Hormones riotin'

Claudia has a spring in her step and the wind in her tail. Phoebe is just a black bag full of pregnancy hormones. Mix the two together and it's a recipe for "fun and frolicks" - not.
Claudia wants to play and Phoebe (who resembles a small black elephant) would like to do her serious bodily harm, but isn't quite as fast as usual.
I suppose a size zero super model is likely to get on your nerves a bit when you resemble a beached whale - especially when she sashays past you muttering, whatever the dutch equivalent of ,"fat lump" is under her breath.
Poor Maisie is going through the human equivalent of the menopause, after her spay, and has had a nasty post op infection to boot. So this pair of hysterical females is best observed from the top of the book case and a safe distance kept, just in case she's the recipient of a sharp slap intended for someone else.
I, on the other hand, am recovering from Claudia deciding to use my bed as a litter tray - guess who's banned from the bedroom ?

Peace perfect peace

I wish!!!!!!
The babies have left home and are, apparently, well settled in with their new families.
You'd think that we would have a quiet and harmonious household - WRONG.
Mimi and Birdie are taking it in turns to call up the garden to Bill. He has decided to go, conveniently, deaf. Their dulcet tones obviously don't float his boat.
Phoebe, normally the most equitable girl, has decided that the time has come to assert herself and is pushing Maisie and Claudia around.
Maisie is having none of it - being spayed has brought out her feisty side (hitherto unseen), and she is retaliating, albeit a little apologetically.
Claudia has discovered that the safest place to be is either on a lap, in the kitten pen, or on the top of the wardrobe.
Phoebe only has 3 weeks to go before her babies are due so her turn of speed is somewhat impaired- probably a good thing in the circumstances. The sight of this enormous, fat, black cat bearing down with evil intent is enough to strike fear into the stoutest of hearts.
I'm putting her current ill temper down to hormones- after all it's an excuse that's served me well in the past.

Packing bags

Tomorrow the first 2 of the babies leave home , followed by the other 2 on Sunday.
This morning I have been making sure their paper work is in order and packing their bags with toys, blankets and sundry goodies.
I have activated their insurance policies and I don't think I've forgotten anything- but only time will tell.
I hate this bit - although I'm pleased to see them go off and make other people happy, I do get very attached and will probably embarrass myself by shedding a few tears.
They are, of course, oblivious to what the future holds.
I spend an anxious first week waiting for a phone call or email to tell me how they are settling in.
It's like sending your children off to school for the first time - only worse.
I don't quite know how Maisie will respond to her children disappearing - I expect she'll be throwing a party on Sunday night and enjoying a well earned lie in on Monday morning.

What the heck !!!!!!!!!

Talk about spring has sprung. No sooner did the weather warm up than the girls started to call.
Maisie started it and got shuttled off to the vets and neutered for her pains.
Birdie followed close behind and is at the tail end of her yodelling - no peace for the wicked though. Both Mimi and Claudia have decided to come into call at the same time.
Claudia has been trying to tunnel out under the office door all afternoon, loudly declaring her need for a lover. For such a beautiful and dainty looking girl she has a remarkably strident voice.
Mimi, on the other hand, announced her need of a MAN by screaming from her perch at the top of the cat run fence . Nothing subtle about that girl at all.
We are off out tomorrow to buy ear plugs for the neighbours - I wonder if I can get a discount for buying in bulk.
The OH suggested that we just open the big cat run up and let the girls take turns with Bill - only a man could think that was a good idea.
What's the betting that when we have no kittens here, or expected, then no one will want to know?

Easter Monday blues

Well the eggs have been eaten and all that's left are the wrappers.
Just as well the cats don't like chocolate or there'd be a huge fight going on.
No one in their right mind gets between me and a decent bar of chocolate.
The babies are off for their 2nd vaccinations in the morning and Mummy Maisie is going to be spayed.
So no food and water to be left down over night - I won't be the worlds most popular person tomorrow.
The lovely Claudia apparently doesn't admire my taste in art as she removed most of the paintings from the office walls last night. Perhaps she sees a future for herself in interior design.
I am now off to bed and hoping that ,tonight, Claudia doesn't take it upon herself to rearrange the furniture.
All being well the weekend will bring a mass exodus of kittens, giving us just enough time for a thorough clean up before the next arrivals.

Easter eggs and other such stuff

Just when I thought spring had sprung, and I was all ready to unearth my light weight clothing from the depths of the wardrobe, it's turned cold and nasty again.
Thank goodness that last weekend was warm and almost windless - a trip on the ferry for 7 hours is bad enough without it blowing a hooley as well.
We have just arranged to have some fairly major work done to the garden - which will probably mean selling the cats into slavery to pay for it and hefty doses of tranquillisers for human and feline alike.
Claudia has just discovered the delights of carrot cake - so I don't think that I'll be going anywhere near her litter tray for the next couple of days (hubbies job this weekend).
The babies are off for their 2nd vaccinations on Tuesday and their Mum, Maisie, is going to be neutered at the same time.
Just hope that when my vet gets round to building the extension to the surgery that he names it after me- after all I must have pretty much paid for it.
Last night I nearly burned the house down - flambe-ing steak in a brandy sauce should carry a government health warning and, should I ever be so stupid as to try it again I'll have the firebrigade on speed dial.
However- the meat tasted wonderful and so did the sauce and I don't think that the singed hair and eyebrows notice too much.