A Cat A Day 2013 #141

Well, it’s a sad day, because Rosa is not going to stay on with us. She has made friends with all the humans she has met, but Rosa is resolutely determined not to make friends with Milka, Florence and Willow. Milka has been very persistent in making friendly advances, but Rosa won’t have it and snarls at him. One of their spats led to the little scratch on her nose.

I knew it was time to admit defeat yesterday, when Rosa snarled at Percy, who she has known since he was born. I think she must see him as one of ‘our’ cats, because he smells like them now.

Isobel and her friend Jen took about 50 silly pictures after school yesterday and Rosa just calmly enjoyed her cuddle. It’s just the other cats she doesn’t like.

20130521-194345.jpg

A Cat A Day 2013 #140

MaxieToday’s cat Maxie belongs to one of my students. The poor kitty lost her leg after being attacked by a fox. As you can imagine, the operation and medical treatment which were necessary to save Maxie’s life were very expensive. The hero of the story is my student’s uncle, who very kindly picked up the bill. Maxie is now recovering well, so let’s shout HURRAY for kind uncles!!

A Cat A Day 2013 #134

20130514-191651.jpgThe kitten has a name at last: Percival-Pelham.
John settled on a posh double-barrelled moniker, because he couldn’t make a final choice. We all liked Percy for an everyday name and and the Pelham is in tribute to our favourite P.G. Wodehouse. John says he’s going to call Percy Plum, which was P.G.’s own nickname. So that’s all settled then.

A Cat A Day 2013 #133

This is Rio, who is a blue-point Siamese stud male. He belongs to Jo (our breeder) and is very good at his job, having fathered three litters of kittens over the space of nine days in his first attempts at the age of seven months. No wonder, with such handsome, ahem … ‘accoutrements’. He spends most of his time in a well-equipped pen outside Jo’s house, because whole males can be rather smelly. In a way it’s a pity, because Rio is so friendly and he loves people. He’s allowed in the house if he’s wearing his special pants. Hilarious!

20130513-201004.jpg On the home front, everything is going brilliantly. Rosa and Quartz are on my knee as I write and Milka has made friends with Quartz. We’re nearly there, as I’m sure Jo will be delighted to learn. Persistence and patience are paying off.

A Cat A Day 2013 #132

Things are settling well at Siamese Towers. Quartz and Rosa remember each other and have given each other confidence and companionship. Rosa is grooming Quartz as if she is his mum. It seems that my weakness which led me to buy another of Jo’s kittens has been the key to making Rosa settle at last.
Willow is a total dude and is tolerant of and mildly interested in all other cats and hostile to none. Florence is undecided through absence-under-the-bed.
Milka is our only current concern. He’s been hissing at Quartz and has even given him a paw-bat or two. I’m sanguine that all will be well in a couple of days.

20130512-210256.jpg