They like it (quite a lot!)

It’s official – the girls like their new scratch pole combo (see previous post).

Sinterklaas

The 5th December is when traditionally Sinterklaas leaves presents for the children – a typically Dutch tradition.  We like to take part (in our own sweet way!!) and exchange small (sometimes silly) gifts, put up the Christmas decorations and have a nice meal - all in all, a family day.
We decided to give the girls their Christmas present (early, you might say), as it was the 5th (and I was fed up of keep moving it out the way)

Here they are with their new scratch post(s), which, as you can see is more like a piece of furniture.
Poppy, is a bit of a show-off, when the mood takes her and she decided to “perform” for us.  I attempted to video her in action – not the best video but a bit of fun anyway.  Even Mango got in on the act!

So comfortable

A hard day at the office

Bigger than the turkey!

Every so often we weigh the girls for no other reason than for checking who has been eating all the food!
When they first moved in Poppy weighed in at 3.6 kg and Mango 3.1 kg.  Poppy’s weight has been a bit variable, initially going up to almost 4 kg then dropping back to 3.2 kg during the summer.  Mango’s weight has remained constant at 3.1 kg.
Last weekend we decided to do a weigh in for the winter – we could not believe our eyes when the scales read 4.3 kg for Poppy and even more surprising 4.3 kg for Mango.
The turkey for Christmas dinner weighs a mere 4.2 kg!!
Guess they must be happy cats (they haven’t finished growing yet!) and more to the point, they are both getting their fair share of the food.

On guard

 
paul said...
Lucky does not have the staying power to watch a whole program but does enjoy Winter Watch BBC2 and a bit of Match of the Day.

7 November 2010 19:26

TV addicts

You really wouldn’t believe it but my cats are avid TV watchers.  More to the point, they don’t just watch any old telly, they are great fans of  . . . . (wait for it) . . . . Animal 24:7 (BBC1 after breakfast news).

It is an amazing sight to see.  Poppy & Mango can be fast asleep or having a quick bite to eat and as soon as they hear the opening music they magically appear – Poppy to sit on the coffee table (prime viewing spot) and Mango to sit on the floor.  There they stay until the programme has finished.  I have even seen Poppy, asleep in the armchair, wake up and turn around when the programme begins.

Weird huh?

So helpful, no – so curious!

My girls are simply too nosy for their own good.  Shopping bags have an irresistible attraction.
 
So helpful!
   

 
Oh look!  We’ve bought a cat!
 
 










paul said...

So it's not only our Lucky that finds the inside of shopping bags a adventure play ground, must try and get some of her doing her thing.

11 October 2010 20:47

Anonymous said...

 

Hi Lesley, super pictures of poppy and mango, no wonder you can waste so much time with them and a lovely one of my Ziggy, who spends the whole day sleeping on my bed, dont cats like their comfort? dont like the snow though, I have to assist him outdoors, lazy bugger

9 December 2010 13:06

Anti-gravity cat

This week saw the girls having their first trip to the vet as they needed another vaccination.
In the morning I took the prudent course of action and clipped their claws.  I got their travel boxes ready, complete with “cat-nipped” towels.  When the time came to put them in their boxes, I was pleasantly surprised – Poppy simply strolled into the smaller box, enabling me to put Mango in the other, bigger box.  Knowing that Mango can be a bit panicky with new people, I had the “smart” idea of putting her harness on before putting her in her box.
The journey to the vets was interesting – a five minute car ride made infinitely longer by Mango “singing” and Poppy jabbing her paws through the grid on the front of her box!
I decided that Poppy would be seen first.  Being the more controllable of the two, I thought (in my infinite wisdom) that it would be quicker.  Once again, I was proved wrong.  Imagine the scenario – open the door of the travel box, Poppy hunched at the back.  OK, I put my hand in to get her out but she made herself heavy & awkward – no shifting her by that method.  So I tipped the box almost on its end and to my utter amazement, no cat appeared!  My anti-gravity cat had wedged herself in the box, paws jammed into the sides as hard as she could.  There was only one way to get her out – dismantle the blasted box!!  She was duly checked by the vet and then the final affront for Poppy – he stuck the vaccination medicine up her nose!  Despite having clipped her claws, she still managed to shred my arm.  At that point I pushed her rather unceremoniously back in her box.
Now it was Mango’s turn – aware that my arm was hurting, and in no mood for another battle of wills, I opened her box, ready to pull her out if necessary.  To my complete amazement she strolled out of the box, submitted to the vet’s inspection and simply sneezed when the medicine was put up her nose!  She happily went back in her box.  Not a panic attack in sight.  These cats of mine never cease to amaze me – they are cats of contradiction!

Poppy is only just beginning to acknowledge my presence again – she has ignored me for three days, punishment for taking her to the vet I presume.   Oh well, she has 6 months to forget about it before the annual jabs are due.

Paul said... 

