Photos on a sunny warm day

Bertie and Luna

Luna

Well finally a lovely warm day, no rain and blue sky with a warmth in the sun. Not bad for the middle of February…….. Out comes the camera however I feel immensely clumsy trying to remember all the settings. The garden in not looking it best, spartan is a good word and at the moment it has similarities to a lake with the amount of rain we have had. However the cats were having fun with the tunnels and cardboard boxes which we put out for them and I thought a few photos were in order.

Monty

 My clowder of cats….seem to know when the camera is out and stop doing all the cute things, so these are the ones I could get.  I couldn't get all of them, Reuben tends to keep to the edges of the garden and in the shrubbery and it was still a bit cold for Harvey.

Hope you like them.

Luna

Bertie

Harvey

Bertie

Luna

Monty

Four out of five cats - Vet visits this week

Well what a week that has been…. we just never go to the vets apart from the annual check and neutering however this week was different.

Harvey

Monty

At the beginning of the week Harvey seemed out of sorts. Cats are notorious for hiding pain but he was not eating  and he was sitting in a very crouched bent back position. For a day I did not see him laid out resting, always in the same position. I was adding all the best treats on the food and nothing was enticing him so on Monday we went off to the vets. On examination he had no bladder, kidney or constipation  problems however as she pushed her thumbs along his back he was visibly wincing around his lower back. So metacam, antibiotics and a vitamin injection later we came home.

Bertie and Luna

Only to notice then that Monty had obviously scratched/hurt his eye which was junky and weeping. The next day we had to be at the vets early for Bertie's neutering so off the two went. Monty sorted and Bertie in the afternoon then collected! Bertie was fine just a lot of sorting out and cleaning needed to make him happy.

Reuben

As we then brushed Luna I noticed a lumpy matt which then I had a go at. On further examination their seemed to be detritus from outside within the matt and then when I opened the matt up further I found a small one penny sized flap of skin opened up. Off to the vets again. I felt very abashed that I had not noticed quicker as the vet said it had probably happened a couple of days ago as the edges of the tear were dying. Luna has a lot of loose skin being a kitten of 8 months so the vet said she had probably pulled it on a thorn outside and continued to walk not noticing. The vet was able to use a local on Luna as she is one very relaxed calm cat, she cut off the dead flap and glued the edges together. Another antibiotic injection and a £42 cost.

So we have one day left of the week and one cat that hasn't been……please Reuben just let our next visit only be for your annual check.





I have to say I know the vets are expensive but I have to say

Harvey was examined for 15 minutes and had Metacam, vitamin and an antibiotic = £34
Bertie neutering/ Monty exam = £52
Luna Saturday morning exam, local, flap excised, glued, and antibiotic = £42

Does not seem excessive but just a little unfortunate in one week.

Shortbread and Dundee cake

Well there are two recipes  I can remember off the top of my head, one is my mum's Shortbread and the other the Dundee cake recipe.

Mum was a fantastic baker and it is something as a Vicar's wife she had a lot to do.

Shortbread

This will make a very buttery short Shortbread.

Ingredients

3 Oz Cornflour
3 Oz Caster Sugar
8 Oz Plain Flour
8 Oz Cubed Butter, salted

1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla extract ( personal favourite Ndali Vanilla extract from Waitrose
Ndali Vanilla )

1. Get grease proofed paper cut and ready in container

2. Cubed Salted butter

3. Caster sugar added

4. Flour, cornflour, vanilla also added

5. Mix slowly

6. Combine to look like large breadcrumbs

7. Mix until one ball or combine in the tray

8. Pierce dough with a fork and decorate the edge

10. 150 C for 40-45 min leave in after for approx 10 min

9. Not immediately nor when cold CUT

This is the easiest thing to do. Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix. Initially the mix will combine to look like breadcrumbs which will then combine to one clump giving your mixer a hernia trying to mix it : )

Use a greased and baking parchment covered tin and put the mix in ensuring that it is in all corners. I then add a fluted pattern around the edge and fork the mixture over. Why? because that's what my mum did.

In my oven it then goes in at 150 C for 40-45 minutes. I tend to then turn the oven off and leave it in there for 20 minutes. Guess work really, most people like the Shortbread yellow and light and crumbly however my OH likes a little more colour and a more caramel taste!!

Dundee cake

You can have this plain or add split flaked almonds on top (whole almonds divided down  the middle) in increasing sized circles - Mum called it Toenail cake : ) it appealed to a kids uggy nature!!

Ingredients
6 Oz Butter
6 Oz Caster Sugar
4  Eggs
10 Oz Self Raising Flour
1 lb Soft Fruit mix including raisins, currants and peel, personally NO cherries, ughhhhhh

150 C 2 hours, personally I would look at 1 and a half  hours then judge from there.

I'd forgotten about my Redbubble, I must add to it

A notification came through yesterday from Redbubble which made me access my site again when I had eventually remembered my old old logins etc!!!!!

This is a new one to add

I realised there are a fair number of new photos I must add to it. Redbubble is a site to show your photos and receive comments, good or bad. It is like Flickr in that way however you are able to sell your photos in various forms - cards, posters, framed prints etc.

