TWINKLE’S BLOG
Diary of a rescue cat.
Hi! My name is Twinkle (the cat formerly known as Minky). This is my web-log since about the time I found a new home after staying at Grendon Cat Shelter for a few months.
Many thanks to Jean at the shelter for looking after me and to Petutopia for finding a little space to host my ramblings. I hope you find them entertaining - Informative I very much doubt!
December 2003
Friday 12th
Slept most of the day. Ate some dry cat food. Patrolled the boundary of my small pen. Watched the birds. Slept some more.
Saturday 13th
Slept most of the day. Ate some dry cat food. Patrolled the boundary of my small pen. Watched the birds. Slept some more.
Sunday 14th
Slept most of the day. Ate some dry cat food. Patrolled the boundary of my small… What do you mean its getting boring? Imagine being here for four months!
Monday 15th
Started like any other day, slept, ate etc etc. But late morning a lady came to see me. She gave me some fuss and I got my scent all over her hands. She said she might come back later. She didn’t.
Tuesday 16th
Slept most of the day. Ate some dry cat food. Patrolled the boundary of my small pen. Watched the birds. Slept some more.
Wednesday 17th
The lady came back! (With a very enthusiastic and slightly loud friend.)
Hooray!
Oh no!
They put me in one of those tiny little boxes! Pet carriers, huh! OK if you normally live in a little dark hole. OK for a rabbit or something but truly horrid for us outdoor-claustrophobic-control-freaky cats!
Eventually, after being bumped and rocked about a bit she let me out into a room. A small room. But hey, I’m indoors, in the warm and there’s food, water, a litter tray and a funky looking scratching post to try out (the Cleo Montana) – things are looking up. I hide behind a pile of junk under a desk while I decide what to do next.
Thursday 18th
I stay under the desk. There’s a lot to figure out here. More people come and poke their fingers and noses at me, but I stay put. They seem to like it when I put my scent on them, so I rub round their hands and purr a little to put them at their ease. There are two small children. The youngest is quite loud and bouncy – very frightening.
Friday 19th
I have to come out from under the desk today. I’m busting for a wee! When all is quiet I explore the room. Takes about sixty seconds. I get back under the desk.
The people try and succeed in catching me today. The reason is immediately apparent. Worming tablet! Twice I manage to flick the disgusting article out with my tongue but they are persistent so more cunning tactics are required. I hide the tablet under my tongue and pretend to swallow. As soon as they let me go I dive back under the desk and spit it out in a corner. I think they were fooled.
Saturday 20th
Blah! They find the worming tablet and re-administer. This time there is no getting away from it!
They let me out of the room today. I explore a little and find a wardrobe to hide in. Darker than under the desk and further out of reach of the children. I have to really watch out for the younger child, she looks like she might fall on me at any moment.
Sunday 21st
I hide in the wardrobe all day. Feeling a bit more relaxed I have a wash.
Monday 22nd
More washing. My coat was getting really dusty and greasy but now feels all silky again. Late in the day some new people arrive. One has a terrifyingly deep and loud voice. Hide!
Tuesday 23rd
There is another cat here!
I thought I smelt him while exploring the landing but had assumed he had just been passing through. Today we come face to face. Well, face to chest. He’s the most enormous hunk you ever saw! But one sniff and he’s off down the hall. I decide to play hard to get too!
Wednesday 24th
It was a bit quieter today. The man with the loud deep voice went out. I explore the rest of the rooms on this floor. Two cosy little bedrooms to hide in. I find a space under one of the beds but am quickly discovered so decide to stick with the original wardrobe which has two exits and a good field of vision.
Thursday 25th
Lots of noise today. Even more people downstairs. I hide in the wardrobe all day.
Friday 26th
Things seem a bit quieter today. Most of the visitors left late last night. The usual residents eat something out of silver foil wrappers. When rolled up these look like a great toy for me to chase, catch, retrieve and duff up. I come out to play for the first time, remaining on guard for the toppling child of course!
Saturday 27th
I notice that all the occupants now seem to have a load of new stuff. Huh! All I’ve got are some silver paper balls (ever multiplying as the family devour more biscuits) and a manky old boot lace. Not exactly a substitute for mice to chase, but mildly entertaining I suppose.
I am training the family into a reasonable night time routine now. After the small people have gone to bed I come out to play for a while. Then they give me a good supper to go to bed on. They shut me in my room which gives good protection from the children who occasionally blunder around in the night. In the morning I get up and have a wee. The wood based litter they are providing swells up. After absorbing a full 24 hours worth of wee in one go it leaves little room for anything else. So I poo on the carpet. Then I scratch the carpet up until they come and let me out – they’re getting quite quick at this now.
Sunday 28th
The man with the really loud and deep voice seems to have left. He went out yesterday and didn’t come back. The place seems a lot less scary without him and I relax a bit.
The remaining pack consists of four people. The lady who came to the shelter seems very nice, quite gentle and quiet. She feeds me more often than anyone else and plays nicely. I think I’ll adopt her as my main carer. The adult male is a bit louder and more scary, although he does scritch my head very nicely. The larger child seems fairly trustworthy and is good fun to play with. The younger child is still scary!
They have put some hard material around the doorway to my room to stop me scratching the carpet. I will have to work on that!
Monday 29th
I was given a Cleo Mouse today. I am not too sure about it at the moment – the tinkly bell is a bit scary.
I spend quite a long session meeting the Big Cat this evening. We rub noses several times but he’s very skittish still.
Tuesday 30th
I prrrp and rub noses with the Big Cat again today. He’s still pretending he’s not interested but I know he is. Why else would he lie on the bed watching me and pretending to be asleep?
Wednesday 31st
I buff heads with the Big Cat and he rolled over on the floor. I think we’re making headway!
I don’t hide as soon as the children come into the room. They don’t seem so threatening now and I know I can escape from them if I need to.
January 2004
Thursday 1st
It was like a battlefield last night. Loud bangs, whooshes and whistles, and great flashes of light. It went on for ages.
This morning I rub noses with Big Cat as usual. This time I roll over. He seems quite pleased at first but when I get up he goes for me! We have a bit of a boxing match with me backing into my wardrobe. Then suddenly he stops and runs away. Now I’m really confused!
Here are my New Years Resolutions
- Understand and make friends with Big Cat.
- Explore the downstairs territory – I haven’t even been down there yet, but Big Cat goes there most of the time.
- Get my adopted family under control.
- Get rid of the hard material around the doorway so that I can get out my room.
- Stop pooing on the carpet. All the others seem to object!
Will Twinkle succeed with her New Year Resolutions?
Find out in future updates. Only here at www.petutopia.co.uk.
