Settling In

Hallo again, Effurybody!

It's been an age, hasn't it? But We were so busy helping Mummy to unpack and get things organised in Our New Home, We've had no time for blogging.

Furrst of all, I must tell you, the Move was rather traumatic - especially for Caspurr and for Mummy. While the packers were finishing up the packing on Moving Day, Mummy shut Us up on the balcony with plenty of food and water and two litter boxes, so as to be Out of the Way. But then, She left us all alone in the empty apartment while She went with the movers to the new apartment, because She had decided - after consultation with the V-E-T - that it would be less stressful for Us to be able to roam freely for a few hours in a familiar place (albeit empty) than to be shut up in a cat carrier in the new place, with the movers  dumping boxes and packing cases effurywhere. Because the new flat didn't yet have interior doors, so she couldn't shut Us in one room till they had gone (the new doors were supposed to be installed two days later, but, in fact, they didn't arrive till Thursday, five days after the Big Move).

After a few hours, She came back for Us, but Caspurr was so stressed-out, he scratched Mummy really badly and took refuge on top of the highest kitchen cabinet. So Mummy took Us  (Me and Shimshi) to the New Flat and then went back for Caspurr.

Caspurr told Me later that even then, he wouldn't have come down, only Step-Grandma got a long stick and POKED him with it, so he jumped down and ran into what used to be the bedroom. And then Mummy went in after him with the PTU and closed the door behind her so he couldn't escape. And she was crying and effurything and She BEGGED him to get into the Carrier, otherwise She'd have to leave him there - so he finally dashed into it, probably reckoning it was the only safe place. And then She brought him here, to the New Flat and released him and he dashed into the room with the most boxes and hid himself away for several days, only coming out at night to eat.

Mummy was terribly upset. What's more, the wound on her arm where Caspurr had scratched her got all swollen and red and She had to treat it with antibiotic cream!

It's been almost three weeks now since We came to live in Our New Home and We are gradually getting used to it. Shimshi took to it like a duck to water. I (Trixie, Alpha-Kitty Extraordinaire), have been working effur so hard to help Mummy, and so, too, have Shimshi and (to a lesser extent) Caspurr (who prefurrs to sleep). We have to snoopervise the opening of each and every box, investigate the contents and - since Mummy is using the opportunity to throw away a lot of what She calls "junk" - make sure She doesn't accidentally throw away something of real impawtance.

There have been some changes in Our Lifestyle. For example, there's much more room and I feel, at last, that I have My Own Space - even though Caspurr and Shimshi try to encroach on it sometimes. But knowing that Caspurr was so spooked by The Move, while I was not, has given Me the confidence to stand up for My Rights. I have also decided to allow Shimshi to play with Me sometimes - and even to share the sofa with Me, as long as he understands that I have first claim on any sun-puddles that become available.

I have to say, a lot of what Mummy promised Us has yet to materialise. Our whiffles-balcony, for example and our catio. Mummy seems to think it's more impawtant to get the rest of the flat in order first, because She's hosting the Whole Family (12 people) for the festive Rosh Hashana evening meal this Wednesday. Can you imagine that?!

But Mummy says that All Good Things are worth waiting for, so We have decided to allow her a little leeway on this.

We may not have time to blog again before Rosh Hashana, so, just in case, We shall take the opportunity now to wish you all Shana Tova, a Happy New Year, full of Blessings, Purrs and Love.

Sitting On Packing Cases

Kitties! Woofies! Anipals!

The time has come! Tomorrow is the Big Day! We are effur so excited!

Yes, the long-awaited event has arrived! Tomorrow, We are moving to Our New Home.

Effurything is at sixes and sevens. Packing cases effurywhere (and made of lovely, scratchable cardboard - heh, heh, heh)!

We wanted to help Mummy by snoopervising the packers, but She shut Caspurr and Shimshi on the balcony and Me, Queen Trixie the Alpha-Panfur, in the bedroom, to make sure (so She said) that no-one accidentally trod on Us.

We haven't time to write much now, because Mummy is going to turn off the Computer Machine and go to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a furry, furry long day, she says. 

She also says it might be a few days before We can tell you about the New Flat, because she'll have to wait for the (In)humans from the Cable Company to connect her up to the Internet.

