24/3/13 Readers' Cats' Antics: Amber The Urgent Tunneler

This week, I thought I would do something slightly different on "My Diary of a Cat Owner." I decided to make this week's post all about the antics of our readers' cats!

Bubbles was very intrigued when nosing over my shoulder to read about the kind of mischief other moggies get up to, although I'm not sure she really needs any encouragement or naughty new ideas to try out....

Only last night she "hid" from me in the lounge at bedtime, to be discovered lurking shiftily behind the closed curtains. On trying to re - open the curtains to retrieve the reluctant pussy cat this turned into a (rather violent) game with me on the receiving end as usual! It resulted in a small claw hole in the curtain fabric and a rather painful slash to the finger (mine!)

One of our reader's sent in this lovely picture of her six year old cat, Amber:

Amber is certainly a resourceful, determined cat as we can see from her owner, Veronica's, most amusing anecdote:

"One morning I was having my shower with the bathroom door locked. Amber obviously decided that she needed to see me immediately. She tried to tunnel under the bathroom door and, in so doing, pulled the landing carpet up. I could hear all these strange noises while I was showering and knew she was up to something. However I chose to ignore her.  

Well,when I came to open the bathroom door it jammed fast against the torn up carpet. I had to push and shove so hard to get out of the bathroom that I almost needed to have another shower afterwards. It took about 10 minutes and a big heave-ho to get free. I really thought I wouldn't make it to work. Imagine having to tell your boss that you couldn't get in 'cos the cat locked you in the bathroom!"

Apparently Amber was so put out when her urgency to see her owner was ignored, that when Veronica finally managed to free herself from the bathroom the mischievous moggy was nowhere to be seen!

Thank you very much to Veronica and Amber for entertaining us this week with their funny story and lovely picture of Amber the cat.

If any more readers would like their fabulous feline mentioned in next week's blog entry, please email me at millipede@talk21.com with details and pictures!

17/3/13 Spring Into Spring

I wonder who had spotted my (not so) deliberate mistake which I have since corrected from my previous post. I had dated it as 10/3/12, erm that was like.... LAST year! Mistake humbly corrected, I feel I can now show my face again in the blogging world by adding this week's update!

This week has been particularly cold, with flurries of snow throughout the United Kingdom. We were personally lucky to not have been adversely affected by the extreme weather.

With only a fortnight now until Easter Sunday my thoughts have turned to Spring.... Spring Daffodils, Spring Lambs and the idea of (hopefully) some slightly warmer weather!

Today, whilst my other half was unpacking the grocery shopping with bags strewn all across the hall floor, Bubbles was acting rather like a Spring Lamb; leaping and bounding all around, right over the tops of the shopping bags! She reminds me of a tiny black horse when she is in one of her crazy leaping moods; running then jumping over objects with her tail all bushy like a little pony!

This made me think.... I wonder whether a specific "Cat Gymkhana" has ever been invented? I had a look on the internet to see whether I could find anything. I came up with this rather reluctant kitty having a try:

I think, if I were to set up a cat obstacle course for Bubbles, she would be a bit more energetic and enthusiastic about it! I have never tried it as I think Bubbles prefers inventing her own jumping games.

Have any readers cats shown an aptitude for athletics? If so.... please feel free to leave a comment to share your cat's sporting talents with us all!

10/3/13 Mischief Making

 

This sounds a bit like one of the spells from the "Harry Potter" book series, however, is actually referring to a small, mischievous black cat called Bubbles!

I had already guessed that once the lounge decorating had taken place, with all the loose, frayed pieces of wallpaper having suddenly vanished from the grasp of tiny, furry paws; Bubbles would be soon seeking other forms of mischief.... I was not wrong!

Suddenly the subwoofer speaker, which has always innocently existed within the lounge, has come under attack! With military precision, Bubbles skips up to it, looks jauntily over her shoulder to make sure we ARE watching, then cheekily stretches out in a rather lazy manner as if quite innocent until.... SNAG! Her claws grip the protective black felt and naughtily try to pluck a tuft out. She then gives us another looong look over her shoulder - waiting for a reaction.

When my other half notices what she is doing he claps his hands together to make a sharp noise. This is partially a planned reaction which is supposed to deter destructive behaviour. He also says her name firmly in a loud voice, which is another behavioural strategy, yet through the panic of his precious speaker being snagged his voice tends to come out in more of a panic stricken shriek.... further exciting the naughty moggy who then bounds crazily around the lounge floor in the style of Pepe Le Pew.

We have now removed the subwoofer speaker out of reach as we do not want to keep on rewarding any negative behaviours with attention! (We would also rather like the subwoofer to remain intact!)

Bubbles did have a little sulk at no longer being able to reach the lovely, textured fabric, however, has now reverted to her less destructive habits of having "mad half hours", playing interactive "fetch" games with us and one of her favourites.... "killing" her toy mice!

3/3/13 War of The Worlds

We have been experiencing the most bizarre and unnerving noise in our household....

It all started when the next door neighbour went away for the weekend and we were left with the most terribly loud droning noise coming through the wall. It sounded like the other worldly machines from the film "War of the Worlds". This was a most unpleasant experience as it lasted constantly for about two days (and I'm talking both night and day!)

Sleep was an impossible luxury for any normal hearing human, however, Bubbles the cat slept soundly without a care in the world whilst I flung myself around the bed, wild haired and slightly delirious from sleep deprivation - with a pillow rammed over my head and ears.

When the neighbour eventually returned we pounced on him immediately; demanding to know what on earth (or other world) had been occurring!

Turned out the neighbour had left a tap running which led to these most hideous noises as the water pipes creaked, moaned and groaned!