Well, I’m so happy because it turns out I’ve been good again this year and Santa Paws brought me a lovely present. I was a bit worried as I’ve been a bit naughty this year, what with free running up the tree, peeing in mummy’s planters and climbing on the tv unit. Having said that though I have helped mummy with her work, snuggled with Peppar to make him feel better, played with my sisters and taken mummy for walkies to keep fit. Maybe the lap snuggles with mummy also helped with being on the good list instead of the naughty one.

I was very excited on Christmas Eve so when we went out for walkies I couldn’t help but keep a lookout for Santa, just in case he needed me to guide him to our flat. Mummy said that he wouldn’t come whilst I was awake but I just had to check so I climbed high up the tree so that I could check for myself with my blindie super senses, I listened as hard as I could but couldn’t hear anything at all, no jingle bell, no reindeer hooves, nothing. I sniffed the air thinking that I might at least smell the reindeers or the smell of magic Santa but nothing except the familiar sounds of the park and the trees and animals nearby. That evening worn out after climbing, running and playing I drifted off to sleep hoping that I would wake in the morning and know that I had been in the good list.

Christmas Day was such fun, I got up early to see if Santa had left me anything under our cat tree, there were lots of presents and I sniffed as many of them as I could reach but even with my sense of smell I couldn’t tell if any of them were for me. I would just have to wait until mummy and daddy get up. It seemed like days and days before they got up coz I was so excited. Finally they woke up and we were all running round them, saying “ Hurry up, hurry up, we wanna open our presents” “ok, hang on just a bit longer and we’ll all open our presents together as a family.” There were lots of presents to help open and we had such fun playing in all the crinkly paper that we all thought that was our present until daddy said “Jenny, this ones for you”. Wow I was on the good list after all and I started to paw at the paper to find out what was inside. With daddy’s help I opened the present and mummy described it to me whilst I sat on the wrapper and had a good sniff. I had got a lovely box with my name on it to keep my bandana’s and bow ties in. What a fashion diva I’m gonna be from now on with such a beautiful box. Millie got a toy bag to keep all her nobbly balls in, Angelin got a Christmas blanket and more of her favourite crinkle wands and Peppar got a new snuggle bed and special bowl to help him eat now he’s got no teeth and we all got some new placemats for our food bowls. We were all so happy, we can of course all share the presents and it turns out Millie really likes the blanket and I inspected the toy bag which Angelin also likes to stick her head in, hopefully I’ll get to share Peppars new snuggle bed like I did the old one (which mummy says is gross and needs a wash) but no-one can share my box, it’s just for me and has my name on it, no one else has any bandanas or bow ties, I feel like such a special and lucky girl.

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We didn’t get to spend the day with mummy’s brother as we normally do but mummy and daddy spoke to their families on the screen like mummy does for her work meetings, of course as usual we were all paraded onto the screen (we all pretended to be asleep and looking extra cute but we knew what was going on). Then mummy cooked dinner which smelt yummy, so yummy that all us girls joined them at the dinner table in the hope we could sneak a mouthful or two or at least remind them we were there so they didn’t forget to save us some. We took it in turns to sneak paws onto the table to get a closer sniff of what they were eating, each time we got a “ No Jenny, No Millie, No Angelin; no paws allowed on the table, you’ll get a taste soon enough” We shouldn’t have worried as they always save us some of whatever they eat and Christmas dinner is no different Peppar just let us get on with scamming dinner and then just appeared to reap the rewards once mummy and daddy had put some down for us – he’s so wise. We also got to help mummy and daddy open their presents and one of them was a big giant play pit with lots of crinkly things in it and Angelin’s favourite – shredded paper. We all helped find all the gifts hidden in the depths of the box, I dug and dug and helped mummy find some bottles which she was very pleased about. “Good girl Jenny you found the wine!”. Then as a reward we got to play with the crinkly bits and Angelin ran around stealing all the paper shreds to play with.

We had such an ameowzing day we were all so spoilt with such lovely gifts 🎁 and after having my usual afternoon walkies with mummy I was exhausted so I snuggled down for a nap on mummy’s lap with Peppar, dreaming of all the designer bandanas and bow ties I’m gonna put in my special box.

For me everyday is like Christmas I still can’t believe that I am so lucky and have a wonderful home to live in and explore, as much food as I can eat and a loving, caring family who encourage and allow me to be me. For me that is enough but to get presents on top of all that is just the best and most purrfect life I could ever have wished for.