So we will just wish you a Good Week and leave you with a few pictures of Us, mewsing on the Fun of Packing Up One's Old Home...

The Birthday Girl

Hallo, Effurrybody!

This is Me again, Queen Trixie, Alpha-Kitty Extraordinaire.

Today is my Birthday! I am two years old today!

Mummy gave Me a new pink mousie. You can see the mousie in this picture. Caspurr immediately jumped up onto the window-sill and tried to steal my mousie, but Mummy shooed him away. 

I spent most of the day in my new hidey-hole, under the armchair in the living room. I have clawed away at the cloth covering underneath, so now, I can climb inside and nobody can find me. Well, at least, they can find Me - but Caspurr is too fat to get under the armchair, because he eats far too much and with Shimshi, all it takes is a fierce hiss or two to get rid of him.

Mummy gave me Fancy Feast for breakfast and again for supper - turkey slices in gravy. I love the gravy.

Mummy has been doing her best to make sure I have Quality Time with her, and a place which is all Mine, where Caspurr and Shimshi can't bother Me. I am the only one allowed to sit with her in the study when She's working at her Computer Machine. I like to sit on the back of her chair, or on the printer.

Kitties - and other Anipals - instead of having My Birthday Pawty today, in the middle of the week, we have decided to postpone it till Shabbat, at 5.30 pm. It's going to be a Birthday Picnic in the Enchanted Wood. Your Teleporter Tunnels, and other Transportation Devices have been programmed with the coordinates, so we shall be looking forward to seeing you.

********

In Other News - Shimshi was kit-napped and taken to the V-E-T today to have his shots. He went quite quietly but he told Us later that he hadn't enjoyed the taxi ride at all. In fact, he was quite subdued for several hours after he got home. I felt almost sorry for him, but at least it meant that he wasn't pestering Me all the time to play with him.

OK, Effurrybody! It's time for Mummy to go to bed. It's only half past ten, but She has to get up early tomorrow to meet the contractor who is doing the renovations in Our New Home, to which We hope to move at the end of the month. So Good Night, Dear Anipals. 

Looking forward to seeing you all at my pawty.

Trixie the Black Panfur

Shimshi To The Rescue - Twice!

Hallo again, Effurybody!

It's Me here, Trixie the Black Panfur, Alpha-Cat Extraordinaire.

Mummy brought her little nieces round for a short visit, to meet my little brofur, Shimshi. It didn't bother Me, as I was ensconced on top of the highest kitchen cupboard. Caspurr ran under the bed as soon as the three intruders walked through the door. He doesn't like having to confront so many strangers at once.

Well, Mummy's nieces (our Human cousins) just loved Shimshi, and of course, Shimshi loved all the attention, but one of the twins lay on the bed and tried to purr-suade Caspurr to come out. Something must have spooked him because he just shot out from his hiding place, raced into the kitchen and disappeared.

After the intruders visitors had gone, Mummy started looking for Caspurr, but he was nowhere to be found. Mummy went all around the appurtment, calling for him, but to no avail. She even asked Me and Shimshi if we could help find him, but We didn't know where he was either. Eventually, she decided he would come out when he was ready and decided to go and have a shower. But Shimshi wasn't ready to give up and went on looking for his Big Brofur.

Just as Mummy was preparing to have her shower, Shimshi came running to her and then ran away and back again , and away again and it was clear to Mummy that he wanted Her to follow him. So she did and She couldn't understand why he was sniffing at something under the fridge. So she knelt down on the floor and looked under the fridge - and there was Caspurr, crying in distress! Mummy hadn't thought to look there before, because She was sure Caspurr was much too fat, portly, big to get under the fridge. He must have got in from the back, where there is a wider opening and now he was in a panic and didn't know how to get out again.

Mummy didn't know how to get him out either. Then She had an idea. She asked Shimshi to show Caspurr how to get out of that tight spot. She moved the fridge out, and Shimshi went round the back and crawled in next to Caspurr. But Caspurr still didn't come out, so Shimshi went right in there next to him, to encourage him. And then he must have talked to Caspurr, and shown him the way out, because at long last, Caspurr turned round and came out the same way he had got in, and hid out again under the bed. 

