Copy Cats ...

Whilst trawling Etsy today, (The Housekeeper sells on there), she came across the following;

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/194578294/abyssinian-cat-unique-wall-clock?ref=sr_gallery_17&ga_search_query=abyssinian+cat&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

You thought he looked familiar didn't you! Beautiful isn't he... Yes It's our Jasper, sat in the conservatory.

Needless to say, The Housekeeper will be contacting the shop owner on Etsy as they have NOT asked for any permission to use her image for profitable gains. She will also be checking the internet regularly for other individuals using images of her pets without permission.

Let this be a lesson to all pet owners that either your individual pictures OR the site they are on MUST have a visible copyright clause if you do not want your photographs to be stolen and used for commercial gain.

Fawn Friday!

Happy Fawn Friday Everyone!

Hammock-Ville

Anyone would thing these dark November mornings and evenings were for nothing but snoozing ..

If you had seen The Housekeeper and Jasper curled up in a throw on the settee at 18:00 yesterday, then you have had to agree!

If you had seen The Housekeeper in bed this morning with AMBER under the bedclothes having a proper cuddle, you would have definitely agreed!!!

Booster Boys

I've just re-read my "booster post" for the boys from last year and too be fair, I could have almost copied it, word for word!

The Housekeeper took Jasper and Dino to the vets this morning for their annual boosters....

Boys boys were fine getting into their boxes. No subterfuge, closing doors hours in advance and running round the house like a lunatic as The Housekeeper has to with the wylie fox cub that is Amber Brown!

Jasper emitted his first ear-piercing cry as the car engine started up and managed to sustain the same note until the end of the road. Quite something! Dino wasn't much happier!

Jasper was first to be weighed, checked and vaccinated and cried in The Housekeepers arms like a baby with his heart going ten to the dozen. In the words of Mr P, the vet. "He's a bit solid, isn't he"! (Told you I could have copied the post!)

Dino was second. he decided the best ploy to the impending scales doom was to sit with one paw randomly out of the scales at all times, however he was placed.  This made the vet laugh a lot!

Both boys weighing in at around 5.4kg, both very healthy and as Mr P said "There isn't much wrong with either of them, is there! Beautiful coats"

The vet does however think that they are both marginally overweight so there will definitely be a limiting and weighing of the crunchies from now on to help both them and Amber, who has gained some weight from her regular steroid jabs. The only one who will miss out a little is Crystal who is such a waif. More ball games up the stairs too, for the boys, to wear them out!

Jasper obviously felt that it was a bit of an ordeal as he was shaking at lunchtime, sitting on the chair next to The Housekeeper. The Housekeeper just found two trips to the vets in one week an ordeal on her purse but they are definitely all worth every penny!!

VET Week

It's that time again. Two trips this coming week.....

Amber went to the vet this afternoon for her steroid jab. She managed to last 9 weeks this time before her little tummy errupted into a red horrid mess. I say little... For a cat who is known as "Little Legs" she is apparently "chunky" and should maybe be on a diet or getting more exercise.

CHUNKY??? Heaven help The Housekeeper when they clap eyes on Dino on Wednesday then, as he and Jasper go for their boosters and health checks.

Dino is currently still in the cat house for breaking The Housekeeper's favourite tea mug on Saturday.

The Housekeeper is currently in mourning, not only for her tea mug but also her bank balance after a hefty service and MOT on the car and vet bills for three cats within three days.

It may be Beans OR Toast by Friday

Winter Warmth

The days are drawing in and the Abyssinians are all finding it as hard as The Housekeeper to wake up and get out of bed each morning as it is so grey outside. Indeed, on a number of occasions recently, The Housekeeper has come in from the workshop, mid morning to find all four cats back in bed after breakfast.

The summer sun basking has been replaced with curled up balls of fur in all the radiator hammocks and, if allowed, in the bottom of the linen basket during the day, with everyone barr Amber cuddling up under the duvet at night. This leads to happy, contented, purring Abyssinians but does not always lead to a good night's sleep for the humans. The housekeeper often wonders why she bothered buying any cat beds.

