Cat Patrol

Murphy handed over the baton of cat protection to his eager beaver lieutenant tonight, who showed herself more than capable.

We were watching TV when I heard a cat howl outside, some hissing and something hitting off the French windows. I shot into the kitchen and Maddie was already there at the door, waiting to be released. Door open, spaniel shotgun cannoned out and the garden was immediately a still and peaceful, empty place (other than Maddie cris-crossing it in a frantic attempt to locate something with four legs she could bark at).

She did very well - unlike Murphy, who on such occasions in the past has adopted the technique of haring to the four corners of the garden and barking defiance and warning to the neighbourhood and all in it, Maddie only barked once (in frustration I think) as she ran back and forward across the garden between  the usual points of feline entry (and exit).

Meanwhile we heard a thud upstairs and that was Gizzy in the skylight in our bathroom - safe and sound. Maddie went and did a couple more patrols round the garden as we settled back after the excitement but there was nothing to be found. Job done! 

Meanwhile where was Murphy? Snoozing on the sofa!

Konsiderate Kat

Gizzy has a habit of throwing up when she eats her food too fast - and so it was a couple of nights ago. She was sitting on me (lying in bed) purring away - then, suddenly those noises only a cat-owner knows, signifying imminent disaster!

Ever polite, she jumped down off the bed and threw up on the floor, before wandering off to let me clean up the mess (at midnight) - how considerate!

hot hot hot!

The gruesome twosome have survived the hot weather relatively unscathed. Maddie spends a lot of her time sitting around panting - though why she should be hotter than Murphy beats me! I found the old paddling pool and set it up again. Murphy was confused, and once again treated it like a giant drinking bowl, lapping out of it in an uninterested kind of way.

Maddie ignored it so I lifted her up and stepping in, put her down in the water. I don't think she even noticed it, really - she put her head between my knees for a bosy then sat down in it. Then jumped out and tried to run back into the house, dripping water everywhere. Noooo!

So that was a failed experiment, I really don't uinderstand how they can be desperate to jump into any muddle sinkhole out on a walk but fail to recognise a lovely cool paddling pool with clean water, sitting in the middle of their own back garden!

It is quite wee, maye I need to get a bigger one...

Healthy eating

poor old Murphy - he got a nasty surprise last night. Since we came back from Sicily I've been totally into salads and have finally developed a liking (more like an obsession!) for olives. Combined with the hot weather, that translates into lots of barbecues - which usually involve sausages! The dogs know they'll get one so take up BBQ-watch as soon as it's lit, not moving from the spot until the sausages have been cooked and removed.

Last night we didn't have a BBQ, I made a pasta dish involving sausage pieces (with salad, of course) and we ate that outside. Murphy thought he was getting sausage from Richard, so he snapped at the piece of food and made to gulp it down with every every sign of enjoyment. Too bad for him it was actually a bit of lettuce! He chewed, gulped, chewed some more (the most delicious look of disgust on his face) and then spat it out. You could almost see the word bubble over his head - "I'm a boy, Daddy - I'm not eating lettuce!"

hee hee!