I know I can climb trees, I know I can climb up the scratching posts, that’s easy but it can get a bit boring going up and down the same way every time. I can’t expect mummy and daddy to put up new scratching posts every time I want to try something new so I find different ways of doing the same thing to stop myself from getting bored. It’s not always easy finding new ways of doing things but that’s part of the challenge and it means I have to exercise my mind to figure out a new route or find something new to climb. I know that it can just be really nice to just hop up to the top of the post or climb the same bit of tree as it’s familiar and easy and you know it’s not going to be risky or difficult. That’s fine as we all need to do things that are easy, fun or comforting but every so often I just need a bit more of a challenge, I need to mix it up a bit and change how I do things so I don’t get bored or complacent. Change challenges the mind as well as the body.

Change is good for the mind, it challenges you to think of new ways of doing the same thing. For me, it stops me getting bored and means that I can keep my mind sharp and my instincts honed. It also helps to build confidence – yes! I can do it. I get a different exercise routine to keep fit and exercise different muscles, it also means that if I need to get out of trouble sometime and need to use a different route then I can do that easily and without even thinking. Sometime I might just need to get away from the mental Millie ginger tornado that sweeps through the flat every once in a while. If I’m inside then of course I can’t see if there is another route up the scratching post but that’s ok I can use all of my other senses to work things out. I can smell if Millie, Peppar or Angelin have been up there and smell where their paws have been and follow that or just use the same route but in a different way, making it a little bit harder and more challenging to get the top.

Even outside I’ve been challenging myself to do things differently. So far I’ve taught myself a couple of new trees to climb outside, I can smell if other animals have been up the trees but I can also hear the birdies at the top and I try to climb up to catch them but following their little chirping noises. It’s fun having lots of trees around as each tree is different, some are big, some small, some have big straight up trunks to climb, some have lots of little branches to explore. I’ve also explored a new bit of an old familiar favourite climbing tree, a new section of its trunk and branches to explore, this really is just as fun as exploring a whole new tree. Sometimes mummy lets me explore just a little bit further on a branch I already know, just going that little bit further, that little bit higher. Each time I explore somewhere new I can expand my mind map and get a bigger picture of the world around me, it’s so exciting exploring new places as there’s a whole host of new smells to discover, different sounds to hear and different textures under my paws.

When I try a new route somewhere then I need to make sure that my paws are on a strong surface. When up a tree I can move slowly so I can feel if a branch is bending too much when it’s not quite strong enough to hold my weight. On solid surfaces though I need to make sure I can feel my way so I use the double tap technique to make sure my paws have a good grip. The more times I use the new route the more confident I become and over time I don’t need to double tap anymore.

New things can be fun, I’ve told you before how I’ve been using mummy to help get down from the trees and now we’ve gone one step further and I’ve started to sit on mummy’s shoulder once I’ve climbed down her arm. She says I’m like a parrot sitting on a pirates shoulder. Sometimes we have a little walk about like this, it’s good practice for me balancing here and good exercise for mummy keeping her arm up to make sure I can sit comfortably. Mummy’s arm is also a handy ramp if I excitedly climb up a new tree a bit too quickly and don’t quite map my route up, making it pretty tough to get down again. Also, when I go up a tree with lots of tiny branches, weaving my way through on the way up makes it hard for me to follow the lead back down again and occasionally it gets caught round the tiny branches. If this happens then I can just shout for mummy and if I’m really stuck rather than just being lazy then mummy can reach up and I can use her as a ramp. Getting stuck doesn’t put me off though, it just makes me more determined next time.

People seem to think that I’m a brave cat, going outside and exploring and being an adventure cat but rather than being scary I find it fun and exciting. I’m naturally curious and I’m not one to just be satisfied with doing the same thing every day, I need to be challenged, stimulated and learn new things. If I didn’t go exploring then I’d never have found out how fun it is to climb trees, meet other animals (we met a fox 🦊 the other day) and make friends with the local doggies, hunt the birds, meet the little humans, this all makes life exciting and interesting. I might make the odd mistake and slip on the tree branch or run into something when I’m having zoomies outside but it’s all part of learning – I remember not to do it again the next time (mostly) and as long as mummy or daddy is with me then I know nothing is going to hurt me, I might get a bit embarrassed but never hurt. Oh except when I tried to catch the buzzy bee 🐝 in my mouth, that did hurt and now I stay away from them altogether!

I’ve decided that my little sisters aren’t so bad anymore and playing with them can be quite fun (sometimes) when I’m in the mood. I’ve started to let Millie chase me around the flat, only when I want to though. I know it’s taken a long time but I think I’m starting to like my little sisters. It takes a bit of time for new family members to fully settle in and find their place and remember it. I am the queen and sometimes they forget that and I have to remind them with a quick pat of the paw or bite on the bum, just a gentle nip though.

Peppar is such a sweet big brother but he doesn’t like to run about and play as much as he used to, he will sometimes but really he just likes to eat, sleep and cuddle. So with Millie and Angelin growing up a bit now we can properly be a family with all the ups and downs that go with that. Playing can lead to fighting, washing can lead to fighting and running around can lead to fighting. Mummy says it’s like human families, when children play rough it often ends in tears but it doesn’t mean you don’t all love each other, you just get over excited. Sometimes I win, sometimes I don’t and sometimes I just let them win!

I know to avoid mental Millie time when she runs full steam round the flat yeowling, she has the most energetic zoomies out of all of us. Only having three legs doesn’t make any difference to her, she’s as fast as lightening. Once she’s calmed down then you know you’re not going to get run over and regular playtime can commence. She can be quite a jealous cat and want whatever spot I’ve got or the toy that I’m playing with so every so often I need to make sure that she knows her place and do the same to her. She will often wind me up so as mummy says what comes around goes around. I didn’t want the top spot on the scratching post but Millie had been annoying me so I didn’t want her to have it either. See how she likes being disrupted from her spot.

