Happy New Year😊
After posting pictures on Facebook and Instagram of what I spent my New Year's Eve doing and who I was doing it with, I received a number of messages asking about my furry family.
My New Year's Eve probably wasn't a typical way to see in 2023. I was here at home with my furry family looking after the eldest and the youngest neither of whom are ok with the huge amounts of fireworks we get going off at midnight.
To muffle the sound of the explosions, I played loud music from 8pm to 2am and sang along. I found loads of songs I'd totally forgotten about and my voice along with the music seemed to drown out the sounds of the fireworks.
Lu still spent the latter part of the evening in the bathroom, but everyone else was more or less ok.
But back to the point. Our family has been very large over the years but now consists of two dogs and 12 cats! I know! Too many, but all the cats are neutered and most somehow just turned up at No 19.
I sometimes think there's a sign on the gate in cat language saying free board and lodgings for any cat!
So here we go. The family we have here now in order of when they arrived.
I was given Lu by a local farmer after living here a few months. When I first laid eyes on him I thought I'd been given a bear cub! Looking back, having Lu in my life has been one of the most beautiful things I've ever experienced.
Hans came a little after Lu and was also given to me by the same farmer. He's a sweet boy who takes time to play with the newcomers and even brings mice in for the kittens.
Klara arrived one cold winter's day hungry and cold. I took her in and she instantly made herself at home. She's got the heart of a warrior and has jumped in front of Lu to protect a cat when she thought he was being too rough. Before getting her neutered she managed to get pregnant...
Sofia is Klara's daughter and she a ray on sunlight. She gets on with the whole family but her mother is often a little tough on her punching her before giving her love.
A huge black cat, Viktor should be fearless, but he's the shyest of them all and will slink away when we have company. He often appears in the evening and sits with his mother Klara on the sofa.
Dee is a very glamorous boy and is very happy for every day he has. I got him through an online ad and knew instantly I needed him in my life. He was living in a barn with what seemed to be hundreds of cats! He chats. He loves cream. And he's a dream.
Initially called Bruno, the name Frappis evolved out of his highly strung frivolous character. He turned up as a kitten in the garden one evening with two tabbies and two other Frappis lookalikes. I thought he was a Guinea pig the first time I saw him. He and one of the tabbies were so hungry that they risked Lu to get into the house and have a meal and they've been here ever since. Frappis now goes out for two hours in the morning and then goes back to my bedroom where he spends the day studying music and art history. He also loves The World of Interiors!
A cat who's always there...Harris is here to help. I once went for a walk with Lu leaving him sleeping in the kitchen armchair. By the time we were at the edge of the village, Harris had joined us for a walk to the woods. He's got a heart of gold and a tail broken in so many places it looks like a rag some days.
Born in a suitcase in the upstairs kitchen, Jasper and his sister Gretta and Squirrel, have always been close. We rescued their mother, Lucia after seeing her it by a car. A few weeks later she gave birth. She brought her kittens up well and then one day she was gone. She left us with three beautiful tabbies.
Squirrel is a cat that likes to have a reason to be offended. However, when the pressure is on, she never cracks! Her fur is so soft it's unreal.
Gretta is a delightful cat. She's polite, considerate, and is always happy to join a group. She's as light as feathers but put her in front of an overexcited puppy and she can slit his ear in the flash of a paw!
This cat is WILD! He followed me home one night as a tiny kitten. He was almost hit by a car and attacked by a dog. So I took him in. I could fall in love with him he's so handsome! But he's the only cat I've ever known to leap at you and attack!!! After a lot of bloodshed and unpleasant words, Kitten McGraw is now a part time darling. The rest of the time he stays out of the way.
Like Kitten McGraw, Matilda followed me home one night. Unlike McGraw, I left her outside with some food and believed she'd be on her way as I wanted no more cats. Next morning she was waiting for breakfast and joined the clan. Her fearless character ensures her any spot in the kitchen.
This boy is going to be amazing. Naturally the cats are just disgusted by him. I'm exhausted! Lu on the other hand has learnt to tolerate him and might even be starting to like him... it's funny watching Lu get irritated by the exact things Lu did as a pup. I guess animals are pretty similar to us really 🖤
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