Friday 28 January 2011

VE (T) Day 2

7:45am - The Housekeeper awoke to a Jasper Scarf cuddle and much purring. Everyone seemed a little confused that there was no breakfast being served and no sign of any food during the normal morning routine.

9:00am - After a quick cuddle with each of the boys, The housekeeper took Jasper and Dino to the vets for their ops. They both went straight into their basket without any fuss and were actually worryingly quiet on the short car journey. We can ring to see how they are at lunchtime, and collect them between 4 and 6pm.

9:05am - Mr Housekeeper gave Crystal and Amber their breakfast and The Housekeeper was greeted at the door by a very perplexed Crystal. Amber doesn't seem to fussed.

10.00am - The Housekeeper is trying to look like she's working and being productive, but the three day old muzzy headache and preoccupation about how the boys are isn't really helping much.

1pm - The Housekeeper and Crystal are in the workshop. Amber currently has the house to herself. Everyone seems happy.

4pm - The Housekeeper sets off for the daily run to the post office and promises Crystal that as soon as she gets back, she will go to the vets to collect the boys and everything will be back to normal

5pm - The boys are back in town...... The boys are back in town ......
Well they never left it actually. The vets is two minutes away by car! But they are home.

Both have both of their front legs shaved where they wriggled so much that the vets couldn't get their drips/anesthetics in. Apparently Dino made lots of fuss when it was his turn to be anaesthetised, which in turn upset Jasper and he started crying too. They are both a little sleepy and disorientated and after a quick lap round the house to check that everything was still in place, and a kiss on the nose from Crystal, they have both settled down. Dino is in the fleece bed and Jasper is in the open cat carrier, lying on the fleece bedding in there.

7pm - The Housekeeper just woke up from a long cat kip on the sofa. It wasn't intentional but was obviously very much needed.

7;05pm Dino is now in the kitchen, demanding food from Mr Housekeeper which is a good sign! Jasper has run after him and attempted to scale the kitchen work surface, which Mr Housekeeper thinks may have hurt him a little as he may have kitten tears in his eyes.

Tuesday 25 January 2011

VE (T) Day 1

Today it was the girls turn for a great adventure into the big wide world - otherwise known as a two minute car journey to the local vets for their annual boosters.

Amber hates the cat carrier with a passion and shakes like a leaf every time she is taken to the vets, so we now have a tried and tested method to get her into her basket without her being able to run away. This involves closing every possible door in the house to narrow down the escape routes to run away from The Housekeeper, hiding the cat carrier in the bath, picking Amber up, carrying her into the bathroom and shutting the door, leaving The Housekeeper, cat carrier and cat in a confined 10 foot square room!!!!! That's the theory......

9am - The Housekeeper empties the bins, puts the recycling out and does odd jobs to disguise the fact that she is shutting doors behind her where there are no cats in the room to reduce the amount of available hiding and running space.

9:15am - The Housekeeper puts her trainers on in the lounge. Amber is sat within picking up distance, washing. The Housekeeper takes the opportunity to try to pick her up - and misses.

Big Mistake. Huge! (The Housekeeper's favourite Pretty Woman quote!!)

9:20am - After 5 minutes of trying to persuade Amber to come out from under the settee, The Housekeeper changes tack and puts Crystal in her box, who at this point is rolling around on her back without a care in the world.

9:29am - The Housekeeper, after closing the lounge door with just her and Amber in the room, moves both settees, coffee table and other sundry objects and eventually, mid circuit, manages to rugby tackle Amber to the ground and get her into her cat carrier.

9:32am - The girls arrive at the vets, yelling their heads off - walk through the door and promptly turn off "fretful unhappy cat" mode and turn on "gorgeous, attention seeking look at me" Abyssinian mode. Amber refuses to come out of her carrier and needs "help"!

9:40am - Short chat with the vet, nurses and reception who are all very much looking forward to seeing the boys this coming Friday for their ops. Think there will be a lot of Abyssinian cat cuddles in the recovery room afterwards somehow.

9:50am - All home.
Boys - Much Abyssinian chirping to greet the girls.
Crystal - Washing in the lounge as she "smells of the vets"
Amber - Has retreated to the kitchen outhouse and is sitting on top of the large tall freezer, out of reach. She may be there some time.

The Housekeeper breathes a sigh of relief and puts the kettle on, £91 poorer and with very sore knee caps from THAT rugby tackle. Think there may be stiffness and bruising tomorrow.

Monday 24 January 2011

Hospitality

The Housekeeper's friend, Ian, came to stay last night. He lives in Somerset and was working in London today so took advantage of driving up on Sunday afternoon, rather than Monday morning, a pub dinner out in the evening with The Housekeepers and a bed for the night, before setting off into the big smoke.

