A Silent Thank You From Someone.

Well brought up kids indeed.

Yes, yes, I know I shouldn't call them kids but to us these feline divas are just that. We live with and for them, and aren't above going the extra mile for them. Only today I was driving Miss Tiggi up and down the driveway, listening to music and wouldn't you know, she has taken to lording it over the steering wheel like a duck to water. Soon she'll be coming for a drive to my parents with me...

Lately, old Tiggi who's been battling a drooping neck and general malaise, has perked up to no end and is holding her head up higher again. Been doing a bit of Reiki on her. Learnt it years ago and have rediscovered it with her. Or it might be the yummy food she's been dining on. All that recent attention on her has ruffled the feathers of Miss Maus to such an extent, that she often ignores me during the day only to perk up when Bob comes home from work!

Well, yesterday morning when I returned from my walk, I found a present waiting in the driveway, mere centimeters from a resting Tiggi. At first I didn't see it. No wonder really because as you can see it looked worse for wear. Nonetheless, I got my first present from a her. Clearly she must have wanted to thank me for making her feel better and better she is as earlier on I saw her jumping the gate as if she was a teenager again...

My first present from our feline kids. Of course I felt sad for the little rodent, but nature is nature. Rather telling that she prefers store bought food to real food...

Biggi

Tiggi, Slowing Down Traffic.

A hoot a minute.

She's deaf but not blind. I only know that because the minute she sees either one of us, her eyes light up and she comes trotting towards us in her odd old lady gait. Walking up behind her makes no difference to her because she can't hear. Sad, but that's life.

Her common sense seems to have left hand in hand with her hearing because she enjoys lounging languidly in the middle of our road. Yes, whenever I happen to glance out the window she's either sleeping soundly, rolling on her back or cleaning herself. Of course when I do see her I rush out like a mad hornet to carry her to safety. To little avail as she strolls back out the minute my back is turned.

The road is tres dangerous what with all the mad speedsters living in our road, but there is just no way for either Bob or I to keep guard outside our gate all day long. Of course when we do see her, we spring to action and carry her into our yard..

This morning saw me cutting our hedge ( or at least a small part of it ) into shape and whilst I was emulating Edward Scissorhands I heard a hoot, followed by another one. Yes, a car had stumbled upon old Tiggi and of course she didn't budge. I sent up a silent prayer that she'd be alright and not much later the car in question drove up to me and stopped .

Before he could even voice his ire over our cat, I hastened to explain our predicament to him. Luckily he is a lover of cats and I have heard via the grapevine that he almost spoils his feline family as much as we do ours.

" You know, you should get one of those Kangaroo pouches
and carry her around with you. "

...as much as he was giggling ( he is well into Grandfather age ) at his suggestion, the idea wasn't new to me and if he thought of it, one less villager would think me mad as a hatter if they'd see me strolling about with Miss Tiggi dangling dashingly from a Kangaroo pouch!

Well, at least now he will take the stretch around our house more slowly and at least from him, Tiggi is safe.

Biggi

A Clever Old Gal.

The Tiggi saga continues.

It has been raining buckets the last few days and along with horrid gusts of wind lasting all day and night, we have had less than nice May weather. At least we could be indoors which is more than can be said for our outside lodger, Tiggi.

The little cozy house that Bob has made for her stood empty. We speculate that she has a touch of forgetfulness about her or she just doesn't like the new blanket in it. Suffice to say that she decided to rather sleep underneath some shrubs, in the driveway and most shockingly of all, in the middle of the road. Suffice to say that both of us have been running around carrying her into her house ( in case she remembered its warm coziness ) many times to no avail.

Last night she never came home and added to the fact that she refused to eat breakfast, Bob and I were distraught at the thought that she might have entered the celestial portals. Off course we do realize that nature will take its course but still, she has found a little place in both of our hearts right next to Mausi.

When we woke up at five this morning we were overjoyed to see Tiggi sitting on the windowsill, looking slightly bedraggled and hungry. Overjoyed I rushed to find some food for her, put on shoes and ran outside. When she saw me she was besides herself with happiness and couldn't stand still for a second. Knowing she must have been hungry I bent forward next to the sill in order to put food into her dish. Well, luckily I am not faint hearted because all of a sudden Tiggi jumped onto my back and made herself comfortable. Bob, who was watching this through the window, shouted for me to be aware...as if I didn't feel her!

