picking up the pieces and gratuitous pics

we are getting back to normal after losing all the babies so here are some gratuitous pics

willow, ace, polly

major tom

cecil likes the new cabinet

chuchundra [piper]

we had some cold days; worrals appreciates her jumper

and simon has scampi and hazel to keep him warm

Pixy sulking on the top because there was no room in his arms

willow found a paper bag

scampi and tom found the radiator and the t-shirt which was on it drying

yes, that is 5 cats on my lap and legs - polly, ace, willow, worrals and dora

Dora and Rebel are living under my duvet on the residual warmth of the hot water bottle emerging for food and to use the tray 

I haven't had the heart to post ...

.... because Kelly suddenly developed Kidney Failure just before Christmas and we had to have the vet in to put him to sleep.  We always knew with the privations he had been through that he would not have a long life but we did not think it would be this short.

Leo is still with us, he has had a bladder infection as well as his kidney failure but he is maintaining his weight, and when we had a few brief days of warmth he was enjoying the sun on the windowsill outside while the others went out in the run.  Otherwise life ticks on.  Pixy is a bit more cuddly and a bit less knacky to the others.  And you know it is cold when the cold nose on the back of the neck causes a flinch response to let Tom down the duvet and you realise you have Tom and Cecil down your back and Worrals and Rebel down your front all pretending not to see each other.

last pic of Kelly with Leo and Ace - lucky Simon 

Leo on the penthouse of cat storage

Polly has been cuddling Kelly's brothers

Gypsy has been perching on the heater behind my map storage

And some more photos

Piper

Rosie

Pixy

Leo and Piper; Leo tolerates Piper cuddling him

cuddle puddle

Dora practises advanced cat folding

Gypsy

Pixy

Kelly

You can get any two in the igloo but not a third

Kelly and Ace hanging out

Rebel

Cecil

Gratuitous pictures up to the end of the year

I love the way Cecil's tail dangles off the edge of the 'penthouse'

Linnie loves his kitties, here he is washing Piper

I fell asleep and was promptly colonised

"You won't get away with stealing food, little brother."  "Watch me try." 

brothers 

Worrals... one of my better pics of her 

they all love the 'igloo'.  Gypsy's toes just for those of you who love toes

Saffron loves cuddling daddy.  It was cold so she insisted on being IN the dressing gown

Pixy doesn't stay still long enough unless she's asleep, to get a clear pic!

Pixy encroaching on Worrals.  we have an armed truce here... 

Linnie has been cuddling and looking after Saffron, he is a good boy.  In the background, Rosie has also stayed close.  I can't think it will be much longer before we have to give her the Last Gift.  But she still loves guzzling gourmet gold, and purrs when cuddled.

Kittens galore!

Through our grief over Leila, it is impossible not to smile at the antics of kittens.  They are playful and sweet, and Ace chatters, prootles and pipes all the time he is playing.
Piper was awakened to the fact that he is a BOY [not for much longer] by the arrival of Pixy, who was considering going on season before we had her missy bits out on Monday, but he tries to hump his brothers with, one has to say, a remarkable lack of understanding of what he's doing.  And I had to laugh at his attempt at the missionary position with Kelly, who was protesting faintly as Piper grasped his neck and vibrated rhythmically at ... Kelly's left leg.
Piper is also a bit of a tea leaf... he has figured out how to fish packets of food out of the box, rip open the bottom, and lie on them to squeeze food out.

 

Now he's off with that to take it into the tunnels where it won't be interrupted.  Fortunately the tunnels are wipe-clean.
We had a nice day so the window was open, and Piper found his way out, as did Pixy.  I hasten to add they cannot get out of this run onto the road.  It's a little cramped at the moment as the wheelbarrow is in there for the winter, because my coal is where the wheelbarrow usually lives. 

Leo doesn't venture past the windowsill but he really enjoyed the sunshine and the air.

Pixy has settled in so well, you'd never guess we've only had her two weeks.  She is a loving and affectionate little cat and shouts when she wants something.   We decided to have a medical t-shirt for her, not a buster collar, because I could see her going through something with the intent of taking off the buster collar on her way ... only she got out of the t-shirt once on the way home, and then within 30 seconds of being let out when she got home, so my struggles to put it back on, hands in cage, bumping along in the car were all in vain.  She's a pest!  but she's not going at her stitches, so I gave up.  Apparently she didn't want to look like Santa's Little Helper in a red babygrow...

 Saffron is still with us, she's very much in need of snuggles with either daddy or me, and she now finds the lump uncomfortable to sleep on unless she gets on a lap and jiffles thighs apart to give her somewhere to stow it.

 Kelly adores, or rather adored, his fleece-lined kitten tunnel, but it's seen a lot of use, and it's seen more use in the last month than in the previous year, and a wire has popped, so it's in the bin now.  I'm looking for another one for him.

Believe it or not, this floor had been hoovered two hours before this picture.  The kitties like to spread the love around.

Cuddle Puddle ...

And this is the more usual view of the run at this time of year, a selection of hopeful cats hating the squirrels who bury the crisp packets they raid from bins in my garden.