Red, in Tooth and Claw
We more than half expected that this would happen but the 'mouse' incident may have led us into a false sense of comfort.

This morning we came down to a house filled with feathers. Pigeon feathers it seems for the remains of the poor creature were in the front room. But there was evidence on two more floors - CSI would have had field day (but I'm glad to say, no bugs as far as I could tell). Binks was pleased as punch and has seemed even more vocal and assertive since.

We had thought that a white cat (with a bit of black) would be warning enough but maybe not.

The Longest Day

Today was always going to be be difficult.

Last solstice I, we really, lost Eric our cat of seventeen years. During that time - a period that eclipses all but a few of my friends and even Jean and me, Eric and his sister had been my companions. Jean brought Samson, her own cat with her and for many years we were three cat household, at least one (and probably two) more than the unbiased thought decent. They grew old and two of them died in 1998; Eric was the tontine cat. In his last year he was not well and was blind for the last fifteen months.

I could see this coming for weeks but nothing looks good on the page - either sentimental or mawkish - and the real experience was neither. I'd just like to give some measure to our decision to adopt another cat and what he means to us.

Hurrah! New Cat Diary comes of age

I chased the links through Google today and there is one. After a bit of work with the advanced search (which seems to require the full filename) I found,

Tuesday, April 23, 2002
look what was in the recently updated queue when I logged out of Blogger!....... and I had to log back in just to tell you about it...
posted by comatose kid at 4:10 PM archived

Unfortunately.. That dates from when the link (at 'look') was to .htm before I got the server side includes working (*.shtm) and so the link will be broken. Also comatose kid has moved and doesn't have his archives working. So the link has vanished but it was a nice sentiment. I wonder if it was the 'brinkster.com' / Binkster thing that so attracted him? Maybe not - he seems a regular cat guy and a much better photographer of felines than me...

As a coda to that, the Kid has just got his archives working so maybe I could get him to correct the link...

"That cat's fallen over again"

I kind of like this shot. I know it's out of focus and all, but it has the right feel for when he comes up to you. That's par for the course if you're attempting to do anything on the floor like read a newspaper. The photo comes out of one of those very-mini digital cameras you can get at Tesco. (I'm glad I wasn't expecting too much as the quality is not very good though the convenience and the concept is fun.)

He's really the most laid-back cat when he's around us but nervous as anything with other people. Now that something approaching summer is here, the neighbours are out in their garden most evenings and that's enough to put him off going out. The result is that he semi-mopes around the house. He's fine when you're playing but not when you're busy with anything else. The result is 'cat help'. Eventually this tires, well pretty soon reslly and he has to lie down. There appears to be nowhere he won't choose and anytime he comes in from outside it seems to be as much as he's able to to get to us before flopping.

Happy Birthday!

Binks is one - today. I'm not sure if that's a real birthday but that's the one he's stuck with now. It appears on his rehoming forms but conforms very much to the estimate of 'seven months old' back-dated from when we adopted him.

I think he deserves a catnip mouse.

Off the Mark

Mr. Binks celebrated the Jubilee by catching his first mouse. Well, it looked very much like a Meadow Vole (Field Mouse) to me - this was in the wilds of Suffolk.

We had driven out for a half hour or so and on our return found him unmoving in the normal car park spot. In front of his outstretched paws was a small dark brown bundle. He made no move when I came over to pick it up. It seemed unhurt - as they usually do - but was shaking with fear and squeaked tremulously. I placed it near the undergrowth about ten yards away - Binks made no attempt to follow me.

It hadn't moved fifteen minutes later, trembling still, but a little after that it had gone. I hope it was a learning experience. I'm almost certain it was a Vole, the identification guide (a Canadian site it is true but by far the best I could find) convinced me that the short tail and blunt nose indicates that, I wish I had payed more attention to its ears.

Binks has been subsequently unmoved by this coming of age. Maybe he just hopes we were delighted with our gift - it was clearly presented to us.