New furniture and Stinkerbell

The new furniture arrived on Friday, and it was indeed brand spanking new! Still in it’s box / plastic! I was ecstatic – but the Mips? They were traumatized! They behaved as if I had brought two dogs in to live with us! They hid in the bedroom for the longest time! Then they dashed past to get out of this madhouse!

I put the fleece throw over the couch. Although it is lovely and soft, it is a bit of a pity, since the couch itself is quite pretty! Then I sprinkled catnip over the throw and put Mewthos’ twirly-jersey and one of the blankies on the couch.

I tried picking up mips and cuddling them on the couch – but they seemed to fear it would bite & would struggle to get free and dash off! Frankie, Rose’s tomcat, had no fear, though. He rubbed himself on the catnip on the couch – no problem! Snoopy also showed no fear, he curled up for a nap on the couch!

Lady Jane’s first attempt at making peace with the couch was ill conceived: she tried to use it as a scratching post. Mewthos was the first to take a nap on the new chair, followed later by Lady Jane.

I waited just a bit too long to carry the box into the garage, as it had just started to drizzle. I wasn’t feeling too well on Friday, a combination of a monthly plus the change in weather, again! After mid-summer temperatures, we now get to enjoy something akin to autumn.

I decided to put the white fleece throw over the chair – also a pity to cover up the lovely pattern, but that’s life with cats.

By now they’ve all made peace with the furniture – so much so, that I don’t get much chance to use it! I find myself sitting on the Ottoman taking photos of the cute cat family taking possession of my lovely, comfy wing-back chair!

Rose came to look at it as well, and she didn’t want to leave – it really is awfully comfortable! She also fell in love with the fleece throw, and went to get one for herself.

I had a bit more energy on Saturday, so I cleaned the kitchen and the litter box. I put clean sand in the box, but Lady Jane no longer gets exited over it. Both Mips came to watch, and went inside to inspect, but none of the exited scratching Lady Jane used to do to show her approval. When I took a bath that night, though, Mewthos went scratching around in it – I thought he was planning to use it … well, he did: he curled up in the hollow he’d dug in it, to watch me bath!

Ziva was quite agitated about me taking a bath last night, she strolled all over the rim, even tried to investigate the side by the wall! I discouraged that – I really don’t want her slipping and falling in while I’m in the bath! Never dull bathing with cats! I don’t know why they all insist on coming into the bathroom with me – sometimes they don’t but most of the time they are all crowded in with me.

Rose and I are surmising that maybe Romeo’s habit of spraying every bush, wall and surface is not so much about him marking his territory, but that they are markers for Snoopy. Snoopy’s eyesight is clearly not good and Rose has often observed Snoopy following Romeo like a shadow. And I’ve seen Romeo come running when Snoopy calls. Those two really are such darling cats, each in his own way. Unfortunately Romeo’s way is to stink the place up! I keep referring to him as Stinkerbell and make sure I chase him as soon as he’s finished eating, before he gets a chance to spray. Poor Stinky, doesn’t deserve it – but neither do I deserve the pong in my home! I took bleach to the walls and every surface in my home today. I caught a few new places, hopefully all! I had washed the bin inside and out yesterday, and today he had already sprayed on it again! Sigh.

Well, the lounge is a bit of a maze at the moment, I still have some re-arrangement to do. I have some ideas, but I haven’t made up my mind quite yet.

In case you’re interested, the game is now practically running itself. Well, of course, not quite, but it no longer takes up much of my time. Someone volunteered to take over the weekly tournament co-ordination and that frees up the last of my intense involvement. There still isn’t much communication going on, I’m afraid, but now that’s no longer frustrating me. I spend more time in the new city now, which is also coming along nicely – as is the fellowship. There are several potential candidates for the big Fellowship and I’ve got two ‘helpers’. One of my big fellows and another Archmage who also started a little city, although not for recruitment but for something to click while waiting around the big one. I may have to do some recruiting again, we’re down to 21/25, but there’s no need to really worry, yet. People might stumble in soon; and when the northern hemisphere moves into winter, more people will play online games again.

It is so lovely to sit in the wing-back chair, with my legs up on the Ottoman, watching a lovely old fashioned movie! When the Mips let me use my chair, that is! At times all three of them are curled up on it! And I haven’t the heart to dislodge them.

Right now, Mewthos is curled up on the office chair, Lady Jane in my lovely new chair and Ziva? Well, she’s in the bedroom again. She sometimes comes up to me, puts a paw on my leg and mips at me – but when I try to give her my full attention, she turns around and stalks off!

Today our gardener came again, he spent the whole day just clearing the weeds from the path! They had nearly overgrown the entire path by the garage, again! I re-planted a couple of Nasturtiums and Cosmos which had tried their luck in the lawn and path. And, of course, I pulled weeds – just can’t help myself! That patch of lawn is being taken over, yet again!

Romeo came in to munch and on his way out he went and sprayed my new couch! Fortunately, I had a thick blanket hanging over that edge, so nothing actually got onto the couch, but that was the last straw: He’s not coming in again! As endearing as his reasons for spraying and caterwauling are – the actions themselves are not! I can not have him keep spraying inside anymore. So I’m filling the red bowl with food and putting it outside for him to feed.

Rose and I watched today, as Romeo started caterwauling, Snoopy got up and started moving towards the sound! It is so sweet the way he helps Snoopy! Just such a pity it is such intolerable behaviour for us humans.

Lady Jane, on the other hand, has very much un-endeared herself earlier today! The Mips absolutely love the, now featherless, toy, but the plastic rod has broken in several places and I don’t want them to hurt themselves on the sharp edges, so I took it out to remove the plastic. Lady Jane got so excited she clawed into my thigh to try and reach it on the desk! Ouch! That is still painful! Well, I finished cutting the rod and stuck it into the scratcher – Mewthos played with it a bit and then they left it there.

Now they’ve curled up on the office chair – Ziva is on the bed. Again!

I’ve at least got through three loads of laundry today – the jerseys were dry by late afternoon, so I could hang up the blanket Romeo had sprayed. Now I’ve got the towels & dish towels in to wash and dry.

Tomorrow I absolutely must get some groceries. Best go early in the morning, first to Spar and then on to Makro. I think that’s about as much as I’ll be able to stand.