After the inevitable welcome wind round the legs from Dino, claws in the back of the knee from Crystal and complete ambivalence from Amber, he settled down into a chair with a coffee and the Jasper scarf and then had them all running round like loonies again when he produced some meaty cat treat sticks from his bag. All, that is, except Amber, who just doesn't DO cat treats.

The Housekeeper and Ian later went off to bed for the night, leaving Mr Housekeeper in front of a late night documentary. The Housekeeper lay in the quiet of a dark room listening to the stillness - and the cries of GET OFF, GET DOWN and GET OFF THERE coming from the other room.

Crystal settled into Mr Housekeeper's arms when he finally came to bed and purred like a tractor and The Housekeeper had her first uninterrupted nights sleep for weeks. Apparently both the boys had spent their entire night with Ian, who got rudely awoken at 5:10am by Jasper with his "I Love You" routine of licking the chin, nose, ears and eyelids!!!!!!!!!!

He had been warned to shut the door but declined!!!!!!!

Friday 21 January 2011

Carrot & Pineapple Muffins

  • Weigh into a large bowl flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt, cinnamon, brown sugar, grated carrot and crushed pineapple
  • REMOVE KITTEN FROM KITCHEN WORK SURFACE
  • Measure into a large mixing jug milk, corn oil and eggs
  • REMOVE KITTENS HEAD FROM FRIDGE DOOR BEFORE IT CLOSES
  • Mix the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients with liberal stirs and cries of DOWN, GET DOWN, I SAID GET DOWN and WHAT PART OF NO DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND.
  • Place paper cake cases into muffin pans
  • REMOVE KITTENS FROM KITCHEN WORK SURFACE
  • REPLACE THREE OF THE CAKE CASES WITH NEW UNCHEWED ONES
  • Divide the batter between the cake cases and place in the oven
  • MAKE TEA AND GIVE KITTENS THEIR DINNER
  • Remove muffin pans from oven when cooked and leave to cool on oven top
  • MOVE MUFFIN PANS BEFORE TINY PAWS AND TINY NOSES GET SCALDED BY INTERESTED KITTENS
  • Make cream cheese frosting with cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla essence
  • Cover half of the cakes with frosting (trying to be healthy)
  • Place in plastic containers when cold to keep airtight with the exception of the ones you were planning to eat for supper
  • Lick frosting bowl out with finger (human) and place in washing up bowl to stop the kittens helping to wash up

The Housekeeper wonders if it is possible to take tongue prints from cats and kittens (much like finger prints in humans) to ascertain just who tried the frosting on the one remaining cake with frosting that was left on the work surface ................No one is owning up ..........

Thursday 20 January 2011

Cat Profile - Parsnip

The Housekeeper couldn't possibly complete cat profiles for all the other Abyssinians in her life, without remembering her first Aby and soulmate. He was an unusual character, to say the least - but was dearly loved for the all too short time that he was with us. We will tell his full story some other time!




NAME
Parsnip

NICKNAME
Nip, Nippy, Noodle

BREEDERS NAME
Raving Parsnip Purrikiss

DATE OF BIRTH
2nd October 1998

DATE OF DEATH
11th September 2008

NATURE
Parsnip had a very unusual temperament with a very short fuse. he did not appear to have the usual Abyssinian traits. He didn't like humans much but tolerated them until he had enough.

Fastidiously clean. If he was allowed out in the garden, he would come into the house to use his litter tray and then go back out to play.

CUDDLY
Human - On his terms, at night, lying on The Housekeeper's chest, on top of the duvet, or when The Housekeeper was ill in bed.Not a lap cat. He only sat on a lap twice in the time that we owned him

Cat - Parsnip hated other cats. He used to tell them in no uncertain terms that he hated them by growling at them

VOCAL
Mew - Fairly loud
Purr - When he set his mind to it, but not often
Cry - A throaty "yowl" and a growl that a dog would be proud of!

FAVOURITES:

TOY(S)
Culpepper Catnip Fish - The newer the better

CAT FOOD
Whiskas Chicken

HUMAN FOOD
Chicken

PLACE (DAYTIME)
Under the Ceanothus bush at the bottom of the garden, in the shade. Parsnip was allowed out in the garden as he didn't wander far

PLACE (NIGHTIME)
On Mr Housekeeper's feet at the bottom of the bed

GAME
Chasing the laser light pen dot
Playing fetch with screwed up post-it notes
Sitting on his scratching post, playing "catch" with toy mice

Wednesday 19 January 2011

Cat Profile - Dino


NAME
Dino

NICKNAME
Dino Ferrari, Popsy, Dini-pops, Popsicle, Menace

BREEDERS NAME
Merrydancer Nice Job

DAM
Kazizkatz Merrydancersrose

SIRE
Crystalpaws Frodo Baggins

DATE OF BIRTH
17th November 2010

NATURE
Kitten ring leader who starts the trouble and the play fights. Also responsible for knocking over the bins and stealing sweet wrappers and sundry bits of paper to play with. Leaves a trail of destruction in his wake.