She wasn't trying to hurt me at all but merely wanted to be close to me. As I couldn't stand up without hurting her, Bob had to come out to dislodge her from my back. We eventually got her to eat and settle down a bit...that is until Bob went back out a bit later for a smoke.

All I heard was a big scream from Bob. Turns out she had sidled up to his legs and before he knew what she was planning to do she had literally jumped up his legs trying to be in his arms, using her claws to get leverage. Rather funny if the same wasn't on the cards for me. All she wants to do is be on my lap or in my arms for a cuddle and thus her new place to rest is in front of our door, so that we can't escape her attention...

Biggi

A Toothless Tiggi.

A new discovery.

I only noticed yesterday whilst cuddling her on my lap that her mouth sports a gap. Yes, our darling Tiggi has lost her teeth and as sadly there are no cat-dentures on the market, yet, we have to make a different plan with regards to meals.

Both of our cats at times get a treat, a treat they seem to love and one that resembles a slim salami, nicely flavoured but though as nails which I discovered this morning when Tiggi battled like crazy to eat one of the little pieces I'd broken off for her. Shame, poor darling.

Not that I have looked for them but I am sure there must be treats for senior cats on the market. As I said to Bob earlier on, the next lot of food for her will have to be the soft, no-need-to-be-chewed kind. Mausi has a small selection of pates in her food larder, which I know she at times refuses to eat ( maybe she'd rather wait until old age when she's got no other choice ) so they have been designated for our toothless gal.

With every passing day this gal keeps melting my heart further and further. She now jumps onto my lap when I sit on the front door step and the two of us sit like that for at least ten minutes. Her purring and cuddling into my lap and I glad to give her a feeling of being loved towards the latter half of her life.

This morning when my folks came over for a Mother's day breakfast, Tiggi was as usual outside in the driveway and the minute she spotted mum, she rushed up to her to be picked up. So, when I came to the door to give mum a hug, she was already busy giving a long hug to an ecstatic Tiggi...

Biggi

Driving Miss Tiggi.

The plot thickens...

As you know, our little wildcat has become a pussy cat. Sweet and cuddly with a mind of her own. Just the other day she decided to grace our new neighbours with a visit that lasted all night. Yes, I found out that she shivered on my neighbour's veranda and thus has managed to procure a second home. A shelter from us?

Mum says that she was looking for me and got lost but for whatever reason she left for the night, we are glad that she has somewhere to go to. Although I did ask Stephanie not to feather Tiggi's nest too well as I would miss her terribly if she changed residence.

Having missed her so much this one night ( she is back home again ), I now take extra care to make her feel at home. Bribing her with a new lushious blanket in her lair and a vitamin paste for dessert. I know, I know!

A few moments ago I came home from work and was faced with a cat lounging on our driveway waiting for my return and when she did see our red car, said cat jumped up and ran towards me and the car. Any thought of driving swiftly up to the garage was negated by her constant return to the middle of our driveway even though I did get out three times to carry her to the windowsill, flower pot and doorway. Anywhere but the car's path.

Apart from looking like a fool for any neighbouring eyes watching our red car inch backwards and forwards in the driveway there was only one solution. I got out, picked up the gal, got back in the car with her on my lap and leisurely drove up our driveway. Miss Tiggi was as good as gold, happy as a camper and looked into my eyes as though to tell me, that this is now the new norm. Oh dear, I haven't told Bob yet...

Biggi

Our Feral Cat Has Morphed To Being Our Baby Cat.

A laugh a minute.

Not that long ago old Tigger used to scatter away from us whenever she caught sight of us but now, just the opposite, she toddles towards us. Clever as she is, her new spot to lounge is outside the front door and sadly, regardless of rain or shine. She stays there in order not to miss out on seeing us, often though, mainly me.

Hanging up washing, a shadow. Taking the rubbish out to the bin, a shadow. Going to the car, a shadow. Cute indeed, but slightly alarming too. Tigger lives dangerously. She thinks nothing about casually lounging in the middle of our driveway, when we, Bob or I are reversing on it. Bating us to spend more time with her. Often when Bob leaves for work in the morning I hear him hoot and know that said cat is delaying his departure by lounging near his car. Only way to solve that problem is by hooting for moi to assist.

Not so when I am on my own, as I was this morning. On the way to help mum, I tried to be on time but alas, it took me five minutes to get out of our driveway. Tigger followed me to the garage, laid herself comfortably in the path where I had to reverse and despite hooting, refused to move. Like one of those silent black & white movies, yours truly got out of the car, walked to lounging cat, picked her up and put her gently on the bench outside our house. First time I walked back to the idling car only to find her missing from my rear view mirror which meant she'd moved again. Not bad for an old gal.

