New additions to my Animal Zoo

This was written while I was off oline so its an update!

25th March, Happy Mother’s Day Kitty

Kitty produced 6 kittens and 5 survived. It is now the 27th of May and they are ready to leave the nest but….

Well we found a home for one of them. Moley and my heart is breaking at taking the two we did not want to keep to a pet shop or advertise them, but I am working on Bern to keep them.



Kitty went through the birth thing with no problems and we only knew she was in labour because she went to jinx for a back nibble. She lay there for an hour while jinx did the de-fleeing action. No they do not have fleas!!! Then she lay on the bed and kept on stretching with each contraction. But was quite calm.

3.00am we heard these tiny squeaks and there were two babies. So tiny and cute. Why is it that my animals choose 3.00am for this miracle of nature? I mean not during waking hours no that would be too easy. So we did the check if she was okay and she was happy not to be disturbed so we dozed on and off during the night. I did have to revive one, but was not so lucky with the second ginger boy. Tabby pulled through and I have to admit she has stolen my heart and she is not one of the ones we agreed to keep.



Bern lost her kitten when we arrived in Durban, the monkeys in Water Fall area got hold of her and we were shattered. Now Kitty produced an almost identical one and yes she is also called Angel. Mathew asked if he could have his own kitten and of course I said yes so he fell in love with MOFO. A really pretty girl, with half black face and ginger on the other side...

I have been with these demons in disguise since their birth except for the Easter break. I look like a puzzle with a difference with all the scratches and they are so cute and full of energy.

I have taken so many pictures you would think they are my grandchildren. The situations they get themselves into. Entertainment has never been this cheap and Jinx loves them all and plays with them. Little Boy not so keen to start off but even he is warming up to them. Madam Fiona is the Alpha female and she has no idea what to do with these babies.



When they were big enough to be given the run of the room she moved outside for a few nights. This shattered me as I do not like animals outside during the night because of the crime wave of poisoning dogs. So I did not sleep well those nights. Fiona has finally resigned herself to these live wires who are up the curtain, in the drawers, under the bed, running over her. Using her has a step when they leap off the bed. Yes its fun and games.

I have been looking for a TV series called Cat Whisperer as Dog Whispers has helped me clam Jinx down, but there is no such thing yet. Right know I am known as the Cat Screecher as they really LOVE me. Claws and all.



I think it’s quite clear that I am in awe of these bundles of joy and their games and antics and they are so demon cute and love attention and oh my heart melts, until I climb into the bath and feel the next scratches, then no so much.



Let me tell you about these wonderful additions.

Angel- the leader of the pack. Otherwise known as Angelina Jolie (does not take a genius to work out why that name was chosen – no she not adopting other cats yet)

She is tortoise shell and really is the terror of the group. The instigator and leader of the little terrors.



Imagine her with her Treasure hunter outfit on and knives at the ready and this acrobatic way of doing back flips and flying through the air onto your legs as you walk past and you may be getting the picture. She dive bombs me, Jinx, Little Boy, and Bern at every opportunity. She is the one on top of the curtain and she is the one under the chest of drawers where you cannot see her and you are by this stage convinced she has escaped out the house and been CatNapped.

Last week I could not find her. I called and called and looked everywhere, realized the bedroom windows were closed but she had disappeared into thin air. My headache sprung up for the depths of my soul and my heart dropped as I was going to have to tell Bern that her kitten had gone. Which I duly did and of course Bern was in a state as she was in Richards bay on Business!!!!. I looked in the lounge, all the rooms and the little madam waltzed out the bedroom. I had searched it!!!.

Well two days later I could not find any of them at all. I swore this room had a Narnai Cupboard where they vanished into thin air. Then Moley appeared behind my back and I realized she must have been hiding under the chest of drawers in the space the drawer leaves between the floor and the brackets. Sure enough, I pulled the drawer out and there was four bodies curled up like noodles all intertwined with each other.

I was not impressed I can tell you. My heart cannot take these sudden vanishing acts. Angel then totally throws you a curve ball after destroying your book you reading, shredding the toilet paper, she curls up on your lap and purrs. Talk about melting my heart. I am such a sucker for cute!!

Next we have Tabby – initially Queen Latifa because she was a little High and Mighty, but now she is Cameron Diaz. She is cute with her stripped pajamas and the clown of the group. Very loving, always in the wrestling match and ready to dance the attack dance any time. She is truly pretty and as I said she has stolen my heart because she needed to be revived and well need I say more. She is Angel’s shadow and they have very similar facial features but a full stripped pajama suit. She has this cute smile plastered on her face with the curve of her smile and you can almost see her giggle with excitement as she attacks you as you walk past. She loves doing the stand up and shadow box dance. So Tabby is one of the Charlie Angles. But in this Case Angle’s angel. They are always in the thick of the mischief. Tabby loves to sleep after the rough and tumble right next to me curdled up in the crook of my arm and if I move, I get zapped for my efforts.

