The gift of affection

Many say cats are selfish and un-giving. I never understood this perception. I feel their love every day - my cats shower me with affection... not when I want it but when they want. What's wrong with that?
I'm delighted, happy, grateful every time I'm lucky enough to be offered their affection... when Psips talks to me in the morning, when Lily jumps on my lap and snuggles up the crook of my arm, when Oscar gives me nose kisses, and when even suspicious Miki comes over for cuddles sometime.

Not something you can force, predict, buy, or earn: it just happens, when it happens (and that's often enough to keep me smiling!)

Queen of the house

Territory

Psipsina really keeps an eye on 'her' home now. Intruders have no chance: the other day a fox sneaked in, and was immediately attacked with forceful, noisy determination. Today a new black cat came so much as near the garden door and was given a clear message about what would happen if she came any nearer.
With the kittens almost 8 months now, and out and about by themselves all the time anyway, I doubt this is her mothering instinct. This really is about her home = her territory. Uninvited guests keep out! (Maybe she'd would do the same with would-be burglars?)

Geraniums

Today I planted new geraniums in my garden pots.
I LOVE geraniums, red geraniums, they remind me of home.

I've always had geranium pots, ever since I got my own garden, and they didn't seem to mind the English winter much. Until last winter - this time the frost burnt them all (and it came so suddelnly in early december that I didn't even have time to cover them up...).  Now I have six new pots with small plants, some showing early red buds - just have to work out how to prevent the cats digging in the fresh pots!

Walking the walk of life

This is one of my favourite photos of myself. It's my birthday today - and the photo still very much looks like me and my life, as much as it did 10 years ago when this was taken...

Picky

So the gang has been feasting on quail every morning. Always cleaning up their plates. And eating a lot less for (non-quail) dinner. I should have seen it coming: today I changed the game and they got gizzards for breakfast - and they are all turning up their noses. It's now almost an hour since the food has been out, and except for some tiny bites it's all left there untouched. Picky beasts... oh, it's hard to stick to be a strict kitty-mom.

Arguing with the vet...

Back from the vets, and feeling exhausted... not so much because of Miki, he will be fine, I think, but because it seems such a struggle to do the right thing.
As usual, Miki was more upset about the trip than actually being at the surgery - once there he always seems so scared he forgets to struggle - he just hides in my arms... The vet soaked his paw and poked off all the crusty bits and underneath all that gunk it isn't looking as bad as I thought - there is even a tiny bit of nail left, so that's good news.

Torn claw

Things kittens get into... and it's always Miki it seems:
I noticed this morning that his paw looked unusually 'dirty'. Looking closer it turns out it's all crusted up with blood between the toes. Ouch!!!
He doesn't seem to be bothered by it much, he doesn't limp and runs around as usual. He must have gotten his claws stuck somewhere - I wonder if he has torn one out... It looks like a bloody mess and I don't have the guts to clean it out for fear of making it worse. I can see a trip to the vet coming... Hate that, and Miki hates it too.

Kitty entertainment

My cats have free access to the garden, and all the real wildlife it comes with... I still find the notion of cat videos rather odd. But I admit I had to try it... Oscar was fascinated!

 

The site I tried here was All About Birds (great clips and sound, shame you only seem to be able to have either image or sound :(

Clicker taming

Today I used the clicker on Papa Cat. To truly baffling effect! So far the closest he will let me is that he will maybe, reluctantly sniff my hand; with the clicker I had him in front of me, eating treats eagerly off my hand, within 5 minutes!
I used the following sequence (with kibble treats):
- click/throw treat
- throw treat/click for eating
- extend hand for sniff/click-treat for sniffing
- offer treat on hand/click for sniffing, put treat down to eat next to my fingers
- offer treat on hand/click for eating off hand.

PS. Sadly, only a few days after this post Papa Cat disappeared, and has not showed up again...