Neatly groomed dog!

 Good afternoon dearest Blogger friends. I'm a tad late with this weekend's post, but here it is. 

On Friday morning, Skabby and I took a trip to Ladysmith - for him to be groomed. 

Jumped onto the back seat of my car and lay down

His holding pen in the shady garden behind the grooming parlor 

My sleek, cool, handsome dog! 

The rain held off for a day; on Saturday we managed a walk to the dam and back

I'm linking to Eileen's Saturday Critters, here

HAPPY SUNDAY TO YOU ALL! 

Little Missy not well

 On Monday I heard Missy sneezing; once, twice and three times. We all remember the messages flying around the socials at the beginning of Covid-19 of a cat sneezing and every human and critter fleeing from the scene! 

However, I didn't imagine Missy had the virus. More like I need to watch her carefully. Within the next few hours, and again the next morning, I noticed that she wasn't dashing outdoors to lie and under the shrubs. She rather spent the day on top of the wardrobe.

The next night, she was lying on my bed and sneezed. And this time, there was the presence of blood.  I inspected her face; touched her nose gently: it was not dry and hot. Not being a vet, and caring very much for my furbabies, I decided to take her to the vet the next day.

On Wednesday morning I told Ronnie about Missy not being well and she urged me to take her to the vet. Easier said than done. I dusted off the cat carriers which have traveled all over Africa over the past two decades and before Missy could protest (she's a great protester!), I hustled her into the cage and locked the gate. 

I loaded her into the back of my car and we set off. As the car pulled out of the port, Missy started to meow. All of 49km to the vet in Estcourt, my ears were assailed by her loud wailing. When I stopped and took the cage from the back seat, she stopped and looked out at this new world. She hasn't been off the farm since mid-2018. 

Once inside the vet's rooms, he closed the window and asked me to remove her from the carrier. Missy grew up at the shop which I managed. She was always being petted and photographed and cooed over by passing trade.

 You'd think that she'd be sociable. 

Not on! 

I held and stroked her while the vet examined her but she shook and shivered and yowled all the while. She was terrified of this stranger! 

Very suspicious of this strange place 

The vet took a blood sample and took her temperature. The sample yielded nothing untoward; her temp was normal. 

He injected her with a broad spectrum antibiotic and cortisone to counteract any underlying fungal infection. 

Back in the carrier she went; I paid my vet's bill and loaded Missy in the back of my car. She immediately set up voice and top decibel and continued all the way home.

When I opened the cage on the veranda her at home, she peered out suspiciously. Then Mama and Skabby welcomed her with sniffs and nose nudges. I carried her indoors, onto my bed where she curled up and slept until that evening. 

At 8pm she stretched, sat up and looked around. She jumped off the bed and had a drink of water. A few pellets and she came back to bed, cuddled up to Mama and went to sleep.

Thursday morning, Ronnie popped in to see the patient and she was 100% better. 

Thank goodness.

I still cant think what caused the sneezing and other symptoms, but I am glad she's back to normal. 

Staying warm

 The cold weather set in for the weekend and come 5pm, there was only one place the Hedges kitties and dog wanted to be. In bed. Warm. And near Mum!

Missy and Mama at my side

Chappie at my feet 

Skabby on his own blanket not far from Mum 

Nothing has changed!

 

Last night as I returned from the bathroom, I stopped and surveyed the scene of my nocturnal resting place. The three cats seem to know/sense/feel when it's bedtime. And one by one, all three of them make themselves comfortable on my [single] bed.

And stretched out along the floor against my bed (not pictured), is my 60kg companion and all time fan, Skabby. 

And I wouldn't have it any other way...

Kitty journalist is back

Good morning Mum's blogger friends; this is Ambrose with the latest news of the Hedges household.

We all know Mum has a sore paw leg. I had a sore paw many years ago; Mum posted on Blogger about this:  I went to the kitty doctor in a beeeeg place with many cars riding the streets.

Mum is resting on the bed and Mama and Missy are on the bed with her. I sleep on the veranda at night and under a  bush in the sun in the daytime. 

Chappie stays near the heater in Mum's room.

 Chappie knows where it is warm

 Mum's bedroom office with her two assistants: Mama and Missy

 I, the Kitty Journalist waiting to get indoors early in the morning 

Here I watch to see where Mama is - she hisses and growls at me...

Life is back to normal in our house 

Rain messenger

Morning to all my blogger friends. It's Christmas holiday season here and I've been busy with delivering beauty products to customers, having my final motivational meetings with my weight loss group members, welcoming guests to my accommodation (I manage two now) and being in the shop all day. 

After a very hot and dry spell, we've finally had some rain. And I knew it was coming as my summer visitor, a rain spider had gone to the bottom of the wall in my bedroom.

 Bringer of good news: the rain spider 

 Mama Cass isn't aware of the spider behind her ! 

A close up of the spider near the floor 

We've had good soaking rains for the past two days. Bliss. Coolth. And an upsurge of customers on the veranda which means good business for us shop owners.

I'm linking to Saturday Critters here

HAPPY SATURDAY TO YOU ALL! 