At this time of year mummy and daddy keep telling us we’d better be good or else Santa Paws won’t come, well, I’m pretty sure I’ve been good for most of the year, well, in all honestly I have been a bit naughty but only really mischievous naughty not really naughty. I hope that’s ok, mischief is just part of me, part of who I am and what makes me a curious adventure cat. Just as a precaution though I thought I’d better start being extra good so these are my top tips on how to get onto Santa’s nice list.

1. Help mummy wrap the Christmas presents. Even us cats know that to wrap a present you always need an extra set of paws to fold, hold or stick the paper down with. As mummy rolls the paper out I sit on it to stop it curling back up. Then as she pulls out the sticky tape I make sure it can’t attack her by swatting it with my paw and making it stick to the paper.Plus our sharp teeth and claws mean we can help shred the paper to the right size, sorry if some bits are a bit soggy!

2. Make sure mummy and daddy are washing themselves properly and keeping away the nasty virus. As I’m sure you know cats are very clean and we are meticulous at washing every little nook and cranny, even those really hard to reach places, between the toes, behind the ears and of course our bottoms, nothing goes unwashed. This means I’m the perfect supervisor for when mummy is in the bath, making sure she washes everywhere properly and doesn’t miss a bit, I even show her what to do. Just to make sure I sit on the side of the bath and every so often walk up and down the edge and as mummy leans in close to say hello I run my tail across her face just to help. Each time I do it mummy has to wash her face as she says my fur sticks to her and tickles. When she gets out and her bare feet are on the furry mat I can tell if she missed washing her toes so I give them a good lick and nibble. Mummy squirms and says “Jenny, that’s horrible and tickles” well, she should have washed properly, there’s no slacking when I’m supervising. Recently I’ve been teaching these skills to Angelin who has just learnt to jump up onto the side of the bath by herself. She sits on the corner ‘watching’ me ‘watching’ mummy. I’m being so good that I haven’t even given her a gentle nudge to ‘accidentally’ knock her into the bath. Hopefully this will get me some extra Santa Paws nice points for being a good big sister. That leads me onto my next top tip.

3. Getting on with my sisters. That can be tricky but we’ve been playing and running around and chasing each other, sometimes it ends in a play fight but that’s ok as were family so it’s never mean. I know that mummy and daddy like to watch us playing but it’s quite nice to just play by ourselves so we often we play with each other when mummy and daddy are asleep but, as were a close family, we don’t like to be too far away so as you know we play under the bed. There’s the odd bump and doink as we run in and around the boxes under the bed but I’m pretty sure that mummy and daddy like to know we’re getting on even at 3am! Sometimes I tease Angelin but making noises on the other side of the door so she thinks there’s something there to chase or catch, being blind doesn’t stop us from being mischievous 😼.

4. Keeping mummy and daddy fit. Daddy likes to plays damp hands with me so to make it more fun I run around the flat so that he has to chase me. He also likes to play football with me and every so often I don’t run after or chase the ball so he has to go and find it and kick it again for me. Millie loves to play chase with her nobbly balls which bounce in funny directions, she makes daddy throw them all for her to play with as she sits there with her big puss in boots eyes so then daddy has to go round the flat trying to find where Millies stashed all the balls.

Of course I take mummy out for walkies every day to get some fresh air and get her legs moving, if I run around lots them mummy has to run after me so she gets even more exercise.

5. Helping them work from home. I make sure they take regular breaks but sitting by the door wanting to go out onto the balcony or having some playtime. Angelin keeps daddy busy by making him play with her favourite crinkle toy. They work so hard that I have to make sure they take a proper break when they’re having lunch so I ‘accidentally’ step on the lid of daddy’s laptop to close it. Sometimes they need a bit of motivation so I sit in front of mummy to encourage her, I talk to the people in mummy’s video meeting to tell them how hard she’s working, sometimes I even help with mummy’s work but translating her words into cat as I walk across her tippy tappy typing board.

It’s still cold and wet outside and so I’ve been making sure that Peppar is warm and cosy, he’s getting older and he’s been pawly again, lately he’s had a horrible gunky ear and a sore mouth. Mummy had to take him to the horrible vet doctor, she said he had been very naughty when he was there and they had to bundle him up like a burrito just to be able to look at him properly. Mummy joked that she has never been so glad Peppar hasn’t got any teeth left as at least the worst he could do from that end was give her a good gumming.

As you all know I love my big brother and so I always look after him if he needs it, I’m the only one allowed to share his snuggle bed but even then I’ve gotta work my way in, starting with just my front paws and my head, then when Peppars snoozing I have a big casual stretch and then I work my back paws in as well and gently and carefully so as not to disturb him I snuggle in next to him.