VOCAL
Mew - Oh yes!
Purr - Like a tractor
Cry - Like a banshee. Something like a high pitched Tarzan, swinging through trees war cry, when running

FAVOURITES:

TOY(S)
A cardboard box. Full or empty. happy either way!
Anything that makes a noise when played with

CAT FOOD
Whatever Crystal and Amber have been given - and then whatever Jasper has left and then maybe his

HUMAN FOOD
Not too keen thanks, other than than ham or a bit of fish. Hates any human meat with gravy on

PLACE (DAYTIME)
The house at the bottom of the blue scratching post

PLACE (NIGHTIME)
On The Housekeeper's feet, at the bottom of the bed, on the dressing gown

GAME
Chasing Jasper at top speed around the house and pouncing on him with a springy kitten leap

Tuesday 18 January 2011

Lesson of the Day - Amber

Ouch

CAT: When deciding to leap in a graceful arch with full spring from the back paws, from the dining room table to the conservatory table ( 5 feet apart) it is prudent to remember that there is a glass partition between the two tables.

This is the fixed panel of the sliding patio doors. It doesn't open - and NEVER has. The doors have been in place for 20+ years. Amber has lived with us for 2.

Forgetting this vital piece of information results in a headache, a slide down a pane of glass which you can not grip onto with your claws and a rapid loss to your Abyssinian dignity.

HUMAN: Repeat after me .... I must not laugh. I must NOT laugh. I MUST NOT laugh... Ahhhh sod it!!!!!

Cat Profile - Jasper


NAME
Jasper

NICKNAME
Scarf, Jazz, Jay-Zee, Jazzy J

BREEDERS NAME
Merrydancer Nice Touch

DAM
Kazizkatz Merrydancersrose

SIRE
Crystalpaws Frodo Baggins

DATE OF BIRTH
17th August 2010

NATURE
Hyper. Into EVERYTHING but very, very affectionate and cuddly.
Likes to tell you he loves you whether it be 3am or 3pm

CUDDLY
Human - Very. Jasper will seek out a lap, a chest or a pair of arms and demand a cuddle. he will even settle in front of a laptop on a table and then curl up in your arms, ensuring you can no longer work

Cat - He loves cuddling up to his brother, Dino. He has also been seen in hammock with Amber

VOCAL
Mew - At full volume.
Purr - At full volume
Cry - Jasper has a very special cry that sounds like a yodel. Used when running at high speed.

Jasper is definitely the most vocal of all the cats

FAVOURITES:

TOY(S)
Small soft fabric leopard print ball which he carries everywhere

CAT FOOD
Whatever is put in front of him. And whatever Crystal has been given. And whatever Amber has been given, given the chance

HUMAN FOOD
What have you got? Would I like that? Can I lie on your plate?

PLACE (DAYTIME)
In the radiator hammock, on his back, legs everywhere.
Preferably within view of The Housekeeper to whom he is very much attached and get seperation anxiety from when she goes to work and wails.

PLACE (NIGHTIME)
Lying across The Housekeeper's neck, like a scarf, with his belly towards her neck, or under the duvet, lying like a human with his head on the pillow, curled up in The Housekeeper's arms with his back to her chest

GAME
Chasing Dino at top speed around the house

Monday 17 January 2011

Cat Profile - Amber


NAME
Amber

NICKNAMES
Ami, Amber Brown, Ams, Foxy Girl, Ammers, Little Legs

BREEDERS NAME
Merrydancer Fern

DAM
Highlight Jessica

SIRE
Crystalpaws Frodo Baggins

BREED
Sorrel Abyssinian

DATE OF BIRTH
14th November 2008
(Amber was conceived on 11th September 2008. The day that Parsnip died)

NATURE
Very much her own cat. Amber favours no one, cat or human, and is a very independent little soul

CUDDLY
Human - Affectionate in her own way when she feels like it like rubbing round your legs in the kitchen but not cuddly. Often comes to stand on The Housekeeper at 3am for a headbutt!

Cat - Amber used to cuddle up to Crystal to sleep, before the boys arrived, but rarely does so nowadays

VOCAL
Mew - Loud when she wants to be
Purr - Very quiet. You have to listen very intently to hear Amber purr
Cry - Amber has a mean machine gunning Ack-Ack for tormenting the birds from the safety of the conservatory.

