Sorrel Saturday AND Sunday

Amber is feeling a bit left out in the posting stakes this week so we have decided to have an all  Sorrel weekend to address the balance!

As many of you reading this will know, Amber has an undiagnosed skin complaint which flares up regularly and this usually requires a trip to the vets every six weeks for a steroid injection because she gets very red and sore and pulls her fur out. We've tried skin scrapes, antibiotics, changes of diet, allergy testing and had no firm conclusions. We also wondered if it was stress induced (and you can see why living with Jasper and Dino in the house) however the decorators have been in for the last week painting the hall, landing and stairs and so far, no flare up ..... BUT ...

Today is 8 weeks and 4 days since the last injection and whilst we don't wish to blog about this too soon, or get too excited, we silently have every single paw crossed that MAYBE we MIGHT have found out what the culprit is. Whilst she still has very little fur on her tummy, it's better than it was and showing signs of regrowth.

We are wondering if it MIGHT be the meat sachets in the food she has been eating (but definitely hasn't had within the last 8 weeks). We were alternating the fish and meat sachets weekly and assumed it was the fish to blame as all the cats were already on the poultry selection, and had been for some time when we introduced the fish ones - but maybe not!

We will keep you updated but for now every human finger and Abyssinian paw is crossed for a positive outcome.

Sorrel Snoozing

The Housekeeper is so pleased with the pictures that she took of  Amber yesterday, whilst her gorgeous girl was snoozing inside the laundry basket/tunnel that she has decided to print the rest of them today.

Amber really is a beautiful cat and The Housekeeper thinks that it is such a shame that she is so skittish and doesn't enjoy a cuddle as much as the other three Abyssinians. The other three Abyssinians all "belong" to one of the Housekeeper's, but Amber isn't really anybody's cat except her own and on the odd occasion that she demands a cuddle, it really is very special.

When Amber has had enough of humans, she either takes herself away to one of the bedrooms, or tells you she has had enough!

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

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

Birthdays

It's The Housekeeper's birthday today .... the meaning of life, the universe and everything (if you are a Hitchhikers fan).

As much as The Housekeeper loves her two interactive Abyssinian birthday presents, it is now 1am in the morning and they are both BOUNCING. They are tearing around the house, thundering up the stairs, fighting and chirping at the tops of their voices.

The Housekeeper has picked them both up and looked for the battery compartment to remove the batteries or the "off" switch, but cannot find either.

It could be a LONG night.