Peppar gives me so much love and support the least I can do is to be there for him when he needs me. Millie and Angelin are another story though, they also went to the vet doctor, they’re not pawly they just went to have their annual jabs which we all get. Mummy took them together but when she got home, Mummy said Millie had been stressed and very,very noisy all the way there. Mummy is used used to noisy cats in the car but Millie was something else on a whole new level! She even got the normally silent Angelin worked up and shouting too.

When they all got home Millie was still in a real state, she not only smelt of vet but fear and sick too. Mummy said she needed a bath coz she had got herself so worked up on the journey that just as they arrived she was sick in the carrier. There was a kind nurse in the vet that helped clean her up but she wasn’t very cooperative so still needed a wash. Mummy and daddy got the bath ready with the warm shower but Millie was having none of it and was screaming and shouting, I went into see if she was ok but nothing could calm her down. Daddy got a jug and they managed to get enough water on the yucky bits to wash off “the lumpy bits” but no sweet smelling shampoo for her but she did get a big warm towel cuddle from mummy to dry off. Then after everything calmed down an all nighter lap cuddle with daddy was all that would make up for such a stressful day. Angelin however just smelt of vet doctor so she got a good hiss from me and Peppar, that was until the smell was gradually replaced with the normal Angelin, mummy and daddy smell, then everything was back to normal.

I could tell both mummy and daddy were upset after Millie got so scared, I know they both love us all and they would never do anything to hurt or cause us any harm or intentionally make us scared. I took mummy out for a walk to help cheer her up and then later in the evening I snuggled with her on her lap. “Oh Jenny, I just can’t stand those screams, they make my blood run cold. As a mummy or daddy sometimes you’ve just got to do things for the best.” “It’s ok mummy” I purred, “I know you love us and we all know you and daddy wouldn’t do anything to harm us, in fact just the opposite”.

Then to top off a stressful week, I was outside having cool winter zoomies when…CRASH…I ran full pelt into a big giant concrete mushroom. Normally I sit on the giant mushroom 🍄 to get a better ‘view’ of the gardens but for some reason that night I’m pretty sure for some reason he thought it would be funny to leap out on me and trip me up as I was running past. That must be what happened as the only other explanation was that my blindie super senses were out of line which of course is highly unlikely and something that as a cat I would never admit to! Mummy thought I had escaped hitting my face and that I had just tripped up as I just carried on running around but the next day she looked at me and saw my sore nose.

The nights are drawing in, the mornings are darker for longer and the days getting shorter, how can I tell? Everyday is dark for me! That’s easy, I can feel the temperature drop, the air smells crisp and fresh, the sun isn’t as warm on my fur and there’s less spots to sun myself in. I have to make do with a cosy bed instead of the sun and I feel more like snuggling with mummy. As well as that mummy and daddy’s behaviour changes too, they struggle just a bit more to get out of bed in the morning, they have put the thicker snugglier cover on and mummy has changed into her furry pyjamas and daddy his thicker warmer robe.

When I go out for walkies the ground is wet and cold, cold, cold and it’s a bit of a shock on my paws so when I first go out I take turns standing on three paws and lifting up one front paw off the ground until they all get used to the cold. Then a quick run around and the odd tree climb and they’re back to being toasty and warm. I don’t really mind the cold, in fact even though I was born in Cyprus I much prefer the colder weather. Even now I not only still love going for walkies but also sitting out on our balcony at night, listening to all the night time noises and smells. The sound and smells of the night are different to the daytime, it’s quiet and I can sit and really listen. Now though I listen coz I want to and not like when I was a kitten because I had to. I’m safe on my balcony, no predators can find me up here so I can enjoy the noises I hear and when I’ve had enough I can go back inside and into the warm. Millie who is the fluffiest of all of us and would be the one most suited to being outdoors is just a wimp, she doesn’t like the cold, one minute out there and she’s ready for going back inside.

The cooler weather means the air is crisp and clean and the scents that I pick up are much cleaner, clearer and more intriguing. When we go for walkies in the summer there’s so many sounds around me from people having fun outdoors, dogs barking, children playing and running around and making lots of noise, I don’t mind this as I can listen to them knowing that they’re not going to come near me but when it’s cold the surrounding area is quiet and I can sit and listen to the sounds quietly, taking in each one. From the noise I can tell how far away it is, if it sounds dangerous or not, which direction it’s going in how fast it’s moving and if it’s human or animal.

