Grandcat having extended 'sleepover'!

meritaten

OH had the day off today so we had the luxury of going to school by car this morning. sun was blazing down and it was lovely. Came home for an hour or so, so Barnes was out in the garden for a while - had to put catnip infusion on the bite/sting he has on his back - it looked sore because he was licking it so much. I couldn't see a sting in there, so it could have been anything from an ant bite to a wasp sting. after a few applications of catnip the inflammation has gone and he has at last stopped licking it.
OH took the Hazel tree down this afternoon.............I could have cried - I love the corkscrew Hazel, but stupidly planted it too close to the wall. I still haven't decided what to put in instead. need to do some research for plants with a more compact root system. DD had a load of the branches and bits of the trunk for her Degue. Fatty (that is degues name) gets very excited over hazel twigs, never mind whole branches!
Barnes watched with puzzlement - then seemed to shrug, and walked off and lay in ambush for insects. which he seemed to take perverse pleasure in chasing INTO the house! (why do they always get stuck behind the windows or the one French door which is closed?)
GD1 sleeping over tonight - Barnes is happy about that, he hardly left her alone last time. he slept all night with her!

bought two new rugs today to replace the old ones which were looking very tatty. Barnes has 'tested' them out and approves. much nicer to lie on!

he is due for a spot on (the Armitage one) on Tues - but I may give it to him tomorrow, just in case the last one is wearing off.

meritaten

Barnes slept on settee all last night much to GD1s disappointment! he was a bit tired after supervising all that tree felling and gardening!

he was in and out of the garden this morning, killed a load of flies, ate some but left some bodies for me to dispose of.

He was having a bit of a mad day today - GD1 has recognised another 'Aspie'!

decided to go to the beach for lunch! it was gorgeous there! we went to Southerndown - but, it was hardly recognisable - the cliffs have suffered badly in last winters storms, and there is hardly any sand left on the beach. it is still a lovely beach though and we enjoyed the afternoon. GD1 is staying another night - wonder if Barnes will join her in bed?

Oh dear - I forgot to give him his lunch before we left, but I did leave him plenty of dry food and his water dish was full.
when we got back he was sitting on the kitchen windowsill looking out for us - as soon as we appeared he turned his head and pretended to be looking out the other way!!!!!!!!!!!! lol, we aint fooled Barnes - you MISSED us! GD1 says that he was watching me intently as I opened the front door.
how can an afternoon spent lolling about on the beach be so tiring??????? I am yawning my head off! be off to bed soon!

meritaten

Its been so lovely here today - I let Barnes out at 7.30 and he has been in and out all day!
good thing I have been keeping an eye on him though - I just caught him creeping along the back garden wall (through the ivy) heading for next door! BAD Barnes! he got brought in and the door locked! (but it was time he came in anyway).
otherwise, he had a good day I think - he seemed to enjoy it! chasing flies, bees, wasps, having a nice sunbathe, sitting on our patio directors chairs. he has had a fine time!

his_missus

My little brood have been enjoying the sunny weather this weekend.

Scrappy came hobbling in yesterday morning with his front leg somehow through his collar and his magnet missing. His collar was stretched beyond saving (safety catch hadn't released) so he's got a brand spanking new collar on. He also peed against the kitchen door yesterday, making me think he's had a run in with bully cat.

Resisiting the urge to continue the Ovarid though as apart from the wee, he seemed his usual self yesterday.

meritaten

Barnes had another lovely day - but the little bu99er would have 'gone over the wall' if I hadn't been keeping an eye on him! I don't blame him, he wants to 'explore'!
but, when he is settled down in the garden the expression of 'Bliss' on is face ...................melts my heart!
trouble is - he seems to get bitten a lot! I know there are lots of ants in the garden (we have an arrangement, they don't come in the house and I don't kill them). and I have been bitten by various insects outside. one bite took two YEARS to heal! today, I drenched the poor sod in Catnip infusion, three times! at least tonight he isn't licking and nibbling at himself. and he wasn't too bothered by being sponged down with the catnip. I wonder if it would work on me? been bitten or stung a few times already in the last few days and it ITCHES! What is it about some people/animals that insects think they are 'delicious'?
Barnes was defeated by the bath booby trap today! yay! he set it off BEFORE he got into the bath for a poo! I made no comment - he looked traumatised as it was! lol.
he is STILL chasing insects INTO the house! I found three dead flies on the floor sill of the French doors. and one wasp.
Barnes was most annoyed it rained early this evening - he really wanted out but didn't want to get rained on! oh well, its South Wales Barnes - it rains!

