Merry Christmas!

Urchin and the cupboard

Apparently red-eye reduction doesn't work on cats...

Recently fuzzy discovered that she could ask for a cuddle, thence climb on my shoulder, up the kitchen door and onto the top of the kitchen cupboards. There are spider webs and all manner of excitement. I no longer listen to her when she says she wants a cuddle while we are standing in the kitchen.

Lapcat

For a very long cat, she can still pack down into a very small ball when she wants a serious snuggle.

Long cat is long

"Long body with proportionate limbs to create the characteristic rectangular appearance"

Now we are 3

Yesterday was the hairy beast's 3rd birthday. We think she is now fully grown - her weight seems to have been the same for more than 6 months.

She had a spoonful of cream for her tea and she chased squirrels in the garden. Then she slept stretched out between us on the bed last night. Not a bad 3rd birthday at all.

A bigger cat did it and ran away

Horticulture.

Urchin has a healthy interest in botany too. Here she is helping me water some little plants.

Here she is having a good look at what I'm up to.

Now shes really curious. She loves water and wants to get part of the action.

Finally she offers a helping paw. Always willing to participate in anything that moves.

In the shade of the chilli tree

It takes a lot of work for a cat to look this good. 15 minutes of ear-washing to attain her preferred artfully-dishevelled look.

Wriggling

The little pest does enjoy wriggling on a chair in the morning sun while licking her bib.

More towel.

 

Poor dear got wet chasing birds.

Urchin and the Towel

Urchin has a very set routine when it rains. She stays out until she is soaked through, then runs screaming inside. She goes to her towel, and then expects to be rubbed down while she stuffs her little face. Apparently being wet makes a cat very, very hungry. Then she curls up in an available lap to complete drying off. She doesn't mind if the lap gets damp.

Making a point

Urchin doesn't really approve of computers. When she thinks it is time for us to go outdoors and play, she makes her feelings very, very clear.

Thwarted

These are the sounds a cat makes when she is separated from her prey.

Miss Optimism

Urchin's latest ploy is to climb the pear tree. She thinks that the birds who usually sit in it will accept her as one of their own.

bird watching

She sits on the birdhouse and waits patiently. Surely a bird will be there soon?

Urchin and the Wardrobe

Urchin's latest thing is using my dressing gown to climb up to the top of the wardrobe. After her first success with this technique, I was determined to take the camera up to bed with me, so I could get a picture of the next time.

Unfortunately 6am is not conducive to photography, and I ended up putting the camera in "TEXT" mode (which I didn't even know was a thing) and therefore didn't get the action-cat climbing video I was aiming for. And she didn't like the flash so she got down before summiting.

Urchin and the Fleece

This grubby yellow fleece is the background to a lot of Urchin's pictures. When she first came to live with us, and wasn't allowed outdoors yet, Paul would bundle her up in the front of the fleece and carry her into the garden, to show her the limits of her demesne. It's become her security blanket. If she wants a cuddle, she'll look meaningfully at the fleece then look back at us until someone puts on the fleece, sits down and waits for the lapcat. When Paul is away, the fleece is spread on his side of the bed, for her to sniff. And it is currently spread on top of the storage boxes where she likes to lie, keeping an eye on us. You can see by the luxuriant display of tummy fur that she is very relaxed on the fleece.

Hirsute Pursuit

Urchin gets very excited when the fishing line comes out. She recognises the clicking noises the reel makes (which is inconvenient because my ipod makes similar clicking noises) and just loves it when Paul casts for her. She'll play this game for hours.

Picnic blanket

Yesterday we had some lovely sunshine with a real promise of summer - so out came the picnic blanket and a couple of excellent Sipsmith gin & tonics. Urchin felt that the blanket was appropriately comfortable for a cat.

Summer delights

Urchin was delighted when her favourite parasol was put out on the lawn again.

She settled into her customary position underneath it immediately.

Now where are the birds? They will never see me under here.

Congratulations Larry

Urchin would like to extend her congratulations to Larry, on his adoption as the official Downing St cat. As long as he remembers that the rats on two legs are invited guests and the rats on four legs are legitimate prey, he will go far.

Urchin and the Chair

Making one's bed. And lying in it.

the poor little beast

She found Christmas eve so exhausting that she needed to nap for a while - and what better place than on a jumper specially laid out in from of the fire for her.

The room was quite dark and snug. The camera plays tricks here for us. This is a 13 second exposure to capture her comfort.