There are so many different sounds, the wind in the trees, the sound of the water, people, dogs, birds and even the occasional fox 🦊 or bat 🦇. Each noise is unique and sometimes I just like to take a moment to sit and listen, hear the world go by and just take time to be calm and breathe and just take a few minutes to myself. With those sounds go the smells, in the summer all the scents mingle together but in the winter the crisp damp mornings clear all the other scents away, each day is like starting fresh a clean slate.

The cooler weather makes me much more snuggly so after walkies and a run around playing indoors, a bit of dinner then it’s time to settle down for the evening, I normally like to sleep where mummy and daddy are and curl up in one of the beds behind them, then after a while I sneak down the back of the sofa and onto mummy’s lap, she’s all warm and cuddly and she doesn’t fidget very much so I have a little wash and curl up on her warm lap. What a lovely end to the day.

Well, it’s been a very exciting time and mummy says I’ve been a naughty girl and that I need to go into the dogs house. I’m not sure where that is as we don’t have a dog but I’ll sit in my comfy cat bed instead.

We were out for walkies and I was busy running around and climbing trees as I normally do. I went up one of my all time favourite trees and climbed up and up, weaving around the branches and then back down again until suddenly I couldn’t go any further forward. “Erm mummy help please” “Oh Jenny, you’ve got your lead caught round the branches” when mummy noticed this she unhooked my lead from my harness to untangle it from the branches and I guess she thought she would clip it back on again but as soon as I was free I turned round and scampered back up the tree. I was free climbing, climbing higher and higher until the branches got so small and bendy that I couldn’t go any higher. “Look at me mummy, look how high I’ve climbed” I shouted from the top of the tree. Mummy didn’t seem as pleased as I was and told me to get down now. Well I was just having too much fun exploring the top of the tree until….

crack….the branch I had my back paws standing on snapped! I was left dangling by my front legs, just hanging there. Mummy was saying to me “Jenny, just let go! Don’t worry I’m here I’ll catch you.” Well, that’s just not how a master tree climber works, I can’t just let go and drop into the unknown, even if mummy is there, well, especially when mummy is there. How embarrassing would that be? Who ever heard of a cat who went up a tree but couldn’t get back down again? So I clung on by my paw tips, heaved with all the strength in my paws and front legs, I dug my claws in like ice picks and I pulled myself up. I reached up with my back legs until they found a branch to grip on and then with one final big pull I was back in the tree this time on top of the branch rather than under it. “Well done Jenny” mummy shouted “I’ve got no idea how you managed that, I really thought you were going to fall”

As I’ve said before as a blind cat when climbing with mummy if I get lost in the tree then I use and rely on mummy’s voice and her tapping on the tree to get the right direction to get back down again. Well, I could hear mummy below me so I tried to get to her, I could hear her move from under me to one side so I followed the sound of her voice, constantly saying my name, moving in different directions, trying to guide me through the branches. “I’m coming mummy” I kept meowing “is it this way, is this the right branch? where are you?” Mummy kept shouting and tapping the tree. We made such a noise that Millie and Angelin came out onto the balcony to watch and daddy came to look out the window.

I worked my way back down from the top of the tree which was quite a steep descent but it’s ok coz I can follow my own scent back down and I have excellent balance. Paw by paw down I went, my whiskers sensing the branches so I can weave around them. Without my lead attached I wasn’t worried about getting caught up again so I could weave around as much as I wanted. Once I got low enough mummy plucked me out of the tree and gave me a big cuddle holding me up to the window for daddy to see “well done Jenny, you’re so clever getting down from up there”. Then she clipped my lead back on and plopped me back onto the grass, thinking I’d be ready for going inside after so much excitement.

No way, I wasn’t ready to go inside yet, I felt invigorated, energised and just amazing. So I ran, round and round, zigging and zagging, darting this way and that, I had the zoomies….big time. I was so excited that I even went back up the tree not once but twice, not all the way up though, just high enough up the trunk to make mummy think I might go higher but then I went back down again. I just needed to run around a bit longer to burn off all my excitement and cool my muscles back down.

Then, all too soon it was time to go back inside I think mummy needed a rest after all the excitement, so in we went. Daddy usually asked how our walkies was but this time he said “what have you been up to Jenny?” Before I could answer and tell him what a great explorer I’d been meowmy said “She’s been a very naughty kitty and she’s not going free climbing anytime soon” I was about to say something about how fun it was and how high I climbed but for once I thought better of saying anything and instead thought it might just be best if I kept a low profile for a bit so off under the bed I went into my secret hiding place.