The onset of winter has also seen a new toy in the Aby House. The Housekeeper has started knitting again and the Abyssinians cannot resist the moving wool. This does not prove a very relaxing break from work for The Housekeeper but it has meant that a usually aloof Dino has been very happy to sit on The Housekeeper's lap and has earned the new nickname of "craft cat"

Happy Birthday Jasper and Dino

Happy 2nd Birthday to the terrible twosome - the brawling brothers

Jazzie J and Popsy - aka Jasper and Dino

ARE TWO!

Life will never EVER be dull with these two in The Housekeeper's life

Born 17.08.2010

Happy Birthday also to Sister Daisy in France and Brother Leon in Wales!

Containment

You'd think by the wails and sullen faces that something awful had happened. The Four are all contained within the dining room and conservatory during the day at the moment as the hall, landing and stairs are currently being decorated.

Jasper spent Tuesday "helping" Jack the painter run down and wash down the paintwork, and everyone else took turns supervising the work in progress. For once, NONE had a catnap during the day and by 5pm when Jack left, everyone was absolutely exhausted. So much so that by 6pm, when it was time for tea, no one wanted dinner! Unheard of!

At the point that the undercoating began, the four were herded into the conservatory, with the nice cool dark dining room to protect them from the heat of the day.

Desperate to be let out as soon as the paint was dry and no Abyssinian fur could stick to anything white, they were let out of their confines...... only for them all to decide that it was a) cooler and b) less smelly in the conservatory and that's where they willingly spent the evening!

Cameo Cats - Word Up!

Wave your hands in the air like you don't care

Glide by the people as they start to look and stare

Do your dance, do your dance, do your dance quick mamma

Come on baby, tell me what's the word WORD UP!

 

Putting my foot in it

The day started peacefully enough with a cup of tea for The Housekeeper in bed whilst reading on the iPad and deciding on a plan of action for the day.

Meanwhile Dino and Jasper's Sunday morning started with a brotherly brawl and a bout of tearing round the house at break neck speed.

The Housekeeper's plan of action did NOT involve clearing up .....after the inevitable happened.

Dino chased Jasper off the bedroom window sill onto the bedside chest of drawers that The Housekeeper's mug of tea was sat on, two thirds drunk. Dino's front paw went straight in the lukewarm tea and the remainder went all over The Housekeeper, chest of drawers, carpet, and teddy bear on foot stall at side of bed.

End of lie in!

Off Colour

Jazzy J has not been a well cat. It's unusual for The Housekeeper to have anyone in the house requiring any form of nursing care, but the Jasper cat has definitely not been himself.

He was violently sick several times on Sunday evening and was bringing up liquid repeatedly rather than just dinner. He was also licking his lips excessively. There was nothing obvious to show what he might have eaten or drunk that had caused the problem, assuming it was food related, but by the time The Housekeeper went to bed on Sunday evening, he was looking very sorry for himself and exceptionally quiet. Jasper doesn't DO still or quiet.

With Mr Housekeeper having a 5am start on Monday morning, the whole house was awake but instead of getting under the duvet for a cuddle, Jazz was at the bottom of the bed, still looking very sorry for himself.

The Housekeeper settled herself on the settee with a large cuppa and a throw and within a couple of minutes a a very miserable looking Jasper came to join her and they snoozed for a couple of hours together. When it was time for The Housekeeper to start work, she left Jasper to the throw and that's where he stayed until approx 3pm that day.

Luckily by the evening, he was obviously feeling much more himself as he started to annoy Crystal and Dino again and today he is definitely back to being his cheeky self. Phew !

Confused.cat

The Housekeeper has been busy in the kitchen today ...

It's her Father's 88th Birthday and her Aunt's 80th Birthday within the space of a week, so there is a family "do" tomorrow at The Housekeeper's parents house. On the teatime menu is The Housekeeper's homemade smoked mackerel pate and also a very large four layer carrot cake for pudding which will double as a Birthday cake.

The Housekeeper had a committee meeting on Tuesday evening so was able to test the carrot cake recipe out in advance and all agreed it was good enough to make again.

With the pungent smell that only smoked mackerel can make to the house, clothes and hands, The Housekeeper expected that she would have four furry friends supervising the making of the pate this morning, but it wasn't to be. However just as she was finishing the de-boning process everyone arrived in the kitchen so The Housekeeper thought that she had better be kind and offer fishy titbits.

