Chilling with my dudes and food.

Time for a chinwag and exchange tales, I'm on the left Minstel is on the right whilst Tabitha is centre.

We are all due a flea treatment so I have been weighed I'm 4kg, not bad for just over 6 months and not a lot of spare flesh, still a kitten but turning into a lean machine.

Tabitha who is now 4 weighs in at just under at 3.8kg, whilst her twin sister is quite a few grams over at 4.2kg, so now we know who eats all the biscuits. ME!

There is talk of a bigger cat flap.

I have been paying close attention to my 'co-owners' I'd deiced I may have learnt all I can from Minstrel as far as the outside is concerned. 

This is her showing me how not to climb the gazebo, she says it was on purpose but I noticed the relief on her face when male servant helped her down.






Then I saw this, how did she get there!

Inside is a different matter, quite how she cons/negotiates that many snacks out of the servants I don't know but I'm trying to learn all her tricks. I've not got them all yet, I often see her munching when I'm not.

However this is one up on her, dunked biscuit has become a favourite of mine.

Tree climbing demonstration and practise.

Tabitha and I watched Minstrel climb the small 30' conifer in next doors garden, we were watching so intently that male servant saw us and came to take a photo whilst muttering about getting her down again.

But you climbed down to the last branch and elegantly jumped to the top of the fence in a very confident way.


















I was so impressed I started practising I found I could see over the fence.

Sorry for the long paws.

I'm a little confused, I thought my name was Smudge, but it seems I have other names.
Velcro Paws, Lightening, little blighter (or worse) and others.

So what have I been up to? 

I have been walking around the 'Garden' assesing the boundries. Female servant shouts when I go to certain points, if I persist male servant is called and I am pulled off whatever I happen to be on. I resist, but even my super sharpened claws can't keep me in place.

I have learnt that with a long enough run, I can run along and up the 5' superlap fence. Not quite sure what to do at that point, it was high and I couldn't see an easy way down. Despite my resistance I was pulled off and placed on the ground. 'Smudge cat has got Velcro Paws,' he shouted.

For a while I sat on top of the Walnut stump, assessing the distance and trajectory I made a 4' 45 degree leap from the top of the stump to the seven foot fence where I proceeded to pass into the thick hedge, male servant was quicker than I'd hoped and although he could only hold my rear end, it was enough for him to stop me then cupping his other hand round my chest pull me back. I wasn't happy and I may have accidentally left a few marks on his brown arm. Again he referred to me as Velcro paws.




















There is a metal gate at the side of the garden, Tabitha crawls under it so I waited until the coast was clear and followed, damn but that male servant is good he opened the front door ahead of me so I ducked back. I think he is learning to be a cat, he silently watches and moves sometimes he catches me out. Female servant shouts at me and wonders why she can't catch me.

I watched him and took my chance ducking under the gate again I looked round to find him following me, I pushed on, I think he thought he was my wing man I looked under cars and popped across to the the neighbours car, much bigger than ours, a crashing gate and a barking dog sent me scurrying to my safe zone but, 'I'll be back!'




So tired Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Bags, pallets and fences

Yesterday seemed busy, but today...

It started with a shopping expedition, I tried to join in but was excluded.































When 'they' returned I was allowed out and here I am spending some garden time with my co-owners.









Yesterday I scooted behind the garden shed, there literally is a light at the end of the tunnel which leads to next door, it looks very interesting although yesterday I came back when called. 

The other male in the household decided to put a barrier up. 

What happened to male solidarity?! ... this is a before and after.

I do however have friends who demonstrated how to deal with this. The lesson of the day is to treat every impediment as an opportunity to learn.

First you can see Minstrel giving an excellent lesson in how to make the most of an opportunity. 

Then you can see my attempt to copy this, however filming was interrupted and the half pallet removed, not fair. 






Minstrel waited for me, maybe next time.

Meanwhile Tabitha has tried to distract the male servant for me, engage 'Cute mode'.

Didn't work but the thought was there!

Both my 'sisters' like all families try to tell me what to do.

Minstrel's advice is more gentle.

Tabitha can be harder but more instructive, I'd never have got to the top of the fence without this encouragement.

But I did get to the top and was half way over the fence before being pulled off comments overheard about Velcro and needing a crowbar indicate how determined I was not to be brought down.

There is always tomorrow!

Friday, goodbyes and garden frolics

I was tired today as I was up all night.

The household staff, had a visitor over the last few days she uses a frame to walk around and used my ground floor bedroom. I allowed her to share my double bed, but I checked on her every hour on the hour. A sniff, lick or paw would get her attention, she went home today and I sort of missed her as she was always giving me treats, my knowledge of the variety of human food went up. American cheesecake with Blackcurrants and prosecco, is a new favourite, quiche is good especially the bacon bits and the sun dried tomatoes with basil crackers were ok, but I'm not impressed by Camembert, what a strange thing to do with milk!

Waving my paw in farewell and having established full control of my room it was time to see the garden again.

My first trip out this morning was with the mothering human, she can't do enough for me, I believe the training is complete. Sitting in the border by the garden wall I surveyed our domain.

Observed and monitored by Tabitha I check out the back of the garden and inspect the efforts of yesterday's mowing. To be honest I'm a little under whelmed, all that noise for this, no I'm not impressed, I do feel it should be redone.

If you can spot Tabitha in both the above and below photos give yourself a gold star as you are almost as keen eyed as I am.

The staff change over was rather ill planned and I had to be locked in the bedroom so the girls could have the freedom of the garden whilst trained servant went to work and I waited for my chewy toy/person to return from dropping off the visitor.

I wasn't happy and could be heard mewing on his return. Still it wasn't a fruitless two hours as I managed to find a new vein of mastic to rip up and developed the newest skill of carpet lifting, did you know it goes into strings if you claw at it long enough?

In the afternoon I was allowed into the garden again whilst he weeded, but just between you and me I think it was an excuse for him to crawl around and pretend to be a cat.

My final offering of the day is this photo.

If I look startled it's because the local builder had just made a loud noise as I posed for the camera.

Thursday 5th April

What a difference a sunny day makes!







Smudge has been out all day as have his owners [honour guard].

His confidence has grown apace.

For a while he was in whilst the lawn mower was out, neighbours are surprised the owner knew what and where it was.

Exhausted by his exertions Smudge spent some serious time sleeping.

Female human took pity on him and gave him some Kitten milk to drink in bed.
Lawn mower user's not jealous as he get special treatment too.













Below, yesterday's adventure with Tabitha keeping a close eye on him.

Occasionally as he goes past she will wallop him if she feels his demeanour shows insufficient respect.

Easter Sunday; muddy paws.

If the ground wasn't wet Smudge might have ventured out more this Easter.
Add to that a general coldness that meant the humans weren't going to leave doors wide open or walk around holding a worried cat's paw then maybe Smudge might have gone out more.

But he has been out, although he did think about it first.

And always with his escorts, Tabitha, Minstrel or Sandra.