31/12/13 A Very Merry Christmas To You!

Well here's to a very Merry Christmas to you all! The Christmas season has been and gone in a flash. We have had a quiet but lovely, relaxing Christmas with my Mum; mainly involving copious amounts of eating! Bubbles has had a really fun festive season and has received some very exciting presents from us and her animal friends. Her absolute FAVOURITE is her new crinkle pad, which she loves to roll on the floor with, kicking and cuddling with a very daft look about her.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

She has enjoyed lightly patting the baubles on the Christmas tree and one evening, had a most excellent game of football with an escapee bauble!

My friend Helen made a very interesting discovery in her Christmas tree.... her young kitten Echo had decided the mountainous tree needed much further investigation and was caught posing in the branches, as a new and very cute, furry decoration!

We come to the end of the year with some rather full tummies and lots of lovely memories to look back on and be thankful for,

As always, a great big thank you for taking the time to read my humble Blog! I hope you have all had a wonderful, happy Christmas. See you next year!

5/12/13 Wild & Windy Weather!

This morning dawned with a spectacularly glowing orange sunrise; stunning against the bluey tinge of the fading dark night sky. Apart from gazing in awe at the beautiful sunrise, I thought nothing of the weather, which seemed typically damp and cold. Bubbles, meanwhile had been sitting on the windowsill admiring the sunrise with me. Or so I like to think! More likely, she was scouring the fields behind for any sign of tasty rodents scampering in the grass!

As I breakfasted and got ready for the day, Bubbles could be heard thundering around the house. She was running up and down the stairs, through the lounge and, skidding in a big circle, I could see her revving herself up to charge off on another mad circuit again! Her ears were pinned back and her tail was held high; all puffed up like a fox's brush! I wondered what on earth had made her feel so excited! I decided she had probably been playing with one of her toys and got over excited while chasing it and batting it round the house!

I needed to pop out a little while later and having brushed and styled my hair, put my coat and boots on and grabbed my keys, I was ready to leave the house. What a struggle....

....opening the front door was like wrestling against a giant force of nature; pushing me back and not letting me out! When I did finally force the door open I stepped outside, turned to close it and had to lean back with all my might to slam the door shut, all the time battling against the aggressive, raging wind, which felt as though it had almost torn my hair right off my head! I could feel it standing straight up, vertically, on top of my head!

 

I jumped into the car and for the first time really noticed the chaos being created by the wind. Wheelie bins had left their sentry posts and were free wheeling on their sides down the road like ferocious plastic missiles. Piles of brown leaves were swirling in upward circular movements and I could feel the car being buffeted and lifted, almost as if a giant's hand was underneath, trying to clasp and lift it up into the air.

 

They do say children and animals react to windy weather and that it makes them wild and crazy! Bubbles has been proof of that today, with her wild circuits around the house!

Having later watched TV reports of areas around the UK, I feel we were lucky to receive just a battering of the wheelie bins and a few plants ripped out of their pots! Other areas have had severe flash flooding and high sea levels, which have cascaded over the sea defence walls in places such as Blackpool in the West.  Eastern seaside areas have also been badly affected.

Please watch this video clip to see just how scary the weather has been:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwYcUFj2uJs

November 2013 The Lake District

We decided to go for a few days Autumnal holiday in the Lake District, as the Lakes are so beautiful at this time of year, with stunning scenery and a sea of brown, red, orange and gold leaves on the trees. We had booked a cosy lodge on a tranquil park overlooking a mini lake, with graceful swans and tribes of quacking ducks marching past our window every morning. Bubbles accompanied us and travelled beautifully in the car, curling up on her cosy bed in her secure travelling cage.

On arrival, we "ooohed" and "aaahed" at the lodge's lovely location and nice furnishings. Bubbles felt quite at home, which she demonstrated by doing happy, chirrupy forward rolls on the carpet!

She got a bit confused about how long we would be staying for and decided to pack herself.... just incase we should somehow forget to pack her!

But soon she settled happily and was discovered sitting up on the large, comfy bed, where she could command an excellent view of the local wildlife (mainly tweety birds and marching ducks). An ideal view for a curious cat

The weather was pretty mixed, with some torrential downpours and high winds but we were able to enjoy a refreshing walk at Arnside, where the winds had kindly stilled for us and the sun shone brightly, before finally disappearing into the sea in a truly magical sunset

October 2013 Grandma's House

Having been ill for several weeks during September and the first part of October, I went to stay with my Mum for a few days; for a change of scenery whilst re-cooperating and a bit of Mum's TLC and wonderful home cooking. Bubbles, of course, came with me.