It turns out that three out of four cats DON'T like mackerel.

In the dim distant, a small black cat called Mouse who lived next door and Parsnip, the first Abyssinian that The Housekeeper owned would have removed human skin for a bit of "Mach Pat". But not these guys, that is except for the Amber cat (still wearing her collar) who devoured every bit she was given and came back for more!) This is the cat who won't eat cat treats of any sort and never begs for human food.

This evening it was time to cover the carrot cake in cream cheese frosting and guess what, the boys both sat at The Housekeeper's feet and cried to be fed??????

It appears that two out of four Abyssinians prefer cheesy cake frosting to fish.

Just to be different!

Emergency Room

There's been a cat-astrophe of the highest Abyssinian cat order. The dried food has RUN OUT.



Allegedly, The Housekeeper thought that there was another bag in the food crate under the wet food pouch crate, and there wasn't.

So The Four, poor, starving, unloved Abyssinians had to make do with a wet food pouch for supper and the same for breakfast this morning with no crunchies on the side. I mean, what is a cat to do.

To make matters 10 times worse, The Housekeeper isn't going out as soon as the shop opens to buy us a bag, because - wait for it - she is waiting on a delivery to the house of HUMAN food. I ask you ........

The four have resorted to sitting at strategic positions on the desk and staring......

How can four cats possibly stare so loudly .......

Stickgate

The Housekeeper's friend, Ian who lives in Somerset came to stay last weekend because The Housekeeper, Mr Housekeeper and he were all off to Shepherds Bush Empire that night to see Big Country in concert.

Now Ian is a generous fellow, and, it has to be said, as very soft touch when it comes to the The Housekeeper's felines. He always leaves the bedroom door ajar and more often than not has a furry companion for the night to keep him warm, however ... this MAY be due to bribery of the food persuasion.

You see, some time ago, Ian came to stay and brought the Abyssinian's some supermarket brand chewy meat and fish stick snacks. The boys LOVE them and almost inhale them rather than eating them. Crystal is a little more demure and demands that hers are broken into pieces. Amber, as per all other treats, just isn't bothered.

It has got to the point where the boys now know Ian's voice when he arrives and don't let him through the front door into the house unless he has been corralled and full bag inspection has been completed for contraband.

You think The Housekeeper is exaggerating, right !!!!

Bag opened for inspection of goods to commence

Two shy, retiring Abyssinians waiting patiently for a treat - yeah, right !!!!!!

 Jasper inhaling his treat stick

What do you mean, the rest have to be saved for another day?

Go on then, he's passed the inspection. You can make him a coffee

Love is ....

Sharing a radiator hammock with your brother, even when the central heating is broke !!

Happy Valentine's Day

Lesson of the Day - Jasper

Lessons, but NO Carols

The Housekeeper hasn't been too busy with work this week, so took time out today to spend some time in the kitchen, in particular to try her hand at making a Christmas Pudding. Its always been a family tradition that The Housekeeper's Mother makes two puddings and The Housekeeper makes two cakes and they do a swap, however with only one dog-eared (am I allowed to use that term on here?!) copy of a 54 year old recipe book and an 81 year old Mother, The Housekeeper took matters into her own hands over New Year and eventually came across a back up copy of the said recipe book on EBay. Hen and teeth spring to mind.

Lesson 1. The Housekeeper
Someone who's been making a recipe, blindfolded for over 50 years smugly telling you what you've done wrong, and laughing, when they are 80 miles away and can't be thumped with the lid of a steamer  - Is just a tad annoying, even if she is your Mother.

Lesson 2. The Housekeeper
Leaving the kitchen window open JUST 4 inches to get rid of excessive steam from the kitchen may seem like a good idea, but not when there are Abyssinian's in the house.

Lesson 3. Jasper
Climbing out through a 4 inch gap in a window might seem like a good idea, but not when there's a 7 foot drop on the other side of it, into a very cold, dark conservatory where nobody then knows where you are.

Lesson 4. Jasper
It is harder for an Abyssinian to get 7 foot up in the air and get back through a 4 inch gap in an open window than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.