Redbubble

Gothic Wings

Sleepy

Moroccan Communication

Hummingbird Attack

Essentials - As a cat pet owner you can't do without

Well today whilst going through the house work I found my mum's old sofa looking a bit cat haired usually I use the hoover on it however I chose to use a sponge which I'd bought a little while ago from Pets at Home, well I'd forgotten how great it was. With a cursory rub the hair just attaches itself so all the dimpled areas that gather fluff like a belly button was easy to clean with a quick brush over.

So it got me thinking what other things have I found so useful or really used…….

• Zooplus Relax Scratch Bed £7.99. Wow, these are the most used items in the whole house. We have four, we gave one to my Sister in Law now she is buying two extra!!! As I speak all four are actually in use.

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/scratching_posts/cardboard_cat_furniture/315507

• Hair and Lint remover, Simple solutions. This is the sponge which I used to wipe off a coatful of hair from the sofa. £5.00

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/hair-and-lint-remover

• Flying toys - Dabird, Flying frenzy and Neko Flies. All these are excellent for keeping cats amused. love the Dabird flying range plus their mousey. Flying Frenzy to an extensive range of lovely attachments on their own rods or Dabirds, no reason for them to get bored at all. Neko Flies, just love them a lot but they are a little pricey but the quality speaks for itself.

http://www.da-bird.co.uk

http://purrfecthomes.co.uk/index.php?id_category=11&controller=category&id_lang=2

• Thrives freeze dried treats are the favourite for all the cats. They come at the rattle of the tube and bite your fingers off for them, they are however horrendously expensive. Get them whenever there is a special on such as Amazon 15% of pet treats occasionally or voucher codes!! I even work out which of their range has most in a tube, you have to look as the same size tube will hold different weights of product. I believe the Chicken works out best which is lucky as this is their favourite. Waitrose at the moment do them the cheapest - £ 2.99 a small tube.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thrive-100-Chicken-Treats-MaxiTube/dp/B007IGMZD4

• Worlds best cat litter just goes on and on and on. I converted to this litter from a well known white brand available in supermarkets, well is was a revelation and this was no exaggeration. The litter tray was needing to be changed weekly at least (and with five that would be a lot of litter trays!!) at £6.99 a tray of the old brand and it did still smell. Well I changed to Worlds Best which on the face of it is ridiculously expensive (although from Zooplus it is much better priced) however the clumping nature of the litter means you ONLY remove the tainted litter ( wee clumps into doughnut shapes etc) and the multicat formula lasts and lasts and lasts and lasts. A tray just needs topping up when it gets low and only a change when you feel it needs it. It lasts absurdly long. Saying that I do like Natures Calling as well, Walnut based as opposed to Corn Kernel, which is new and cheaper. The best thing is that they are both licensed for the used litter to be flushed down the toilet so no huge litter waste in the bins and they are both from renewable sources.

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_litter/worlds_best_cat_litter

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/cat_litter/clumping_litter/other_brands/387466

• A really good cat tree. After three shop bought cat trees that died within months of having them I came to the decisions of buying a large solid German made cat tree, and it's the best decision we made by far. In general the shop ones although cheap are not meant to take the weight of adult BSHs etc. There is a British make which is of fabulous quality, Tigga Towers, however the cost is exceptional. They do however have granite and solid wood parts. There are a variety of German makes some do use solid wood etc however to reduce the price some have plywood etc, the prices, even with delivery are much much cheaper.

http://shop.petfun.de/en/

http://www.kratzbaeume.de/Kratzbaeume/Holzbaeume-Multiplex-Buche-/

http://www.katzenglueck.de/xtm/

• For RAW feeding specifically mincing of bones and meat then a grinder is great. Bones being a challenge then one with a power motor is needed. The one we have will go through Rabbit and Chicken bones well especially on a coarse and them fine ground.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Andrew-James-Electric-Vegetable-Attachment/dp/B0063CF80G

• Fortiflora is described as a Feline Probiotic however it is used in this house when the tribes appetite is suppressed i.e. During hot weather. The product comes in sachets in minute qualities however a quick sprinkle over food will encourage most fussy eaters.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/FortiFlora-Feline-Nutritional-Complement-Kittens/dp/B004FGCVA2

If I think of more I will add them……...

A Crabmill birthday meal

Well our eldest had his birthday recently so it was off to the Crabmill for a meal, yummy.

To make the most of a free weekend we had booked for a Friday night. It is a restaurant that we haven't gone to very often and I am not sure why as certainly when we went it was a lovely experience.

The environment is comfortable with lighting and decor feeling just right for the building. The food had a perfect selection of just a few items all of which tempted you as well as the specials.

I have to say where we live we have an envious number of restaurants, bars and cafes. I am still finding new ones to try. The Crabmill however is definitely one which I will go to again for both an evening and a lunchtime meal.

My eldest continued to have an extended birthday in that he was able to make most of the weekend with his girlfriend cooking Hummingbird cake recipes and making the most sweet cake I have ever tasted : )

We even lit the candles on a cake so hubby was able to get involved with it over Skype.

Happy Birthday