Well, from the moment we arrived, Bubbles regarded it as a BIG adventure. She emerged, blinking, from her travel cat carrier, looked around then realising where she was, happily trotted off to sniff around the lounge. For tea that night we had some delicious, tender gammon, with mashed potates and green beans. Bubbles, of course, received a portion of gammon for her tea.

Now my Mum is pretty accomodating but the one stipulation she made about our visit was that the cat was NOT to go in her bedroom. Fair enough, she did not want cat hair everywhere! So the bedroom door remained firmly shut. at. all. times. This became a bit of an obsession for Bubbles, who wanted to explore each and every room in Grandma's House. She made it her mission to somehow become an SAS super sleuth cat, who would use all her intelligence and feline wiles to gain entry to said out of bounds room. This started with some energetic forward rolls on the carpet outside, with the hope that bumping into the door each and every time would somehow force it to open. This did not work. Neither did miaowing loudly outside. The door did not understand Bubbles' needs. Nor did trying to dodge swiftly past my Mum whenever she tried to gain access to her own bedroom! My Mum is not daft. She has had dogs and children for a great many years and was not to be outwitted by a furry feline! Bubbles' big chance came when I inadvertently left the door ajar when I had gone in to borrow something from Mum's room. She seized her moment, darted in and hid.... In Mum's bed!

"Bubbles!" I screeched in horror as I saw the quilt writhing about like a live thing. I flung the covers back to reveal a very pleased with herself looking pussy cat! "Out!" I wafted the quilt and Bubbles leapt out, raced out of the room and sat in the hallway licking herself happily.

September 2013 Spider Time

This month has seen the end of the summer and the beginning of autumn, although we have had some quite mild, still summery weather over the last few days.

Bubbles has been making the most of the dry days, enjoying playing and pouncing happily in the garden, especially as there are still a lot of beautiful butterflies to (attempt to) catch.

Several spiders have made their enticingly intricate webs visible to us through the kitchen and lounge windows (I'm sure there are hundreds more in the garden, however I'd rather not go outside to count them - yuk!) The fat spider outside the kitchen window has stretched his web from our hanging basket to a sturdy bush and I am forever witnessing evil murders as small insects unwittingly fly into its net only to be trapped and taken away by the spider as it hurries down the silky strands to capture its prey then whisk it away to the middle of its web. This spider is getting bigger and fatter on a daily basis, which is fine, as long as it stays outside!

Bubbles watches, intrigued, from the settee as another spider seems to dangle unattached in midair right outside the lounge window; bobbing in the breeze. It is actually attached on a thin web which it has spun from the fence to the washing line then across to the window frame. I feel if I were to venture outside the back door I may become entangled in this rather elaborate structure; an experience I do not wish to have!

August 2013 Sporty Cat

Bubbles never fails to surprise me! From suddenly turning into a "licky" cat on my return from being away, to leaping out at me (making me jump EVERY TIME) as I innocently walk past the bed / doorway / landing bannister / out of the bathroom (choose one or all of the locations!) She now has a new, exciting sporting hobby.... playing catch with a tennis sized, squishy, rubber ball.

I discovered this when trying to tempt her back into the house one afternoon when she was busy in the garden. I just gently threw the ball past her, thinking she might chase it towards the house.... When she flattened herself, ears pinned down, bottom wiggling - in full pouncing mode!

Bubbles raced after the ball, shot her front paw out to stop it, turned it round with a quick swipe of a deftly practised paw then turned to face me, eyes big and expectant, waiting for me to throw it again!

I laughed, picked up the ball and threw it; a bit higher this time. Bubbles watched carefully then leapt in the air at just the right moment to give it a whack to send it flying forwards. She then chased it, expertly turned it around and lay waiting for me to play again!

This wonderful game went on again and again!

I really think pets are like people in the way you get to know them so well; their likes, dislikes, little quirks and unique personalities, yet they each have their own individual hidden talents, which they keep on surprising you with, so you learn new things about them and get to know them just that little bit more each and every day

July 2013 Our Welsh Holiday

When we booked our summer holiday to Criccieth, North Wales,back in the depths of winter, we did not for one minute imagine we would have such stunningly hot weather!

We enjoyed an amazing week; doing things like swimming in the sea everyday....