Oh yes, there she was again on the path, grinning up at me. Second time around I hastened my gait slightly back to the idling car but only got my pace right on the third and last try. I just managed to pass her without her being in any danger of the rolling tyres. Dear Tigger, what on earth?

Coming back home later, after doing some shopping, the whole sequence of events described above took place in reverse. Gee whizz, it took me three tries to get her out of the drive way and the car up it. She thinks it is sheer joy to be picked up by mummy and honestly, I see trying driving times ahead.

Earlier I went outside to talk to some workmen across the road and there she was, sprinting at high speed to be at my side and to save her from an oncoming lorry, I picked her up and held her in the crook of my left arm whilst talking to the workman. Oh, she was enjoying it and nary moved a paw. And to think that she was feral for so many years...

Biggi

Life's Moments.

Little bits of wisdom gained.

Oh, who hasn't had them? Those moments where everything seems to have lost its shine, moods are moody to say the least and thoughts are annoyingly clouded by the ' glass half empty ' lens and words are weighed minutely on the scale of outrage. Luckily these moments are fleeting and can be blown away by the tiniest of things, deeds or words.

Our treasure Tigger has morphed into a real sponge for our moodiness. How could I not discard any loitering unhappiness when the moment I open the door to step outside she comes running in that awkward gait of hers, beaming from ear to ear? She has shaken off any last remnants of shyness and lives her days trying to get close to us.

Her new abode de rest is right outside our front door and when we are out, she reclines a bit further down our driveway with a view of the gate. Doesn't want to miss out on seeing us return. In fact, we often have to stop the car, get out and shoo her to the side lest she thinks that the car won't hurt her. Yes, both her eyesight and hearing is slipping but then again, when she spots us, her legs kick into a faster gear.

Animals have a unique ability to make us forget troubles, problems and situations even if for just a few minutes. Animals have the most special characters and idiosyncrasies that attest to their intelligence. Tigger has now realized that we are there for her and has placed her little heart and life in our hands...

Don't worry, our princess Mausi is still top-dog in our house and has enough personality to wrap both of us around her little paw although the last few days she has been giving a running commentary, complaint and orders to Bob non-stop which I can only equate to young kids irritating their parents by asking ' Why? ' all day long. Oh yes, the patience of even this saint is tried...

Biggi

Cuddling With Tigger.

Old and graceful.

Funny how in her old age she has taken to me. When she hears the car coming up the driveway she sprints in her old gait along side it and throws googly eyes at me. Me or the food that I give her. Tigger, our original cat, the cat whose house we moved into.

She still has feral traits but we must have rubbed off on her because she loves sleeping in soft blankets, baskets or her own handmade cat-house. It took us years before we got a chance to stroke her. Only at feeding times and only with slow movements. But we felt so rewarded for even the littlest of affections from our feral cat.

The last few weeks she has galloped to her food bowl when I came to it laden with cat delicacies, only to stop and demand a cuddle before eating. Have you ever? Trying to get her used to being picked up, I have picked her up carefully under her belly and lifted her up towards my knees whilst taking baby gibberish. Bob and mum thought I was a nutter but Tigger adored it in her own way. She did the infamous figure of eight cat circle around my feet.

This morning, after my walk I went into her abode and sat at the floor. At first she wasn't too sure what I was up to but then she edged on over and rubbed her head against my leg. I picked her up and sat her into my lap, not knowing how she would react or if I would be scratched. Well, after a few seconds of being unsure, she settled into my lap and let herself be cosseted by me. It was so divine, and something Bob and I would have loved for her to do when we first arrived.

Unfortunately she is of an age where she forgets to go to the lavatory and thus wouldn't be able to live with us inside. Not to mention the jealous Miss Mausi. As for Tigger, she will be spoiled rotten until she heads for the pearly gates...

Biggi

Felines Rule.

Tiggi, my heroine.

As you know, she and I have a ritual at feeding time; a long cuddle first and then din dins. Gosh, in her old age she has taken to Bob and I, become a mother hen to Mausi who by the way ignores her totally, and has shed most of her fear toward humans and revealed her true heart. A one in a million cat.

The older she gets the thinner she looks which is why I tend to go and spoil her with a double helping of food at night. One can of the best ( Mausi doesn't like certain flavours so I re-gift them ) and a sachet of the normal stuff. A feline rice and gravy affair. She is ever so grateful for any and all food we give her and has manners enough to finish what's on her plate unlike certain other prima donna's.

