The Cat Sat on the Mat

This black and white round rug was bought from Habitat.

As soon as it arrived, my wonderful old cat Chub sat in the black spot in the middle. When she sat on the rug at any time, it was always on the spot in the middle, as though she was optically directed there.

It is getting later, 1.42pm, and the workman is still not here. I am becoming a bit stir crazy.

Some Cats I Have Known

My first cats were my grandmother's cats, most notable of which was a white manx cat with half a tail who was a 'dipper' as my grandmother called him, dipping his paw into his milk to drink.

When we lived in Blackheath, my mother bought a sealpoint siamese kitten called Lulubelle. Lulu lived for 25 years. As a kitten she would climb up curtains, get stuck up trees, and leap around at great heights in derelict buildings, so my mother gained a lot of climbing experience when rescuing her. Lulu had a strange habit (for a cat) of using the loo for its correct purpose. I once saw her on the loo, front legs together and back legs astride, facing me and pooing into the loo. She could open doors by jumping up and hanging on the handles. Her naughtiest trick was to steal a roast leg of lamb from the kitchen next door, which had stable doors. This was found, attacked and ruined, on the lawn outside.

Lulu was joined for a short period by my black cat, Charlie Boy, who died in his sleep when young.

At boarding school, my sister saved the life of a tabby kitten, Lolla, who was brought home to join the family and lived a long and useful life. After Lulu's eventual demise, my mother gave up having cats.

At this time I was living in Twickenham and decided to get a cat. Questioning the local vet, it seemed they had been asked to clear some wild cats from a railway yard. They had found one small ginger kitten, covered in black oil and took it back with them. The next day they found another in the same spot. One was short haired and one long haired so of course I had to have both. They were known as Fritz and Spitz. Spitz became my then husband's favourite, and Fritz, the longhair, was mine. Fritz was a fun-loving boy and liked to chase torch beams on the floor or wall. He would lie on my bed on his back, back legs crossed and front paws behind his head like an old man. I wish I had photographed this.

Later a pair of half siamese farms cats, Chavender and Chub, arrived. We named them from the fish in Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler: 'the Chavender, or Chub, as they were identical . When we divorced I inherited Chub, who again lived for 25 years. Chub was a super affectionate female cat, very vocal with a typical low siamese voice. I left the rather whingey high-pitched Chavender with my ex-husband. Chub is now succeeded by the evil Malvolio, my current diabetic cat. For a short while I had a lovely stray, Bacon, pictured above, who just appeared at my flat. Unfortunately he died of cat leukaemia. He was a superb silver tabby, and possibly the friendliest cat I have ever owned. Malvolio continues to torment me every morning by clawing at me until I get up and feed him and I am sure will continue to do so for a long time.

Sugarpet and Rose Tattoo

My cat's test results through. My vet tells me that his diabetes is uncontrolled and that I should take him in for a full day or overnight blood tests. Since he seems quite well in himself, not losing weight, not drinking too much water, no hypos etc I am just inclined to gently increase his insulin a little while looking into home blood testing as with a human diabetic, but apparently it is illegal in UK!!!!

Then I discovered it said on the outside box of the insulin that it only kept for 28 days once started. Well, the vet had previously said it kept for a year. The insulin I had been giving him was ten months old, so not surprisingly the test was abnormal. I have been unable to clarify this with my vet, but have googled around and found an interesting site called sugarpet.net which is a cat owner site and her view is that it probably lasts for about three months so I shall accept that pro tem. While considering doing simple home blood tests as advised on that site, which may or may not be feasible.

I am rather suspicious that all these rules are aimed at making more and more money for vets, rather than the welfare of the animals.

Went to a matinee today and saw The Rose Tattoo with Zoe Wanamaker. It was a brilliant performance and I really enjoyed it. Quite a treat. I really do like the Olivier Theatre at the National, a super space with a good atmosphere, and excellent red wine available in the foyer. Their top priced red (still under £5) is surprisingly good.

Cat junkies and a Strange Encounter

My cat only had to stay at the vets for an hour or two, and came back with some insulin and a packet of catnip in cat teabags. You make the tea, leave it to cool, and give to the cat. I did all this and the cat immediately threw himself onto the tea bowl, spilling it all over the floor and trying to sniff the liquid. After I had cleared up the mess, I gave him the wet mouse- shaped tea bag and he threw himself all over the floor in ecstasy for a while before ripping the whole thing to shreds.

I had also given a catnip teabag to a colleague which she put in her smart bag and forgot until later, at home in the evening, she found her cat, having torn her bag, inside her bag shredding the catnip bag. Apparently it was so excited that it later woke her up at 4.30am, demanding more catnip, unsuccessfully. I have exhausted my colleague and turned her cat into a junkie.

Today at lunch time I was wandering around the market when a quite normal-looking man came up to me to ask if I knew of a local flowershop. I pointed out two, and he said 'no, they don't have the right colours' then looked at me and said ' you are very stylish'. 'Thanks' I said nervously, before hurrying away. Apart from his strange comment to me , I wondered what the 'right' colours of flowers would have been, as both florists seemed to have a pretty complete range of colours.

I was a little unnerved and rang my colleague arranging to meet her for a therapeutic luncheon. Very good it was too, and excitingly, police turned up in two cars and arrested some people, which we viewed from the restaurant. Neither of them were the man who had accosted me, but two youths, presumably caught shoplifting.