Tuesday 13 September 2011

Supercat

Although these photographs are not very good quality I just have to post them! I'm not exactly sure what she was doing but these pictures make me laugh out loud and are just one example of how funny, furry, little Mabel makes me smile every single day.





Thursday 1 September 2011

Holidays





We packed her belongings and left Mabel for a short holiday with my mum recently. Less than 10 minutes after arriving she'd found a nice spot for a snooze. She didn't look too upset about the change to her routine!

Monday 4 July 2011

Mabel mucky face Monday!




I have no idea what she got up to in the garden yesterday but I think it might have involved poking her nose somewhere it didn't belong!


Wednesday 22 June 2011

Sunshine

I watched a brilliant film recently and laughed out loud at the line "Oh, I'm fine, I'm English, we like to be cold and wet."
It's true, we are more than a little used to the cold and rain here but so far our Spring and now moving into the Summer we've been treated to some unusually lovely days of warm sunshine and Mabel makes the most of any good weather by exploring and playing outdoors.

I love to watch her playing with blowing leaves or chasing the insects buzzing around the garden. She is still quite young and her inner kitten bounds around the lawn, in and out of bushes, up trees on top of walls, she even likes being chased by us which I didn't realise cats enjoyed!

Last week though, after a few hours of playing in the sun, she had noticeably pink ear tips. This worried me because I have read that cats (and other animals) can get skin cancer. I had thought that she would find a nice shady spot to spend some quality time lazing outside in the cool but she is so active and curious that I don't think she even realises she's hot or tired!

I decided the next full day of sunshine we got I would use some sun cream on her ears but it made her fur greasy around her ears. Giving her a good brush when she came in did make it slightly better bit it was still obviously on her fur up to two days later.
I think, to be on the safe side I would like to continue using sun block on her ears on the sunny days she spends outside but I don't really know what is best to use so thought I'd ask the blogosphere for help! I was hoping I might get some ideas. Her ears are white and I do remember when we were looking for Mabel we inquired about a little, predominantly white, cat called Simon and were advised that we may have to use sun block on his ears but I didn't think to ask any more questions. I wish now that I had, I like Mabel's white ears... pink so isn't her colour!




Friday 20 May 2011

A little help

In just over a year I have gone from being a little indifferent to kitties to having one of my very own and being totally won over by her gorgeous, furry little ways. 
Thanks to my fluffy Mabel friend I have developed a love for cats that I never actually expected!

I may have mentioned before that whenever I have 5 minutes to spare I spend it looking at the cats available for adoption on our local cat shelter's website.
It's not unusual for me to fall in love several times a week with the little faces peeping at me from the pictures! I would like to have them all and fill the house full of furry feet. I'd love to give them all the loving, safe, cosy, forever home that each one of them deserves.
I took a look and fell in love yet again this morning and it prompted me to write this post.

I know that there are many fantastic cat shelters and organisations for unwanted and mistreated animals to choose from, it's hard to know who to help first!
When we were looking for Mabel we visited several but this one in particular stood out to me so I have decided to dedicate this blog post to them in the hope that it might help them in some small way to take care of the kitties that I can't take home.

Haworth Cat Rescue do a fantastic job of caring for and rehoming cats. They neuter and microchip all cats that find themselves in their care and they do not put healthy cats to sleep.
I don't work for them, I don't even know the people that do. From the 3 or 4 times I visited them during our search for Mabel I realised that what they do is amazing.

...but don't take my word for it! You can find more out about them here www.haworthcatrescue.org

If you can spare a donation you can do so online here 

or you can text CATS22 £5 to 70070

and you can see the latest cats ready for rehoming here... but be warned, you might want them all!


Thank you
x


Monday 16 May 2011

Paws for thought

We had a run of unseasonably lovely weather for a few weeks here in the UK and Mabel took full advantage of the warm sunshine whenever she got chance. She has enjoyed playing out, exploring, climbing trees, sunbathing, catching leaves and visiting her friends, the chickens, in next doors garden. 
Luckily for the dry garden but unfortunately for little Mabel the weather has taken a turn this week and has gone back to the breezy, showery spring weather that we would expect for the time of year. So instead of being outside she spends most of her time indoors looking out. I sometimes wonder what thoughts go through her mind as she sits at the window gazing into the garden. I like to think that she's planning her next big outdoor adventure.







Monday 28 March 2011

One year on...

A year ago today was the day our home was first filled with fur! I had waited (perhaps not so) patiently for a week from first finding her until we could pick her up but this day, 12 months ago, was the day we finally brought Mabel home. 

To mark this special occasion Mabel has her perfect day all planned out.