Last night or rather early this morning the princess and I migrated to the lounge where I opened the window wide, hoping like crazy that during my odd phases of slumber Mausi wouldn't tear through the mosquito netting and abscond into the dark yonder. Whenever I wake to turn onto my side I first look to see that she's still on the right side of the window. Tiggi often is on the other side, keeping an eye on her.

A sound other than a pretend murder on TV woke me. A howling, whining and hissing fit outside. Tiggi was defending her window perch to her lungs content or perhaps she was guarding Mausi from a strange tomcat doing the rounds. I have never heard her so defensive which makes me wonder if it wasn't the fox. Mausi was shaking in her boots and eventually jumped onto my lap for safety. Her guardian meanwhile was moving to the next level of defense; she threw herself off the sill at who or whatever was lingering below it. Accompanied by a healthy feline war cry.

Knowing that I couldn't interfere never mind how dark it was outside, I went back to sleep hoping she'd be okay. When I woke up later on I was thrilled to see her sitting looking in, all in one piece as if nothing had happened. A cat in a million. She has taken our darling under her wing and so far has made sure to protect her from any dangers. Tomcats mostly! I think she deserves those extra treats on a daily basis...

Biggi

Tigger Has Turned Into A Carbon Copy Of Mausi, The Primadonna.

Bad habits and so forth.

Where do I start in regards to our little Mausi? Cute as she is, she can lead us a merry dance and have us jump however high she wants us to. Bob more so than I! Food is our Achilles heel and her pea. If she doesn't like the first whiff of a dish, she'd rather starve than eat it. There have been times when I've mumbled something about money not growing on trees but she merely puts her nose in the air, flicks her tail and stomps off.

Bob tends to fall for her theatrics and gives her something else but lately on the sly as I am more old school.

" Eat what's on your plate. There are cats starving in Africa. "

...wonder where I've heard this before?

Those times when Mausi decided to throw meal tantrum, I would pick up her plate and take it outside to a deserving audience. Remember, Tigger our almost domesticated feral cat lives permanently on our lounge's window sill. She thinks it's Christmas when she can have those unwanted vittles, especially when she notices Mausi standing there with jealousy written all over her.

Well, as they say, the plot thickens...the other day, when I put out the vittles for Tigger and the other two feral lodgers ( naturally it is the cheaper kind and all due respect to them, but they are able to hunt for mice at their leisure, which Mausi isn't able to ) Tigger did a Mausi and decided to forgo her meal in order to wait for something more appealing. What had gotten into her? Normally she'll eat anything and everything but now she has gone upmarket in her tastes...

As you can imagine, Bob instead of giving her a lecture has turned the tables on me and admonished me for buying such cheap food. Well, I stuck to my guns for a day but when I heard her painful wheezing, my heart melted and along with it my principles. She is very old, has supported herself and more than likely a dozen litters for many years through the depth of Winter and the furnace of Summer so that now she deserves to live the rest of her live in culinary heaven...

Tigger's abode on the outside of our lounge's window sill. Glad she's taking life a bit easier...

Bob designed and made this cat's castle outside of our lounge window just before last Winter.

Biggi

A Back Is Turned.

Small stuff does create happiness...

Since we've moved in here we've been providing culinary support for our feral cat for a number of reasons; we were fresh of the turnip truck and believed she couldn't catch her own, we liked having the word cat-owners apply and she was so darn pretty. Well, still is although her hips are giving her sporadic spots of bother and her stomach almost dusts the floor. Oh, and she keeps lolling her tongue out.

Since Bob's created a windowsill abode for her, she has finally understood that we are not creatures to be feared but are there to help her. How else could she interpret the luxurious piece of lamb skin, padded cat-bed and various old woolen socks and jerseys clustering her nest? I think the penny has dropped for her. I have mentioned that she gets extra portions of food to enjoy her retirement with, haven't I ?

We've been able to gently stroke her in that lair but as soon as we put food out for her, she scatters at great speed although a bit hindered with her aching hips.

Coming back from work yesterday morning I saw her lazying out on the ledge, soaking up every bit of sunshine. When I walked past her, close enough that she normally would madly scatter, she looked at me and stayed. Well well I thought, now that is a change and worth a closer inspection.

