Reaching out!

Extending the paw of friendship...

Finally - Bushka realises that Minibu (even when she's asleep) is neither threat nor prey.

This moving moment (sob!) was the very first time she gently touched Minibu. Now they are firm friends and Minibu has become Bushka's "shadow" as she trots along darkly next to her!

Minibu is small but brave!

Compared to Bushka, who is still growing, Minibu just looks so tiny... BUT, she is a feisty little kitten who can outstare and out bluff even a Lynx like Maine Coone!

Not amused...

Bushka, the Maine Coone & the Main Cat, is not amused at this fluffy black kitten - sans nez - interloper.

So she treats it as she would any other vermin - but wait - she seems slightly less aggressive and slightly more curious this morning...

Is Minibu getting under her skin as well?!

Enter Minibu stage left!

"Just popping out shopping" called out my wife, who for weeks earlier had been looking intently at kitten websites.

This is who she brought home - a tiny black Persianesque kitten "as a friend for Bushka..." So, we now have "Minibu"!

But OMG - Bushka hissed, growled, and flicked her tail - looking like a cross between an angry rattle-snake and a velociraptor!

Will they learn to accept each other - even become friends? Let's hope so!

What big eyes you have Grandma!

She only has to hear the rustle of the bedclothes being straightened in the morning and in she dives, preferably UNDER the duvet and cushions!

What is she thinking? It looks like a...

"Woah there! Don't even think about getting another kitten!"

In her element...

Bushka has now discovered the great outdoors with a vengeance! She stays out for a couple of hours at a time, but always comes running back, flying her tail, when we go out and call her.

The other day she happily returned with cobwebs on her tail, so she is clearly less arachnophobic than us!

She seems impervious to the cold - not that it has been THAT cold yet - but it seems her thick coat works as it should :-)

Tuna threat!

No joke!

Bushka loves tuna, and she makes this abundantly clear :-)

Giving us the look!

Bushka remains very decorative - check out that fluffy tail - and she still enjoys going out for a walk, though she is more cautious after her near death experience...
She was surprised by a neighbour's huge dog, but mercifully wriggled out of her harness and shot up a tree to safety!

We eventually cajoled her down, but the memory remains, and she now prefers being close to the cover of bushes when we take her out.

Lounge lizard

I rather like this picture of Cecilia, although we are all calling her Bushka these days. Which I guess now makes this Bushka's Blog!

She came through her "operation" completely unharmed and was soon bounding around the furniture as if nothing ever happened...

Stitches are out and her tummy is now "furring" back over - and she is always happy to pose for the camera!

The Oakley Hotel for Cats (Bromley)

Late July we left for our summer holiday in the South Of France, but what to do with Cecilia? After some pondering, a good friend at work recommended the Oakley Hotel for Cats. If you can get your feline friend to this part of Kent, I would highly recommend the experience. This is where the local vets take their cats!

Cecilia appears to have changed for the better as a result of the experience, she is far more laid back (is that possible?) and seems more lovingly attentive - she looks more confident and is less spooked by noises.

Part of the appeal of this unusual cattery is that (if the owners agree) the cats can mingle and socialise. Picking her up after 2 weeks we could see how happy she was in the company of younger and older cats of all sizes and breeds... and to think we were worried about her!

World Cup Final 2006

Cecilia, the scourge of the household fly - she caught four today - about to sit and watch the World Cup Final. Earlier we all saw Federer beating back Nadal in the Men's Finals, at Wimbledon. So much good spectator sport in one day!

Sociability and games

Cecilia, increasingly known to her friends as Bushka, is a very sociable cat. Although she is less inclined to lie on laps (it is warm these days) she always rests within eyesight or hearing distance of us - she seems to enjoy relaxing to the sound of familiar voices. And she does still love a cuddle or two in the morning.

Her latest favourite game is hide and seek - with us. We let her know we are up for a game by walking away from her, then glancing back at her, before hiding. She either discovers us with a full frontal charge, or she sometimes surprises us by sneaking up from another direction. Sometimes, if we catch her running towards us, she does a comical sort of backwards run - still coming towards us but looking the other way! She really is fun, and we are so enjoying her company and funny antics!

Cecilia in repose!

Here is Cecilia relaxing on a coffee table after her "prowl" outside earlier today. It's probably cooler here than lying on the carpet, and she gets a better view!

Prowls outside...

We have started taking Cecilia out for walks (or prowls) in our garden. From having a bit of a hissy-fit when we first introduced her to the harness, she has quickly learned that fun stuff happens with her harness on. It's not really like taking a dog for a walk, she takes you for a walk (or a run) and sometimes she expects you to stand absolutely still, as she tries to ambush a fly or a grass-hopper :-)

You are not alone with a Maine Coon!

Cecilia definitely follows us around, sometimes she just gallops in behind you, other times there is a far stealthier approach... You think she is in the living room, then you hear, or think you hear, the slightest rustle behind you. You just know you are not alone, and glad that that she is not really going to pounce on you in anger :-)