Cats playing can often look quite harsh but it’s not really, unless the ears go back and the hissing and growling start, then someone’s gone too far. We’re not like that though, we play and run around because it’s fun. Playing teaches us all useful skills and keeps us fit and our minds and bodies in tip top condition. If we were out in the wild (or on the garden or balcony) and needed or wanted to catch something or defend against a predator then the skills we learn playing would be used in earnest. Even when playing were using the same senses, techniques and instincts as we would if we were having to hunt or fight outside. I have no doubt now that having taught her well Angelin can fight her own corner, she’s a real bruiser and just puts her head down and in she charges, like a small furry rhino and I suspect she’s got a reinforced head as she can knock me flying if she gets the chance!

We’ve now all learnt that we can share toys, it can be as enjoyable watching or listening to someone else playing as it is playing yourself. You can learn from what they are (or aren’t) doing and then do better yourself and be the top cat. Then after they’ve had their fun we can swap round and carry on with someone else playing. It’s just as well though that we have a mummy and a daddy as it takes two humans to play with three energetic perfectly imperfect kitties and the odd Peppar too. Our playtime is generally in the evenings whilst mummy and daddy are able to play with us but we do play through the night as well whilst they’re asleep, we try to play quietly but it doesn’t always work.

Then once we’ve had a good play and are all exhausted then it’s off to bed for a wash and a sleep, we have so many choices of where to sleep but recently I’ve been sneaking down from my bed at the back of the sofa and snuggling on mummy’s lap. Then occasionally I’m joined there by Millie who sneaks herself on sometimes followed by Angelin too, poor mummy can’t move but she says she doesn’t mind and sits there and makes sure we all behave ourselves and share her lap fairly. I guess we do all get on and love each other.

I think I have to admit that I quite like snuggling with my sisters, Millie’s fluffy fur is lovely and soft and Angelin has fur that is snuggly and warm and thick. I don’t mind that I’m often the one at the bottom of the pile and it also means that I don’t have to give myself a bath as Angelin just loves to wash me and she gets to all those hard to reach places – she doesn’t even mind washing in my ears – ew.

Maybe having younger sisters isn’t so bad after all. Now I’m not sure why I was so against the idea when they arrived.

We had such fun this week, it was daddy’s turn to have a ‘lockdown’ birthday, it was just us celebrating with each other but we spoilt him rotten all week. I really don’t mind it being just us and I’m getting quite used to having mummy and daddy around all day every day. Normally mummy and daddy would leave us alone for a few days to go to see their mummy and daddy and have a big celebration without us. They always came back and say they didn’t pawty without us but I know differently. When they go away we always have our Aunty or Uncle look after us but we still manage a big get together and invite all our friends round, how else would all the cat litter get to every far flung corner of the flat? When they’re away we do all the things we’re not supposed to do, run over all the furniture, chase each other, eat each other’s food (wait, we do that anyway) and generally create havoc. Surely they must do the same when they go away?

Anyway, this year is different so we knew daddy might be a bit sad at not seeing his mummy and daddy and the rest of his family and friends so we thought we should make him feel extra special and loved. We made daddy a special birthday card from us all to cheer him up and let him know just how much we love him. We all chipped in and I think it turned out really well. When mummy and I went out for walkies later on I wore my special pawty bandana to celebrate, this is only ever worn on very special occasions and a birthday is definitely a very special occasion worthy of a special outfit, you can see it in the birthday card.

When he went to bed the night of daddy’s birthday all four of us snuggled up on the bed all night long, we made sure we cuddled in really close so that he couldn’t escape us. We made sure the he had to stay in bed for just a little bit longer in the morning until we let him out from under the covers that we had pinned around him. He said it was the best present he could have wished for, to have us all on the bed all together. This must be true as he moaned and groaned when he got up, saying something about his legs had gone to sleep as we had tucked him in so well, I’m pretty sure this must be a good thing if his legs got a good nights sleep as well as the rest of him.

Daddy got cards and presents 🎁 so we helped him open those and of course we got to share in the excitement too. I love presents. One of daddy’s presents came in a box and you all know cats love boxes so daddy said I could have this as my present and left me to happily play with it, leaving daddy to play with his present. As his present wasn’t a box I wasn’t really paying attention to what he got but I could tell he was happy so I carried on checking out my box. I love it when mummy or daddy has a celebration day, they always share it with us all and so we get to have fun and presents too, it’s a whole family event.

I also thought it would be nice if we helped make sure daddy’s seat on the sofa was kept warm for him whenever he got up to do something so Millie and I hopped up there to keep it warm for him when he got up. I also made sure that daddy always had someone to snuggle with all week so Peppar, Millie and Angelin were put on daddy snuggle duty to make sure daddy felt just how much we all love 💕 him. So that mummy didn’t feel left out I curled up on her lap every so often just to show that we love her as well.

As it was daddy who was having a birthday he got to choose a birthday meal, he chose shepherds pie and we all got to share it. It would be a special treat if mummy and daddy weren’t so caring and always shared their food with us so we can try whatever they have. We all know that we like shepherds pie as it’s daddy’s favourite meal so we’ve shared it lots before but then as a special treat later in the week we all had a steak dinner. Mummy ‘accidentally’ cooked a bit too much so there was plenty left for us to have too. I’m not particularly food oriented but I really love steak so I wolfed down my portion, hoping to then be able to have a sneaky nibble of one of the others but daddy was being a spoil sport and keeping an eye on us all so we all got our fair share and there wasn’t any nibbling of anyone else’s.

Then to keep up with the celebrations I thought that no pawty is complete without a bit of dancing so daddy cranked up the hi-fi and put on some of his favourite tracks. I love music and I’m a bit of a rock chick and when daddy put on some of the best tracks to dance to I just couldn’t help myself and gave in to the urge and had a dance in the hallway where I thought no-one was watching….I was wrong, they were watching me and worse still had filmed my carefree dancing. I’ve only put the video on here because it’s daddy’s birthday and it made him laugh seeing me. I don’t really care what I look like when I’m having fun as it just feels good to let go and be carefree for even just a little while. Then tired out I settled down for the night for a well earned sleep 💤 Happy Birthday Daddy.