Through her vantage point outside our lounge window she's been privy to the many and numerous ways that we spoil Mausi including her ultimate show of feline love when she flips onto her back and exposes her belly to be rubbed.

As I stopped next to Tiggi and reached out to stroke her she stayed put and to my utter amazement, she proceeded to flip onto her back, letting me stroke her tummy. No mean feat on a narrow ledge but she so enjoyed it, that her tongue was out at the side of her mouth and she was drooling and purring with utter pleasure and dare I say, love.

After seven years of not being able to touch, let alone stroke her, this new show of trust has melted my heart even further and reminded me that true happiness can't be bought...

Biggi

Oh, What A Copy-Cat.

Alarmingly, our window sills are endless...

It almost gets to the point where Bob and I get hissed at by other cat owners when we mention that our feline princess is a pure and utter house cat. She's got the run of the house and of course our hearts.

Since her majesty has moved in, our lovely feral cat, Tigger, has become more domesticated too. Despite our daily offerings of food, we still haven't been able to stroke her. Although, there is a ray of hope as the distance is closing.

Both of us are pretty sure that Tigger thinks that our Mausi is a descendant of a line of feline royals. How else would she explain to herself the fact that this little cat spends hours on our laps, sits on the couch, get's hand fed tidbits, chases a little blue rubber ball around and to top it off, she is as warm as toast inside.

You might ask how our feral cat knows this; well, for the last few months she ( in her old years ) has hefted herself onto our window sill in order to have a front seat to the royal lifestyle. At times she sleeps on it and I have to be honest and admit that a few times I did get a bit startled to see a big dark shadow looming outside the window.

As a loyal royal subject she spends hours on this sill, awaiting her feline audience. When we open the window, Mausi sniffs her for a few seconds, but then looses interest and goes back to her luxurious life. All under the yearning and watchful gaze of Tigger.

Bob even gives cat treats to our sill resident each day, which means that once or twice we've been able to give her a quick pat on the back. Rather cute.

If you remember, I did tell you that there is a long queue of 2-3 cats ( some feral and one from our neighbour down the road, who obviously doesn't serve as good a spread as we do ) each and every day waiting to get a bit from Tigger's bowl. Bob is so concerned that she might starve, that he stands watch after feeding her and often I can hear a;

" Shoo, get away you silly cat! "

Well, the other day I got a big surprise. As I walked into our bedroom I looked outside its window and stopped in my tracks. Can you believe it...there was another sill dweller in residence. A gray tabby has started to copy our cat Tigger and has taken ownership of the back bedroom window sill...

Dear cats and felines everywhere...we still have a few sills available...

Biggi

Who's the boss here?

A Jaded Princess Gets A New Throne.

Will she ever conduct her business on it, after yesterday?

Bob and Albert have laboured for weeks to get an outside area established. You know, one of those where it's fun to sit, watching the world go by while sipping ever so casually on a chilled glass of Grüner Veltliner. Don't be alarmed, I can also sip a glass of our local specialty inside our house...

It seems that while we can now sit and watch the cars drive by ( Friday evenings seem a real traffic jam with at least 10 cars passing by during the evening... ) our little princess, princess Tigger of Eisenberg, had watched Bob and Albert slave away to create this new bit of scenery.

At one stage Bob and I went to the local quarry to get a ton of stones and from her little hiding hole, Tigger must have watched with cat glee while Master Bob unloaded wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of various little stones. I can just imagine a cat thought flitting through her mind:

" Finally they are doing something for me and building me a place to while the time away waiting for food. "

Some finishing touches must still be done, but it is divine and ever so comfortable. Complete with recycled pig troughs which were in one of the barns and are now being used as flower beds. All around the sitting area is a moat of tiny pebbles for anchorage and also to give it pizzazz.

Well, did we get a note of pizzazz yesterday. Bob was out working somewhere and I took a quick break out on this deck. My feeling of contentment with the world got a slight shake because all of a sudden the strongest whiff of a not-so-pleasant aroma accosted my nostrils. Good grief, what had she eaten?

On closer inspection, I realized that our Tigger had decided to make our deck into her own personalized throne and had left a little cat sausage lying prominently on the outer ring of pebbles. Either she was lazy or she didn't bury it on purpose. Let's face it, she was staking her claim or marking her territory!

When Bob came back, I did the only thing I could:

" Bob, come and have a look what your cat has done."

and even before he got close enough to see it, the wall of smell hit him straight on. Bravely he did the deed and took the offending bit away. But now we had a conundrum. Cats are creatures of habit and our princess Tigger even more than most. As we can't sit there all day watching out for her in case she ambles by with a newspaper in hand, we had to come up with a plan.

