Freddie's 1st Birthday

Well Freddie was one on March 14th and our friend Joanna came over to help us celebrate. With her she brought lots of treats for both felines and humans alike.

Her pussy cat Thyme, a beautiful tabby cat is very timid, and although Joanna loves to buy her exciting toys to play with many of them she is scared of  :-(  So Freddie got the gift of a wonderful toy incorporating a ball for little paws to spin round the edge and a ball in the top compartment for little paws to attempt to fish out!  (which they can't due to the design, but not for want of trying!) Its the only toy in our house which all our cats play with! Freddie also was given some Whiskers Temptations, which as any cat owner will tell you, at some point in they're lives every cat goes through the phase of being able to quote the wonderful Oscar Wilde  "I can resist everything except Whiskers Temptations!"  (I quote the late furry Oscar Wilde of course!)

For the humans among the party there was cake, beautifully iced with Happy Birthday Freddie on it, and an intricate icing Freddie on it with perfect markings.

All in all it was a lovely day and I can honestly say all our cats, Leo, Frankie and Freddie enjoyed seeing Joanna! These are the cats who normally run from anyone who comes in the house but even Frankie let herself be picked up by this strange but oddly calming lady and cuddled in! Leo came and decided he wanted to go home with Joanna in her bag and Freddie was just to interested in his new toy! I was just in shock!!

So that was my little kittens 1st birthday party. I can hardly believe he's one. They grow up so fast.

How Time Flies....

Well it's June already! Wow! We now have a new addition to the family in the form of Freddie, an adorable tabby & white kitten. He's 4months old now though we have had him just over a month. He's cute, naughty and a magical ball of mischief! He loves his cat tunnel, given to him by his pussy cat friend, Thyme (who would probably be terrified of him if she met him!) and he loves playing with anything that moves, including the tails of our other cats, Frankie and Leo! They are not too impressed with Freddie at the moment but haven't left home which is definitely a good sign. Ultimately Freddie is a Mummy's boy and when he needs his kitten nap it's to me he comes. He settles himself high up under my chin and cuddles in, going inside a fleece if I have one on, then accompanied by a purr to beat all purrs he does what cats do best and sleeps! 

We'll never forget Oscar, he truly was a Cat Unique, but its good to be a 'three-cat family' again!

Where does the time go?

Well 2012 has arrived and it's already nearly the end of January. Somehow the time just seems to fly by. Christmas seems so long ago now and it not long until Valentines Day. My Open University course starts next week and then it will be October before I know it as I'll be handing in a TMA (Tutor Marked Assignment) a month!

My husband and I have now been together for twelve years, although in April celebrate just four years of marriage. Still, there was a point when I (and quite a few others!) thought we wouldn't make it to the alter at all!

Yet despite time flying by so fast now, I think we all remember a time when we were kids, when time dragged on and we thought school would never end! Did time change? Did someone speed it up?!! I guess we just have to make the most of the time we have and cherish every moment of it.

Getting Over Oscar

It's been three weeks now since we had to say goodbye forever to our beloved cat Oscar. My grief has not really manifested itself how I expected. Instead of bawling my eyes out at the slightest thing; two food bowls, not three; an empty space on the sofa etc. I've simply got on with my life. At least that's what I thought. 
  However, two things in my life changed, both of which affected my health badly until I recognised the cause. The first was most easily identifiable. I kept myself busy to the point of exhaustion by going out the house. I know my limits. Going out, be it into town, (and Crook isn't big!) or a little further a field, I can usually manage twice a week but anymore is just too much. It was only when I physically had to stop from pain and exhaustion that I looked at why I had put myself through all that. I didn't want to be in a house without Oscar.
  The second, more difficult to identify form of my grief came in the form of my epilepsy. I started to have mychlonic jerks.These are muscle spasms sometimes accompanied by a brief loss of consciousness, and often strong enough to knock me off my feet. The odd thing about these was that I was having them at exactly the same time every day, ever since we lost Oscar. At first we thought they were being caused by new painkillers interacting with other tablets. It made sense. I was taking them at the same time of day as I was having the jerks.However that theory went to pot when I came off the tablets and the jerks continued. It was then that I sat down and took stock of what was going on. I was having the jerks when I would normally be giving Oscar his first dose of medication and sitting with him for a while. We had missed the biggest trigger of all for my epilepsy: Stress. I sat down with Michael and told him what I thought. He seemed a little sceptical at first but had to admit that the timing and everything fitted but we couldn't think of a solution. However it seemed we didn't have to. The following day I didn't have any jerks. Or the next. Or the next. Or the next. Or the next....... It seems that identifying and acknowledging my grief has helped to stop it from translating itself into a bad thing that could potentially be harmful to my health.

Halloween etc.

I don't normally like Halloween, kids knocking on your door wanting money, most of them not old enough to be allowed out by themselves anyway. This year though when my God Daughter, Angel, (pictured right) turned up on my doorstep, aged 2wks off 2yrs dressed as a witch, I was delighted. She was with her mum, of course, and one of the few Halloweener's that ever make an effort to dress up, (other than buying a cheap mask and try and scare people witless with it). "Happy Halloween" were her prompted words, much friendlier than the usual "Trick or Treat". She had a little bag full of sweeties, which she was so happy with. 

I visited my Godson, Thomas, (pictured right) on Monday, only to find him a poorly little boy. I had brought Halloween cakes up for him and his sister Jessica, who was at school, but it was clear that Mummy or Daddy, (probably Daddy! Sorry Glen) would be eating his. I really felt for Thomas. At 18mnths it must be hard to understand the feeling of being sick. Hopefully he will return to his happy little self very soon.

Having no children of our own my God Children are very important to me. We hope to have children in the future but I hope that  Thomas and Angel will always be part of my life.

Just another day......

Well, It's just another day. I don't feel that good today. Feel like I'm running on empty and have done all day. Hubby's gone into town so I'm all on my lonesome, feel the loss of Oscar even more today, he'd be on the couch with me by now. :(
My friend, Jess, bought my 4 week old Godson up to see me yesterday. Hayden Lee, that really gave me a boost. There's something about that little life, so reliant on us, yet his little face so determined.... and no he wasn't just filling his nappy!! I guess all life has it's cycle, its beginning and ending and we are just here as long as time and God permits.

Oscar's Sonnet

CAT UNIQUE

His silky coat is nothing like before
On His chest His fur is soft as down
As He sits, He washes each perfect paw
His nose, His chin, His beautiful crown.
White bits always white; black bits always black;
Completely clean; nose to tail; front to black.
A small black patch beneath His little grin
Like God had splashed a paint spot on His chin.

The tear in His ear shows a battle scar
Which He wears with pride as the fields He roams,
His territory does not stretch very far
And He'll never wander miles from home.

As Every Other one who loves their own
My love for Cat Unique is mine alone.