 

OH dear! poor Lesley do hope your arm is not to lacerated. Lucky never see the same vet but is normally very good forher yearly jab, I was going to say "takes it like a man" ..lol but of course she's a lady

27 September 2010 21:52 

 

Together

Spoilt young ladies

It seems as though every time we go out we come back with something for the girls.  It might simply be a packet of treats that we think they would like or it might be a toy.  The other evening we went to IKEA and I thought I would be safe and not bring something back for the girls.  WRONG!  DH spotted some toy mice and the girls just had to have one (each) didn’t they?

Copy cat

As you know, Mango likes nothing better than to fall asleep in DS’ ‘pooter bag (see here).

Well, my cats like to copy each other (see previous post) and so it comes as no surprise that Poppy likes to sleep in the ‘pooter bag!

 

So cute eh?

Why?

Before we got the girls I did a lot of research into having two cats.  I read everything I could; asked everybody’s advice and of course scoured the Internet.  The answers were nearly always the same:

1.  It can be problematic having two cats that aren’t from the same litter and it can still be a problem if they are, as cats are solitary creatures.

2.  They need their own beds, feeding bowls, litter boxes and toys.

3.  Expect minor & major fights until the hierarchy is established.  At best they will be friends; at worst they will stay enemies and the middle ground is that they will simply tolerate (ignore) each other.

Well, NOBODY TOLD MY CATS ALL THIS!!!

We’ve had the fights, too true.  But they both do the complete opposite to what we expected:

1.  They are friends – they play together.  Not the action of “solitary” creatures.  They enjoy playing football together, passing the ball back and forth, scooting it under the furniture.

2. They sleep together – in each other’s beds or even in the same one!  They eat together, from the same bowl or each other’s.  They both use both litter boxes – it is not unusual to see both cats in 1 box at the same time.

3.  Yes, they do fight – PLAY fight.  No claws, no hissing just “boxing”!  They play “follow my leader” – if one gets on the table/chair/desk, the other is not far behind.  When it’s treat time, both are sitting on my lap waiting for said treats.

Simply put – my cats are NOT NORMAL, but boy, do I love them.

Simply purrfect!

Our friends gave us this beautiful handmade plaque.   They saw it whilst they were on holiday and thought of us.

It has pride of place on our (newly refurbished) fire place and looks fantastic.

Alternative beds!

During a recent clear out, I found a shoe rack and decided to bring it downstairs to use in the hall (in the vain hope that my two boys might use it to put their shoes on!!).

However, my girls found another use for it – bunk beds for cats!!

They were most put out when I put shoes on it!!

The outside world . . . what fun

How she’s grown . . . . . . .

Back in April I took some pictures of Poppy (see here), playing in the tunnel and these are some I took last week . . . hasn’t she grown?

The big difference now, is that the girls will play together in the tunnel.

Hot bedding!!!

I found an old bed of Winnie’s that I had washed and put away and I decided to get it out for Mango.  (see picture here).  We initially bought new beds for the girls, before they arrived but they soon outgrew these. Poppy has been using an old bed of Winnie’s for quite a while now so I thought that Mango having the other bed wouldn’t be a problem.

I put the “new” bed out for Mango and put clean blankets in both beds.  I then had the bright idea of spraying the blankets with their favourite smells – catnip for Mango and catty home (valerian) for Poppy, giving them a sporting chance of finding their own beds.  How wrong could I have been.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here they are – completely the wrong way round!

What a look!

Some days the girls are easy to photograph and others they just won’t co-operate and then there are the days when you get that one off special photo.

I was lucky (this time) and managed to capture them both – what faces eh?

Too hot!

It has been too hot for the girls and they have taken to laying in the strangest places to keep cool!

Mango finds the kitchen floor the coolest spot during the day and lays in the hall in the evening.

Mango loves to lay at full stretch. 

Have you ever seen anything like it?

 

and so it continues

Life with the girls is pretty good.  We still find the change in them amazing.  We enjoy watching them play together and eating together.  You call Mango, you get Poppy and Mango.  If Mango wants Poppy to play she will walk up to Poppy and bump into her (deliberately) and play begins.

Nice Life

Harmony continues to reign and our fur covered monsters have turned into lovely ladies!

Mango loves to fall asleep in DS’ ‘pooter bag . . . . . . . . .  and Poppy adores a cardboard box, so much so that we are thinking of renaming her “Shredder”!

Sisters . . . . .well almost

How things have changed in just one week.  The girls now play together, sit together, eat together and occasionally sleep in the same bed. They even wash each other.  How wonderful!   It is so much nicer around here now – no more fights; no more Mango “in hiding”; no more yelling at Poppy for eating Mango’s food.  The patient, loving care has finally paid off (and long may it continue!)

See, we can be friends

Tuesday was a very strange day.  After 12 weeks with us the girls finally sat together!

The dynamics between the girls have slowly been changing for a while now.

Not only did they sit together but Poppy gave Mango a wash as well!

 

Thinking it had all been a bit of a fluke, I decided to try and give them their cat treats at the same time . . . . . .

 

. . . . . amazing eh?