Moley is the second one of Angle’s Angels otherwise known as Drew Barrymore. Clumsy and cute and adorable and up for a cuddle anytime.

Well when Moley was born she was not pretty. She has this surprised look on her face with an arch colour on her nose. Which gives her a look of “OH MY” and her nose seemed longer so she reminded me of a Mole with the long nose and such tiny eyes She also has this perfect spot on her lip which makes her look like she has a beauty spot. Fortunately she had grown into her nose and is actually an extremely beautiful kitten and is the People Cat of the Year. She wants to be with people above all else. Even if it’s just to bite them, shred them, lick them or just love them. Where you are, she is and she loves to bite my wool while knitting which drives Bern crazy with the chewing the of the wool noise. Such a loving kitten and yes she loves to taunt little boy as he does not like being cuddled up to when he is sleeping so if I am not available she curls up right next to him. Growls emit from both of them. Quite cute.

Moley has found a home with three delightful children and a wonderful Mommy and Daddy and she will be treasured. I just hope they are ready for her onslaught as baby Ivy will be a little more battle weary after a day of catches with Moley.

MOFO – now you need to work out her name. Mofo is the third Charlie’s Angel, Lucy Lui and she is sleek and nimble on her feet and cheeky as hell. She loves water and can be seen swatting the water bowl.

She has a two tone face pitch black on side and ginger the other side. Mofo is an acrobat supreme. Her favourite gym is …me. I have the scars to prove it. She is the only one who meows, well its more like a pitiful squeak. And oh she is so cute. She belongs to Mat but we belong to her. She is a tortoise shell cat and so naughty and into everything. Unlike Tabby and angel she is not much of a lover but an explorer.



The other day she decided to climb up one of my paintings which I have not put up yet for lack of nails or screws and lack of motivation to actually do any manual labour. She sat there all perched on the very top and it’s about my height as its standing with its width being the highest point. Now I need to tell you this is one of my favorite works of art. Very abstract and painted in a time of conflict so it does tell a personal story and there she climbed up it and sat on top of it like lady muck on toast. Oh so regal and proud of her achievement and the others saw her dangerous climb to being the first to climb mount chaos and they followed very quickly. I now have art work with little claw marks in. Oh my poor aching heart.



When I painted it; it was done with such energy and feeling and it even has the imprint on my hair on as I had to carry this large painting outside to dry and the wind tipped it (blew it onto my head….great fun removing the paint) onto my head…splat. Well I do have these moments - don’t I?



Nothing is normal in my life. Not even my animals or seems like my hobbies. Well it is a roller coaster that I am sure will bring more challenges along the way.

The last one is Ginger boy Boswell of the Charlie Angel series..And he is a soft (most of the time) adorable ginger bundle with a white shield on his chest. One long whit sock on his back leg and short bobby socks on the other three. The stripes on his legs are so pronounced and what a beauty. Being the only boy you would think he would rule the roost. Not a chance. Mofo is his best friend but Angel is the leader of the group…..no doubt of that what so ever.



Ginger loves to play and cuddle and he is Kitty’s favourite child. She gets really upset if she cannot find him. When the kittens were two weeks old, Kitty went on a walk about and I was in a panic had visions of me having to find tiny bottles to feed these babies and of course she went missing at night.



We had Val and Bern’s mom over at the time and I worked myself into such a panic. It seems like a permanent state of affairs for me right now. Panic, followed by hysteria followed by more panic and then total collapse because it seems my colon has decided when I panic it needs to go into a Dance called “Lets cripple Michelle”…not a song I enjoy I can tell you.



So there I was doubled over (Drama queen of note- that’s me) calling this mother to come to her babies who are still very young and need her and they only opened their eyes a week and a half ago and this was just not good.



Eventually Bern and Val were looking too. I checked the street, checked the garden and then went for a walk down the street calling Kitty, not so nice in this country to be on the road with all the possible crime!



Well we heard cats waling and Miss Muffet was next door challenging a black cat, I assume a male as she decided his garden was too close to her territory and she just ignored our attempts to get her home.



Kitty chose her favourite kitten and this is Ginger boy. The others she loves but Ginger boy is her absolute love as he is the runt of the litter. Typical mom, she loved them right off the teats. Squeals of panic from the babies. But she is such a good mom.