Then, Shimshi decided that Under The Fridge was a fun place to hide out so he went back in, till Mummy tempted him out with some noms. And once Shimshi was out, She began to push the fridge back into place - till She heard squealing and She looked and saw Shimshi squished between the fridge and the wall, miaowing furry loudly. She quickly moved the fridge to release him - he wasn't  really squished - and he ran off to find Caspurr and make sure his Big Brofur was okay.

Shimshi is a real Pest sometimes, but I've got to hand it to him this time. He rescued Caspurr, not once but twice today. Once, when he found him - when nobody else could do so. And then again, when he showed him the way out of a furry, furry tight spot.

Good for Shimshi (purrs)!

Bath-time Frolics

Hallo again, Effurrybuddies!

Yes, it's Me - the Mighty Shimshon (Shimshi for short)!
I've learned such a lot since Trixie and Caspurr last let me talk to you.
For example, I've learned what fun baths and sinks are.

It was Trixie who first gave me the hint. She prefers the sink, but the bath is much bigger and I thought it would be more fun. I even jumped in there when Mummy turned the shower on. Usually, she shuts us in the bedroom when she has a shower because the bathroom door doesn't close properly, but this time, I sneaked in behind the washing machine.

But oh! kitties! I had such a shock.
Not because of the water from the shower - that was fun.
But kitties! what happened to Mummy's fur?

At last I understand why Mummy has to wear "clothes". How ever can she bear the shame?

Now I'm afraid, kitties! I'm scared! Truly scared!

Will I lose all my fur too one day?

The Learning Curve

Hallo, Effurryone!

Trixie and I (Caspurr the Tigger-Tabby) have been teaching Little Shimshi lots of new things this week. At the same time, we had to learn a few new things ourselves - such as what to do when the nasty, scary sirens go off, to warn of an attack of boomies. Our Human rushes down to the Bomb Shelter but She hasn't time to look for Us first, because She only has a minute and a half to get there and We, of course, are never all together in the same place when the siren goes off.

She says that's another one of Murphy's Laws. Who is this Murphy. anyway? He seems to have an awful lot of funny laws.

Anyway, we have been lucky, Mummy says, that we only had the Boomie Warning in Jerusalem three times, since all This Business started. (We have tried to find out what "This Business" is, kitties, but all We know is that there are Bad Humans shooting at Us.)  Mummy speaks on the phone effurry day to her auntie in Ashkelon, which is a city by the seaside, down south. Mummy's auntie says they have boomie attacks there effurry day, even several times a day!

So, to get back to the Things We Have Had to Learn, Mummy says that when the Boomie Warning goes off, we must take shelter somewhere safe, away from windows and not in the bathroom, and definitely not on the balcony, so as not to be hit by flying fragments of glass or ceramics, if a boomie should happen to fall nearby or on the roof.
We think that under the bed, or inside the wardrobe, cushioned by all Mummy's clothes, seems the best option...

Love and kissies to you all, dear anipals and please keep purring that We and Mummy will be safe from the boomies.

Shabbat Shalom

The J-Cats xoxoxox

Big Boomies

Hallo, Effurrybody!

It's Me here, Trixie the Alpha Kitty/Black Panfur.

There have been furry strange occurrences this past week! Twice, we heard frightening, wailing sirens, making a horrible noise, and before we could emerge from our hidey-holes to investigate, Mummy rushed out of the house, locked the door and didn't come back for at least ten minutes. And while She was away, we heard nasty, loud boomies!

We often hear boomies, when there are celebrations in the Arab village across the road, and then we can see pretty coloured lights in the sky, which Mummy says are called "fireworks". And She says there's no need to be scared of the fireworks (as if we would be scared of anything!) because they can't hurt Us. But these boomies were louder and there were no pretty colours this time.  And afterwards, on Fursbook, We saw that the boomies were caused by Bad Humans shooting rockets at Us.

Mummy was only away for about ten minutes at the most, and when She came back,  I rushed to greet her, to make sure She was okay. Shimshi slept through it all.

And Caspurr, as usual, took all the excitement in his stride.

We totally understand if Mummy was frightened of the boomies, but We think that, instead of running off to the Bomb Shelter, with all the neighbours, She should have stayed here with Us and allowed Us to protect her.

Don't you agree, kitties?