Mummy and daddy have been very, very bad, they forgot Millie and Angelin’s 1st adoptaversary! Can you believe it, no pawty, no presents, no special dinners, nothing! They said they remembered but they were a month out! A month! Not a day or a week, a FULL month! Shocking isn’t it?

I remember when the ‘intruders’ arrived, it seems like it was only yesterday, I didn’t like it much and I was ready to pack my bags and leave but I’m glad I stuck it out. It’s taken me a while to learn to share mummy and daddy with my little sisters but now I’ve got to know them I kinda quite like them. Now I’ve got used to Millies manic zoomies and Angelin’s street fighting technique I know how to play with them use their differences to my advantage. I love Peppar but he’s getting older and I worry I might hurt him if I play too rough so it’s quite fun to have two sisters that I can rough and tumble with and run around after, I’ve even started to let Millie chase me which I’ve never liked before but I can jump up onto the scratching posts to get away from her as she’s not as good as jumping and climbing as me. I feel like I can let go a bit now and have some fun, it might have taken a while but now we’re all truly a family.

So as mummy and daddy hadn’t organised anything as a celebration it was my job as the Queen to organise something, so we got together and decided we’d make our own fun. As you all know cats love boxes so we hijacked one that mummy and daddy had lying around and made our own party time. Angelin and I took turns hiding in the box and Millie thought it would be fun to attack us from the outside and when that didn’t make me come out she jumped on top, I felt like the box was caving in and I might get squished. Her paw steps sounded so loud, a bit like the heavy rain mummy and I sometime take cover from when we’re on walkies. Luckily the box held up to our rather excited play so we just carried on, taking turns in the box and on the box. We had a great time and Angelin had so much fun she got really excited and her punk ridge came up.

Families are complicated things and not always easy to figure out, it’s taken us a while and as with all families we have our arguments and disagreements. At least one though I know that if I fall out with one of my sisfurs there’s another one to play with and run around after and if things get really bad then Peppars always there for me to snuggle with. We never fall out for long though, the wiggle of a toy or the throw of a ball and we’re all back playing together again.

As time has gone on I’ve realised that Millie and Angelin aren’t here to replace me, they’re here to to help me. I can be quite uptight and playing helps me get rid of all my pent up energy and anxiety. When they first arrived they would both try to play with my toys when I was playing with them and so I’d get upset and walk away. Now though we take turns in playing and share our toys and playtime, this means I can have some playtime on my own and then join in with everybody else too. I get to have the best of both worlds.

Since we’ve all got to know each other better and understand each other a bit more we have started to gel as a family and begun to bond and form friendships. I don’t feel so much pressure now being the Queen and I’ve learnt that I can (with Peppars help and support) not only lead the clowder but I can have fun, relax and let my fur down once in a while too. With my two sisters around playing all the time I can’t help but join in with them and I feel the happiest and most relaxed I’ve felt for a long time. I can be a young cat again.

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I guess having sisters isn’t so bad after all.

Mummy and daddy said that this week was a special week as we remember all those who fought to give us the freedom we enjoy today. I tried to imagine what my life might be like if I didn’t have freedom, even when I was living on the streets I was able to do what I wanted when I wanted to. The only time I’ve known us not to be able to do what we pleased is recently when this nasty virus which meant mummy and daddy had to stay at home and couldn’t meet their friends and families. Daddy loves history so he told me all about a bad man who wanted to take over the world and was very mean about it, he killed lots of people because he didn’t like their beliefs, their way of life or their ideas and wanted them to change and follow his rules instead. Well no-one likes a bully and so some nice people around the world stood up to this mean bully and fought to keep their own way of life. This resulted in the whole world fighting some joined in with the mean bully and some on the side of the good guys and sadly many, many people died. But eventually good prevailed over evil and won and victory was declared. Therefore on that day every year we remember all of those who fought on the side of good and specially those who died whilst protecting others from the mean bullies.

I was shocked to hear such things, I knew from my time on the streets that some humans were mean to animals but I didn’t know they could be mean to other humans as well. I was even more surprised when mummy said that these fights still go on today because people argue over their differences so on this day they also remember people who have fought for those not able to stand up for themselves. Mummy’s daddy was part of this brave group of people who fought for others so on this day she thinks of him just a little bit more than any other day. Mummy said that her daddy sacrificed a lot to go and help other people and protect them, when she was a child her daddy went away for months, sometimes years at a time so missed out on her childhood. I thought mummy might be sad about this but she said to me that for her it was just normal. She said it was a bit like when I was on the streets I didn’t know that life could be different, that was until I found a different life. Mummy said she was proud of her daddy as he did a lot of things to help other people. Maybe that is why mummy and daddy have hearts big enough to fight for adopting us perfectly imperfect kitties?