She thought she'd start the day with some morning cuddles with extremely loud purrs and extra headbutts before breakfast.
This will be followed by an action packed day of hiding in boxes, sitting on clean washing, lazing on the bed, jumping in the sock drawer and watching the world go by from the window.
A little bit later she'll play out in the garden with her friends 'the chickens' from next door, climb a tree, have a special dinner, a nice long brush and a sleep in a shopping bag.

Lovely!

Just over a year ago The Boyfriend was still trying to convince me that getting a cat would be a good idea and I was still unsure to say the least. Well, that year has flown by and now I can not recall what life was ever like without her. I have totally fallen in love with her.
She's a furry fledged member of our little family and has fit in to our lives so perfectly.
I feel so lucky to have her and she makes me laugh every single day. By my calculations that's a whole years worth of extra laughs and smiles that I would never have had without her.
Life is more fun now she's around.

Thank you gorgeous, fluffy, little Mabel.
(The best idea The Boyfriend ever had!)

x


Monday 21 March 2011

Just wanted to...

...do a quick little post to say... it's a whole year today since we first met fluffy little Mabel.

Wednesday 2 March 2011

a helping paw

We recently decorated the bedroom and, as with any other household job, little fluffy Mabel lent a helping hand paw.

Her list of jobs was as follows:
  • oversee wall painting (between cat naps)
  • make sure everything stored away in new boxes under bed is in good order
  • check carpet is strong enough by giving it a firm scratch
  • check each one of the new drawers is sturdy
  • test new wardrobe is nice and comfy on the inside for an afternoon snooze
  • push every single curtain ring off the table on to floor one by one, making sure to hide one of them under a rug
  • watch innocently while humans search for 10 minutes for lost curtain ring
  • check curtains once they are up by having a good tug on them
  • give the window blind a few swipes
  • run off at double quick speed when window blind then knocks a (luckily closed) tin of paint off the windowsill 

She was a very busy girl! 

Then, just when she thought her list of jobs for the day was finished, she had the difficult task of rolling around on the new duvet cover and pillows to make sure they were up to standard. I'm presuming they all were up to her very high standards because once she had got suitably snuggled and cosy she didn't move from that spot until breakfast time. Well, it's hard work making sure your humans are doing everything just right. 



Friday 25 February 2011

kitty collars

At the end of March it will be a year since we found little fluffy Mabel.
I can't believe it has not even been a year yet, it feels like she has always been part of the family. She definitely wasted no time making herself at home and she rules the house just as I was told she would.
I can't count the amount of times in the last 11 months that I've said 'You never own a cat. A cat owns you'! When I do it helps to remind myself that I'm actually just there to play, feed, brush and clean up after the little madam! I do love doing it though. I never thought I would enjoy washing bowls with hard dried cat food or cleaning used litter trays but I am rewarded (when she's in the mood) with cuddles and kisses and the company of a wonderful furry little friend.
As it is still a month until the anniversary of the day we got her it is perhaps a little early to mark the occasion but I have never been very good at waiting! I gave her the early gift of a personalized cat collar. 

When we got Mabel we had her microchipped by the vet before she ever ventured outdoors but I still can't fight the niggling feeling I have about microchips. I think they are a great idea and I know that many relieved owners are reunited with their pets because of them. 
I probably worry far too much but 12 months ago I had never had a cat. I had never even heard of microchipping and if I had found a stray or injured kitty I would not have been aware of the possibility that it could have a little chip under its skin that would lead me to a loving owner.
A collar with our home information on, it seems to me, is a much more obvious way for someone to identify Mabel if she should ever go missing.
I have known several people that have fed or taken cats in with good intentions, assuming these cats were hungry, homeless strays. Now, I wonder if they were stray cats or if it was just impossible to find their owners. Perhaps these 'strays' were cats that were loved just as much as Mabel but one day kitty curiosity got the better of them and they wandered a little too far to get back home.

I know that some people disagree with collars but she doesn't wear it inside and only has it on when she's playing out. I have made sure that it has a breakaway safety clasp designed to snap open quickly incase she ever gets it caught on anything. I think it suits her and she doesn't seem to mind it at all so I take that as a Mabel thumbs up!
She now has a fancy blue collar and I have peace of mind while she's playing out.





I bought it from www.kittycollars.co.uk

Wednesday 9 February 2011

Pictures

I thought I'd share some pictures because my phone is full of Mabel photographs. Well, she is my favourite subject!





Monday 10 January 2011

Mabel licky-nose!

Mabel actually stayed still long enough to have her picture taken yesterday. She just sat there looking lovely and behaving very well...



 ...apart from a little bit of nose licking!

Thursday 6 January 2011

Oh Mabel!

When I try to take photographs of Mabel she wont stay still (unless sleeping) and when I want to take photos of something else she has to investigate!
This photo is supposed to be of a table I was hoping to put on ebay!