As the weather has started to cool down I’m much more settled and happy at home, I much prefer the cooler weather which is strange coming from Cyprus. When it’s warm though you don’t wanna run about and chase things, climbing trees is just too much effort and all you want to do is sit around and wait for the sun to go to bed. Even if I did want to chase things, all the birds are just sitting in the trees, the insects are sheltering under the bushes and there’s no leaves to play in so nothing to do but sit under the trees. The mornings are still bright and sunny so I often sit out there with Peppar and listen to the day start and the world wake up.

Now though nature is out and about, the birds are nibbling in the grass and perching in the trees, the insects are buzzing around, mice are scurrying and there’s lots to hear and smell. The wind sometimes blows and I used to be scared of the big gusts but not anymore because I know mummy is there to stop me blowing away plus the gusts make things blow around which I can then chase and pounce on. Plus sometimes the excitement of the wind blowing around me sometimes sets me off into outside zoomies which Is great fun as there’s lots of space to zoom around as much as I like – looking out for the odd tree of course!

If it rains then this makes things smell different which makes it more interesting and unless it’s really heave I don’t mind, although mummy keeps saying it’s not fair that I shelter under the bushes when she has to stand out in the rain “Jenny” she says “It’s not fair, I don’t fit under the bush, if I’m out here getting wet in the rain taking you for walkies then you can be right out here with me” then I really have to come out from under the bush and join mummy in the rain.

So now it’s cooler then when we’re out I can hear the birds in the trees and so up I go, climbing higher, listening to their little chirps way out on the end of the branches. As I’ve become more experienced in tree climbing mummy lets me go just that little bit higher and further than I used to, just enough to explore a new branch and try that little bit harder to reach the birds. As this is one of my most favourite things to do I wondered how I could get mummy more involved rather than her just having to stand at the bottom watching me. So one day whilst I was sitting in the tree I thought wouldn’t it be fun if mummy was part of the tree climb so as I came back down I stopped at the point I normally turn round and reverse down and sat there meowing at her, “come on Jenny” she said “I know you can get down from there” and reached up to give me a little stroke of reassurance like she often does but this time as she reached up I put out my front paws and put them on her arm. Then she couldn’t move and before she knew it I walked along her arm and onto her shoulder, there I got a big cuddle and a “Well done Jenny, that was clever” from then on this is part of the whole experience.

Then after a good walkies and having run about and done some hunting and chasing mummy and I head in and then it’s time for us kitties to have some dinner. I’m normally starving by this time – it’s energetic work going for walkies so daddy sorts all our food out whilst mummy runs a bath. I’ve offered to give her a good lick clean before and during the day I do give both mummy and daddy a bit of an extra wash when I come across a bit of exposed skin that I can give a quick lick – just to keep them extra clean as you can’t be too careful these days. Once I’ve had some dinner I normally go and keep mummy company in the bath, I pretend I’m there to keep her company but I also supervise from the side of the bath to make sure she gets all the hard to reach places clean. In turn mummy plays damp hands with me so we both come out nice and squeaky clean.

Once mummy and daddy settle down for the evening then I have a little play of football with them and then go for a snooze, normally in one of the beds up behind the sofa where I can keep an ear out for anything going on. Then when it’s later into the evening I quietly come down the back of the sofa and very carefully creep onto mummy’s lap, make myself comfy and curl up. Her lap is nice and warm and I also get a gentle stroke from time to time as well. I’m not much of a lap cat but just between you and me recently I’ve found that I quite like it, specially when it’s a bit cooler in the evenings so maybe I’m changing my habits.

Sometimes wI curl up on mummy’s lap I hear mummy whisper to daddy “Jenny has got such perfect timing, she does this I’m just ready to go to bed. I can’t now though, how can you move such a cute, snuggly bundle” then daddy whispers back “don’t worry I’ll wake you up if you drop off on the sofa when I’m ready to go to bed”. Then I relax back into mummy’s lap and enjoy the rest of the evening together, warm and cosy.

On a very rare occasion I have even snuggled up with mummy on the bed when she’s been relaxing there in the evening. We both just sit there quietly, she might wrap an arm around me or give me a little stroke from time to time but other than that we just sit enjoying each other’s company. Maybe once I get used to mummy’s lap and snuggling with her I might give daddy’s lap a try but until then I’ll just carry on with sneaking a cuddle from him. Every once in a while when they’re both fast asleep and it’s the middle of the night I gently jump up onto the bed so as not to disturb them and snuggle down in between them so we can sleep together. Peppar is usually on mummy’s pillow and if we’re all feeling like a cuddle then Millie and Angelin jump up and snuggle down with us as well. The whole family all in one big snuggle bed.

It at times like these that I realise what a lucky girl I am being part of such a loving, caring family and that maybe, just maybe I’m starting to leave my street cat ways behind me.

Over the last few months Peppar had been complaining to mummy and daddy about how sore his teeth were. He doesn’t have many left as he had loads of teeth out before but again they were giving him problems. So, mummy bundled him into the carrier and off to the vet they went. Because the nasty virus is still around she couldn’t go in with him but instead had to hand him over in his carrier to the nurse in the car park and then just wait for him to be brought back out. Now, as you all know Peppar really, really doesn’t like the vet so he wasn’t really very cooperative and so they had to make him very sleepy to have a look at him. A couple of weeks later and mummy got up early in the morning and bundled Peppar into the carrier and off they went again. “It’s ok Jen Jen” she said “Were just going to get Peppars nasty teeth taken out to make him feel better. Hopefully he’ll still have one canine left!”

Later that day the phone rang and mummy and daddy talked to the vet who had already put Peppar in a deep, deep sleep 💤 unfortunately all three of his remaining teeth 🦷 were nasty and sore so they had to take them all out and just wanted to let mummy and daddy know. So they told the vet to go ahead and do what needed to be done to make Peppar feel better. “He’ll be ok Jenny” daddy said, mummy added “He’ll be our little Peppar gummy bear from now on.” Mummy and daddy said Peppar would be very sore when he came home and that’s us girls must be nice to him and take care of him as he’s an old boy now, mummy says he’s 13.5 which in human terms is about 70 so he needs us to look after him. Well, that’s not a problem for me as you all know I love my big brother very much, he’s my best pal and I’ll make sure he’s looked after and give the quiet space he needs to feel better, I’ll protect him from the girls if they get too over excited or playful.

