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 

"Has anybody here seen Kelly?"

So, last year we lost two and gained 5 cats.  I count losing Saffron as last year though she lived into January, her illness was last year.
I am not going to share the last pics I took unless asked.  I want to remember her as she should have been.
Meanwhile, some gratuitous pictures of a selection of cats.  This post sees rare pics of to of  the Grumpy Old Sods [Onyx, Scampi and Leo] and appears to mostly feature Kelly.
I sing "Has anybody here seen Kelly?"  and he pops up, "Yes, here I am!"
His bum is up and down, we've moved to Carny, a German grain-free food, but he seems only to be able to tolerate one meal of wet food a day, so tough luck the rest as he's a little tea leaf.  I have old sheets and towels covering everywhere as he is still farting wet ones in his sleep, which I'm currently wiping with antibacterial wipes and will have a big throw out of stained fabrics when it is decent enough weather to expect things to dry on the washing line if he has an accident on actual bedlinen or furniture.  His bum I'm doing with witchazel and aloe vera pads for haemorrhoids which seem to be soothing him.  We had one night without more than a tiny turd on the sofa, but then he skanked wet food ... we are winning.  And as he gets older things should improve as well.

Kelly and Dora

Pixy, contemplating which of her brothers to whack next

Somewhere in that hole is Gypsy and Kelly means to get him

Piper loves all his big brothers.  Here he is with Onyx

Got him!  Scampi eating ...

and another of Scampi!

Linnie, just because

Kelly and Linnie's tail

Cecil

No pics of Ace-all-over-the-place, he's greased lightning. But he is helping mumy and daddy by being a scarf overnight for one of the at a time.  Piper is still the guinea pig, or Chuchundra for Kipling fans.

Saffron and the gang, overdue update

Saffron's lump came back so quickly, and the vet told us that it was not in a good place.  If it had been on her hip, removing the leg to get rid of it all would have been an option, but that as it was, they could not cut it out.  We were advised that these type of sarcomas cause no pain, but if she found it uncomfortable when it got really big we could look at pain killers, and otherwise pamper her for as long as she has. 
She has three lumps now which have grown pretty big, but she doesn't seem to notice. She sleeps on her left side as well as her right so they plainly don't trouble her.  She washes them as well as the rest of her, and she's back to her cuddly self.  Here are some gratuitous pictures of Saffron.

with Linnie

with Cecil

with Rosie.  the lump is plainly visible in this one. 

So what else is happening?  well the run is a hit, but I wish they wouldn't roll on the snack grass and kill it and then dig up and poop in the compost.  We've been outside with people on leads as often as we can, and Leo, who hates things going over his head has declared he is trustworthy without a lead.  He isn't that fast a mover, but he is now exploring all the garden and enjoying himself no end.  He has learned to go to the door and yell, but it doesn't always make the slaves obey.

Rebel likes the old rocking chair

Toddles ate right up to the end of September, he's now safely tucked away for the winter

I love this one of Dora

Worrals believes in comfort

and another one of Leo just because.  He's on the lead here, an earlier pic, but a nice one of him

So who isn't pictured?  Gypsy!  here's one of Gypsy with the butterfly toy we bought them [which Worrals nabbed, ran off with and broke a little bit in about 3 seconds!]  Note the shredded cardboard on the floor, from one of those perennially favoured toys, a box.

Onyx is a little elusive, but he has been coming downstairs, especially after we lit the stove

Scampi and Leila are not keen on photos.  However, Scampi sleeps all night on Simon, and Leila has been being brought down and is starting to accept having new territory.  She's still an ailurophobe though.

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.