More kitties on the veranda

Six weeks ago, John phoned and told me that a stray cat had had kittens in their cottage. He asked if he could bring mama and babies up to the Valley for adoption. The first thing I told him is that he'd be bringing coals to Newcastle. We have enough orphan kittens brought to the veranda. 

The next day he arrived at the shop, sans cat and kittens. He said they were too small;  he'd come up again when they were a little older. 

I'd almost forgotten about them when he sent me a Whatsapp of mama with kitties nursing. Their eyes were open and of course, they were so cute!

John's mother cat and her five kittens - 

at this stage on the North Coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal 

A week ago John and the three boys arrived at the shop. They had mama cat and kittens in a cat carrier. Colette, who'd set up a secure and quiet spot in the back of her hide shop, took them all out and placed them in their new home. 

 Mama cat and one of the kittens in their new home 

 We named her Callie and she was spayed on Tuesday. John helped with some of the vets' costs

 Two of the three dark gingers in a plastic bucket! 

A clutch of cuteness - all the kittens on a chair in Colette's shop

Callie has been moved to Colette's home where she will stay. 

Now here's the irony. We're 250 km inland from the Eastern Seaboard which is the Kwa-Zulu Natal coast. John lives north of Durban i.e on the North Coast. My SIL, Shelley (my birding mentor), placed the photo of Mama with nursing kittens on her Facebook page. A friend of hers shared it with her friends and a lady from the South coast which is south of Durban and of course 250km from the Central Drakensberg. This lady wanted two of the darkest ginger kittens. I said I'd see if I could find someone going to Durban where she says she can meet with the persons bringing the kitties. 

On Saturday a group of young ladies and a young lad were oohing and aahing over the kittens. Next minute the black one was spoken for. The same young woman who has taken the black kitten is returning on Tuesday and will take the two ginger kittens to Durban. 

I have connected the new owner on the South Coast with the young Durbanite and they'll arrange how to hand over the kitties.

Phew! 

Never a dull moment on the veranda! 

I'm linking to Saturday Critters with Eileen here

HAPPY WEEKEND TO YOU ALL! 

Walking the farm

I took these photos ten days ago on one of my and Skabby's  three walks on the farm.

Today, as we start to say goodbye to September, it's so warm, it's difficult to imagine the snow on the mountains only a short while ago! 

HAPPY THURSDAY TO YOU ALL!

Oops

I'm linking to Wordless Wednesday here

Doggie Critter with Mum

The weather has suddenly turned cold which caused me to buy a dressing gown. This is the first time I have worn a dressing gown in more than 30 years. But so be it. With long winter pants underneath and my fluffy sheepskin slippers, I am now warm when I get up and work around the house before going off to the shop. (By then, of course,  I've changed into my outdoor clothes!)

My new winter dressing gown, with my track pants just peeping over the stripey bedssocks and sheepskin slippers 

I'm joining Saturday Critters with Eileen here

Note: as this post is aired, I'll be on my way to a wedding: THE wedding of the year! Many hotels and resorts are offering viewing the royal wedding at their venues with cocktails,  cake and tea and lunch included. A group of friends have invited me to join them at a hotel in the valley. 

 HAPPY SATURDAY TO YOU ALL!

 

The cat enclosure

I recently posted about a new kitty with whom my cats will have to fraternize. 

Mr Tibbs arrived all the way from Australia about a month ago. He and his mama, Caroline live in the house we occupied while our cottage was being built. While he lived in Oz his yoomens built him a cat enclosure which ensured he could meander outdoors into the garden and yet be contained so that he didn't wander off. 

Here in SA, Caroline commissioned Grant to build Mr Tibbs an enclosure.Steve designed it and Grant  built it.  Next follows a whole series of photos which I have taken to show how [well] this enclosure works. 

 The one end of the tunnel is attached to a window in the lounge 

 Standing at the lounge window I photographed the tunnel running out across the patio. The other end of the tunnel opens out into a large garden enclosure 

 The garden enclosure which is shaded; has Astro Turf and real grass already growing on the left side of the enclosure. Mr Tibbs loves to nibble juicy grass fronds 

 Caroline is pointing something out to Grant; I can't remember what!  

 A side-on view of the tunnel and enclosure

 Mr Tibbs relaxing under the chair which is against the window from which his enclosure starts! 

 Mr Tibbs having his ears fondled by Uncle Grant 

 And out he goes! 

 These things can't be rushed, you know!  

 Mr Tibbs has potted shrubs as well as trees to climb in the enclosure 

 Hello, where you looking for me? 

 

 Here you can see the trees and stumps as well as the potted shrubs. The sandy area beyound the Astro turf on the right, is a natural sand pit for Mr Tibbs

 These things take time, you know...(Mr Tibbs contemplating entering his kingdom! )

 Aha! and in we go! 

 Mr Tibbs sits and looks around his domain...

...then lies down to survey his surroundings 

Isn't this the most ingenious idea ever?  Mr Tibbs even goes outdoors at night and his Mama doesn't have to worry about him getting lost of being hurt by other cats. 

I'm linking to Our World Tuesday here

HAPPY TUESDAY TO YOU ALL!