Feline Felicity

Today

The next stage in the new home purchase has been reached and we are beginning to make proper plans.

While we have the luxury of not having to move out of here before moving into Spencer House, there will still be a day or two of activity involving removal trucks and strangers stomping about carting furniture.

So, thinking about Abby's happiness, we've decided she'll be best off in the cattery for a couple of days during the worst of it. Then we can settle her more easily into her new environment.

In My Day

Of course, we haven't always had either the option of having staged moving or of being able to afford a cattery.

When we moved to Montfort Close in 1982, I couldn't even find the cat basket and a terrified Amelia tore the cardboard cat box to shreds in minutes. I seem to remember moving them in a unibox with a board over the top to prevent egress. Fortunately the journey was only about five miles so it wasn't too difficult.

When we arrived. Amelia quite quickly set about exploring, but Agamemnon was simply furious and wouldn't leave the utility room where he slept uncomfortably  on  some dismantled metal shelving and forced us to give him a litter tray. After five days I'd had enough of this sulky behaviour. He was eating normally, wasn't he? So this was just a mind game which I was determined to win. In was high summer and I chucked him into the garden, where he found that it was much more fun than the pocket-handkerchief he was used and promptly forgot his bad temper in the fun of climbing up trees.

Moving here was far worse. There was a lengthy period when we were homeless, staying with Chris at Glenthorne. As this was a home that boasted three German Shepherd dogs we clearly had to accommodate the animals in a local kennel/cattery. The cats (and Caspian the dog) were there for eight long weeks. We visited them a few times and they looked so miserable. When we were eventually reunited there was no sulking. They were all far too delighted to have found us again and to have their freedom.

It's fine, Abby, you'll be just fine. Altho' I think a new collar with address tag might be in order, just in case.