Comings and goings

It's been a busy year, so far as cat-collecting goes.

To recap.... in December 2008, almost a year ago to this day, I adopted Lottie from the animal charity that had been caring for her and devotedly feeding her up for a month. All I had to go on was this photo taken by the foster carer, but I knew as soon as she was carried in, still painfully, pitifully thin, and desperately over-friendly, that I was going to love her. She became lively and playful, and it became clear that dear ancient Kevin, who had been so lonely after losing his companions one by one over the years, wasn't going to be the companion that she needed - another young cat might be right for her. The same fostercarer had a houseful of kittens, and two months later, Millie arrived.

Lottie was outraged for a few days, employing the Death Stare to no avail, but suddenly found herself unable to resist becoming Millie's substitute mother and professional washer. Millie was, and remains, greatly attached to her. Kevin was old and doddery, but he enjoyed having the two youngsters around, and stopped being so clingy and anxious with me.

Later, after Kevin had died, Scooter made his way into the family through the false door cunningly marked Fostercare, and attached himself devotedly, if unreciprocatedly, to Millie. Scooter is now about 6 months old, and tomorrow he will have a new potential playmate, who arrives at 11 a.m.

I'm told that the little newcomer still spends a lot of time by choice in his cage. I can't imagine that he'll continue to do that for long with this bouncy, curious, adventurous crew! If they don't terrorise him, eat him alive, or frighten him up the chimney, he'll be persuaded out of that cage within a day or two by the allure of continuous, rumbustious fun, galloping up and down stairs, careering over the furniture (the climbing frame hasn't arrived yet!), wrestling, discovering a plethora of toys and by the sheer determination of three young cats to live life to the full. I'm bracing myself now.