When mummy and daddy went to pick Peppar up later in the evening I sat Millie and Angelin down and had a good talk with them and told them what’s what and if they didn’t take notice of the rules then they’d have me to deal with. I won’t tolerate anyone upsetting Peppar when he shows us all so much love. So, there’s to be no chasing, running or jumping on Peppar; if he’s snuggled up anywhere then just let him be, you can sit near him but no trying to steal his spot. Angelin, no eating his food and Millie, no running round him like a mentalist. Lastly, there’s to be absolutely no hissing, growling or swatting of him when he comes home and smells funny coz he’s been at the vet.

When mummy and daddy came home with Peppar we laid on a welcome committee, all three of us lined up in the hallway to welcome him back home. Daddy carried him through to the living room and let him out of his carrier and I stood by ready to greet him whilst also being on guard in case Millie or Angelin tried anything naughty but all was good. We all gave him a good sniff, he smelt odd but I could still smell that good, familiar, big brother Peppar smell under all the vet smells.

Mummy made him some mashed up food and daddy gave his chin a gentle wash but all he really wanted was to go to mummy’s pillow, snuggle up and have a good sleep so we all left him in peace. Millie told me that his poor little mouth looked so sore and swollen it looked like he’d been in a full on street fight and lost. That’s not Peppar though as he’s a lover not a fighter – my poor old Peppar. That night whilst I left him alone I made sure I was nearby so I could be there for him in case he needed anything anything. As I had one ear open all night I know that mummy didn’t sleep too well either, she was worried that as Peppar was snuggled up around her head that she might roll over or move and hurt his mouth. I could hear her occasionally give him a stroke and reassure him if he moved or she did.

Over the next few days he got better and better and started to get back to his old self, although he’s a bit more dribbly now. His appetite is getting back to what is used to be and he’s learning how to gum food rather than chew it but mummy and daddy say he needs to put some weight back on so he’s allowed to eat as much as he wants to for now.

With Peppar being poorly mummy and daddy had to make sure that he got anything he wanted and needed including extra attention and cuddles. This meant that he came first for a change, normally he sits quietly and lets us have all the attention and playtime. For the time being though we needed to be patient and if playtime or our dinner had to wait then that’s ok. Peppars my brother and I love him.

This all made me realise how lucky we all are to have a mummy and daddy who love and care for us so much.

This week I thought we’d have some fun so I thought I’d share with you some of my favourite toys that I like to play with. Of course mummy, daddy and my brother and sisters are right up there at the top of the list of play buddies but they’re not toys and I can’t (or at least shouldn’t) chew, throw or kick them around like I do with a toy.

Crinkle balls were one of the first toys that I had waiting for me when I arrived. As a blind cat the crinkly noises were easy for me to follow and the balls are lightweight so easy for a little kitty to pick up and throw around. The crinkle noise isn’t too loud so it didn’t hurt my sensitive ears. They’re just great fun and have such fond memories for me as they remind me of finding my forever home and meeting my family for the first time. As I’ve grown up though I needed something just a bit more challenging so I started playing with some other toys and have now donated my crinkle balls to my little sis Angelin who loves playing with them as much as I did.

Mousey 🐭 is one of my all time favourite toys. It’s got a long stringy tail that you can grab in your teeth and a furry hard body that makes a lovely clunk as you throw it around so you know where it is. The first mousey toy I got was attached to the scratching post in my room when I arrived. As I explored and climbed the post and found it just hanging there, I gave it a swat with my paw and it it made a little rattling noise so I patted it again, gave it a little nibble. Over a few weeks I eventually managed to free the mousey from the scratching post and then I could play with it all over the flat. I chucked it here, I threw it there and sometimes I threw it so far even I couldn’t find it. One day daddy found mousey up on top of the bookcase!

Nosey is my most favourite toy. He’s a soft round ball with one flat side which makes it much more fun to run after as it doesn’t always roll straight. Mummy and daddy didn’t think I’d like a soft quiet toy as they weren’t sure if I would be able to know where it was as it doesn’t make much noise but my hearing is so good I can hear even the softest toy rolling across the floor. I love the challenge of chasing something quiet, it challenges all my senses and gets my hunting skills honed. As nosey is soft I can easily pick him up as I can get my teeth into the soft foam so a game of fetch with mummy or daddy is just the most fun thing to do. Sadly though I’ve played with him so much mummy and daddy have had to retire him from playtime as he was getting too well used and bits of him were starting to fall off.

Footballs took over from Nosey mummy and daddy found me some cat size bouncy foam footballs to play with, they’re just great. I can dribble them around the flat, chase them down the hallway and really get my claws and teeth into them. I love it when mummy throws them into bedroom and they bounce towards the furniture, I run after it, full speed, skidding to a halt whilst putting my head down so I don’t bang my head but instead disappear underneath to hunt out the ball. I love the challenge of finding the balls under the furniture and getting them back out again. The great thing with the footballs us that mummy and I can take them out on walkies with us as well or added outdoor fun.

Feather wands are fun too, plus when you catch them you look so pretty with the feathers wrapped around. It’s another quiet toy but as it slinks across the floor I can hear the movement of each of the feathers as they’re pulled across the floor, gradually moving away from me little by little, it thinks it’s getting away but then I wiggle bottom, run and pounce, the feathers are mine, they’re in my grasp, wriggling and tugging trying to get away but I’ve got them good and they’re not getting away. Now I’ve got them I’ll give them a good lick and wash them into submission. The next time I play with the feathers they’re whizzing about above my head, flicking this way and that up in the air. The sound is a bit like the sound of the birds I watch from the balcony or that fly over my head when we’re out on walkies and they see me and fly away. I’ll get you little birdies I think to myself as the feathers swish this way and that, left and right and back again, I follow the sound with my head, learning the rhythm, waiting for the exact, precise right moment and then spring, up I jump as high as I can, paws outstretched and toes opened wide for maximum impact. GOT IT.

