knocked that on the head and has meant the entire house has been upped and moved to completely empty the relevant rooms like a heavy lifting version of pass the parcel crossed with musical chairs. This is why both sides of the lounge have 6-7ft wedge shaped 'rockfaces' consisting of assorted household items awaiting placement or unpacking. On the top of a displaced linen shelving rack were some light items including the red velvet pop-up cat tent which had been tossed up high. I decided to sit in the lounge this morning as I thought it might be warmer than the summer sitting room, or more accurately I couldn't face trying to warm up the leather chair or sofa in there. That was something I hadn't factored in when I bought it!
As I was pottering back and forth with my breakfast I noticed Red sitting on top of the linen rack looking very chuffed with himself. I knew he has a wee cosy nook somewhere underneath where he'd hidden the day before. Anyway as I was sitting browsing the internet I heard an ominous rumble and noticed the red tent had flipped over and had landed on some boxes adjacent to the top shelf. I knew Red was not up there now and that the tent was practically weightless so shouldn't be moving of its own accord. I got up and who's head should pop out of the tent but Magic's with an expression of bafflement as to why she had flipped 180degrees and was now moving backwards very slowly! I rescued my hefty puss and her tent and placed them safely on the floor whereupon she lost interest in the whole enterprise.
Apart from the worrying aspects of what could have happened if she had fallen and what this says about my ability as a responsible adult and cat owner I too was baffled. Magic is a very sensible cat who despises Red's lunacy yet here she was doing something even he wasn't stupid enough to do. Magic is now struggling with the extra weight (see Jack Sprat posting) and often struggles to jump up, so how did she get up there? Finally, unlike Red Magic is happy to sleep sprawled out anywhere comfortable so why choose a tent on a precarious shelf? The only answer seems to be that you just cant predict what a cat will do!
The main lounge is somewhere between a storage facility and a 'project' right now. Essentially there is a narrow path from door to the sofa under the window. It had been getting there and was on its way to becoming a functional space for the inhabitants and guests. Then the serial arrivals of the carpet cleaner, satellite installation man, joiner and furniture inspection man over the past few weekends knocked that on the head and has meant the entire house has been upped and moved to completely empty the relevant rooms like a heavy lifting version of pass the parcel crossed with musical chairs. This is why both sides of the lounge have 6-7ft wedge shaped 'rockfaces' consisting of assorted household items awaiting placement or unpacking. On the top of a displaced linen shelving rack were some light items including the red velvet pop-up cat tent which had been tossed up high. I decided to sit in the lounge this morning as I thought it might be warmer than the summer sitting room, or more accurately I couldn't face trying to warm up the leather chair or sofa in there. That was something I hadn't factored in when I bought it!
As I was pottering back and forth with my breakfast I noticed Red sitting on top of the linen rack looking very chuffed with himself. I knew he has a wee cosy nook somewhere underneath where he'd hidden the day before. Anyway as I was sitting browsing the internet I heard an ominous rumble and noticed the red tent had flipped over and had landed on some boxes adjacent to the top shelf. I knew Red was not up there now and that the tent was practically weightless so shouldn't be moving of its own accord. I got up and who's head should pop out of the tent but Magic's with an expression of bafflement as to why she had flipped 180degrees and was now moving backwards very slowly! I rescued my hefty puss and her tent and placed them safely on the floor whereupon she lost interest in the whole enterprise.
Apart from the worrying aspects of what could have happened if she had fallen and what this says about my ability as a responsible adult and cat owner I too was baffled. Magic is a very sensible cat who despises Red's lunacy yet here she was doing something even he wasn't stupid enough to do. Magic is now struggling with the extra weight (see Jack Sprat posting) and often struggles to jump up, so how did she get up there? Finally, unlike Red Magic is happy to sleep sprawled out anywhere comfortable so why choose a tent on a precarious shelf? The only answer seems to be that you just cant predict what a cat will do!
Friday, 21 September 2012
Territorial Rights
No pictures sadly of this one but very amusing to me all the same. I am sitting out in the garden with Magic so that she can wander around. It was ok while the sun was in the garden but it is behind the fence now and getting pretty chilly. Anyway, it was a nice excuse to bring my laptop out for the firstime and sit on the patio set which has barely been used.
Magic was sitting on the steps beside me and just chilling and listening to an unknown number of birds in the tree argue the toss. Then we heard noises at the fence. We both looked up expecting to see a neighbour but no it was Mr Squirrel who stuck his head over the top! I was surprised and delighted but Magic, my little protector, was outraged. She looked at me as much as 'You wait there while I deal with this...' and lolloped over to it as it climbed down the fence a little. Squirrelly obviously thought better of tormenting the chubby puss just in case she was faster than she looked and scooted along the top of the fence. Eventually when he was further along he ran across the grass and up the other fence into the tree with Magic in half pursuit. Still laughing at it and not sure who got the bigger surprise...Magic at having an interloper or Squirrelly at finding a resident beast in a garden he considers his playground! He is now long gone but she is still sitting guard looking for him.