Lesson 5. Jasper
If in doubt, wail like a banshee. Someone will hear you. Follow this wailing with an impersonation of an Abyssinian bouncing on a trampoline and appearing in the window, briefly, so they can SEE you!

Lesson 6. The Housekeeper
Do not leave a sink full of washing up water when you have finished washing up, especially when it is underneath a window which is not usually open and therefore subject to curiosity. It is possible that the next object you could be washing, unintentionally, could be a cat, trying to get through a small gap in a window.

Lesson 7. Jasper
Water is WET !

Booster Boys

The Housekeeper took Jasper and Dino to the vets this morning for their very first annual boosters.

It was the first time that the vet had seen both of them since they went for their micro-chips when they first came to stay, so I think he got quite a shock when he saw the size of the pair of them! Not that they are fat, you understand, its just that as kittens they always had rather big paws and it appears that they have now grown into them!!!!

Jasper howled all the way there in his carrier. Dino was silent.
Jasper howled in the vets surgery. Dino was silent.

The Housekeeper did contemplate putting both of them in one cat carrier, briefly, for comforts sake, considered her back and thought better of it.

Dino was first to be weighed, checked and vaccinated and cried in The Housekeepers arms like a baby. Bless. In the words of Mr P, the vet. "He's a bit solid, isn't he"!

Jasper was second and wriggled around like a cat possessed in The Housekeepers arms and then gave her a big lick. Nice!

Both boys weighing in at 5.1kg, both healthy and as Mr P said "There isn't much wrong with either of them, is there. Beautiful coats and beautiful cats"

Of course we know that anyway !!!

The journey home in the car was peaceful. Dino spent the rest of the morning giving cat -evils to The Housekeeper and Jasper? well, Jasper decided that the fleece blanket in the cat carrier was actually very comfy and was still in there at lunchtime with the door open, snoozing in the hallway.

In the Still of the Night

In the still of the night at The Housekeeper's you hear either the purr of Crystal, snuggled into Mr Housekeeper's arms, the chirp of Amber as she brings "Moppy" to bed, the "tarzan warcry of Jasper as he charges round the house or the cry of a Housekeeper as Dino launches himself off the bedroom window sill onto the bed and crushes either your ribs or bladder.

Dino, it would be fair to say, is now more like a small dog that a cat and if not watched will eat ANYTHING!

The Housekeeper had intended to blog today that she hasn't blogged for a while because their hasn't really been anything of note to tell, but all has gone mental this morning due to the ferocious wind that is gusting through the trees and garden.

Everyone is on high alert and running round like loonies. No more so than Jasper and Amber - YES! Amber who were caught play fighting together in the conservatory a short time ago. So maybe things have changed a little after all, except for the Princess Crystal who bides her time and looks upon the others with her usual scowl of discontent as they all misbehave!

Birthday Toys

The Housekeeper has been slacking. The Four Abyssinians have just reminded her that the pictures of their birthday presents are still on the camera and not on the blog. You'd think with all the time she has taken off recently whilst the business is quiet that she would have found more time to write on here and not less. Apparently she is out of routine. Its a good job she isn't out of routine when it comes to our food, that's for sure.

So, FINALLY, here are our birthday presents... The Housekeeper decided that we should have "doing" toys and the idea is that the boys should learn to be less snatchy when accepting treats, as well as having to work for them to find them!

 Dino inspects the box

 Everyone gets interested and joins in

 Crystal supervises which the boys get busy

 Crystal decides that the boys are having too much fun and joins in before the treats all go

 Amber claims the box and packaging as hers!



 Jasper and Dino tackle the second toy. Jasper is currently the only one of the four who has worked out how to flip the tubes and get the treats out.

Hello! Fancy seeing you here!



Birthday Battles

What's a birthday without the opportunity to have a scrap with your own brother!

I hate you, I bite you, I thump you!

ouch, Ouch, OUCH!!!!

 What the heck is that smell - have you got cheesy feet?

Eeck, no, It's my tail!

Mind if I play with your whiskers?

Just keep your paw to yourself

And give your brother a cuddle!

 Love you Brov!

How many damm pictures is she going to take of us fighting?

 All this fighting has worn me out

Sweet Dreams Brov!!!!!