This is Frodo – the Senior Cat, although he does not actually belong to us…
Frodo belongs to our neighbours across the garden, but, being a Norwegian forest cat, he is a terrible roamer, even now that he is more advanced in years. He also took somewhat of a dislike to the noisy little terrier, Kipper, who arrived in our neighbour’s house well after he did and tended to disturb his rest times. Our house was quieter (and he did take a liking to the food that was on offer on this side of the garden) so he does spend a good deal of time with us – by agreement with his owners/our neighbours!
However, this arrangement is now of very long standing – and predates the arrival of Boris and Mushkin, our own cats – so Frodo, who has no time for the niceties of the human idea of ownership, regards himself as Senior Cat and expects (and gets) respect from the other two…
(For more on Frodos’ move, escape, wanderings and final return, see ‘The return of Frodo’…..)
And this is Mushkin. He is the Junior Cat.
Mushkin is the Junior Cat because he was the latest arrival, taking the place of the late lamented Billy, of whom more anon. Mushkin is a very busy cat. He needs to know what everyone is up to all of the time, so is always on the go. He is also the smallest cat – with the heaviest feet…. You can hear him coming a mile away. He has beautiful markings and the softest fur with a wonderful musky smell.
He is very friendly (although less so since he was, we think, caught a glancing blow by a car some months ago) and is the only cat I have come across who does – well, sometimes, anyway – come when you call him.
Mushkin also has one brown eye and one green eye – as you can see. This is because, very soon after his arrival (from Battersea Dogs Home) someone (the culprit has never been identified) put a claw in his eye. This resulted in an early morning dash up the M1 to the UK’s classiest feline opthalmic unit where, for some staggering amount of money (thank goodness he was, at that point, insured) he had the UK’s finest feline eye surgeon operate on him and save his eye – although the sight, I understand is not perfect, and the eye is now brown…. However, his care was amazing (hourly calls from the intensive care nurse to give me an update on his condition) and his recovery seems more or less complete.
Mushkin does spend quite a bit of each day hassling Frodo. Whether this is because it was Frodo who originally stuck a claw in his eye and he is exacting revenge or just because Frodo is Senior Cat, I am not sure. He lies in wait for him around the house and then pounces from behind chairs or under tables. Most of the time Frodo just gives him a wide berth, but every now now and then he loses his temper and fur flies. Since Mushkin moves faster it is usually Frodo’s fur that flies – but he does have plenty….
And this is Boris…..
Boris is not a senior cat, nor a junior cat. He is – well, he is …. Boris…
He is a fine looking cat and, as I understand all ginger cats do, getting ever larger – although still very trim. Boris is very comfortable in his skin. He tolerates the rest of us, both humans and cats, but you do always get the impression that he feels that you are a bit of a distraction from the important things in life.
One of those, possibly the main one, is sleep. Less than 22 hours a day and the day is a write off. And once asleep, he is not likely to allow the mere fact of being picked up and moved to a different location to disturb him. Most of the time he does not even re-arrange himself once moved.
Following on from sleep in the heirarchy of importance, is water. Not bowls of it, or even pools (although they are OK) but water dripping out of taps. He will spend hours (well, many minutes anyhow) waiting for the drip from a tap or watching it disappear down the plug hole – often sitting in the sink or the bath to do so. We have never resolved whether, during this period, his mind remains a total and glorious blank or whether he really is solving the mysteries of the world.
The only other matter of importance to ruffle his days is – food. Yes, the classy feline dental food which comes in expensive bags, obviously, but it is the other titbits which really arouse his interest. He is certainly the only cat I have ever come across who was up for licking out two bowls of soya custard, dealing with the remains of the porridge pot and who waits daily for me to finish my breakfast of crunchy granola with yogurt and beetroot juice so that he can lick out the bowl.
Click here to see him in action – and, when a lot younger, investigating a saucepan and then the printer…
Boris has been wondering whether, given that he does have a number of deep thoughts in intervals between sleeping, he should actually start his own blog… There was a suggestion that he might like to Tweet but, somehow, tweeting seem altogether too ‘busy’ for Boris (it might suit Mushkin…). The more measured tones of a blog seemed more appropriate.
(2024 – in the event, Boris decided that even instructing his amenuensis to post on a blog seemed unnecessarily hard work and he would leave it to others to comment on his actions.)
For those who want to follow our cats’ activities more closely:
Click here to watch Boris and Arwen having a rumble – January 2016
Click here for Arwen six months on – December 2016
Click here for Arwen the gender bender…
Click here for the arrival of Arwen – August 2015
Click here for the passing of Frodo… – 17th December 2014
Click here for the Further adventures of Frodo – 14th December 2014
Click here for Paddy, the irrepressible Yorkie – a bit of an interloper on this page but we’ll forgive him! October 20145
Click here for ‘the return of Frodo’…. November 2013
Click here for Mushkin in the snow
Click here for ‘Frodo on Food’
Click here for ‘Boris and the porridge pot’
Click here for ‘Mushkin and the begonias’
Click here for the sad tale of Billy the Kitten – December 2012
Click here for Boris and Mushkin (and Frodo of course) – spring 2013
Click here for Mushkin – saved by Tawny Pipit! – May 2013