Bell toy I didn’t really like playing with this one, it’s hard plastic and has a very loud bell in the middle but I did carry it round for two days like it was my baby and then never played with it again. This is probably much to mummy and daddy’s relief as it was very noisy.

Most humans think that because I’m blind I need to have special toys to play with or ones that are noisy so I can hear where they are but this just isn’t true. I can play with any toy that a sighted cat can and just because you can’t hear it very well doesn’t mean I can’t, with extra honed hearing I can hear the slightest noise even if you humans can’t. I also have the advantage that I can smell where they are as well, mummy and daddy often say to me “Jenny, how did you know that was under there?” Well, even though I might not have played with it for days or it’s been moved since the last time I played with it I can smell where it is. Each toy has its own distinctive smell and that makes it easy for a cat like me who’s used to using my other senses.

Playing with toys isn’t always about the physical challenges and exercise but about the mental stimulation and problem solving challenges too. It isn’t just a fun thing to do but gives us exercise and keeps our minds honed as well as making sure that the instincts that nature gave us are being used – it doesn’t matter that it’s on a toy rather than ‘real’ hunting. Play makes us feel happy and relaxed and provides an outlet for all our energy, especially with indoor cats it’s important to still be able to run, jump, climb and just be a cat, if we can’t do this then your hands and feet better watch out!

As the climbing season has started again now the weather has cooled down a bit I thought I would share with you all how to climb a tree with a harness and lead rather than free climbing.

I know there’s lots of sighted cats that use a lead as well as us blindies but I can only speak from a blind cat point of view so I hope you can use some of my top tips. Maybe one day when I have a secure garden of my own with a nice big tree I’ll be able to free climb. Until then and as we only have communal gardens climbing with a harness and lead is a compromise I’m happy to make to be able to be outdoors and climb at all.

Tree climbing with a lead means that you have to have trust in the human holding the lead. You need to be an experienced team and understand the ways of communicating via the lead that you’ve developed whilst going out on walkies. When we’re out walking together I know that when mummy tugs gently in one direction or the other then that is the way I need to go. It could just be so that I don’t wrap myself around a bush or that I might just walk into something. A sharp tug means that I need to change direction quickly as there’s something dangerous or something that might hurt me. The same moves apply when I’m up a tree.

The gentle pressure of the lead tells me the way to go, it shows me the way back down to safety. It’s mummy’s job to guide me in the right direction. Her job to show me the way, I’m too busy concentrating on the birds in the trees and not wobbling and falling from the branches.

She has to (try to) make sure the lead doesn’t get caught around anything, which in a tree can be quite difficult. She doesn’t want me to get caught up in anything whilst I’m up the tree as that would mean that I might get stuck, not through not being able to get down myself but if the lead can’t move then neither can I!

One advantage of climbing with a lead is that you have a built in safety system. I know that if I was to fall or just get fed up of trying to get down properly and jump that the harness and lead will act as a safety line. As a certified master tree climber I always make sure safety comes first.

Mummy also uses the tap technique to guide me down, and calls to me so I know where she is and which direction to go in. She taps the tree as I come down and from that I can tell how far I have to go and what direction to go in. As she’s talking to me I can follow the sound of her voice but it also provides me with reassurance, I always feel much safer and more confident when I know mummy is with me. If daddy has to come down then both mummy and I know we’re both in trouble – mummy for letting me go too high and me for being a baby and not listening to mummy and not trying very hard. All of this help and encouragement doesn’t always work though, being a determined blind cat I often try to do things my own way and without help. Sometimes doing it my own way doesn’t always pay off and the results can be mixed, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. When it doesn’t though I never show it because I’m a cat and whatever I do I mean to do of course otherwise it would just be embarrassing.

She also watches me to make sure I don’t go too high, I’d climb right up to the top of the tree if I could but mummy won’t let me go that high. She says that the higher I go the harder it is to keep the lead free from the branches and the higher up I go the thinner the branches get for me to stand on. She also says that if I get stuck then she needs to be able to reach me to help me down. She says that people think she’s strange enough already taking me for a walk without her having to climb trees to get me down as well. Very occasionally I go a bit too high and moan that I can’t get down and then mummy has to phone daddy to come and help as he’s much taller than mummy and can reach higher into the tree to help me. It doesn’t happen very often though, normally I find a way down one way or another and just between us, I just moan and shout to try to get mummy to let me have the easy way down and have her or daddy help me. It’s not that easy though now as mummy won’t just help me coz I shout and moan, she makes me work hard to get myself down. She always says “come on Jenny I know you can do it, you’ve done it before.”

How do blind cats know when to sleep?

As a blind cat obviously I can’t really tell day from night by seeing the sun rise and fall. There are a couple of tricks I use to help me know if it’s day or night, the feel of the sun on my face and fur (which is easier in the summer than the winter); by where mummy and daddy are (in bed or up and about); how noisy or quiet it is. I can hear when all the birds have gone to sleep and if I sit outside on the balcony or by a window the night time sounds of the outside are very different to the daytime sounds and it tends to become cooler too. It took me a while to work things out and that humans aren’t like cats sleeping on and off all the time, they’re strange and are awake for a long time and then have their daily sleep all in one go.

It takes a while to figure these things out when you haven’t grown up in a home and when I first arrived and was still finding my way in my new home I hadn’t quite understood the humans sleeping pattern, combine that with my early life on the streets where I was too scared to have much proper sleep I was awake and ready to play whilst they were asleep. Also, like any young, cat I might sleep for a little bit and then be fully charged and wide awake and ready for the next play session. I love playing and would play and play and play for hours and hours, this was often later in the evening and when mummy and daddy were just about ready for bed. I spent enough time when I first arrived in my own bedroom playing by myself so I don’t want to go back to that, it’s a bit lonely. I wanted to play with the lovely people who gave me my furrever home, I wanted to show them that I love them and that I was part of their family. Peppar and Mia were that bit older and knew about bed time and human sleeping patterns, they also didn’t always want to play with me as I was just a bit too energetic and excitable.

