Wednesday 1st October 2003

Suki

Today is a big day for me.  Philip and Jane explained yesterday that I had to go and have a little operation to stop me having kittens.  I’m not bothered about that.  There’s only Ossie who could be the dad and he’s my friend.  Being an orphan myself I don’t like the thought of more kittens we’d have to find homes for.  Philip and Jane already look after the 3 of us and I think that that’s enough – more food for me!  Talking of which, I was a bit cheesed off when I couldn’t have my breakfast this morning – something to do with the anaesthetic, they said.  Last night’s supper seems a long time ago.  Still, they’ve promised me a special tea tonight – I hope it’s pilchards, they’re my favourite!

 Thursday 2nd October 2003

It wasn’t pilchards but fresh chicken for supper last night – that was O.K!  I felt a bit strange at first and my fur doesn’t feel quite right when I lick it.  They shaved a whole lot of it off on one side, but other than that I feel fine.  Philip got really upset with me because I was gnawing at my stitches – well they itch!  He put a horrible thing like a bucket over my head but I soon got them to take that off by looking very miserable!  When everyone had gone to bed I was able to have a good old pick at my stitches and I got one out!  Philip and Jane weren’t very happy with me this morning but I feel fine and that’s what matters. 

The other 2 weren’t too sympathetic when I got home and I was a bit too tired to play properly but this morning Ossie and I had a good old rough and tumble on Philip and Jane’s bed – one of our favourite places, especially if they haven’t made it.  I’m tired again now so I’m going to have a little snooze on the cushions on the settee.  It’s not bad, this vet lark, they let you get away with all sorts of things you’d otherwise be shouted at for!  Philips’ even letting Ossie sit on his lap while he works – or tries to – on the computer.  Ossie’s such a baby, all he wants to do is cuddle – that’s boys for you, I suppose.

 Friday 3rd October 2003

Sorry I couldn’t write yesterday but I spent most of the day up a tree.  There’s a very tall fir tree outside the back door and it’s great for sharpening your claws.  The trouble is that Alan, the gardener, startled me yesterday morning when I was just noseying about on the steps so I made a run for it.  I was going so fast that I was halfway up the tree, still running, before I realised what I was doing.  Once I got into the lower branches it was fine and I had a good explore but then, when I wanted to get back on the ground I realised that there was 20 feet of sheer trunk between me and it!  Running up the trunk had been O.K. but it was an awfully long way to have to jump.   Of course, by this time, Alan had wandered off – something about a wasp’s nest in the hedge – so no-one heard me calling for them.  I settled down on a branch to wait – not that it was as comfortable as my cushion in Jane’s office – and eventually Philip came to look for me.  Apparently he can’t run up the trunk, I’m not sure why, but he got a ladder I think he called it and came up almost to where I was and picked me up.  He was muttering something about how it was like when Morgan was young.  I think that Morgan was their first cat.  There’s a big portrait of him in the sitting room and Philip and Jane talk about him a lot.  I hope that they get a picture of me done, as I’m very pretty, if I say so myself!  Once this bald patch has gone on my side I shall be quite the elegant puss.  Must go, there’s lots more trees in the wood….! it's a wonderful life.

Saturday 4th October 2003

Whew, I’m glad that this is nearly my last day of editing for a while, as it’s quite exhausting when you’re a busy cat.  I brought Philip and Jane my first present today and I must say that I’m a bit miffed at their lack of gratitude.  I caught a vole that wasn’t quite as athletic as it might have been – not bad for a convalescent cat wearing a silly little bell! – and brought it in at lunch time.  I thought that it was brilliant timing and was waiting for my pat on the back – or some pilchards!!  Anyway, Jane said that she was full, as she’d had some soup, which is fair enough, even though I do think that she could have tried just a little bit.  So, I gracefully accepted her declining of my gift but Philip just picked it up from where I’d dropped it at his feet and threw it out the back door!  Is he confusing me with a dog? He said "I'm always touched by your presents, dear, but I wish you wouldn't."  I jolly well picked it up and brought it back in again I can tell you and do you know what he did? He threw it out again!  Perhaps he’s confusing himself with a dog?  I was not going to get into a game of ‘throw the vole’, so I stalked off and left him in no doubt that I was not pleased.  Humans obviously have no taste. I went back up the tree.....

Tuesday 7th October 2003

Nothing like starting a day late!  Yesterday was a bit of a shambles because Rosa went walkabout again.  Philip and Jane got themselves into a right tizz over her.  In the end I went out to the hedge at the back of the house – her favourite hiding place -and told her to come in at about 9.00 last night as she was making the house cold – they’d left the back door open so that she would be able to get back in.  I do feel a bit sorry for her because she is so much younger than us and gets very frightened but she ought to realise by now that we’ve fallen well and truly on our paws here and that she shouldn’t rock the boat!  It was good in a way though because they left ham outside the back door for her and I ate it when no-one was looking!!  Rosa wasn’t too chuffed when she got in and found only dried food – but, as I told her, it was her own stupid fault!  I felt guilty this morning though and let her have my share of the titbits Jane gave us from David’s sandwich leftovers.  We do have a good life here.  I’m just off to sneak under the pillows and cushions on Philip and Jane’s bed, then I’ll go up for a cuddle around coffee time.  This is the life…..!

