It's OK to be naughty

In the morning I wait for mum to finish her cereal and then I get to polish off the milk and I really like that. But this morning I was ready for my milk and she was still eating. I tried dipping a paw in a few times but she pushed my paw away so I grabbed her hand.

She wasn't happy and put me on the floor and told me that I was being a naughty cat and naughty cats don't get visits from Sandy Claws.

But I think she's wrong because she has bought all her presents now so I reckon he will have too. He and the elves will be busy packing them into sacks for the big delivery day so he won't know if I've been bad. Tee hee! I can be as bad as I like!!

Then Mum said that she will give all my presents to Josie but lucky for me Josie is very good at sharing her things. Actually it's me that is very good at sharing Josie's food and toys iwth her but that amounts to the same thing.

Mum says we will have a serious talk about New Year's Resolutions next week...

Josie can be sneaky

Last night mum and I were sound asleep. I was nestled on the pillow next to mum, all safe and cosy. Then we were woken by a snitcherty, bripp, bripp. What was that?

Mum and I both went to vestigate - and there was Josie practising her climbing skills and having what looked like a thoroughly fun time. Naturally I joined in so mum said she was off to back to bed.

A while later I realised that I was gambolling about on my own. I trotted off back to bed but found that sneaky Josie - curled up, all safe and cosy on the pillow next to my mum. She tried to act cool and pretend that the whole thing hadn't been a devious trick to get the best sleeping place but her delighted purr gave her away.

I was a good boy and nestled myself up by mum's legs which isn't quite as good but mum could still reach down and give me a headrub so it was OK.

In other news I was very brave and joined Josie on the table by the tree. As you can see in the picture it could easily have reached down and grabbed me but luckily it didn't. I haven't been any closer than that mind you.

And I was a Diary Pick again which made me feel like a very extra special boy.

I can help make tea

In the morning my mum has a cup of tea and a bowl of cereal. While she eats her cereal the teabag sits in her mug making her tea brown and when she's finished her cereal she fishes it out and drinks the tea.

I've watched her do this enough times to know how it all works and, as you know, I like to be a helpful boy so I decided to get the teabag out of the mug for her.

"Don't do that Toby", she said, "You'll scald your paw. It's very hot."

She did not lie. I could feel that on my pads but of course us cats have many wonderful features. I popped out my claws and they turned out to be the perfect teabag grabbing devices. Teabag scooped out and neatly dropped on the carpet, paw unharmed. You are very welcome!

Now it is true that I've never seen mum drop the teabag on the floor but I do know they go in the compost so in time they just break down and disappear so I don't know what all the fuss was about. She should show more respect fot a cat honoured by the Catster Cats and specially chosen to be a Pick of the Day as I was. I am very proud!!

My Shiny Toy

Yesterday evening mum and Josie were very booorrriiinnngg!! I wanted to play but Josie wanted to sleep, all tucked in a neat circle and toasty warm and mum told me to leave her be and mum was writing Christmas cards which is no fun if you aren't allowed to chase the pen and I wasn't.

So I went out in search of my own entertainment. First I brought in a big fat wiggly worm but my mum threw that out and then I found my shiny toy. The sparkle caught my eye and I pounced and brought it indoors to play with.

Mum says it's just a piece of litter that has blown in the garden but it's my shiny toy and I love it. I have been allowed to keep it anyway. I pounce on it and carry it around in my mouth and imagine it attacking mum and Josie and me saving them. It's a brilliant toy.

Mum said what about all the lovely things in my toy box lovingly chosen and paid for but my shiny toy is my favourite.

Suspicious of the tree

It is true after all. My mum did bring a tree indoors. I am not sure about it at all. I watched very carefully as she brought it in and spread out the branches and hung lights and sparkly stringy stuff and shiny baubles and little wooden toys but I wasn't going anywhere near it.

Mum told us to stand by it so she could take a lovely festive picture but I wasn't going to take any chances.

There are presents underneath it and Josie has had a rootle through to see if there are any for us. She can't read the labels very well but she is very good at sniffing out catnip, treats and anything that smells like it came from the petshop. She reckons there is nothing there for us....yet.

On Sunday mum had lunch with friends and met the Mockturtle. When she asked why the name she was told that they couldn't call him the Turtle because he isn't one. No - he is a very large and friendly black cat.

My mum's friend had spotted him sneaking in to take her cats' food so she started leaving some outdoors for him - and gradually moved the bowl closer and closer to the house until he moved in. As he has such an amiable nature and the move was gradual her cats are happy with their new companion.

On Friday he's off to the vets for a thorough check over and to see if he has a chip just in case. (The shelters haven't had any reports of a boy like him missing and she hasn't seen any pictures out looking for him.)

This is the friend mum had been talking to on the phone who also has been looking aftre the stray called Princess but she hasn't been able to persuade Princess to move in but she knows where to come for food and shelter when she needs it.