When I wanted to play in the evening mummy or daddy would often play with me in the kitchen, we’d play either the ‘ready ready’ game or fetch. I could play for hours, for some reason though at some point (usually mid play) they would want to go to bed and go to sleep. “But mummy, daddy we’re having so much fun playing together” I would protest, “sorry Jenny, but it’s really late and we need to go to bed, we’ve got work in the morning.” I wasn’t ready to go to bed or stop playing so I was quite sad that my playtime came to an early end, I wasn’t at all tired so I tried to think of something to do to pass the time whilst mummy and daddy were asleep.

Well, I thought and thought about what I could do and then I had a fantastic idea, if mummy and daddy won’t come to me to play I’ll go to them. The second best option other than playing with them is to play near them, then they can still be part of the game.

So, I came up with a great idea, I could take my playtime into the bedroom to be with them. Under the bed they keep some plastic boxes which mummy keeps stuff in, I could turn this into an underground playground. Each time I went under the bed I nudged the boxes a little more so that there were gaps between each of them, little tunnels for me to run through. I could take my toys under there during the night and chase them round the tunnels, mummy and daddy’s bedding made my playground secret from Peppar and Mia and I could have it all to myself. Being blind I don’t need any light to be able to navigate through my secret tunnels, I can do it all by the touch of my whiskers and the memory map I make in my mind.

When I run around under the bed with my toys I try to play a little game with myself, I create a circuit to run around under the bed, in and out and round and between the boxes. Then how quickly can I get the ball round the circuit? How far can I go without the ball touching the boxes? Can I keep the ball under the bed without it escaping from my den?

Then as I was running around the ball hit the boxes and made a very satisfying ‘thunk’ and the ball bounced off in a different direction for me to chase after. Ooh I like that noise and it was fun chasing after the ball as it bounced off in different directions. Thunk, doink, thud, time after time until I was all worn out.

Mummy and daddy said to me in the morning, “Jenny, what were you doing all night long under the bed?” Then I thought wouldn’t it be fun if mummy and daddy could experience the game properly and really follow me as I race round the circuit, it would be like they were there under the bed with me. So, that night I found the ball that made the loudest noise, the one with the rattly bits inside that roll around as the ball moves and took that under the bed to play with. I thought to myself this would be purrfect to make them feel completely and fully interactive with me. That night I had great fun, think, rattle, doink, rattle, rattle, rattle – it was purrfect. I could tell that mummy and daddy were imagining playing with me as I could hear them sighing and fidgeting whilst they imagined being under the bed playing with me. After a full night of playing I found a snuggly spot to curl up and sleep in but then I was rudely awoken by the noise of mummy and daddy getting up, “Come on Jenny, it’s time for breakfast” mummy said, I stayed curled up ignoring her as I was tired. “Come on Jen Jen, if we have to get up after hearing you play all night long then you’ve got to get up too” she said as she yawned.

I kept trying different toys under the bed on different nights crinkle ball, bell toys, balls and anything else I found in the toy box. Gradually though as the nights went on I noticed that the more fun, noisy toys seemed to go missing at the end of the evening, I couldn’t find them anywhere. Then one evening, I wandered into the living room to find mummy and daddy picking up all the noisy toys and putting them where I couldn’t reach them. “What you doing with my toys?” I meowed, “I’m really sorry Jenny but we just can’t cope with the noise all night, we need to sleep, we’re so tired” said daddy. “Oh no daddy” I said, “ I thought that you enjoyed us playing together all night, I didn’t realise it was making you so tired.” Then we talked about it and agreed that I could have playtime in the evening before bed and then when mummy and daddy went to bed I could stay up and play as long as I wanted, even using my under bed circuit but only with the quiet toys so mummy and daddy could sleep.

What a purrfect resolution, I’m so lucky to have such a lovely family who let me do what I need to do, when I need to do it. Gradually though I’ve learnt to play whilst mummy and daddy are awake so I can play with them and then I go to bed and sleep at the same time as they do. If I do want to play with someone in the night I’ve now got Millie and Angelin to play with as they’re always up for it, whatever time of night. Peppars always snuggled up on mummy’s pillow all night. I’ve also got my footballs to run around after which are nice and quiet so mummy and daddy can sleep through my night time play sessions.

I’m letting mummy write this weeks blog, I wanted her to tell you all why her and daddy decided to adopt a perfectly imperfect cat (me).

Hi everyone, Jenny’s mummy here…I just wanted to share with you all how we came to the decision to adopt the perfect little cat that is Jenny. Like getting any pet it wasn’t a decision we took lightly, we considered every option, every scenario we could think of. Not just the physical considerations, but the emotional and financial as well. Adopting any animal isn’t a decision you can make purely with your heart and emotions, otherwise we’d adopt every pussy cat we saw in need of a home, you have to consider the financial implications (food, litter, vet bills etc), the other animals already part of the family – how will they cope? Is there enough space? What happens when you want to go away?

When you take on pets you make a commitment to provide them with the best love and care that you possibly can. They cannot go out and get their own medicine, they can’t tell you what’s wrong, they are completely dependant on you and you must do everything you can for them. Our cats are our kids, they are our family and you do your best for family no matter what. Sometimes the right decision or action isn’t always the easiest one.

I’ve had animals all my life but on moving out onto my own and to the city sadly this wasn’t an option. I met my husband to be and when we moved into our first proper place together we decided that we both missed having furry companions as part of our family. When talking about this at work a colleague said he had two cats who we could adopt as he was always worried about them getting out onto the main road. We agree to adopt them and little did I know how this would change our lives forever.

It all started when we adopted Misty and Piper, my friends cats, one female, one male, both black, one long haired, one short. Both different characters, both adorable. They had grown up together as brother and sister and they were 4 when we adopted them. After a while we noticed Piper started to miss jumping over things or up onto the high window sills, instead of jumping up onto the back of the sofa he would miss and crash into the back. Time went on and after many visits to the vet and different specialists including having a CT scan and various eye tests the diagnosis changed from an eyesight problem to a neurological one. Piper developed a bobbing head, and what we could only describe a spider legs, all going in different directions to get to the same place.