We were able to eat tasty Cadwallader's icecream (without shivering in rainsoaked cagools)....

We enjoyed delicious evening barbecues; eating outside in the pretty, cottage orchard....

 Bubbles also enjoyed her holiday; keeping watch for ships sailing far out at sea....

Being on butterfly patrol....

Sunbathing on the warm, cottage windowsill....

Cooling down up on top of the (not so comfortable) wardrobe....

Checking out her cool cat reflection in the mirror, when she thought no one was looking....

Then relaxing on the rocking chair after a hard day's holidaying....

30/6/13 Anglesey

"WOW!" We could almost imagine Bubbles' exclamation as she looked out of the window to see the sea for the very first time....

....Arriving in darkness the night before, we had bundled Bubbles quickly out of her large travelling cage, straight into the holiday flat we would be staying in overlooking the pretty little beach and harbour. The next morning, I awoke bright and early, flung open the curtains to reveal a magnificent, breath stopping view. Bubbles clambered eagerly up onto the windowsill to survey her new surroundings and as she saw the sea she. just. stopped. Stopped and stared.

Suddenly, a swooping seagull caught her eye, as it circled with the air currrents right outside our bedroom window. Bubbles' head moved this way and that; her eyes gleaming like huge, yellow moons in the early morning light; following the erratic, yet graceful movements of the gull.

Eventually, after watching the sea for some time she jumped down from the windowsill, stretched, yawned, then with an enormous, lightfooted leap she launched herself onto the bedroom cupboard, landed neatly next to a container of her favourite treats and looked at me; head cocked expectantly to one side!

23/6/13 Garden Helper

The good weather has continued to appear, on and off, so on the on days Bubbles and I have been making the most of the garden and sunshine! A bit of mowing and tree pruning have been required; as well as the never ending task of pulling up dandelion weeds. (Where DO they all come from?) It's as if we clear the garden, go to bed, then during the night the Danelion Aliens land on planet Earth with their evil plans to conqueor the world!



Bubbles just ignores the dandelions as they sway and swirl their vivid yellow, sunshine petals. Instead she hunts out mini spiders from the webs spun between the pot plants or toys with a spindly leg as it pokes out from a crevice in the garden wall.

She also loves jumping up to try to catch the pretty, white butterflies that frequent our garden; rising up like delicate helicopters from the lush cushion of the garden grass, with Bubbles leaping up like a ballerina, straight into the air, her paws clasping at the nimble creatures that always make their fluttery escape high into the air to be carried safely away on the summer breeze.

                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                       
  

16/6/13 The Secret Life of Cats

 

Did anyone see "The Secret Life of Cats"? A Horizon special, shown on BBC 2 last Thursday?

We watched it (Bubbles hid upstairs.... too nervous to watch, just incase any important cat secrets were revealed!)

We thought it was fascinating to see the way cats seem to "time share" their territories in built up urban areas where housing is dense and cats are living in fairly cramped conditions with multicat households and neighbours cats all tending to need to share the same area.

I was also intrigued to notice the unusual prey some of the cats brought back to their owners as "presents" after a night's hunting.

I wonder if any reader's cats have any unusual night time behavioural habits? If so, please get in touch to share as we would love to hear about them!

9/6/13 Friends in the Garden

 

Bubbles has been having an exciting few days, as she has been having a regular visitor to the garden; in the shape of an enormous, long haired brown tortoiseshell scruff ball of a cat!

He / She actually looks very sweet but I am not sure what would happen if Bubbles & the visiting feline actually met face to face.

So far, they have stared at once another through the window. Bubbles, from her high perch in the upstairs bedroom window.... The imposter, from his rather wobbly vantage point atop a tall fence post.

2/6/13 Daydreams

The weather has turned again!

We knew it was too good to last in the UK’s dodgy summer climes. This last week has been full of cold weather, torrential downpours & has, all in all, thoroughly disgraced itself in the notion that it is now supposedly the British summer!

I think we need to emigrate to a more tropical destination. I wonder how Bubbles would feel about relocating to a beach island paradise; the Caribbean should do nicely I think!

I'm not sure she would be too keen on flying but once there I think she would enjoy relaxing in the shade of palm trees whilst I sipped Caribbean cocktails on the beach, then she could paddle at  the water’s edge, lazily flicking at the clear, warm sea with her paws, while I enjoy a luxuriously long swim in water as warm as a bath. Hmmmmmmmmmm paradise!