meritaten

the sun shone briefly this morning so Barnes wanted 'OUT'! I let him out and he walked across the decking then realised to his horror that his paws were getting wet! lmao - I could see the dilemma on his face, does he carry on and go onto the gravel part? or come back over the wet decking.....................he carried on! but sat under the willow, which dripped on him! he glared at the willow, which was totally unmoved, then a breeze dislodged a veritable shower (I was highly entertained by this)! so he came out into the sun and discovered that the gravel wasn't too bad really..............bit damp but not about to soak him. then dark clouds gathered and really dumped a load of water down - so he ran in complaining bitterly!
wasn't too bad this afternoon so he has been in and out. its got quite cold this evening and he wants out - but he isn't out two minutes and its too cold for him so he wants in again!
he isn't getting the better of the 'new, improved bath booby trap' either! another case of it going off when he is trying to get into the bath!
I was running out of wet food for him and all they had up the shop was 'whiskas pouches' - so I picked a 'duck' variety and didn't show him the label! it worked, he thought it fine dining and scoffed it all!

his_missus

Hi Meri,

My brood was most put out by last night's weather. They'd all just ventured out after tea when the heaven's opened and thunder boomed!
Two hid under our van and were persuaded to leg it in with a rattle of the treats tub, one hid under the bushes in the back garden and Tikka appeared from nowhere, dashed upstairs and hid on our bed.

Scrappy is back on the ovarid - he actually peed in the kitchen in front of us!

meritaten

its been an absolutely gorgeous day today! spent most of it out on decking after I took GS2 to school.
Barnes was sneaky - I stopped him jumping over the side fence a few times then had to dash in and answer the phone, two minutes later he had gone! I looked over fence and he was sat outside the neighbours back door, looking for all the world as if he was paying a courtesy visit! he wouldn't come when I called him so I had to sneak in and get him. good thing neighbours are possibly vampires and had all the blinds drawn so didn't see me. (they aren't really vampires but they hardly ever open the blinds - and they are really weird people!!!!!!). Barney likes to talk to their cat though when it appears in window. so I think he was just popping round to have a natter!

The forecast isn't too good for tomorrow and the weekend so I will have a miserable cat tomorrow. He is yowling at me right now - he must want out again as its still light. no Barnes, its MY 'puter time' now!

meritaten

well, last night wasn't too bad - no storms woke me up anyway! heard some in the distance this morning, but we had some quite close this afternoon. bit of Thunder and lightning but it was a few miles away - though the rain was 'tropical intensity' for a while! didn't seem to faze our Barnes - he ignored it! good thing there were no hailstones - he HATES hailstones!
its strange, but I have had three cats and two dogs and not one of them has minded storms or fireworks! is it because I am totally unfazed about them? they pick up that I am not bothered and in fact like them? our staffy used to sit on the bed and watch the fireworks across the valley with us. First cat Timmy, was a devil to keep in around Nov 5th! he would quite happily go out while all hel was breaking loose in the street. Even Meg the spaniel (a right wuss usually) didn't mind watching the fireworks from behind the patio doors. Nicki the cat just 'assumed the prayer position' on the arm of the settee where he normally was! and the 'prayer position' was his normal sleeping mode.
Barnes wanted out as soon as the sun made an appearance! so I let him out - and he doesn't like wet decking at all! he doesn't mind wet dirt though so took refuge under the willow, which just dripped gently on him. he stayed under there for ages, watching the sky, but the insects must have known there was another storm coming as they didn't arrive for him to chase. sure enough it clouded over again and started to rain heavily - Barnes looked at the French door, at the tree (which by now was dripping not so gently), and I opened the door and I swear he leaped over 10 foot of decking and landed inside! lol, nice one Barnes!

his_missus

There was an almighty commotion going on outside our house last night, not involving any of my brood for a change!

A bird was squawking, dive bombing and threatening a cat. I assume the cat must have got too close to a nest. My four sat in the window/on the doorstep watching it all unfurl.