Wednesday 8th October 2003

 Yesterday was great.  Picture this - I helped Jane send out loads of invitations to some charity thing she’s organising – well, I kept the envelopes warm and helped her find the cursor whenever she lost it – which seems to be a lot!  She said that she was going take a photo of me helping, which I would have rather liked but the camera wasn’t charged, apparently, so I’m sorry that I can’t attach anything.  She did say that she’d photograph me helping her with the Christmas cards.  Doesn’t the woman know that that’s a lifetime away?!  She got her cards on October 2^nd – I mean, really!!  I’m not sure what happens at Christmas but they all talk about it as if it’s great.  I know that it will involve toys and special food, so that’s good enough for me.

 Apart from my office work I had a fairly quiet time.  I managed to eat a few more of the leaves on Jane’s flowers when I thought no-one was looking.  Philip was though, but quietly swept them into the bin so as not to upset Jane.  He’d given them to her for their anniversary, whatever that is.  Why do people put stuff on accessible surfaces like desk tops – or my work area, as I like to call it – and then not expect me to have a chew?  I like leaves; they waft about and make interesting catching!  I specially like running up the tree in the dining room and then playing with the leaves that drop on the floor.  It’s funny, I haven’t been allowed in there much lately………. 

They’re keeping Rosa in at the moment because every time she goes out, she stays under the hedge and won’t come for tea when she’s called. Last night, we sat in the sitting room for 3 hours and stared at a big box which flickers. Every 15 minutes either a dog called Lucky appears or there are pictures of food behind the glass. Strange!

 Thursday 9th October 2003

 Yesterday was very different. They were all out for almost the whole time and we three just did what we wanted. I ate some leaves and Rosa was running about like a mad thing. She has her tail up now and she seems to be much happier than she was. I think that Suki and I make her feel better. We love her very much and I hope she understands. She chases me a lot but she doesn't say much. She likes to sit on a seat they call the piano stool. I wonder what a piano is? Perhaps we'll find out soon.

There are new animals here. They are called squirrels and they look funny. They run about and collect things, but they don't do much else. I wonder why some of the animals are outside and we are inside? Perhaps it's because we behave ourselves. (Or maybe not..........)

Suki, Rosa and I are going to start bedtime stories for little ones. This will start next week and there will be 3 different stories each week. We are going to write them this week.

It's colder here now-don't believe everything that weather thing tells you on the home page! They have a big fire here every night and it makes the room nice. It's much more fun looking at the fire than the big glass box they all watch.

 Friday 10th October 2003

I feel very excited today. I think Suki does too because she shot out of the door and straight up a tree! We had an email from a school in Wodonga, Victoria which is in Australia. We hope that they look at the site and become our friends. We don't know anyone in Australia. Philip says that it is "down under", a long way away, but the Internet brings us all closer together. Sounds fab!

Another human came last night called Sarah. She had some photos with her and I sat on her lap. They had chicken for tea and we had some. It was really yummy! David didn't sit with us for dinner, he was watching the glass box again. I really must try to understand it. They do look at it a lot. Rosa's tail was up again and she is playing more every day. Suki and I are very pleased with her. She had such an awful start in life and we did wonder whether she would get better.

There is a lot of noise in the garden today. All the leaves are brown and the sky is grey. Alan is on a big loud machine which is making the grass shorter. He says that it is possibly the last time he is going to to do it before the winter comes. All the other animals, particularly the squirrels are very busy today. Acorns have been falling from the big oak trees onto the ground (sometimes they make a loud noise when they land on the drive) and the squirrels have been gathering them up. I am glad we don't have to eat those things. Still, they must like them!

I hope you like my diary. It would be lovely to hear from some of you.

Monday 13th October 2003

This is very scary for a little cat like me-I hope you don't get cross or anything. My name is Rosa and I am a little grey and white fluffy cat. I am much younger than the other two but they are really nice to me and they let me play their games now.

Yesterday was a very nice day. They said it was Sunday and I think that last week was the same. All the family are here on Sundays and they don't go in the office all the time. Saturday (I think) was very different. Only David was here as the others went to a place called London and it was very late when they came back. We played all day on Saturday and the weather was nice and warm. I hid under the hedge again (I love it there, but everyone seems to think that it's a really big deal. They come looking for me; "Rosa, Rosa" they cry. I keep very still and quiet and then they go away. They always come and get me though. I think that they worry about me when I'm not in the house.

During the day, Philip was watching the big glass box again. There were a lot of people running about on it. They were running after a ball and there was a lot of pushing and shoving. (A bit like when we chase the toy ball). They're a bit slow with the ball, but the humans are not as quick as we are, so I expect that it's exciting for them to watch. He calls it rugby and shouts a lot when one of them falls over with the ball! He is a bit strange, but nice. Talk about a lazy sunday afternoon.

Lots of lovely food today. They had a "roast" and there was meat for us. No supper though-they were worried about Ossie eating after 9.00pm. I wonder what that means?

