Catching up

There have been quite a few developments and I've slipped behind.

Party People

We had a big do. Well big for us, where we fed about twenty people buffet style with everyone milling around in the kitchen (as they always tend to do). We expected Binks to beat a quick retreat, either upstairs or over the gardens but no. We had his platform put slightly out of the way (as much as anything else) but over to our side, away from the main throng. The result was that he maintained position on that - with a careful eye on the proceedings, happy to countenance even close approaches as longs as they didn't try to pick him up. I do think he's getting better with people.

Guests in the Country

And he had ample chance to prove this a few days later. We had a country weekend with guests. One of them is extremely fond of cats and wouldn't take shyness on Binks' part as an excuse. She employed the tried and trusted method of delivering cat biscuits on demand and gained a decent measure of friendship in return. Not quite completely; we stayed a day longer and as soon as they were gone he went out and caught us a mouse having been noticeably reticent ealier. And then another. We had to keep him in before we were inundated. Both escaped alive. I'll add them all up one day.

The Cat Hotel

Then there was our holiday. Binks got to stay in the cat hotel we got to go to Catalunya. We took him his platform to which he always turns for comfort and left him for ten days. The set-up was very efficient; each cat having a well sized run with a solid barrier at ground level and a closed area with transparent door. Favourite food supplied of course.

I must admit to be a little worried when we collected him; scared that he'd hold it against us but I'm glad to say he was pleased as punch to see us. More so than any of our previous cats who were perhaps more manipulative and noticeable grumped for a not inconsiderable time thereafter.

Rats Again

Then rats. Not immediately but first there was the neat pile of remains one morning. A head, a tail, two (back) feet and a unknown internal organ - well unidentifiable by me anyway. This is a bit worrying. There's the concern he'll get a poisoned one and also he'll get worms. Actually, that's almost certain.

Two days later there was a squeak as we sat listening to music late one evening. I looked up only to see Binks retreating from the living room. Downstairs in the kitchen he was toying with the still live rat. Smallish, but a rat nevertheless. I was concerned about getting bitten (and infected) so I got him and prey out the cat-flap. The rat escaped the jaws for a moment and was holding out behind cover in the garden. We tempted Binks in with biscuits and the rat cowered. We kept him in overnight and early next day I went out to check; the rat was dead, having moved only a few feet from where I saw it last. That casts doubt on some of the survivor statistics for the mice I guess. A day later he was nursing a wound in the cheek. I'm not sure if it was cat fight or rat bite; I think the latter is more likely. Maybe he'll leave them alone. I'm glad to say that it appears to be healing OK.