kitty update from scunthorpe

News in from Rachel's dad, Jim:


"Both cats are fine!!!

To start the day, Ermintrude (not that you'd be interested) and Maggie
are always in the Utility room when I get up and Jimmy is always
outside. Maggie rushes into the house and begins carpet/furniture
demolishment with a vengeance. Ermintrude (not that you'd be
interested) stays put for ages as she takes a long time to wake up (I
guess she won't need to practise waking up soon). Jimmy used to wait
outside the Dining Room patio door, miaowing to be let in, but has
discovered that he gets better value by doing the same from the flower
box underneath the kitchen window, as he is at eye height when I walk
into the kitchen and I can't ignore him. Since he is perfectly aware
that he can let himself into the Utility Room at will, through the
brand new cat flap that he made necessary. I don't know why he does
this. I think it may be to do with attention seeking, since he has
certainly bonded to me now and seeks strokes and cuddles. Once he's had
a stroke he's quite happy

Having got in and been stroked, Jimmy is happy to be put out when I go
to work (or, for that matter when I put him out late at night). Maggie
does not like being put out, but doesn't mind the Utility Room.

If I'm in in the evening, Jimmy has to be where I am. Currently, he's
sitting in the 4th bedroom as I type. When I go down to the lounge he
will wake up and come to try to sit on my knee. I wish he didn't moult
so badly! Its quite strange how he miaows so plaintively until he's had
a cursory stroke, whereupon he quietens down straight away. Pathetic!!!
Incidentally, he hasn't had an 'inpection' yet and isn't likely to get
one until you return.

On Wednesday night, I heard a banging noise in the downstairs loo.
Irena had been that day and left the lid down. I think the banging was
Jimmy, trying to get the lid up. By the time I got in there, he'd peed
on the carpet. Surely he can't have been trying to pee in the loo!
There is pepper down there now, as some feline had previously left a
large pile there, twice. I hope the offender gets a jolly good sneeze.
What do they think I got that enormous crap tray for? Its a good job my
wife doesn't know about all this. She'd go haywire.

Maggie is, of course, more mischievous. I'm disappointed that the
scratching pole is completely ignored. Apparently. carpets and
furniture are much more appropriate. She usually goes slightly mad when
let in, but calms down quite quickly. She can sense when I'm looking
for her, to put her out, and tries to escape. She seems genuinely
affectionate, however, on the whole, and we're actually really good
friends.

The dynamics are interesting. Ermie is sometimes involved in a bit of
hissing, but most of this involves just Jimmy and Maggie. They seem
quite wary of one another at times. This goes to show what a superior
cat Ermintrude really is. She obviously doesn't often descend to the
level of these common street cats.

You may have guessed that my lovely wife is away, and unaware of issues
to do with uncultivated and badly brought up mogs. Actually, she's in
Elgin, working, and, no doubt, having a lovely time. I find it best, on
the whole, to clean up and not say too much about it. The other night,
as soon as I got in from work, she said I should clean out the litter
tray, as there was poo in it. I said it could wait until morning, as
usual, but, apparently, this meant they would be walking around with
poo on their paws!!! I only got out of this by suggesting that she
empty the litter tray, which worked, and I emptied it, as usual, the
next morning. To think that I used to think that cats never excreted
anything (I'll swear that Ermie never did until recently - certainly
she was never seen)."



Thanks Jim!