Now when the kittens were born, Kitty was not so well two days later and we rushed her to the vet and she had a fever and a slight infection from the process of giving birth. So R1000 later for that visit we are told to come back the next day and bring her babies as she may need to be in the hospital for the day. This happened just before Easter and we were planning to leave to visit the girls. So the timing was rotten. She had been given a drip and was pumped full of antibiotics and vitamins.



I took her home and fed her; her R39.00 small tin of cat food for her recovery in small tea spoons. Let’s face it two full table spoons and the baby tin would have been empty; and I figured if I gave her little amounts it would stay down.



Well Kitty had recovered enough to eat and she was fed like a queen off the teaspoon until she felt she wanted more. Expensive tastes this CAT has. I have never spent R39.00 on a 100g tin of anything. So she progressed through the evening, I fed her chicken and did gave her; her pills. Thank goodness these were crushed into the food. Have you ever tried to give a cat a pill? They become octopus’ and grow extra legs which claw and rip and shred you as you try to hold them by the back of their neck to place the pill ever so gently in their mouth.

Common I dare you to try it. I received an email years ago about giving a cat a pill. Now I do not remember it all but I sure can relate. I have added my own bits from my memory and taken the liberty to change it

1. Step on find the Cat and Gently hold the cat and place the pill on its mouth.

2. Look for bandage for your now severed finger and pick up the spat out pill of the bed where you were sitting with your little angel.

3. Take another pill and make a mental note that you will need to go an buy another pill to replace the now contaminated one

4. Grab a towel to wrap the cat in – gently but with patience, ply the jaws open with the undamaged had and push pill down to the back of the throat.

5. Get into the car rush to the emergency room to have you arm and face stitched as the cat managed against all odds to claw its way out the towel you had wrapped so tightly; and take its frustrations out on you.

6. Pay the emergency centre - now you need to get an over draft to pay for the vet bill and your emergency visit

7. Go home, throw away discarded contaminated pill. Decide that you will have to ask for two months supply of pills just to get one down the “Sweet” cat’s throat.

8. Retrieve the cat off the Curtain rail and try to calm it down. Its tail is the size of one of those fancy duster rolls, her eyes are mad with annoyance and you know she is not going to come down easy.

9. Call for back up – ask you partner to help you get the cat off the curtain rail.

10. Make note to get the handy man in to repair the now off the wall curtain rail, and go and look for new curtains which you paid R1000 for as they were especially designed for your décor in your room.

11. Your partner manages to bring kitty off the curtain rail which is now hanging sideways. Not the new décor you wanted for your room.

12. Take kitty into bathroom, you are now bleeding on your arms and the bandages have been ripped off.

13. You look at the bath with an evil gleam in your eyes, tempted to drown her but you remember that you love kitty and she is sick. You grab the oven gloves and the heavy duty towel and hold her while your partner tries to ply the cat’s mouth open.

14. Finally tablet in the cats mouth, you hold her mouth closed, hoping she will swallow – wait a few seconds, let her go and plop out comes the pill.

15. You take cat to vet, tell her to do it and give you a discount for your efforts in sympathy.

16. Vet laughs, grabs a syringe, and cuts the top off. Feeds the pill into the syringe – puts the plunger back in, pushes pill to the now cut “needle section”, opens kitty’s mouth, inserts the syringe and hey presto pill in the throat too deep to spit out.

17. You kill vet and land up in jail as she could have shown you that trick earlier. Kitty now looking for new home while you are in prison for a crime of passion!

Ok back to Kitty going on a walk about and me having visions of finding eye droppers to feed 5 babies in the middle of the night. We finally found her next door and she totally ignored our calls for her to come home. In fact the torch being shone on her only made her glare at us. Well Bern thought this had gone on for long enough because her babes were alone and she needed to be responsible so she went inside and grabbed Ginger Boy. Now every time I pick up Ginger boy she reacts and meows at me and at the vet she even tried to burrow into the cats carrier because the vet checked Ginger boy out because he was so small and put him back for safe keeping in the carrier. Kitty who was ill and had a fever and was not the happiest cat tried to burrow right through the cat carrier to get to him as he was squealing.

So Bern took Ginger boy out to call his mommy. Now he is a really screamer but this time he decided to be quiet. So Bern called kitty and told her; her baby needed her. The reaction she got was ... nothing; she did not even bat an eye lid. So Bern…… poked the kitten “gently” and Ginger boy opened his lungs and screamed. That did the trick, Kitty jolted into action she gave the offender one last glance and then jumped over the wall in two strides and then she opened up her lungs and gave Bern a real piece of her mind.

That was the last time she left them so young for more than a quick garden break and a quick stretch!

The fun and games continue and I will keep you updated as I know I am their target for fun and games.

MOLEY

TABBY

 MOFO AND GINGER BOY

ANGEL