Friday, June 09, 2006

our first walk

Last night we went for a walk, on a lead, in the back yard (I got home too late to venture further out). We sniffed the roses and no doubt got our nose pricked by the thorns. We scratched in the dirt and pretended to pee. Three times – it was a good spot. Then we tried to run in the leaves under the camelia bushes but that damn lead just isn’t long enough to have any fun. Then it was dark and we had to go back inside. Next time we will try buttering our paws (someone forgot).

Thursday, June 08, 2006

cat neighbours

I woke up this morning to the sound of my cat talking to somebody. Normally he wakes me up by jumping on the bed and biting my feet, or jumping up onto the bedside table and sliding stuff around, so I immediately got up to investigate. I found him having a staring competition through the glass door in the living room, with a massive ginger cat (I’ll call him Heinz – big, red) that has been hanging around ever since we moved in. They met the other day through a screen door and after a period of adjustment (Calico scared and puffed up, Heinz staring), they started talking to each other. Heinz is far too well-fed to be homeless (so fat you can’t see his colar) and he acts like he’s been in our house before. Heinz isn’t scared of Calico – seems to be waiting for him to come out and play – just stares and stares – it’s kinda creepy. Not sure what will happen when they meet without a door between them… But I’m taking Calico for his first outside walk this afternoon. On a lead.

Friday, June 02, 2006

this weekend

Calico will make the big move this weekend, once most of the furniture is moved in and he can run around without danger of getting stood on. Suggestions so far are to keep him inside for 2 weeks until he knows where he lives, and to put butter on his feet (I initially thought this was just so we could laugh at him trying to walk on the slate floors – but apparently we are supposed to butter him up and let him outside so he will lick his feet and know the taste of home). Any other suggestions?

Apparently the previous owners’ cat is buried under the 3rd rose bush from the left on the western side – not sure how long he’s been dead though so hopefully there is not too much residual cat smell around the house, or else Calico may feel the need to mark his territory in every room.