My Mum kindly offered us some mothballs to put there, but no offence, I would rather smell Tigger's offerings than a mothball's pungent aroma. As animals are not so overly fond of pungent smells, Bob and I tried a new idea. We have so much lavender growing outside our front door and we broke off some twigs to lay them on the pebbles. It actually looks rather pretty and contrast nicely with the grey hue of the pebbles.

So far so good. No smelly cat poo yet. Of course if that doesn't do the trick, Bob and Albert will have to create a smaller version of our deck, and right outside Tigger's lair too.

Biggi

Dandelions And An Almost Hidden Cat.

A gardener's restraint, brings a whole lot of natural awesomeness.

There is a bank in the garden where the dandelions are heads above their fellow dandelions living on the straight and narrow of our garden. Bob's been itching to mow their abode, but I've persuaded him to wait a few more days. Urban jungle isn't all bad!

To the left of these dandelions is their fan base of green blades, waving in the wind. Absolutely fabulous.

Another dose of herbs...oh yes, dandelion tea is very good for one. It doesn't taste bad either. Dandelions are also the landing place of many bees and yet another reason to delay the mower.

The famous wagon wheel does look better with the green support.

Do you think we feed her too much? The camera does add 10 pounds, doesn't it?

Madam is not amused! She has perfected that bored look of a model. Yet, she loves the long grass and flowers all around her and when she thinks we're not looking, she wallows in this long grass.

Too be honest, our little feral Tigger is a good sport and lets me take endless amounts of photos. There she is posing in her go-to place of safety. Her inner sanctuary which ironically leads to the pigsty.

Biggi

One, Two, Three And Your Pet Has Got The Key To Your Heart.

A tale of a couple and their cat...

Somehow, Bob and I never thought that much about pets until we moved here to Burgenland. A good friend of ours had a whole household full of pets and as nice as it was to visit and cuddle the dog and odd cat ( they are those notoriously fickle lot ), we went home and never gave it much thought except to pull a few dog or cat hairs of our clothes.

As you know, we have grown extremely fond of our Tigger. Yes, she is our darling and rules our roost. Just one of her glances, and might I say, that they are worthy of a few Oscars, has us in parental bliss or guilt. Should we dare leave too soon to her meal time without giving her a meal, she can expertly mimic a guilt-inducing hungry look and languish on the lawn as if too weak to do much else!...Oh, that little rascal.

To be honest, a few times these looks have worked like a charm and I reopened the house to feed her early. How can I not, when she looked oh so endearing and cute. As much as Bob gets the mutters, he willingly waits while I feed her and there has been many a time, when he nudged me not to forget Tigger.

Like any actress, she knows her cue and has made a big plank of wood ( conveniently positioned opposite our kitchen window ) her daily perch...come rain or shine. Clearly, she remembers the odd occasion when we did forget to feed her. Never mind that our garden is a natural Deli, worthy of any cat's taste and cravings.

I got home late yesterday afternoon and it was way past her feeding time. Even though I hadn't seen Bob all afternoon, the first thing I said was:

" Honey, have you fed the cat? "

and why wouldn't he...Bob is as besotted with our little feral Tigger as I am. In fact, the two of us have this little competition of who our cat gets closer to. Oh yes, she has got us wrapped around her little paw.

If you have ever shopped for pet food, you'll know that the pet food isle is almost longer than the baby food isle in any supermarket. Clearly we are not the only pet lovers, crazy enough to pamper their little treasures. Goodness me, you can even buy diet cat food ( gosh, what next? )...but rest assured, we haven't crossed that line yet, and our little pet gets nothing too special.

Over the years, I have kind of learnt that she prefers 3,5% Milk and only because she left any milk that was less fat. But, with food, I have become a strict Mummy...if she doesn't finish her food, I won't put more in her bowl until it's empty. She only tried this once or twice, and now her bowl is empty when I get to fill it again...

P/S: We love our little cat.

Biggi

Our little darling striking a pose.

A Non-Stop Supply Of Field Mice.

Why don't we change our address to Mouse Plaza?

Oh, of course we have a cat. A big feral one. A feral cat that might have been a bit over domesticated by yours truly. Who can resist a favoured pet's bashful glances? As pet owners we are putty in her paws...Only an ogre wouldn't give in and supply a delectable and never ending array of cat foods.

