Best insects ever

Josie told me this would happen and it did. Last night I saw my first ever daddy long legs. Wow! All those legs and the way they bob about. And mum says they are safe to catch and as she isn't that keen on them herself she would be glad if we did.

Well, we certainly did try but they cheat! They fly too high and we couldn't reach them. I told them off at some length about it, calling them to come away from the ceiling and fight like proper insects but they just kept wibbling about in that enticing manner. Then mum turned the ceiling light off and they came a bit lower.

I didn't manage to catch one but Josie and I had good fun trying. Apparently they'll be around for another week or so before disappearing from whence they came so I bet I can catch one. I bet I can catch one before Josie does!

My favourite type of weekend

One where mum is home a lot and doing quiet things and playing with me and Josie and when it is sunny so the big door at the back is open so we can run in and out just as we like knowing that our mum is just a yowl away if we need her.

That was my weekend.

The only downside was that Dylan also wanders freely. He had the nerve to complain to our mum that our bowls were empty. Too right they were - fishy Felix is our favourite!

When mum put the picture of me being very small on my page I realised she has never put my story of where I came from on my page and she must do that.

I come from a military family which accounts for my extremely high levels of courage and self discipline (Mum seems to have deevloped a bad cough there!) They suddenly had to go to Belguim. My cat mum was going with them but I was too young to have my vaccinations. No shots, no passport, no international travel! So they needed a home for me and sent my picture all around and my human mum saw it and the rest was inevitable.

She came and fetched me and so met my cat mum and she says that is where I get my black fur from. I didn't like the drive as I don't like to be confined but once I got here I settled in fast. I could get a passport now of course but I think I'll stay put. I'm still getting mum and Josie how I like them and I hate to leave a job half done!

Pictures and how I came to be here

Last night my mum had finally worked out how to download the very first picture of me that she ever did see. She was at work and an e-mail came which said "Warning - Mega Cute" and she opened it up and there I was! And pretty cute I looked too. My mum reckons she pretty much knew at that moment where we would end up. I needed a home and she needed a kitten to mend her broken heart.

There are some heart aches that only a cat can cure and this was one of them. Of course I see Henry about the place. He checks up that I'm looking after our mum alright. We play chase games sometimes and mum laughs at me because she thinks I'm going mad by myself. He told me to sleep with one paw behind my back because he always used to do that and he thought she would know he had shown me.

And he said one very important thing. I can go in the back garden and have all the adventures I like but never never never am I to go near the road at the front. He doesn't think my mum could cope with losing another cat like that. So I have been in the front but not very far. I stick close to home and mostly play indoors anyway. I think Henry gives good advuice.

When my mum was putting that picture on she remembered that she had taken more so you can see me with my legs shaved. The fur is growing back nicely now. And you can see with with a nice shred of wallpaper. And you can see Josie watching over me when I was sleepy. She likes to sleep where she can keep an eye on me, she reckons she sleeps better that way.

Actually seeing that picture of the wallpaper reminds me that there is more to rip. Time to get busy...

Living dangerously -I'm a real wild child

Last night it was really dark and late and I felt the call of my jungle ancestors. I wanted to go out and prowl. Mum said that I could as long as I kept my collar on and wasn't too long.

I had an amazing wild and exciting adventure and I think I was out there at least three whole minutes. That was pretty bold of me I think.

Mum laughed to see me back so soon. I do like living the wild life but a little of it goes a long way. I have everything I need indoors really. On which point is it my fault if mum doesn't check her bed for toy mice before she goes to sleep and rolls on a squeaky one in the night? Of course he squeaked, I would if she rolled on me!

I checked if my Catster friends are right that she has to go to work smelling of fruit to pay for my food and toys and she said the fruit is optional as long as she smells fresh but yes, she has to work to look after us cats. I gave her some special kitty kisses to say thank you.

I have been thinking about clocks

It began this morning. I could see mum's clock flashing and I thought she would want to know so I told her. Repeatedly. She muttered about it not being time and then she looked at it and she said "it IS time to get up, thank you Toby." It wasn't making its noise but luckily for her I was being helpful.

But I thought how odd people are. Why does she need a clock to tell her when she's had enough sleep? Josie and I just know like we know when it's time for a snack or a sleep. We don't need no clock to tell us.

The oddest one is when she says it is time for work. Cats work hard. When mum needs a cuddle, I'm there, when a pesky fly needs chasing off, leave it with me, when a paw smells wrong, I'm on to it. But I never think "Hm. I feel like finding some work to do as the clock tells me it's time". I just do what needs doing and leave the rest. But mum trots off every day in pursuit of work to do. It's all very odd.

Another way cats are superior to people - when we wash we use our own perfectly designed tongues and we smell like ourselves when we are done which is a beautiful smell. My mum washes with tangerine smelling stuff and then she puts on her fig and wild grape lotion and then she has to wear perfume so no-one mistakes her for a fruit salad!

They are peculier and just imagine how things would fall apart if they didn't have us cats to look after them. I have to go and chase Josie now - because she's looking bored, not because the clock said!

Arr me hearties!!

How did we miss Talk Like a Pirate Day? My mum checked and it is International Meow like a Pirate Day so we should have been doing it.

I have been being a thoughtful and kind kitty. When Alison and Glyn were here they were admiring my collar. Mum was telling them that it is reflective so I can be seen in the rark and they said what a lovely collar it is.

They seemed so impressed with it I thought they would like it. It took me a while but off it came. When I told mum she said their cats already have collars and she doesn't think they want to start wearing them so she put it back on me.

So while she was at work yesterday I took it off again.

She put it back on. Battle declared!