FAVOURITES:

TOY(S)
Kong Moppy. All SIX of them. The "moppies" are her babies and all get brought to bed every night from whereever they are in the house.

CAT FOOD
Royal Canin Kitten crunchies

HUMAN FOOD
If she's in the right mood, but often refuses. Fish shop white fish, tuna & chicken

PLACE (DAYTIME)
The bedroom radiator hammock or on top of the clean tshirt pile on the chest of drawers in the bedroom
Sitting in the conservatory, verbally machine gunning the birds
Wherever Jasper and Dino are not!

PLACE (NIGHTIME)
The bedroom windowsill, sitting upright, on sentry duty

GAME
Chasing the reflections made by reading glasses on the floor from a light or chasing the dot of a laser light pen

Sunday 16 January 2011

Cat Profile - Crystal


NAME
Crystal

NICKNAME
Princess, Rizz, Rizzle

BREEDERS NAME
Koperkat Crystal Couture

DAM
Crystalpaws Cosmictar

SIRE
Advish Cinnamon

BREED
Fawn Abyssinian

DATE OF BIRTH
15th August 2008

NATURE
Very laid back and sweet natured. Knows what she wants, how to tell you what she wants and how to get it! Owner of the "smacky paw of doom" which she uses on Jasper and Dino's head to tell them to behave, when she has had enough of them!

CUDDLY
Human - Not during the day. Very cuddly at night in bed but only with Mr Housekeeper. If he is away with work she will not come to bed. Crystal is very much a Daddy's girl.  Crystal used to like a lap when she was a small kitten, but once Amber moved in, she stopped sitting on humans. It's beneath her!

Cat - Crystal used to cuddle up with Amber when Amber was small, but no so much as they have got older

VOCAL
Mew - Quiet. Sounds like she has a permanent sore throat
Purr - Loud. Like a tractor!

FAVOURITES:

TOY(S)
Leggy Cat

CAT FOOD
Sheba Pouches

HUMAN FOOD
Chicken, Ham and Tuna

PLACE (DAYTIME)
In the workshop with The Housekeeper, "helping"

PLACE (NIGHTIME)
In the bed, curled up in Mr Housekeepers arms under the duvet

GAME
Playing fetch with screwed up post-it notes

Saturday 15 January 2011

The Impossible we can do now. Miracles take a little longer!

The boys and girls now regularly play together after breakfast and spend the mornings running at full steam around the whole house, leaving no prisioners. However when it comes to sleeping everyone tends to sleep alone, with the exception of the boys who always curl up together, either in their fleece bed or a radiator hammock.

Yesterday evening, The Housekeeper finished a phone call and turned around to see three cats sharing the two radiator hammocks in the dining room. Nothing new there - until closer inspection revealed that it wasn't Jasper and Dino curled up together for a cuddle, but AMBER and Jasper. This is the very first time that we have seen any sort of real affection between the girls and the kittens, which made it all the more special.





As if not to be outdone, approx. two hours later, The Housekeepers found that Dino had decided that it was his turn for a cuddle with Amber too!



This is just the best possible outcome of integrating the kittens into the household that either of The Housekeepers could have hoped for. One things for sure. They are not all going to fit into the same hammocks for much longer, at the rate that the boys are growing!!!!

Thursday 13 January 2011

For What the Bell Tolls 2

The bell tolls for;

Another set of ipod headphones. Less than a week old.

Amber is in DEEP trouble. Mr Housekeeper is NOT happy.

Tuesday 11 January 2011

Scarf

Jasper's new nickname.

Jazz has taken to cuddling The Housekeeper in bed every night.

However, being an attention seeking small fawn Abyssinian kitten, he doesn't curl up by her feet, or in a ball by her side. Jasper's idea of sleeping with "Mum" is to lie horizontally across her neck, with his tummy towards her chin.

He never does it when she's awake as she gets into bed, but he's always there when she wakes up.

If she wakes in the night, he comes to, gives her an Abyssinian cat kiss on the cheek, washes her eyelids and if she's REALLY lucky, he tries to put his tongue up her nose and in her ears and then settles back down and goes back to sleep again.

Sunday 9 January 2011

For What the Bell Tolls

The bell tolls for;

One set of ipod headphones. Chewed into several pieces and one piece eaten (recovered two days later!)

One mobile phone charger lead.

The shell shaped soap dish from the bathroom window ledge.

The ceramic candle base in the lounge.

A ceramic nightlight holder from the conservatory.

One side plate which had been covering Crystals breakfast to stop the kittens from eating it.

The lounge carpet after a full mug of tea was upended onto the floor when Jasper lept onto the coffee table, did a comedy slide across it with his paws on a couple of Christmas cards and all ended up on the floor.