Shear Bliss

Living with a Siamese cat, an Irish Setter dog & umpteen Bengal cats & kittens

Friday, April 28, 2006

Apollo

This is Apollo.




Do you see what I mean about the glum expression? His little mouth curves downwards in discontented lines - no little smile for the camera.

Actually not sure if he is looking so much as glum as horrified at being photographed.

He is terribly sweet really. He likes cuddles. He likes playing. He has a gorgeous golden orange hue & great spots. He's just not got a particularly happy face for a Bengal kitten... I'm sure though that he will grow into his looks & become a very handsome, golden Bengal cat.

Sitting Down to Eat

This is Stormy feeding her five Bengal kittens.

Ever since they've been tiny, she's sat up to feed them. I regret not having the camera handy when they were smaller because invariably Stormy would sit on her bum & slouch backwards, legs & arms splayed on either side. Five little babies snuggled into the milk bar. Stormy would then drop off to sleep, her head lolling forward - almost as shown in the photo - but about five times as amusing to look at.

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Stormy's Five Bengal Boys




Bengal Kittens

Meet Stormy's babies ... oh, looks like you won't be able to see the photo at the moment as there is a problem with the upload page.

Stormy has five babies, five spotted Bengal kittens, just four weeks old & beginning to grow their teeth.

I was going to name them after types of weather, thinking predominantly of winds - however, I noticed that one little one had a line down the centre of his tummy in the middle of all his spots & started referring to him as Ceasar. Another little one has a face that glints with pale gold & he became Midas. His much more golden orange brother is now Appollo & a little darkie became Nero. That just left the problem of what the final kitten would be known as. He does have the sweetest face. After much dithering & calling out names to see if he would twitch or respond to any by looking at me, he has ended up as Adonis.

Different people have different ideas about what is cute & sweet & lovely - wonder, if when you see the photos you'll be able to identify Adonis. Apollo will probably be the easiest to guesss - with his golden orange face & his very glum expression. Ah well, a treat in store - hopefully.

These little guys currently have two Mums. Stormy's sister, Sunny has two babies, just six days old. Stormy & Sunny are in the same room. Stormy is no longer the possessive constant mother that she was in the early days - where any touch I made on the kittens was rapidly washed away so I didn't contaminate them. She's more happy to sit & watch them now than to curl up with them & nurse them. So, last night, whilst they were screaming at their watching Mum for food Aunty Sunny came along & carried them off. They dwarf her little babies.

I've tried carrying the boys back but if they cry & Stormy doesn't instantly go to them, Sunny steps in & retrieves them, gives them a quick top & tail & top-up.

I wonder if that was a smirk I saw on Stormy's face?

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Actually Guilty as Charged

I've just discovered something.

After deciding that I had been blaming the dog unneccessarily, she & I have been fellow sighers over the various mishaps & bits of rubbish that have been appearing from out of the bin & into the house. It's almost like a shared raising of eyebrows, along with a big sigh. I then gently carress her head & mutter something like 'cats, eh?' & she wags her tail.

Hmmm.

I've got a new bin. Well, actually it's about three months old now. A large grey plastic thing with a domed top with a sort of push-up lid set into the dome. The idea of the dome was to stop the cats sitting on it & the lift up lid bit to stop them opening it & helping themselves ... though I really fail to see the appeal of potato peelings, I do actually understand their desire to lick the tins clean. The new bin worked fantastically for weeks. No more rubbish on the floor. No more raiding. Wonderful.

Then it started again.

I have now caught the culprit in the act. I wish that I had a photograph to share the indisputable evidence. Tilly the dog. Tilly, in whose mouth butter would not melt. Tilly the previously falsely accused. Tilly caught. Caught wearing the bin lid because she had put her head through the push-up lid. She looked so ridiculous.

I almost feel like re-creating it for the camera for posterity .... but will that negate the telling off she received? Will it make her think that I am encouraging her to go a-raiding?

.... but I'm so tempted!