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.