When we got him, Piper was so timid and shy and spent days under the stairs too scared to come out, I used to lie under there with him, hand feed him tasty treats and build his confidence, talking to him gently until he finally started to come out. We developed a very special bond, everywhere I went there was a Piper shadow following along next to me.

The best diagnosis we could get for Piper was that he the vets thought he had Feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE) which is a neurodegenerative disease, caused by a prion. Once the clinical signs appear, this disease is invariably fatal. This is the cat version of mad cow disease. The diagnosis wasn’t for sure and the only way to find out was a brain biopsy which couldn’t be done whilst he was alive. The diagnosis was devastating and the vets estimated that he had about 6 months before his condition would become too much for him. We decided that we would look after him the best way we could and we made sure that he could still get around, we made sure he could use the furniture to lean against to help him get around and adapted the litter tray which he could still use fairly easily. As time went on we would put our hands gently on top of his head as he ate to help reduce the bobbing so he could eat and drink more easily. We would bathe him if he got messy and we would cuddle him when he wanted attention, he was always a happy cat with a mischievous glint in his eyes. As he got gradually less coordinated he still refused to change and would carry on trying being my shadow. I got used to doing things one handed, often doing one task with one hand whilst having Piper tucked under the other arm snuggled into my hip so he could still be with me and fully be part of the family. One day when we lived in a ground floor flat a strange cat came to the door, we both watched in amazement as suddenly Piper jumped up, ran as fast as his spider legs could carry him across the floor to growl at the strange cat and defend his able bodied sisters and his home from the intruder- we were both so proud of him.

We tried various medications for him and monitored how he was doing with the help of the vets, having regular check ups to monitor his progress. The six month prognosis stretched to an amazing six wonderful years. He taught us so much and was such a happy brave soul, there was never any question of us not caring for him when he needed it. Making the difficult decision when that mischievous spark no longer shone in his eyes was one of the hardest we have ever had to make but his quality of life always came before our needs and feelings.

Pipers sister Misty was also a remarkable lady, the most gentle soul you could ever meet. She was gentle and loving but occasionally and only if she thought you weren’t looking would she run around like a kitten. If she saw you watching she’d stop and just look mortified that you’d seen her being carefree. The years passed and as time went on Misty got some aches and pains as you would expect from an older cat, arthritis in her hips and bladder stones and needed some ongoing medical care. As with any member of the family treating and looking after the elderly, and Misty got to be very elderly, is just something that you do, you work out what to do, how best to do it and get on with it. She needed subcutaneous fluids to keep her hydrated and stop her bladder stones from causing problems. By the time she showed symptoms of this an operation to remove them was just too risky because of her age, I learnt how to do the fluids at home with Misty on my husbands lap getting cuddles whilst I did the fluids. She had repeated bouts of cystitis so was put on a small daily dose of antibiotics which she got crushed up in tasty treats.

Again, as she developed her arthritis, we adapted the litter tray, adapting a large storage box with high sides into a place where she could pee standing up and still have it contained, the entrance was low so she could just walk in and waterproof mats around the edge just in case she peed out the door which did become a bit of a habit. Whilst we were out at work during the day and when we went to bed at night the sofa where she slept and could still jump up onto (We bought a step for her but she refused to use it!) would be covered in washable incontinence pads, as she got older the signals telling her she needed to pee didn’t always give her enough notice to rouse her old legs. It’s ok though she’s was our old lady cat and we were happy to change our way of living to adapt to her needs, she was still happy, still enjoying life and still able to paddle around, even enjoying time outside on our balcony. She even still had all her own teeth. She lived to the ripe old age of just over 26 in human years before her body gave out on her and we had to say a painful goodbye.

When Jenny’s big brother Peppar joined our family after we lost Piper we encountered a whole different type of support we needed to give to our little one. Peppar came from a pet shop, he was nervous right from the start, even when I went to pick him up he was cuddling in my arms just before I put him into the carrier when all of a sudden he just jumped. He jumped right out of my arms and landed on the floor, no harm was done but as we later found out Peppar was scared of everything. His flight instinct was turned up to 100 and every little noise, every movement, every new thing he saw or heard made him panic. We think that this was exacerbated by him having a severe reaction to his vaccines which caused him to get something that the vet described to us as ‘brown eye’ a condition which made him go blind temporarily and a brown film cover both his eyes. At the time it happened we were away and had a friend cat sitting for us – she had to put eye drops in his eyes every few hours which for any cat would be difficult but for Peppar a 5 month old kitten it must have been extremely scary. We think this made his flight instinct that much worse poor boy. Anyone coming to visit would make him hide under the bed and he wouldn’t come out for hours after they left. With us he was fine but we never quite knew when his nerves would get the better of him. It took a lot of time and patience, showing him these things wouldn’t hurt him and we certainly wouldn’t let anything harm him. We’d never heard of Feliway at the time so we used to give him pet remedy in his food just to take the edge off his nerves, it definitely helped calm him down. Each thing that we found that scared him we would sit with him, stroke him, talk to him and try to show him that it wasn’t going to hurt him and that he was ok. He hated the hoover so one of us would sit with him in a closed room while the other hoovered, we’d then leave it in a room so he could go and inspect it in his own time, give it a sniff and see it wasn’t going to hurt him. He still doesn’t like it much but he’s not scared of it and just sits wherever he is and let’s us hoover round him.

One of the worst occasions was when I had to take all the cats (Misty, Peppar and Mia) to a friends flat for a few hours as we were getting some treatment done in our flat. Everything’s was ok, the kids were all exploring until it was time to go back home. I figured, knowing how upset Peppar can get that I needed to get him in the carrier first – it was a good plan but I missed getting him in on the first go and then he just completely freaked out. He started attacking my legs for no other reason than because he was just so scared. I stood still as I knew he didn’t mean or want to hurt me he was just petrified. I then saw a ginger streak running down the corridor – it was Mia coming to my rescue! She took him out with one body blow and proceeded to teach him some manners. He then went and hid under the sofa, shaking and growling at me. I tried my best to calm him down but he had gone way beyond scared and I realised this was going to be a two person job, sometimes one parent just isn’t enough so I called for backup. When my husband arrived Peppar had wedged himself right at the back but together we eventually managed to calm him down, we sat with him like we used to do to reassure him, I lay on my tummy on the floor so he could see me and every so often one of us reached out to him to give him a little reassuring stroke with a finger. My husband talked to him calmly and quietly and eventually he calmed down enough for us to be able to lift the sofa away from him and corral him gently into his carrier. As soon as we were all home Peppar was back to his normal self as if nothing had happened. Over the years he has got more chilled out and these days nothing really phases him except for going to the vet. Friends visiting recently were amazed that for the first time since we had him that he came out to say hello and actually let them stroke him – they were so thrilled.