It's been a day for wildlife encounters. Ths morning I looked out of the windown to see the fence next door with smoke coming from it. Alarmed I looked closed and realised it was steam caused by the morning sun on the very wet fence from yesterday. I looked over at my side only to clap eyes on a large dog fox sunbathing while propped against my fence not 6ft from the house. We looked at each other in astonishment, I turned to get my camera and he got up and headed to the low part of the fence to hop over and go wherever he goes of a morning.
Magic was sitting on the steps beside me and just chilling and listening to an unknown number of birds in the tree argue the toss. Then we heard noises at the fence. We both looked up expecting to see a neighbour but no it was Mr Squirrel who stuck his head over the top! I was surprised and delighted but Magic, my little protector, was outraged. She looked at me as much as 'You wait there while I deal with this...' and lolloped over to it as it climbed down the fence a little. Squirrelly obviously thought better of tormenting the chubby puss just in case she was faster than she looked and scooted along the top of the fence. Eventually when he was further along he ran across the grass and up the other fence into the tree with Magic in half pursuit. Still laughing at it and not sure who got the bigger surprise...Magic at having an interloper or Squirrelly at finding a resident beast in a garden he considers his playground! He is now long gone but she is still sitting guard looking for him.
It's been a day for wildlife encounters. Ths morning I looked out of the windown to see the fence next door with smoke coming from it. Alarmed I looked closed and realised it was steam caused by the morning sun on the very wet fence from yesterday. I looked over at my side only to clap eyes on a large dog fox sunbathing while propped against my fence not 6ft from the house. We looked at each other in astonishment, I turned to get my camera and he got up and headed to the low part of the fence to hop over and go wherever he goes of a morning.
Sunday, 19 August 2012
Jack Spratt and his Wife
Red and Magic have been having some weight changes reminiscent of the old nursery rhyme. I've been quite concerned about Red as about two weeks ago I noticed that he seemed lighter than a puff of air and 'folded' into my arms when I lifted him up. Because he is so fluffy it is hard to see if he is losing weight. However, on holding him it became clear that he was seriously light as his little hips were jagged and his spine and ribs were very prominent under the fur with almost no fat or muscle. His little face also seemed pinched when you looked closely. He's always been a skinny little racing snake but I could not work out what had gone on as he was lively and engaged enough just very, very thin. By contrast Magic was getting ever heavier and is now a two handed rugby tackle to lift her.
I tried to work out what could be wrong. Was it the move that had unsettled him- possible. Was he not getting enough food- certainly not the case as he is fed three times a day and Magic lets him eat first from both bowls. Was he ill or hyperthyroid, were his teeth painful, was he retaining furballs- all possibilities but he can crunch whiskas or Felix 'sweeties' and he yakked up a couple of mighty furballs so should be eating ok.Still he was shrinking. So I decided to give him a week with some booster feeds to see if the issue was just dietary before a visit to the vet while observing him to see if I could work out why he was disappearing and Magic was inflating.
The answer, oddly enough, came to me when I was standing in a queue buying cat food. There are often very dry meaty bits left in the bowls which I end up throwng away and thinking what a waste. It then occured to me that although Red gets first dibs on the food he might be taking the gravy and Magic is eating the food. I watched them looking out for this specifically and that is exactly what was happening.
So, after some supplemental high protein kitten feeds each night he feels a little heavier and his bones seem more padded. He only eats a little at a time, presumably because he's been existing on gravy three times a day but I re-offer it during the evening till he eats it all. Applause for Applaws Kitten food.
I've also dropped the wet feeds to two meals a day so that Magic is not eating the best part of six bowls of food per day.She doesn't fuss about food normally and seems quite content. So hopefully she'll drop a little weight to take the pressure off of her poor little arthritic back legs. She's also been going outdoors with me and, although I wouldn't say she is expending much energy while sprawling on the patio, it does give me time to give her some special attention which balances up the time I am spending with Red during the booster feeds.
I tried to work out what could be wrong. Was it the move that had unsettled him- possible. Was he not getting enough food- certainly not the case as he is fed three times a day and Magic lets him eat first from both bowls. Was he ill or hyperthyroid, were his teeth painful, was he retaining furballs- all possibilities but he can crunch whiskas or Felix 'sweeties' and he yakked up a couple of mighty furballs so should be eating ok.Still he was shrinking. So I decided to give him a week with some booster feeds to see if the issue was just dietary before a visit to the vet while observing him to see if I could work out why he was disappearing and Magic was inflating.
The answer, oddly enough, came to me when I was standing in a queue buying cat food. There are often very dry meaty bits left in the bowls which I end up throwng away and thinking what a waste. It then occured to me that although Red gets first dibs on the food he might be taking the gravy and Magic is eating the food. I watched them looking out for this specifically and that is exactly what was happening.
So, after some supplemental high protein kitten feeds each night he feels a little heavier and his bones seem more padded. He only eats a little at a time, presumably because he's been existing on gravy three times a day but I re-offer it during the evening till he eats it all. Applause for Applaws Kitten food.
I've also dropped the wet feeds to two meals a day so that Magic is not eating the best part of six bowls of food per day.She doesn't fuss about food normally and seems quite content. So hopefully she'll drop a little weight to take the pressure off of her poor little arthritic back legs. She's also been going outdoors with me and, although I wouldn't say she is expending much energy while sprawling on the patio, it does give me time to give her some special attention which balances up the time I am spending with Red during the booster feeds.
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