Small hours shock: RIP Linnie

Lying in bed some time after 2, wondering how much it would disrupt the two cats cuddling me, Worrals and Ace, I felt feet walk up me, and a familiar face comes over the edge of the duvet.
"Hello Linnie," I said. "Don't walk on Worrals, she'll hit you." I was wondering how to incorporate 3 cats in my bed without bad language, and Linnie jumped onto the bedside table - and promptly fell off onto the bed.
At first, I was saying, "What are you up to, you prune?" when I could see he was lying as if he couldn't get up.
Plan A is always shriek for Simon.
And withing 2 minutes, having twitched and emptied his bladder, our King of Kisses, Prince of Daftness and Pontiff of Prunery was gone.  Five years old and gone.  He had a heart murmur but he was so full of life... that afternoon he had been out in the run, climbing about.  And now he's gone.  I am still very much in shock, but I want to share celebration pictures of our lovely boy.

A lion cut and other pics

The time came for Leo to have his fur cut short, and this time we decided to go for the complete lion cut.  We were not prepared for the difference it would make!  suddenly our grumpy old sod was gambolling like a kitten and ready to be friendly.  Not only has he been suddenly receptive to being stroked, he has become a lap cat, and has been friendly to the others.  That fur must have been heavy and uncomfortable!  so our brave little lion is going to be keeping his lion cut, and we'll have it done as soon as his hair grows longer than short haired.
And right now he feels all plushy...

Leo approves of the new sofa!  we got it [I love freecycle] while he was being clipped, and he investigated it and decided we got it for him for behaving himself at the hairdresser

Kisses for daddy even! I know he looks silly [I do dig his moon boots] but if he is more comfortable, I don't care; he can't see himself so he doesn't care either.

Daddy's favourite scarf.  He sleeps on Simon like this at night

a box full of orange.

Pixy Neferkiti Merybast is a diva. Had you guessed? 

"Er, ok, I won't go on the computer."

Worrals appears to have decided that Kelly is her kitten.  She has been washing him whenever she sees him.  And a much better solution for his nethers than to be wiped by us when he leaks [which he is doing less and less.]

Rosie does look a bit ratty, she took Saffron's death very hard but we are trying to build her up.  Loving her trio of kittens helps, though as you can see, she exploits them!  We have moved to grain free food now and are hoping this will make a difference to all of them. 

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

"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.