She says I must wear it otherwise the magic cat door won't let me back in. You know - I like outdoors when mum opens the big door and I run in and out content in the knowledge that she is home to scare off any bad cats. I don't really like to go out when she isn't around. Josie is the same and we think it's best.

Another thing we think is good is Laura Belle's idea for Toby's Law, no vet visit over two minutes. Not so scary and also we wouldn't have to wait to long in that room where sometimes scary dogs go. The dogs can be in the vets as long as they like of course.

My busy weekend

I didn't know it was going to be so busy and it started calmly enough. Mum let me outside again, just telling me to be careful. Silly mum. I am always careful.

But then just after lunch on Saturday my mum grabbed me and in the basket I went. As you can imagine I wasn't happy to find myself back at the vets. We did get lucky as we didn't meet the mad dog that Josie met. It was all cats sitting quietly in their boxes and very small dogs, content to sit quietly in their people's arms.

When we went in the vet looked at my eyes and my ears and then where I had my operation and he asked my mum how I have been and she said I was back to normal and added that Josie wished I wasn't! I think we were in there for less than two minutes and he said all is good and he hopes not to see me again until annual shots time - and I couldn't agree more.

When we came home mum started shifting furniture about which was odd. She found lots of our toys - and she found my bandage but luckily the vet had said I didn't need it any more. Then she was cooking and then everything became clear. My friends Alison and Glyn came to visit. I haven't seen them in a very long time and they think I am extremely handsome. They could see my shaved legs but their poor cat Minnie has even more shaved parts. She is a long haired girl and has been all matted up and in the end the vet said best just to shave it off. They say she looks like she needs some trousers to wear.

They know some good games and even Josie came out and joined in after a while so we had lots of admiration and attention and that makes for a happy day.

We were all still in a good mood on Sunday. Josie was playing with one of my toy mice and I was running in and out and enjoying the sunshine. Mum joined in with Josie and then I did too and there were not happier cats and mum in the world I think. Then mum settled down on the sofa with her book. Josie settled on her and I snuggled up on the arm of the sofa and one by one we all fell asleep. My mum had been up late the night before but we always make her wake up and give us our breakfast at the same time so I think she was catching up.

I wish all weekends could be so fun and all vet visits so short and satisfactory!

Feeling even betterer

When mum collected me from the vet the lady said that I am not to go outdoors for a few days. She said I could catch my wound on barbed wire. I did wonder what kind of garden she thinks we have if she thinks we have barbed wire but mum says lots of cats go further than their own garden and anyway, we have nature's barbed wire, brambles.

When the vet nurse said this I did not mind as I was quite sleepy and Josie said she didn't mind staying in with me if mum wanted to shut the door. That sounds kind but Josie doesn't exactly go out much anyway!

But yesterday everyone wished I was out. I was definitely feeling all my old bounce and our flat is just a little small for me to run off all my bounce. I'm not complaining; it was fun to try but Josie wasn't so happy as she was my main bounce target.

The other person who wasn't happy was Dylan as mum wouldn't open the door for him so he got no bonus supper. She said he is cheeky to complain but he did sit ouside awhile mewing sadly like he was one of us and entitled to some dinny.

But betterer is how I like to feel and I think I'll be allowed out again soon.

I am fine

Thank you for all your support yesterday.

I sort of hoped that mum might have forgotten as after all she forgot to give us any breakfast but then the basket appeared. We both made a run for it but mum caught me. I heard her put food down for Josie but Josie thought it was a trap and stayed hidden.

Mum and I went to the vet and she left me there. It wasn't too long before they made me sleep and I was a bit fuzzy when I first woke up but I thought I had better look lively so they would let me home.

Mum came and we were very happy to see each other. The nurse told mum that I still wasn't hungry and hadn't eaten anything. I was starving, I just wasn't going to eat the pap they gave me there. They even gave mum some to give me at home but I wouldn't eat it there either. They said I might be sick if I had my normal food but mum let me have some biscuits and I was fine and then some normal food and I was still fine.

I had two important jobs to do when I got home. One was to sniff round everywhere and check it was all the same, two was to get rid of the bandage they put round my leg. I managed to get it off and have hidden it so mum can't put it back on. Both my legs are shaved in a pleasing symmetry.

I was a bit tired yesterday and slept the night very close to my mum. This morning I am completely back to normal and have been chasing Josie which mum was pleased to see even if Josie wasn't.

And I weigh 6 pounds and 4 ounces. I think they wondered why mum was so keen to know but she wanted my Catster page to be accurate.

Having my operation

A while back I heard a conversation about Mean Cat between my mum and people next door. They don't call him Mean Cat, they call him Smudge. He isn't their boy but he turned up one day and doesn't seem to have a home of his own. He isn't so mean to their cats but when mum told them about how he treats us they said it may be because he is a whole Tom and they will get that seen to.

I am glad that I am such a Sweetiepie so I won't have to have my bits seen to. But then mum said firstly she wasn't sure that Josie would exactly use the word Sweetiepie to describe me and Josie coughed very loudly at that moment so I think mum may be right there. And secondly I might turn mean and go off and get in fights.

Why would I do that? Mum said I might be looking out for lady cats. Josie is quite enough lady cat for me thank you. I wouldn't want any more! But mum says that would change so I have to go and have an operation. She said that there are too many unwanted kittens in the world and she would hate to think that I might be responsible for some of them.

So tomorrow I have to go. I am not happy about it, not happy at all but mum reckons pretty much all of my Catster friends will have had it and Josie says it's worse for the lady cats so I reckon I'll be Ok. I won't be able to write my diary tomorrow but don't worry. I'll be back to say how it all went.