Bob and I are so valiantly trying to woo our feral cat, that we have added a ' leave in the tray most of the day ' ration of dry cat food. Each of us secretly wants to be the first one to stroke our little Diva. As much as she plays the Diva, the moment either of us gets too close she does the ten yard dash in record time. A dash away from us, I might mention. Silly billy...can't she see the offering in our hands?

Even the other night I woke up in the middle of it fretting that I had forgotten to put the vittles out for Tigger. I was even contemplating putting a emergency ration on a piece of paper outside our front door ( The shed where we feed her doesn't have any lighting ). When I mentioned my fear to Bob, he reminded me that he had already fed her. No angry looks to be expected from our diva.

There's the rub though. As we feed her so marvelously and amply, she has no need to toy with the non stop mouse guests that sneak past her. They must do so, because I know Tigger sits on our front step and the smell of a mouse is to her as the smell of a piece of just grilled steak is to Bob. Instant attraction unless they are not hungry.

As you know, these past few weeks have been a mouse nightmare in our house. Not one, not two but four mice have had to face the music . As cautious as I am, I have made sure to put a few mouse-exit stations around our house. Bob thought I was over dramatizing as per usual.

" But Bob, I can smell there is mouse wee in our house. "
" Stop being so paranoid. There is no more mouse in our house! "

...oh well, seeing that Bob didn't believe me, I merely moved the mouse-encounter-stations out of sight and even put cheese in them myself. Doubting Thomas didn't need to know.

Dozing on the couch yesterday afternoon, tha distinct signal that a mouse had nibbled on the cheese penetrated my sleepiness. Whack! When I told Bob what had happened and that he needed to go and have a look, he rolled his eyes but lead the way. After all, he is the head check out clerk at Mouse Plaza.

He couldn't believe it when he saw yet another mouse. No.5 in our mouse saga. Before you judge us as terrible for ending any mouse's stay at Mouse Plaza, remember that they do carry disease and crawl about anywhere they feel like with great mouse-abandon!

Biggi

A real posing Diva....too lovely with a character that keeps us highly entertained. Now if she could only start to stop the mice entering our house!

My Cat Has Gone Potty.

Cats and dogs are the best comedians for sure.

Those rare moments of genuine laughter are quite often caused by our pets. Aren't those droll actions they take the best elixir?

Have you also noticed how much character our pets have? Only yesterday I was talking to a friend who was on her way to do the " Gassi Runde " ( German phrase for enticing your dog to transact business outside ) with her dog, and was again reminded of how fabulous animals are.

Just like men tend to get impatient when we women get talking, so my friend's dog turned around and gave me one of those glances...

" Oh, are you still talking? Get on with it, I want to go already! "

and believe me, I got the message.

As you know, we inherited a cat with our house. To put it more correctly, Bob and I moved into her house and are sharing her space! The privilege of cuddling her is sadly still denied to us but we live in hope to crack the nod, hear the purr or feel the warmth of a cuddly feline body doing the figure eight between our ankles.

Tigger's antics are priceless and Bob and I get so much enjoyment out of them and often a good laugh too. One of her most favourite treats is to watch me do anything to do with laundry. She has a laundry radar and pops her head out of her chambers as soon as she hears me shake out a wet shirt, sock or towel. Those are the rare moments when she comes closest to me. She is my most loyal spectator when I hang the washing on the line. Too cute.

Well this week she upped the ante. Who knows where she was ( somehow I suspect she collects morsels at several neighbours too ) but she missed the whole laundry affair. Well, not a problem for Tigger. Bob called me to see how cute and slightly dotty she was.

There she was sitting in the flower pot. Bob and I burst out laughing but I still ran to get the camera. Gosh, she must have been a model in her past life as she loves to pose. With camera in hand she lets me get rather close...

Now you get an idea why she perched and pretended to be a bit potty. She was so miffed that she had missed out on my hanging the laundry up, that she made sure to not miss me when I took it down. Of course it helped that this was also a sun kissed spot. Oh, our cat is the best!

Biggi

Roses Are Red, Grapes Are Blue & Geese Seem To Have Fun Too!

Guess what I saw on my morning walk...

A lot of the individual rows of vines have roses planted at the front. Different coloured ones. It seems that in the olden days, the roses were planted as a sort of warning signal for the vintners. If the rose looked less than well, it stood to reason that the vines might be affected. Rather clever & beautiful too.