I know I’m just a cat but I don’t understand how someone could make the whole world fight. If cats have a disagreement we just sort it out with a quick fight, whoever wins is the wins and everything is over and done with. Although cats can be territorial we bear no grudges, we have no hatred, we have no jealousy and we make no judgements. Obviously as everyone knows cats strive for world domination but that’s just because the way of the cat is the best way, it would be a much more peaceful and respectful world.

So on this day of remembrance whilst mummy and daddy were remembering and respecting their heroes I took some time to think about my life. As I was running around outside and free climbing trees I thought hang on, I have heroes too, I can take this day to honour them . As I thought back through my life I remembered those that worked so hard to rescue me and give me a better life, I thought about the kind humans who found, rescued and looked after me – Anna and Irina; I remembered all the people who had helped me find a furrever home Lynne at World Animal Friends; the kind people who escorted and transported me on the long, long journey from Cyprus and of course my mummy and daddy for adopting me and giving me the most amazing forever home I could ever wish for. All of these people to help little me, how amazing is that? These are my heroes.

I have the freedom to play, climb, run, eat, cuddle, hunt, sleep and love all in a safe place so on this day of remembrance I wear my poppy bandana with pride, to remember all of those who helped me but also carry on to help other cats every day.

So on this day that humans remember those who gave them their freedom I remember the humans who gave me mine.

How can I best honour my heroes I wondered, well that’s easy really, I just need to live my life to the full, explore the world as much as I can, learn new things and look after my family. I can show others all the things that I can do as a blind cat, most of which they probably think I can’t or shouldn’t be able to do, I can challenge the perception of what blind cats are so that humans don’t feel sorry for us but instead understand us and empower us. Maybe through sharing my life I can inspire someone else to open their heart and their home to a blind or other special needs cat. That would be a real tribute to my heroes.

As the weather gets colder, I’m not always wanting to have a really long walkies. When mummy and I go out she says it’s already getting dark and I’ve noticed that there’s less birds around to chase and most of the animals have tucked themselves away for the night by the time I’m ready to play with them.

So maybe I need to find some indoor entertainment instead to burn off some energy and make a different type of playtime. You would probably think that as I’ve got three siblings that playtime is easy but it’s not always that simple. Much like humans us cats are all different and we all like to play in different ways. So I thought I’d tell you a bit about how I play with Peppar, Millie and Angelin.

First, of course Peppar, he’s 13.5 now so he sleeps a lot of the time and so I choose carefully when to play with him. He doesn’t like the really rough and tumble stuff anymore but we still have a good play when he’s in the mood, he prefers to be the one being chased rather than the one chasing but I think that’s just him being kind as he never runs so fast that I can’t follow him! He never chases me which is so kind of him as I don’t like being chased not even by my brother, it’s something that to me still scares me because of my street cat days and the thought of being chased by a predator or something that wants to harm me. With Peppar I fight and snuggle, I’m the only one allowed to cuddle into him and share his snuggle bed. He never plays too hard and as I said always makes sure that I’m able to chase him, he doesn’t run off too fast to get away from me which he could easily do.

Millie – well she’s crazy and really full on when playing, she definitely likes to be the one chasing which as I said I don’t really like so if she does this I run up the nearest cat tree to get the higher ground and the tactical advantage, I can hear when she’s trying to climb up near me, she’s not as good as climbing as I am so I can get up out of her reach before she’s even climbed the first level. Sometimes though I’ll get behind her and then she gets to be the one being chased and unlike Peppar she doesn’t run slowly so the chase is on, she might only have three legs but she’s really quick and it’s hard for me to keep up with her without bumping into things on the way. She’s also pretty good at football – not as good as me of course but she’s a really good goalie and as long as she doesn’t get too excited then we can have a good play together. Millies very excitable and when she first joined our family she wouldn’t let me play with anything, she’d just barge in and start playing with my toy. Now though she’s learned that we can play together and will sit and let me play whilst she watches and then join in but without taking the toy all for herself like she used to. Now we can play together and take turns. With Millie you have to be careful as she’ll lie in wait for me and then pounce on me, she thinks I don’t now that she’s there but my blindie super senses can smell her and hear her take even the quietest breath but I don’t let on, I don’t want to spoil her fun and I don’t want to let on to her just how good my senses really are! Then as she goes to pounce on me off I run. If she catches me a well placed shove and she loses her balance and falls over, then we can have a really good play around on the floor where I have the advantage.

