Black Doggerel

New consignment of frozen chicks delivered today, and I immediately put half a dozen in a bowl of hot water in the sink to defrost for the cattens.

( Cassie got impatient... )

I am drinking a concoction of apple and orange juice, mixed in equal parts and then diluted with two parts water to one part juice. I'm eating fresh English strawberries - one of the few compensations for having to suffer through disgusting sticky summer. I have also put a fresh pot of coffee on.

Went through a cat-owning rite of passage last night - I shut Cassie in the utility room by accident when I got today's beastie food out of the freezer. Cassie's one of those clingy cats that follows me everywhere making conversation as she goes - prrp, prrp, pree? Mrrow! Mree, mree-mree? I make noises back at her and she answers. I have no idea what I'm saying, but she always answers. I guess I'm the cat equivalent of a talking parrot. I'm continually tripping over her, stepping on her and having to avoid knocking her into the bath or splashing her as she sits on the edge of the tub watching me wash.

Anyway, she's never going to stay shut in any cupboards or rooms for long. The noise was incredible, and the dogs both came and barked at me on the off chance that I hadn't heard Cassie's "MROWWW!" *crash* "MIIIIIIIAW!!! MROOOWWW!!" *thump* "MREEEK!"

Just hauled sixteen tons of groceries back from Asda. Relatively healthy snacky type foods that don't need preparation - wraps, pitta bread, sliced Edam, ham, coleslaw, cooked chicken, sandwich spread and lots of fruit. Coffee - check. Tampons (typical good timing there) - check. Plenty of squash and fruit juice - check. Tobacco and papers - check.

Guess I'm as ready as I'll ever get.

Also, totally kicked Squish's arse on the way home. Completely unintentional, natch. He has this stupid habit of freezing onto interesting scents with no warning, and this time he was right in front of me, too close for me to stop. Poor spotted dog, he has such a hard life.

Some fun with Shona the Brave Exploring Kitten when we got home, but I'll save that to write about tomorrow.

...ha. I seem to have got my second wind. What's the betting I can't get to sleep tonight?

well, I'm not diabetic. Doctor says it could be a urinary infection (wouldn't I be able to tell?) or possibly thyroid problems. Blood test appointment and antibiotics in case it's the infection thing.

have felt like shit on a stick all day, and the bus ride out there in the heat was ghastly enough before the 498328474 eleven year old schoolkiddies piled in.

...although I have my doubts about them actually being schoolchildren. I think they may actually have been baboons executing a cunning plan to escape from captivity using purloined school uniforms and bus passes. Hard to tell. There were no tails showing but the shrieking, swinging up and down the bus and flinging each other's property about (no poo, but there was a shoe and s football) was a bit of a giveaway.

got home and played with dogs. Cassie is refusing to eat the rabbit I defrosted today. She sometimes does this with the mince; sometimes you get a pack with a lot of fatty bits in it and she doesn't like that. I bought her some fresh herrings while I was out. Let's see if she likes those.

am now going to take my headache and lie down. ugh.

Edited to add: Cassie fell on the raw herring and tore into it like Homer Simpson on a pizza. YAY!

For those who don't read all the comments in all my posts, bloolark and I have got a new cat community because the existing ones are all rather sucky.

So, if you have cats and you want to be part of a cat community where the emphasis is on education, responsible pet care, health, and sensible advice rather than sentimental cat worship and OMGcutekitties!!1!!* may I invite you to join practicalcats?

rozae, gwenhyffar, fara_shimbo, bulletslc, mcsassypants, I am looking at YOU. We need a core group of people who know what they're doing and can give useful advice. I'd be looking at rhinecat and silverblaidd too but they already joined.

if I forgot to name anyone it's only because I'm awfully sleepy still.

*I have nothing against OMGCUTEKITTIES!, by the way. I just thought there was room on LJ for a cat comm with a more serious slant, you know?

Dead day-old chick gets the Cassie seal of approval

Best cat toy EVAR!!!

(Don't click the link if small dead things will bother you, 'kay? Though the second pic also contains small live fascinated fuzzy baby predators)

Don't know yet if she's actually going to eat it or not. The dogs wouldn't, though they were both fascinated. But if she didn't balk at whole chicken drumsticks she'll probably eat it when she's completely finished playing with it.

Note to self 1: The first day of rain and slightly cooler weather after a heatwave is a silly day to go out wearing a clean T-shirt and expect to come back without muddy collie pawmarks on it. Your own dumb fault.

Note to self 2: If you get lazy about changing the litterbox your cat will make you regret it. Thank goodness for relatively unsmelly raw-fed cat poo and easy wipe-clean linoleum. Your own dumb fault, part 2.

Note to self 3: Your pointer is going to look like a blimp soon if you don't shut the cat in the bedroom at dogfeeding times and make Spike eat his own damn food. Your own dumb fault, part 3.

It rained! It's cooler! I may live after all.

8pm, feeding time for dogs.

Me: *fetches 2lbs of rabbit from fridge, puts half in Spike's bowl, heads for Squish's bowl*

Cassie: I hear the FRIDGE! Gimme food! *begs for rabbit although she had a bowl of turkey an hour ago she didn't finish*

Spike: OMGCAT!!! *starestare*

Squish: I have a cunning plan! *swiftly eats Spike's dinner*

Spike: OMGCAT!!!! *starestarestare*

Me: *rolleyes*

*splits Squish's intended dinner between Spike and Cassie*

*feeds Cassie in the bedroom out of Spike's sight*

Spike: Wot no cat? Might as well eat then. *eats*

Squish: *whines* WHERE'S MINE????

( I finally arranged a bodge to allow Cassie in and out without letting dogs in )

There's a loop of elastic cord round the door-handle and hooked round a screw in the door frame, the video tapes are holding it open and there's a laundry basket the other side of the gap. Cassie can get round it easily enough but it discourages Spike.

( OMFGKittens - Day 19 - three pics )

( Cassie is much happier about not being shut in )

I finally got through to the pharmacy - same phone number - and the girl who works there not only found my pills but she is bringing them here on her way home at lunchtime!

I can't express how profoundly grateful I am for that. I'm in the sort of state where I can barely imagine riding on a bus without having to hide under the seat. I can manage the hospital because I don't get a choice about that but it's become very difficult.