Mum reckons I might get more brave with the tree when I get used to it. I shall report back - and let you know how the Mockturtle gets on at the vet.

My very first ever snow fall

It has been wet and windy here but yesterday mum said something that excited me very much. The weather people said that it might snow a little. My very first snow!!

I was very excited and kept going outside to wait for it so I wouldn't miss that first flake. Only it was rather cold and it wasn't happening so I kept coming in again.

And then I saw it - lighter than I had expected, white clouds drifting down on me leaving a powdery softness on the ground beside me. It was beautiful.

Then mum broke in and told me that wasn't snow. When it snows it will be outdoors we were indoors and what that was was her dusting icing sugar over the Christmas Pudding Mini Muffins that she had baked for her dance class. She shook the sieve a little hard and down it came on me.

So I still haven't seen snow; I've had a close encounter with icing sugar.

But maybe today....

Still being different

Mum loved reading all about how my friends say they love their mums. She kept saying, "Ahh. that's so sweet!" We are all different and mum says that is why people love us so much.

Yesterday Josie was thirsty but she couldn't find any water that she liked. She likes it as freshly poured as can be. Ideally she likes the tap turned on for her so she can drink it like that but mum saw her jump in the sink but was on her way to eat her supper so no water for Josie.

So Josie tried our water bowl but the water there had been there since the morning so she didn't like that.

Wait a minute! What was that by mum's side? One glass of freshly poured water for mum to drink. Perfect for Josie.

So she got her drink. Now me - when it comes fresh from the tap I can taste the chemicals they use to clean it and I don't like that. Give me water that's been standing a while. When I was tiny and Josie and I had seperate everything I used to have her water the next day and that suited me fine.

I think that Josie is a very peculier cat!!

How do you say "I Love You"?

Last night we had a wonderful cosy evening in, lots of playtime and then we settled on the sofa. I had the arm so Josie went up by mum's head on the back. From there she taps mum with a paw when she wants a headrub. Or if she is feeling too tired to do that she thinks about how annoying it is that mum isn't rubbing her head, her tail picks up on that and flicks, mum gets batted by the tail and knows to rub Josie's head.

Anyway that happened a few times yesterday and then once Josie was purring away and when mum reached up Josie gave mum's hand a little lick.

Mum said, "And I love you too."

That is weird!! I lick Josie occasionally but she's a cat so that's different. No. What I do is a nose to nose kiss like the eskimos. I rub my nose against my mum's and then she kisses the top of my head.

I asked mum what is the right way to tell her that we love her and she said that whatever we like to do is what makes her happy.

I wonder what my Catster friends do?

I was grumpy boy

In the morning mum and I have a routine. I sit by her and tell her what to put in my diary and she types it on and then she puts the puter away and it's cuddle time.

I cannot think of a more beautiful sensation than lying in my mum's arms, drifting off to sleep having my face gently stroked. So I do not like to be put back on the sofa before I am ready. And yesterday that is what happened.

So I bit my mum. Not hard, just a warning. She was cross and told me so and I attacked her hand again. So she put me down and put her hands in her pockets so I couldn't reach them and said, "Now what are you going to do?"

I'll admit for a moment I was stumped but then I remembered - Josie doesn't have pockets so I attacked her instead. Mum pulled me off but it was her fault. I could have been happily asleep and leaving Josie be.

Mum told me that she thinks I might be too tired after my exciting weekend and told me to get plenty of sleep, think about my attitude and be a nicer cat when I got home.

You would think I was the bad guy in this situation. I just wanted to sleep!!

Anyway we are all friends again now! Mum and I had a cuddle in the evening so I think she has repented of her ways.

Getting Christmassy

On Saturday morning mum was busy so Josie suggested we write our letters to Sandy Claws. I was very excited as I never did do that before. She said that we have to say what good cats we have been - if that's true she added with a dark look at me.

I don't know what she means. I am a complete sweetie pie.

So I wrote how lovely I am and then thought about what I want. I would like some boxes to play in, some crinkly paper, some string to chase and more of my mum's attention.

Josie wasn't sure you can put attention on the list but I like it so on it went.

Well - that Sandy Claws works quickly. Mum was in the sitting room packing up parcels for posting. She had lots of boxes, was wrapping some in crinkly paper and all of them got tied up with string. When I helped I definitely had her attention.

That was my favourite morning in ages. Josie got in the mood too and we had good chasey games.

So that proves what a good boy I am to get my presents so fast.

We also have a thing which is called an Advent Candle and every day my mum burns a bit more of it. She walked around the flat for a while when it came wondering where she could put it that was safe from us cats.

Nowhere!! We go everywhere. So it goes on the mantlepiece and she burns it when we are sleepy and watches us and it until it is time to blow it out. Only one mad dash for it so far when I suddenly woke up and needed to pounce on Josie and she needed to jump up there so mum had to get to the candle first.

So far I am really loving Christmas and it hasn't even happened yet!

And then I was a Diary Pick - like my day could get any better!!