Goodnight everyone. Sleep well.

XX

Tuesday 14th October 2003

We had to get up really early this morning and they put Ossie in the box. That's the one they took Suki off in before and she came back feeling a bit sore. They said that it was so she couldn't have kittens. It seems a pity, but there are so many kittens in the world and look what happened to the three of us! I am so happy that we are all OK but there are lots and lots of kittens in the world that no-one loves and their lives are horrible, just awful.

Anyway, he came back in the afternoon and he was fine. He even played with us in the evening , though he was VERY tired. Suki and I had a quiet day, we didn't go out or anything. In fact it was rather cold for little kittens to be rushing about in the undergrowth! Jane was in London again so we were with Philip until David came home in the evening and he cuddled Ossie while we ran all over the sofa and jumped on Philip's head! How we laughed. We played follow you, follow me for hours.

They have a lovely fire every night now that the weather here in England is much colder. It's warm during the day when the sun is out, but in the evening our noses feel wet and cold and it really isn't much fun under the hedge.

Wednesday 15th October 2003

It was Philip's turn to go to London today and we felt much happier that Ossie was alright. I think it will be my turn for the box next. The vet is very nice and Ossie said that he had lots of cuddles and the nurse played with him all day until he went to sleep. When he woke up he didn't feel so good but he soon recovered. I think he loves a cuddle more than any other cat. Philip says that he reminds him of Morgan, who was their first cat and lived to be 20! They had other cats called Myfanwy (really difficult to say and even more difficult to write!), Roger, Fluffy and Tigger. They all sound like nice cats. Myfanwy lived to be 19 and Fluffy 13. I think that they had a lovely time here too, though only Morgan was here in this house. I think they lived in lots of other houses before. Morgan was brought up in what they call a pub, I think. He had lots of food and there were hundreds of people who use to come in and stroke him. Philip said that he used to climb trees all the time and get stuck, so he would have to climb up and bring Morgan down again. What fun!

I think we have lots of friends all around the world now-Jane's brother David writes to us every day from a place called Canada and he wants to know how we are doing. I said "just look on our website". Also we have some new pictures today which Philip took the other day. We hope you like them!

Thursday 16th October 2003

Brrrrr! Really cold today but the sun was out. They forgot to close the living room door last night so we had a sofa each! All night! We played all night until Suki went into the kitchen and broke a glass! Philip came down to see what had happened. I don't think he was very happy as Jane had woken him up! Suki loves drinking from their glasses rather than from the bowls they provide for us on the floor. I think she wants to be a human!

They all went off early this morning, but they left us loads of food. We have lots to eat here so we are never hungry! Jane went to the West Country on business and Philip went up to London again, though he said to David that he won't be going again for a while after tomorrow. Hurrah! That means he'll be at home on the range to play.

David was first home, then Philip tonight. They had some chicken for dinner and I think they enjoyed it. We had some too.

I looked at myself today for the first time in ages. I am so much bigger than I was. They have mirrors everywhere here and I do like looking at myself. Everyone makes such a fuss of me and I love it. I think that we're all going to bed now as it's very late. Nearly the weekend and we always spend a lot of time in the weekend with the others then.

Friday 17th October 2003

Today was so exciting. It was warm outside and we decided to go and explore! I have never been so far away from the house before. Normally I just go in the hedge or watch the others play from a distance but they said that I really should go with them, so I did! We went out of the house, down past the garage and into the woods. It's very dark in there even when the sun is shining, though you can see OK. As it is autumn now here, or fall as I think you call it in the USA, the leaves are all over the place and it is nice to walk on the woodland floor. Ossie just chases leaves all the time and he gets told off for bringing them into the house. You can imagine what it is like for him in the woods.

We walked along the path and then Suki ran off into the undergrowth. I think she was chasing something but we couldn't see until she came back a minute later. It was so funny-she had a leaf stuck to her nose and she looked as if it had been attached to her! She was trying to push it off with her paw, and in the end Ossie did it! She said that she saw something shining, but she was just walking on sunshine.

Philip came back in the evening after work and we had more chicken. They had some really hot food which was not for us cats, but they put some down for us before they put their sauce on. Why do they eat such funny food?

Saturday 18th October 2003

Yesterday was VERY different. Some people came to stay. Our house is also a private hotel so people can come and stay for the night if they want to. There is a big airport called Gatwick near here and there are lots and lots of aeroplanes taking people (and cats) on holiday and also bringing them to England. The people who came were really nice and they played with us. The lady came over to me when I was on my chair and she stroked me for a long time. When I first came here, I didn't like that sort of thing, but I do now. Most people are nice to cats, I think they were the horrid ones who I met first. Philip, Jane and David have shown me that we can all live together and be nice. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone had a safe place to live?

We went out in the woods again and I think, if we are honest with ourselves, got lost. It's a long and winding road that leads to the back door and we were glad to get home again. Philip gave us some extra food. He really isn't bad, that Philip.

Suki was out really late last night and Philip was calling her and calling her. I think she wanted to stay out all night. Philip said that one "stop out" was enough in this house. I hope he didn't mean me. I am trying to be good!