It’s at times like this when I wonder why on earth I devised this obligation for myself. I’m far too busy to go around taking pointless photographs of cats, giving all and sundry the impression I have no other interests, duties or abilities. I do. I am not a weirdo cat-obsessive.
I’m just an ordinary weirdo.
I promised my friend Lynda that I would post this picture today. It’s Jo’s devastatingly handsome stud male Rio. He is a very friendly and affectionate boy, but because he’s a full male, he can be very liberal with his stinky urine. Jo’s partner has built Rio a lovely run outside with a warm house and lots of toys, but all of them enjoy it when he comes in the house for the evening.
This is where kitty pants come in. A brain box somewhere in the USA invented strap-on nappy pants for boy-cats. If Rio wears his, he is allowed to come in the house and socialise. In the photograph he is trying to hide them with his tail, but we know they’re there, don’t we?
Jo sent me this photograph of Rosa at home earlier this evening. Ross’s at the back and her sister Astrah is in the foreground. John and I are so relieved that she has instantly settled back in. We look forward to hearing that she’s re-gained the weight she lost while she was unhappy at our house and that the sore skin on her tummy has healed again. It was a well-meant, but failed attempt to re-home her, which we hope has no lasting consequences.
No time tonight to tell the story properly, but it suddenly became a question of health, so we took Rosa back to Jo this evening. She is reunited with her mum and other sister and was instantly a happy girl. I am now confident that she will be fine. You see her in today’s picture looking sad and unhappy before we set off.
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!
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.
This is Milka’s mum, Tabitha. Rosa is keeping a low profile still. She likes the utility room and I have been able to get close to her, stroke her and pick her up twice today. Milka is trying to make friends too. I am not worried yet; this is a big change for Rosa, who has always lived in the house where she was born. It’s only natural for her to need several days to adjust.
New resident Rosa is hiding under the dining table, behind a box in the corner. I have had a little stroke with her today, when she had come upstairs to try out the cat bed on the landing. John cooked a chicken just for the cats and she has been popping in the kitchen to snack. All the same, I haven’t managed a photograph of her, so here is Rosa as I first saw her at Jo’s house yesterday, surrounded by a chaotic group of various kittens in the heated bed. A Siamese cornucopia.
We took a little trip to Heaton in Newcastle this afternoon. Back in December, we bought Milka from Jo, our Siamese breeder friend from whom we also bought Florence. She mentioned at the time that Florence’s sister might need a new home because she was going to retire as a breeding queen. It made Rosa poorly to have kittens, so it wasn’t fair to ask her to carry another litter.
We collected Rosa and brought her to our house. It was a calm journey, with Rosa just chatting and asking questions, rather than getting very frightened and upset. She came straight out of the carrier and went and sat in the (clean) litter tray for a while. At least I’m now certain she knows where it is.
My picture shows her venturing near the living room doorway a short while later. She has been invisible for a couple of hours now, but I’m not worried. We have integrated new cats into our feline family 7 times before and it’s worked every time, so I have high hopes she’ll emerge, eat and integrate before too long. We’re all looking forward to enjoying our expanded cat family.
Please excuse my ugly German Birkenstocks in the foreground. They’re soooo comfortable.
Jo from Riobelle has sent me some pictures of Rosa this evening. She took these photographs while Rosa was sitting beside her. It is going to be fun to see the litter-sisters Rosa and Florence together, because they are so very alike. We’re stocking up pom-poms in time for Saturday, because we hear Rosa is crazy for them.
Sometimes I’m amazed how good the camera on my iPhone is.
I have arranged today for Rosa to come to live with us next weekend. We’re so excited and feel totally chuffed that Jo thinks we can offer a good retirement home for her. Pics soon.
A Cat A Day 