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!!

Goal!!

Mum was late going to her dance class last night. We were all so cosy on the sofa. Mum was lying down with Josie contentedly asleep on her legs and I was in a neat ball at the end of the sofa and we could hear the rain and mum said we were extremely hard to leave.

Turns out she shouldn't have put herself through that. The front door at the hall where she goes had been locked and she couldn't get anyone's attention to get in so she came home. Their loss; our gain!

Josie had gone to her bed so I had mum's undivided attention and we played Goal. I sat on the back of the armchair and mum got my toybox and threw mice and balls and the other odd things that live in the box. Her job was to get the toys behind the chair. My job was to bat them back as they flew - or retreive them if they went behind the chair. I can retreive mice as I can carry them, balls are a bit more tricky, nothing for the teeth to grip into.

This was such fun that when all the toys had been thrown - and the score stood at mum four mice, three balls and two unidentifiable objects, Toby six mice, one ball, one odd springy thing, three scrumpled bits of paper and one leather tag - mum fetched them all and put them back in the box and we played it all over again.

That was a happy evening and no mistake. I want to play that game every day. Mum says we'll be having move evenings in as soon everything stops for Christmas and in my view it's already too cold and damp for outdoor games so I'm looking forward to lots more games evenings.

Mum being home

There is nowhere quite as cosy to sleep as cuddled up with my mum. I like to have her arm around me and rest my head against hers so she can really feel my purr. She said she had missed me more than I would believe but I would believe a lot because I had missed her too.

She said she has been on a training course but we can't see that she has learned anything. She can't open sachets any quicker, she doesn't have a new headrub technique for us and she hasn't learnt how to invent new kitty games.

Apparently she did find a friendly cat in the hotel grounds that looked like me only long haired. She does seem to find cats wherever she goes. We aren't sure if she has a good Catdar and spots them or if they have a good Friendly Persondar and spot her for she will always stop for a stroke and a chat when she sees a cat that would like one.

The good news is that the big bag has gone away and mum reckons that she isn't going to go away again any time soon. The bad news is that she is back at work as of today. We did enjoy her holiday.

Some sad news

My mum came home tonight and we were happy to see her again but she had some sad news for us.

We had seen that Dylan from next door was getting more and more frail when he came round. And he came round less and less often. Last week he went to the Bridge and that is sad.
We will miss him even though he ate our food.

He was 19 years old and had a very happy and loved life.

Princess cats

My mum was talking to a friend on the phone last night. I think all my mum's friends like/live with cats. I wonder if when she meets people she says, "Hallo. How do you do? What do you think to cats?" and if they don't express immediate appreciation of us then she just moves on.

She reckons that she doesn't set out to be friends with animal lovers but just finds that generally they are the nicest people - they understand love and loyalty and don't mind picking up the odd bit of cat hair when they visit.

Anyway she was talking to her friend Rebecca. Rebecca already has two cats which came from the shelter but was telling my mum that she is sort of acquiring two more as a couple of stray cats in her area have sort of moved in as well.

There is a lady cat and Rebecca calls her Princess. I thought that was funny as mum calls Josie Princess sometimes and some of my lady Catster friends get called Princess too. Mum says that this is because they are so beautiful and graceful.

Mum calls me Trouble but I hope that's just an affectionate joke!

The other stray moving in with Rebecca is being called Mockturtle but mum never did find out why that was. It is good to hear of two more cats who will be warm and well fed this winter.

My mum says she is having to go away again for work next week so she won't be able to write my diary. I'll have to try and remember everything for when she gets back!

Sharing is sometimes OK

It began last night. It was really raining outside and Josie was all contentedly toasting in front of the radiator - so I wanted to have her place. I walked up, ready to pounce but my mum said "Toby, no!" in a voice that sounded like she meant it.

So if I couldn't have Josie's place whose could I have? When mum got up to go in the kitchen I was quick to move.

Mum came back in and said, "Toby - I was sitting there" and now she wasn't, I was. How fickle a friend is fate! It was warm where she had been and smelled of her so all comfy and love so I was happy and she sat at the other end of the sofa.

Later Josie moved all by herself so I got her place by the radiator. Mum took hers back and Josie sat on the arm of the sofa next to her. Mum was stroking Josie and telling her what a beautiful cat she was and I was jealous so I jumped up on the arm too. And we were sharing, two cats contentedly sitting together and we were good and I didn't bite Josie and it was lovely and mum asked why we can't always share.

I mean to but my excitable paws get in the way sometimes.

Josie sticky paws

Yesterday dawned bright and sunny and mum said that she would paint seal on the window sills to make them waterproof for winter.

This sounded like a job that I could help with but mum told me to stay well away. Unfortunately she forgot to tell Josie. She was painting the ledge by the back door and Josie walked out - right on the wet seal. Mum called out "No!" and Josie thought she meant for Josie not to go outside so she ran in again, over the wet stuff.

So mum had to wash Josie's paws. Now Josie is quite particular about how her paws get washed and she doesn't like water on them and she said she could perfectly well wash the stuff off herself but mum said that she didn't think that wood seal is any good for cats' tummies and wouldn't let her.

Anyway mum got most of it off and Josie is in good health and spirits so we are fine.

And it's good that mum did it yesterday as it is raining today. We wished for it to as mum had planned to go for a walk today but she won't go in the rain so another day of cuddles awaits me!

Being winter

I wanted to go out yesterday evening - and it is getting dark quite early now - and mum opened our special door and - WOWZER! - cold blast of wind right in my face. I lingered a while. I really did want to go out but I didn't want to be cold.

Staying warm won. I went back in and found Josie looking very contented, curled up toasting herself in front of the radiator. So of course I had to move her and go there myself. Mum was cross with me and I heard her tell Josie that she should stand up for herself. She is the bigger cat but I am the most important so Josie had to move.

Mum says we are both important and just as important as ecah other but I'm sure she's only saying that to make Josie feel better!

Josie doens't like cold even more than I don't like cold so we played indoors later. Mum got the laser pointer out but I also chased an orange stick and a piece of cardboard and my favourite feather. Who needs outdoors when indoors has so much entertainment going on?