New paintings and regular art updates.
The ooutdoor cat is mostly in now. He’s Bern in for about four hours tonight.
He is getting happier. He plays like a kitten! It’s like he’s gone back to being a young cat, not a slightly scruffy middle aged cat. His coat is shiny, and the scratches he had on his nose have almost healed up.
By the way if you want to read a bit more about him, there is a short piece I wrote about him at the Katzenworld blog here at WordPress. He was featured today on their web page.
A great big cat, he’s clearly moving in. Stayed most of last night and got in bed with my hubby last night under the duvet! When I got up at 7.30 he was asking to go out (outdoor cat, not hubby!) Now he’s sleeping on the doubled arms of the armchairs, between us. Sometimes a questing paw reaches out to rest on my arm. Little claws kneading slightly…. He is a very big cat. I think because if he wasn’t he would not have survived. Sleeping cat, happy cats!
Indoor and outdoor boys are getting closer to each other. They slept about a foot apart for about an hour tonight. Now outdoor boy is sitting in the arm of my chair and purring loudly. I stroked his chin and he dribbled on my hand. He’s not quite used to being stroked though. I think he doesn’t want to be disturbed, just to he allowed to sleep in the warm. My indoor cats love being fussed. He’s settled again. I think he might sleep now.
The outdoor cat trusts me enough to show me his belly and he let me stroke it. Cats are very nervous of doing this, so they really are careful about rolling over and showing their tummies. I feel very honoured that he’s let me do that.
He’s back in this evening out of the cold. The other cats are continuing to tolerate him. I think soon he will be a (mostly) indoor cat too!
He’s coming in at night more and more, he’s finding comfort and warmth. My cats are being tolerant (probably because they were rescue cats where there were twenty cats in the house). They sniff each other and then find somewhere to rest. This cat stays in longer ever night, we are his safe space. After an hour or two he goes to the back door and yowls, asks to be released. One day he might stay the whole night, but I understand he wants his freedom. In the meantime I’m getting him flea and worming treatments so he doesn’t pass anything on to my two. I’m glad he’s befriended us. X
Hallucination, dream, ghost?
At 3am on Halloween morning he awoke to see a figure by the bed. Still, silent, watching him. He blinked and it was gone. But it’s memory stuck in his mind. A grey haired tall woman. Middle aged, quite slender. He sat up and looked all round the room, but the only noise was the tick of the clock and the hum of the central heating. There was no place to hide in the small single bedroom. Not even any curtains to hide behind, with a telltale shoe sticking out. He doubted anyone could squeeze behind venetian blinds…..
Eventually sleep dragged him down into its arms again. Then when he was settled, the figure pushed through the wall and back next to him again. Eyes staring, never blinking, a look of sadness on her face. Never knowing her grandson till now. Knowing it was his last night on earth. One minute here… Tick… The next.. Gone.
It’s starting, the transformation. Our outdoor cat is coming in for meals, sniffing noses with the other cats. He then yowls to be let out. But at least he can get warm if he wants. The others, indoor cats, are tolerating him. I think they need to start going out but I’m worried they will get lost. It all takes time.
In fact the outdoor cat has started rubbing round my legs and accepting a head scratch. He’s off again now, put into the night, but he had a shed he can sleep in. A cat bed, and an old jacket for warmth.
X
Let me up cat! I’m being squashed, but I love you. Sitting on my chest, purring, difficult to move. Phew he jumped down! He is handsome don’t you think? Poddled by his paws (where cats knead their paws). Sharp claws in my knee. Mutual comfort, keeping warm like a hot water bottle…
You have to be owned by a cat. You don’t own it. My cats know what they want and when they want it. The boy stares sweetly at me when he wants a titbit from my plate. His sister miaows at me when she wants food or petting. Both are very relaxed around us most of the time, but even though they are fully grown, they still have mad half hours when they meet up, sniff noses and then start chasing each other.
My female cat must be a reincarnated football player, she has several small toys made out of ping-pong balls that she bat’s backwards and forwards between her front paws along the length of the living room and kitchen… I’ve trodden on them in the dark.. Ouch!
The boy likes sleeping on my lap or chest. He gets on my lap and effectively pins me down. Eventually I have to pick him up and put him on the floor. He doesn’t like that.
Cats are great pets, self sufficient but loving.
Our outside cat comes in occasionally now. He is tolerated by the other two. I think he’s getting more used to them… Fingers crossed he will be in by winter.
X
I found this in the front bedroom while having a clear out. It’s the photo I used to base a painting of my old cat on. Looking up the stairs at the window. It’s great to find it, it brings back great memories of a very friendly intelligent cat. She used to like sitting in the sun on the windowledge. She would sit there in the mornings until the sun moved round to the other side of the house, then she would move to the bedroom window, or she would come downstairs and go out into the garden. Good memories.
Mallaband-Brown