Kitty News Update...

I'm sure you're dying to know how the Cardinal and Monsignor are getting along...

No? Well, you'll need to skip this post.

Cardinal Furretti is as affectionate and indolent as ever. She seems to spend the majority of her time asleep, but likes to do so in my company - and preferably on my lap. She is also displaying a jealous streak towards Miaowrini. I haven't seen any overt violence, but there must be some subtle form of communication going on.

The process goes something along these lines: Miaowrini finds a comfortable spot, and starts to spend more time there. Suddenly, Furretti is seen spending time there instead, so Miaowrini has to go elsewhere. Finally Furretti returns to her favourite spot (on my bed) but Miaowrini seems unwilling to go back to reclaim her spot.

In addition, Furretti sulks if I pay attention to Miaowrini. She actually turns her back on me, and moves away if I try to stroke her. Therefore I have to be careful to stroke Furretti first, if the two of them are present, or stroke Miaowrini when Furretti isn't watching...

After I've been away, Furretti does her best to show her disapproval by sulking. The problem is that she's such a "needy" cat that she has a really hard time doing this. She comes running towards me to greet me, then stops herself, turns her back on me and stalks away. That lasts all of two minutes, and then back she comes, eager to be petted and made a fuss of.

Monsignor Miaowrini, when I first got her, bolted whenever I turned to look at her, something I attributed to her experiences as a rescue kitten. Gradually she became less nervous, but she was a difficult cat to approach, and she hated to be picked up. She spent most of her time outside, and I vaguely wondered whether she was spending time in another house. Then, earlier this year, she had her accident, and was caged up for a few months. After that, she became far more affectionate, and of late she has started to run towards me to greet me when she comes home - she's also home much more than before. In addition, she now frequently allows herself to be picked up for a brief cuddle and head scratch.

I am moved by the fact that, despite the dreadful injury to her leg, Miaowrini had made her way back home, even though she must have had real difficulty getting up the kitty steps to the catflap. She obviously considers it a place of safety.

Miaowrini has been catching lots of mice and bringing them in, and, if I'm at home (and awake), she miaows loudly until I come to see what she's brought back. She has a very distinctive miaow for this purpose - almost triumphant. Furretti loves to chase whatever Miaowrini brings in, but I have only seen her bring in a mouse of her own on one occasion, so I assume that Miaowrini is responsible for most of the kills.

At the moment, I'm having one or two problems with feeding. The cats are being fussy. They have Purina One dried food available all the time, but both cats like (demand) wet food in the morning and in the evening. I've tried giving only dry food, but then the cats seem to throw up more frequently, and I'm not too keen on clearing up cat vomit.

Both of them dislike Felix, and they only like certain flavours of Sainsbury's own brand. They both like Purina One wet food, but that is prohibitively expensive, and the portion sizes are ridiculously small. Iams was initially received well by Furretti but not by Miaowrini. Whiskas has to be generously laced with (expensive) Felix cat treats before either cat will consider it. Furretti will often eat stuff if it is in Miaowrini's bowl, but Miaowrini won't eat stuff from Furretti's bowl. Both cats really like tinned tuna, but, as well as being expensive, and despite it being the variety with spring water rather than brine, it is apparently not good for the cats to have too much of it...

Don't waste time telling me that the cats will eat whatever there is if they're hungry enough. They don't. And cat food that has been left out for a day smells horrible. And I'm too soft to let them go hungry...