Noodle's First Christmas...

...and maybe his last !
Well we knew we might be in for a troublesome time with the tree seeing as it was his first Christmas. I've 'never' had a cat that was as badly behaved as he was. Immediately trying to put the tree up he was climbing up it and knocking the decorations off as soon as they were put on. In the end we just gave up and left the tree looking pretty fed up. Hopefully next year he'll have grown out of his irritating ways !

Wrapping presents was a nightmare !

Uncle Scamp ran away from home for 6 weeks when we got Noodle but he came home in the end and is just tolerating him and doing his own thing. I think he decided life on the compound as a 'wild' cat was way behind him and not a life he wanted to return to.

Welcome home Scamp, we all love you.

Pitbull - Good & Bad News

Well Pitbull was finally caught and sent off to the vets. Now the 'PCC' (PAWS Cat Catcher) did say that when she caught him, he was off for the 'big sleep in the sky', which I had thought was a bit sad, and unfair just cos he's an ugly cat and noone wanted to adopt him.

However, 'PCC' thought Pitbull was such a well behaved cat during his time in the cat box and at the vets that he had a reprieve and was allowed back onto the compound minus some bits he'd originally been proudly displaying around the place.

Welcome back Pitbull ! We hope Noodle will take after you in the 'good looks & charm' state.

Not a Fan

So, not a fan of Jodi Picoult then !

Introducing ... Noodle

Well this is Noodle, one of the 4 week old kittens from the mom that just got 'fixed'. Right now I'm not happy with him/her as s/he has just wee'd on my nice soft blannket I thought s/he would like to sleep on...and s/he is jumping all over me and the keyboard. Oh yes, and biting my socks ! Obviously s/he is doing ok right now !

Noodle behaving a little better.

Scamp...he's still not happy but has come home so far but wants nothing to do with it whatsoever, and right now I feel the same !

PAWS for Thought

'Ginger' one of the kittens up for adoption on the PAWS website. Also a half brother of Noodle from the previous litter before 'mom' got fixed !

I have been putting this one for sometime, but when we first moved onto the compound we noticed that there was a particularly thriving semi ferile as well as totally ferile cat population. This is how we aquired Scamp our stray. I live a couple of doors down from the PAWS representative on our compound and really did want to help out but didn't want the stigma of 'the old mad cat lady' as my very first image and introduction to everyone else when we first arrived. I no longer need to worry on that score as I believe I'm already getting to be known as a little bit mad about cats as well as socks !
'Pitbull' not one of the most attractive cats. His time is numbered as a Cassenova... we'll catch him one day soon!

Anyway, this week I had my first experience of taking one of the poorly kittens down to the vets for I'm sorry to say an extra long sleep. He really wasn't very well, he'd gone blind in one eye and couldn't see well from the other and couldn't walk very well and at 3 months its quality of life surely wasn't going to be too good. The mum cat really did her best but it wasn't fair to either of them. Now she needs to be caught to 'fix her' so she doesn't have anymore kittens.

The very next day a set of kittens and their mum was caught and were taken off for 'fixing'...and then the latest litter of kittens were found huddled up in someone's garden. They were so tiny and only around 4 weeks old. Unfortunately my 2 (or perhaps I should say 3 if including my DH) kids just kept on about having one to try to save it. So in the end I gave in and now we have 2 cats ! Scamp is not impressed at all but I'm hoping he'll come round and that they'll become company for each other.

The new addition is 'Noodle' and has started to eat and drink and we're hoping he or she will thrive.

Looks like I'll be getting more involved in the PAWS 'thing' afterall !
Also looks like I'll be needing a job to be able to bring them both back to the UK when this posting is over !

PAWS 'People's Animal Welfare Society', Saudi Arabia
Website:http://www.saudipaws.com/index.htm

Silver...RIP

This morning my hubby phoned me to say that our very much loved pet, Silver, whom we left in England with mum & dad, had gone to sleep last night and didn't wake up this morning. He was 18 years old and had been thru a pretty bad car accident a couple of years ago but he pulled through. He had a very good life with us and with his latest carers so its not too distressing.

The kids were obviously upset but when I said that he was over 100 years in human terms they were a bit more happy about it especially as he had such a loving family.

I had hoped he'd have hung on for another couple of weeks until we got to see him again but he obviously thought better of it but at least he waited till Pete got there...good timing as he's only there for a few days !

A very quiet burial was performed in the back garden this morning around 11.40am (Saudi time). Silver was wrapped in a fresh white shroud and a couple of bunches of, I think they were, 'forget me knots'.
I'm sure all his friends will miss him, especially the new puppy, Jack Russel...which I suspect helped along in his demise, and his sister Budget who survives him and lives just next door but one, so she can visit him whenever she likes.

Okay, RIP Silver, you will be missed but you had a pretty good life and you will be fondly remembered...especially for ....

Weeing on or in plastic bags

Weeing on or in any bag left on the floor

Weeing on & in shoes ... mainly Pete's work shoes (of which he noticed a very strange smell when the shoes warmed up whilst at work one day after having the weekend to dry up the wee)

Weeing ontop of the oven... several years ago when we almost sent him off packing just a little sooner than he should have ! But he sorted himself out on that one... eventually.

Oh and very bad breath ! We did get this one sorted last year at a cost of over £500 for vets fees.

We still loved you and know you loved us too !

Rocket

Meet Rocket the... bird... not sure what he is apart from very lucky.On Thursday my noticed some baby birds hopping around on the floor outside our villa, in the gutter, and under our car. Four of them had decided that it was time to stretch and test their wings. Unfortunately 2 got carried off my cats and we lost sight of the other one but managed to get Rocket safely into the tree. We realised that he probably wouldn't make it as the cats were very excited by this time so we took him under our wing.. or rather my son's as I was quite happy to let nature take its course. He however, was not and wanted to find worms and crush them for Rocket. Dad and I explained he was too old for that and that he was ready to go solo and look after himself as soon as he'd rested and could get exercising his wings again.Long, short... he was safety put outside onto the balcony where he flapped and then fell asleep all night on the chair outside. In the morning he had gone so I guess he managed to get some help from an adult bird as they were around, and took the plunge and went wild. My son says he saw him sitting on the balcony and then fly off again a bit later so I hope that's the case. He believes that Rocket came back to say 'bye bye'... how sweet !I'm so glad it had a happy ending, I was worried as my adopted sparrows never survived and I was very upset.

Scavenge Hunt & A Real Easter Bunny

This morning the kids had a scavenger hunt arranged by the compound which I thought would keep them out of trouble for a couple of hours... however, I think they've taken it a little too seriously.

First off, they did well at the scavenge by finding all the items on the list given to them which included pencils, books, safety pins etc., but this afternoon my daughter came home with......a Rabbit ! She was wondering around the park on her own so obviously either lost or been kicked out by someone possibly leaving the compound without having found a new home for her. The girls managed to get a walking strap on her as she's just so tame and used to be being handled and were taking her out for a walk along with the other girls pet rabbit which she got because she thought he could keep her company. Then Heather thought it would be even better if she met Bandit the Hamster which is why they ended up here, but Bandit was sleeping and missed his new friend. I'd love to have her but we have so many animals at the moment that I think I'll have to draw the line somewhere.Just had the gang report back that the owner has been found ! Phew ! She escaped when they were trying to give her a bath.Well it was fun, I'm sure, while it lasted.

Toooo Cute !

Just had to snag this off 'Ten Thousand Dancing Stars' blogger, just far to cute not to. He's also my screen saver this week.

Now why can't Lexy learn from this one.