New Video

 I've been playing around with NotebookLM. 

I'm amazed at how easy it was to make a short video from one of my posts.

Please watch it and let me know what you think!

Brushing The Cats

 The cats are shedding their winter coats like crazy.

I have to sweep and vacuum every day, sometimes twice a day.

We've been brushing the cats as much as possible. I would love to brush each cat every day, but sometimes it's hard to find them, or they are sleeping on the highest shelves.

Today, David managed to give Fred a good brush until Toast jumped up and got in the way.

After I finish posting this, I'm going to see if I can find some of the other cats to brush!

Teasing The Cats

 I don't know about other cats, but mine are very food-centred.

I keep the food in one cupboard, with cleaning supplies. Every time I open the cupboard, the cats come running; they know the sound of the cupboard opening.

I can understand that they associate the sound with food. What I don't understand is when I open a can, usually tomatoes, they come running as well. We rarely feed them wet food, so why do they associate the sound of a can opening with food? Is it some natural instinct that indoor cats have?

The other day my son started to play with the pull tab on a can of food, and this was the result.

At the end of the video, my son went down the corridor to feed them, which is why they are running away again.

Ignore the dirty floor, I sweep every morning, but by the evening it's a disaster again!

Mother's Day

 Happy Mother's Day to all cat Moms out there.

I never wanted cats. Growing up, we always had dogs. Dogs, I understand, not cats!

But when Mama cat showed up my heart melted. She was such a tiny thing, so sweet and cute. Very quiet and not at all aggressive. Even when she first came around, she would let us pick her up or stroke her.

This was before she came into the house. She would come around the yard and meow outside the window. I thought we could feed her and give her clean water, but leave her outside.

That changed when she gave birth to 4 kittens outside our window during one of the worst rainstorms I've ever experienced. We had to bring her in, or the kittens would have drowned!

Mama with her first litter

When this photo was taken, one of the kittens had been adopted.

Mama cat is the matriarch of our cat family. 

She is still very quiet, rarely fights, she lets the other cats push her away from her food, she never demands attention, but is very happy when she gets love!

So Happy Mother's Day to Mama Cat, you really changed my life!

Sam....The Guard Cat

 I was sitting in my room with Sam on my lap. I'm not feeling too good; seasonal allergies have hit me hard, sneezing and sniffling all day.

Sam was all relaxed, gently snoring and purring at the same time.

Suddenly, he stood up, his tail all fluffed up, and the fur on his back standing on end.

I then heard someone outside my window. There isn't anything out there, so I couldn't figure out who would be in that area. We get wild hogs in the garden, but it's still too early for them to be out!

Sam then jumped onto the windowsill. He started hissing! My window opened, I was about to scream when I saw my son, Christopher, standing there!

He gave me a real fright! I was happy to see that Sam was trying to defend his territory!

Sam with his bushy tail.

They've Taken Over!

 The title sounds like the start of a science-fiction book about aliens invading!

That's what it feels like when my cats take over a place.

At the moment it's the bed my daughter uses when she visists. I don't allow the cats in my room, most of the time. I don't mind one or two coming in to keep me company while I'm working on my computer but not to sleep, except Sam. He kind of made it a habit to sleep with me. Unfortunately I had to stop him as I have plants growing on my window sill and he keeps chewing on them. Not good for him or the plants!

The plants that Sam keeps chewing on.

My daughter has been reading in my room this afternoon. I was busy doing other things, cooking and cleaning. I was wondering where the cats were. I found out when I came back to my room!

8 of the cats, snuggled up together.

Only Fluffy was missing, she prefers to be in the kitchen/dining area.

Fluffy, sitting on a paper towel.

This morning Fred scared me. I was half asleep, running for the toilet, opened the door to this.

Fred on the throne!

The top of the tank is a little sink, with a tap that runs when the toilet is flushed. These are common in Japanese houses, a place to wash your hands without having an extra sink. Fred prefers to drink the water from that tap, he will wait in the toilet for someone to come and flush it!

My spell and grammar checking app isn't working. Sorry if there are mistakes!

What A Night

 I think I slept for less than an hour last night. All of the cats decided to party loudly, starting at midnight and continuing until 8am!

Frodo and Fred started fighting, so I separated them. I went to bed. Just got comfortable when Steve, Alan and Toast started the song of the ancestors, you know that long yowling that goes on forever. Calmed them down, back to bed. Then Mama cat started to meow, very loudly. She sounded so sad, so of course I had to go and see what was wrong. I couldn't see anything; they had been fed, and the water bowls were full. Then Fred and Steve started to fight, so I broke my rule and let Fred sleep in my room. 

This was the pattern all night. Of course, they are sleeping now!

Fred and Toast

Fluffy is asleep on David.

I think part of the problem is the local cats hanging around our garden.

One of the local cats.

I've seen this cat quite a few times recently. There's also a white cat and a small black cat. I don't know if they are strays or belong to someone in the area. One problem is that a lot of people don't bother to spay or neuter their animals. If these cats are intact and marking the garden, then that might be why my cats are acting up. We had the same problem last year. Fortunately, once it got hot, my cats calmed down. The only problem with that is once it gets hot, I have a hard time sleeping! This time of year, the nighttime temperature is just right for me. I really hope that the cats sleep tonight!