Busy time lately...

I think I mentioned the cat wheel, which came, was easy to put together, and until a couple of days ago was used exclusively by Linnie [who was the main target for it anyway] but! is now also being used by Rebel, whose antics leaping for the laser dot and having to hang on to the edge of the wheel for grim life have been quite hilarious, and I hope to get a photo soon.
The only place we could put it was on the landing, by taking down a bookshelf, so here's a pic of Linnie in it, having disrupted the newspaper which is Leo's 'miss zone' for when he thinks he's in the litter box because his front feet are.

There are some hilarious videos on the cat wheel site http://onefastcat.com/ and I thoroughly recommend the wheel, cheaper than its next nearest counterpart.  Only thing is, they soon trash up the running surface, we're going to have to replace the treads soon. This is because Rebel likes to give it a good scratch before setting off for a run....

Cecil prefers his amusement more static. This is HIS box.

And then Mother died.
Saffron was heartbroken, the only cat mother had ever permitted to sleep on her bed, she had lived almost exclusively in mum's room since mum became bedridden 2 years ago.   That it's the room with the aga is neither here nor there.... anyway, Saffron lived in mum's dressing gown for several days before deciding that as Gran wasn't here any more, she would move out totally.  She's coming to terms with it, and fortunately adores Simon. 

Saffron

 

Dora too has been wandering about looking lost for a couple of weeks, though she has settled down.  Worrals would occasionally sleep in mum's room, during the day, and she has refused point blank to go in there since Gran disappeared in the night in an ambulance.  Gypsy went looking for her, and decided she must be hiding, are there any cat biscuits?  But Gypsy, Linnie, Dora, Rosie and Cecil as well as Saffron all slept on her bed for several nights.  Cecil and mother had become rapidly very good friends, and I'm glad she got to see him.  Linnie thought we should have brought her back from the human vets in a cardboard box to bury in the garden.  He doesn't understand human protocols.

So, anyway, we decided to not merely clean out mum's room but to redecorate and turn it into a study-cum-breakfast room, and the difference of light wallpaper, no clutter of movable tables, commodes and so on is amazing.  We even painted the aga - it's an Esse really - with black heatproof paint as it was chipped.  It was mainly the boys who helped.  And Cecil has a gloss white ear where he rubbed against my newly painted skirting board and grubby toes where he stood on the newly gloss white windowsill and then walked on the still mucky floor which I didn't plan to vacuum until I'd finished being messy.
I have to say it was also a challenge painting when suddenly! having a Linnie land on my shoulder from one of his launch-from-the-floor leaps.  I wore him to paint the whole door.  He thinks he's a circus performer.

the divan bed makes a great sofa, there's room for one human and up to six cats.  Or one human and a well spread Cecil by the heater.... his favourite position is on his back soliciting tummy rubs

Yes, that's a cat bed on top of the wood basket.  But Dora and Cecil figured they would be warmer on, and under the footstool I used to use to do mum's dressings.  They voted it to remain.

Gypsy helped Simon unpack the new computer desk.  He shredded the side of the box and sat on the parts Simon needed to show him where they were. 

And then the three way tunnel went back in the room

Wot?

 

Rebel is not sure about the decor.

Leo just doesn't come downstairs; he is only interested in not having his mealtimes disrupted.  He has gone off the expensive little tins of food, and now has to have his pill in heated chicken broth.  Spoilt brat!  lovely boy.
No pics of Rosie or Onyx this time, nor Leila and Scampi.  Onyx is phlegmatic and unphased by the goings on, Leila doesn't care if it doesn't directly relate to her, and Scampi has retired to his towel box until things are quieter.