With Angelin I tend to give her a little nibble on the bum to get her playing. Generally if were play fighting she goes bum first anyway so I get in there first with a little nibble. Theres not really much running around and chasing, playing with us it’s mostly wrestling, and I think mummy and daddy like us when we play as they always say “blindie fight” and they stop what they’re doing to watch. We also like to play the jumping game where mummy or daddy rustles something half way up the door frame and we have to jump really high to get it. As I can jump higher than Angelin this game often ends up with me landing on her before we then run off to play with the ball or toy that I batted away. Whoever gets there first gets to carry on playing with it but it’s not always that simple as Millie (as she can’t jump as high as me and Angelin) is often lying in wait to steal the toy away as she can see where it goes and so has the advantage on getting it away from us.

If you think it’s mean of us to exploit one another’s disabilities then don’t worry it’s not. Us cats don’t work like that, we don’t do things to be mean, we do them because that’s just what we want to do. It’s all done because we each want to win. It’s also a learning opportunity, if you don’t know what your weaknesses are and accept them then you can’t adapt. I have learnt how to listen and smell where the others are, instead of seeing them, my strength lies in my heightened senses. Angelin, however has just learnt to charge on in to any situation, she thinks that the best defence is a good offence, she just puts her head down and charges on in there, sometimes bottom first. Peppar is very wise and has learnt to just jump up out of anyone’s way either onto the back of the sofa or curl up on mummy’s pillow and just ignore all of us – until he wants to play of course. Millie runs full speed (she’s really fast even by four leg standards) and then uses sliding tackles, skidding on her nobbly (we don’t use the word stump) to take us out like bowling pins if we’re in the way on purpose or not!

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me; fool me three time, it’s coz I’m blind 😹

As the weather gets colder a warm lap to sit on isn’t so bad I guess. I wasn’t brought up with warm, comfy laps to sit on so it still feels a bit strange for me. I used to snuggle into the fur of my kitty family but we were dirty, hungry, wet street cats and my eyes were always sore, so I couldn’t always get comfortable or warm. Sleeping was a time when I was most vulnerable and as I’ve said before a time when I didn’t always settle and relax.

Now though after living with mummy and daddy for longer than I was without them I’m starting to realise that a nap and cuddle isn’t such a bad thing. I can allow myself to have some time when I’m completely relaxed and now I can let myself sleep deeply, the worst thing that happens here when I’m sleeping is that Millie or Angelin might jump on me!

When I first arrived I wanted to keep my own sassy street cat personality, I thought all I really needed humans for was food, shelter and safety. I’m an independent, capable and confident cat and the thought of losing my identity and becoming completely domesticated was something that I worried about. Daddy said that he was the same when he left his childhood home to set out on his own, he was proud of where he came from and didn’t want to lose his identity and heritage. He explained to me that it was ok to accept that you might change a little bit to adjust to your new surroundings but inside you’re still the same. “Jenny” he said “You’ll always be that courageous, adventurous, independent street cat, that is something that’s just part of you no matter what. Being a home cat won’t change that but it’s also ok to enjoy some home comforts too, it won’t change who you are inside and who knows you might quite like a lap cuddle and I know mummy would love it.”

My daddy is very wise so I went away and thought about what he said, I remembered something that I had forgotten from when I first arrived here, I was so tired and nervous and without realising it I had sat with mummy on her lap and slept and slept until I was fully recovered from my journey. After settling in properly I was just too busy being an energetic playful kitten to spend time cuddling. I had forgotten all about those early days – it was all such a blur and I had forgotten how warm, cosy, comforting and reassuring mummy’s lap had been. Maybe I’ll give it another try, so once I had finished a pre nap in my cat perch bed and it was all quiet I crept down the back of the sofa, as I did I felt the touch of mummy’s hand very gently guiding me towards her so I carefully climbed onto her lap.