" One, two, three, four... "
" Quick, let's hide. "

" Go away, that is my hiding place. "
" Oh no, where should I hide? "
" ...nine, ten! "
" He's coming! "

When I came home from my walk yesterday morning, little Tigger was waiting for me. Yet, she looked surprised to see me and I tend to think that she was catching a few rays of sunshine! What a clever kitty.

At least you can see that we feed her very well. In fact my Mum says too well, because we have mice in our roof. Did I mention that the roof is Tigger's bedchamber? Oh, she is never hungry enough to catch a mouse or two...

Biggi

A Daily Visit From The Neighbourhood Freeloader!

No wonder we go through so much food...

You know, I couldn't believe my eyes. Who comes slinking around the corner of our gate, cool as a cucumber looking as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth? Oh, it was Chekov ( he has black and white checks ), the neighbourhood tomcat, or should I say Lothario . Yes, he who puts on a concert to burst your eardrums when he is fighting over what I took to be our cat Tigger. Turns out he might have been fighting over her food...

Those set time schedules that I have been keeping for Tigger's feeding time will have to change. How predictable am I when even Chekov knows when to slink around for extras. I know for a fact that his ' parents ' feed him big time. Yet, maybe our brand tastes a tad bit nicer or more a case of fighting off Tigger for a portion of her grub.

" Bob, I think we should ask for cat-a-money from your friend. "

naturally I was teasing Bob but he was horr-i-fied to the extreme, imagining his wife knocking on his friends door and asking for cat-a-money!!! Ha, Ha, Ha.

For a while I have been putting extra portion on Tigger's plate, because she is looking a bit thinner than normal. How could I have known that she had to share? She is such a good little cat. Not once did I hear an angry hiss from her. No, she is a lady and just steps aside and watches from the sidelines.

Even yesterday while I did some work in our Summer - kitchen ( oh no, it's not what you think, but a ramshackle side building that we need to fix up ) she watched from a safe distance yet always made sure she could see me. Or was it a case of me seeing her and feeding her. Oh, Bob and I love that little thing and unbeknownst to each other, we try and win favour by putting in various treats while the other isn't looking! Pathetic, aren't we?

But, I mustn't be too harsh on Chekov. Bob has heard that both Tigger & Chekov were born on our property when the previous owner was still alive. Once he passed away, they had to fend for themselves. Chekov simply moved a few houses down and Tigger stayed put. Somehow I seem to remember another neighbour telling me that over Winter he had always put out food for the feral cats. Bless him.

Tigger must be quite an age now. A grand old lady. I would like to think that she can live a nice retirement lifestyle here on our property. Meal times will have to be worked on...

Biggi

Seen One Dummy, Seen Them All?

These dummies takes the top prize...

Driving leisurely through our village ( and really, is there any other way to drive through such a spot of beauty? ) I saw a real dummy on my right. Oh no, lest you are wondering, I was driving on my own! By the time it registered, I was past it and made a mental note to take photographic proof of this dummy.

Once you get used to living in a small village you also learn new driving habits. At least I have done. To take a picture of this dummy, I just pulled up alongside it and stopped the car. I did indicate of course as I whizzed down my window in true 21st century fashion ( at least the backseat windows are still 20th century powered ones with a handle as opposed to a button ) and took aim.

Our two Easter dummies. Aren't they beautiful? Framed by this divine pink blossom cloud? This is such a child friendly place. The children are put first and the village makes it interesting for them. Walking around the streets you can see a lot of shrubs adorned with multi - coloured Easter eggs. When the kids walk home from school ( yes, they can safely do that ) they see little bits of fun stuff along the way. Luckily, the eggs aren't chocolate ones and that makes sure the displays last through the Easter period.

Mr & Mrs E. Bunny sitting on a bench...isn't this just the best? There is a " make our village beautiful " club in the village and the ladies have outdone themselves. They put oases of interest, colour & garden beauty around the village. Once a year the villages get judged for Prettiest village and this is a contender for sure.

Our cat Tigger must have a sense of drama and I have noticed her to be a tad bit of a Drama Queen. Coming back from photographing Mr & Mrs Bunny, she had the foresight to put on a pose in her garden.

Ah, she knows what gets me to take out the camera . At least you can see that she is not short of food.

Bob and I are getting rather good at taking her picture. Bob got her to change her pose a slight bit.

At the moment our whole wine mecca is a smorgasbord of green. Light, dark, emerald to name but a few. This is a photo taken yesterday afternoon and it was so overwhelmingly nice, that here it is. It is always better in real life though!

Biggi