When we decided that we were going to look to adopt another cat (when we lost Misty) and we thought back over everything we had been through over the last two decades, everything we had experienced and learnt and decided that we were equipped with the knowledge, patience, love and determination to be able to give a home to an animal that might need a bit more care, one that might have either physical or mental difficulties and might not otherwise get adopted.

We both agreed that we would offer a home to either an older cat or one who was disabled as we both truly believed that we could provide any additional care and compassion that such an animal might need. These are also the animals who get most overlooked by adopters as people are unsure of what additional help they might need but that didn’t phase us. It was during this search for a special animal that we found the charity world animal friends who home cats and dogs both ‘normal’ and those with ‘special needs’. They showed us a picture of Jenny and the rest as they say is history.

You all know the things that I love and I’m good at by now, climbing trees, jumping, exploring and being an adventure cat but this week I thought I’d share some of the things that I don’t like as much. There’s nothing much that I can’t handle really but there’s some things that aren’t in my list of favourite things and that I’d try to stay away from.

Dyson the hoover monster.

I have learnt to stay at a safe distance from the noisy monster. When mummy or daddy are using him I make sure I watch from the safety of the scratching post where I can make sure he’s not going to turn feral and attack any of us. He normally lives in the cupboard, quietly sleeping until mummy or daddy wake him up. Then he roars into life, rolling round the flat sucking up anything that gets in his way, he must be hungry all the time. I keep my distance just in case he sucks me up too!

Magic and sorcery.

Mummy and I were out for walkies and I could hear what sounded like rain but slightly different. It was a little way away from us which was slightly odd anyway as normally when it rains it does it all over. Then as I listened some more the I could hear a strange noise over the sound of the water falling on the grass, ppffffftt click as the noise went one way then rain moved, then the same again and the rain went the other way. Over and over again this happened, it was weird and unnatural. Maybe it was magic rain, either way I went in to investigate some more, find out what the weird rain was, then I took a little step too close and then just as I was figuring out what it was argh it got me, a drop on my head, it was really, really cold, much colder than rain and it seemed to fall heavier than normal rain and big drops…I didn’t like it at all, run for your life mummy, save yourself I’m off. “Jenny it’s ok, mummy said, it’s just a sprinkler. It’s just water, like the rain, we use it to water the grass and plants when the weather is hot.” Whatever it is I just don’t like it.

Cars

These are ok if you’re on the inside or if they’re sleeping. When they’re like that they smell interesting. Sometimes when we go for walkies along the paved area I stop and smell them. I can smell things I’ve never smelt before. Sometimes if they’ve just gone to sleep they’re still warm and make little pinging or clicking sounds which are quite interesting. When they’re awake though they roar loudly and move quickly, making lots of noise as they go past.

Mental Millie mode

Normal Millie is fine but when mental Millie comes out to play she’s just crazy mad. At that point it’s just best to hunker down and stay out of the way. When she gets zoomies it’s on a whole different level to anyone else. Mummy and daddy say you can tell when it’s happening coz her eyes go really wide. Then she lets out these crazy meows as she runs around the flat at top speed, the blinds go crashing around, and drinks on the tables are in danger, she runs over things, chairs, tables, the bed, sideboard and chest of drawers, nothing is safe. All the while yeowling this crazy meow of hers. For a cat with only three legs she moves pretty quick and when she’s in mental Millie mode you’d better watch out coz there’s no stopping her and if you get in the way there’s going to be a pile up. For me as a blind cat her rushing around just makes me a bit uneasy as she’s so quick I have no time to realise she’s coming before she’s rushed by. I hear her coming but even with my super hearing by the time I know she’s coming she’s already here, there’s no time to prepare, no time to hide or run away or even brace yourself for impact.whoosh and she’s been and gone, the only option is to duck and cover!

Big fat rain and gusty winds

You might think it’s strange for a cat but I don’t mind normal rain whilst I’m out with mummy, it doesn’t bother me at all. When it get’s to be big fat rain drops I don’t like those at all. You might think that it’s the getting wet that I don’t like but that’s not it, the big fat rain falls really heavily and makes a loud noise as it hits the ground or the leaves of the trees and bushes. It’s this noise I don’t like, it’s so loud that I can’t hear anything else, I can’t hear if there’s any danger coming, I can’t hear mummy’s footsteps and it hurts my ears which are really sensitive. The gusty wind does the same kind of thing, it comes up swirling around, loud and often quite sudden. It makes the leaves rustle loudly and blows things about which makes me feel disoriented. The fat rain and gusty wind make all the smells that I’m used to change and so trying to find my way round is that bit harder. If I’m not sure where I am I crouch down with my head up to try to pinpoint any familiar noise so I can figure out where I am and what’s going on.

Angelin the street fighter

Like any cat I love a good play fight but Angelin is a real bruiser, we’re both ex street cats so we both know how to fight dirty but I’ve learnt that there is indoor cat rules. Angelin hasn’t learnt this yet and just bundles on in full pelt and often bum first! Then you get a full on flying headlock tackle, knocking you clean off your feet. When Angelin wants something she is focussed on getting it. Mummy and daddy put a towel on the bottom of the bed for us to sleep on and if Angelin wants it she’ll fight you for it, last time she jumped on me to get me off and then when I resisted she just shoved me right off the bed! Just to teach her a lesson I jumped back up and bit her bum to show her who’s the boss – I let her have the towel though (just that once mind you).

Of course whatever is going on and if it gets too much Peppar is always there to reassure me and as long as mummy and daddy are there then I know nothing will hurt me.