Mummy’s lap was soft, warm and slightly squishy and as soon as my paws touched mummy’s pyjamas I remembered these feelings from before and immediately all the memories from my first days here came flooding back in full. The feelings of togetherness, comfort, caring and love but mostly the overriding feeling of being safe. I wondered why I had stopped doing this but I was just a kitten back then and had so much to do and explore that I didn’t have time to snuggle for long but now I’m older I do like a good sleep. Mummy’s very good when I sit on her, she doesn’t fidget and move about much and stays very still so I can really relax and not worry about what else is going on around me. Then every so often if I stir, fidget, stretch or move she’ll give me a little stroke to make sure I’m ok and I like her comforting touch. Sometimes I wake up for a little bit and have a wash, mummy gets a little wash too if her hands or arms are within licking distance, then back to sleep again. Normally I only really fancy a cuddle in the evenings but recently I’ve been having a sneaky morning cuddle with mummy but only when it’s just me and mummy so we save this for the weekends when daddy’s having a lie in with Millie and Angelin.

I think I could get used to this kind of domestication and when I feel as relaxed and warm as this then I realise just how lucky I am. I’ve learnt that it’s ok to let go once in a while and enjoy the comforts in life, it doesn’t change you or mean you can’t still be true to yourself and your heritage. I’m a feisty street cat on the inside and a snuggly lap cat on the outside – the purrfect combination.

I am happy. I am home. I am loved. 💕

This week I have been challenging myself again and trying to take things to the next level when going on our outdoor adventures. As you know I love hunting and climbing and I love exploring new things and pushing the boundaries just a little bit.

There’s been some furry critters running around my gardens and hiding in the bushes so I’ve been practicing my hunting skills. You already know how good I am at stalking the birds and I’ve got pretty close but never managed to catch my own dinner – well not yet. Normally I can only hear the critters running around under the buildings and can never quite get to them despite my best efforts; recently though they’ve been out and about and I’ve been taking full advantage of practicing my hunting skills.

I can hear them in the bushes so I sit very quietly and listen to each little noise. As they move about I track the noises of their tiny pawsteps, the sounds of the bush moving and their smell. Each time they move they send out tiny signals to me which I use to pinpoint their position. I use my exceptional hearing to pinpoint their position, I use my ears like satellite dishes, each tiny adjustment of them enables me to pinpoint the exact location of even the smallest prey. If they move further away I move round the other side of the bush, then they see me and go the other way so back round I go. As a hunter you have to be patient, quiet and have lightning fast reactions. I have all of these skills and for me at least I am doing what I was made to do, using my instincts – I know I have food at home but this is what I was built for eyes or no eyes that doesn’t matter, it’s something inside me that I just can’t help.

Mummy on the other hand is not built for hunting and doesn’t have the instinct to crouch beside a bush for ages waiting for the perfect moment to strike and catch a critter. Nevertheless she waits around the bushes with me whilst I satisfy my hunting needs come rain or shine. Sometimes she says “Come on Jenny hurry up people are going to think I’m crazy hanging around the bushes” “it’s ok mummy I won’t be long” I meow back to her “hang on” mummy says “take your time Jen everyone probably already thinks I’m crazy for taking you on walkies anyway”

So back to the bush I go, mummy waiting patiently next to me. I hear it getting closer and closer and then it’s in range and I make my strike, *bam* straight into the depths of the bush. Sadly this time I came out empty pawed but that’s ok it’s all about practicing and enhancing my hunting technique.

Well, as it turns out the critters haven’t just been hiding in the bushes they’ve been running around the gardens and climbing my trees – how dare they! You might wonder how I can tell – we’ll I can smell where their little paws have been and followed their scent from the bushes across the grass to the tree and surprisingly the scent carried on up the tree – my tree. How dare they use my trees without my permission! I had to investigate and make sure they knew that these were my trees and I was around to defend my territory so up I went to make sure they weren’t up there. I climbed all the way up as far as I could go but they weren’t there, that’s ok though as by climbing the tree I left my scent all over it so if they came back they would know that these are my trees and I’m the boss. Sometimes it’s just about leaving the right message for others to understand.

It seems as if my extra attention in these areas of the gardens has paid off as I haven’t ‘seen’ any more furry critters since I stepped up my patrols in this area. I can tell this because 1. I can’t hear them in the bushes anymore and 2. Their smell has reduced, it’s not as strong and pungent anymore. Yey me! I have vanquished well, scared off the enemy intruders and my gardens are back to being all mine so I can get back to running, playing and climbing with the odd bit of bird watching (stalking) thrown in and enjoy my time outside with meowmy.

Just a final thought to leave you all with – just because I’m blind doesn’t mean I’m any less of a cat or have fewer natural instincts. In fact as mummy says I have super blindie senses instead of regular senses and I’m much more in tune with these than ‘regular’ cats tend to be. If you are a critter then you’d better watch out as Jenny’s about!