Of Cats and Kittens (by sarah)

We have been carrying one kitten with us when we go and feed Babaras cats to try and get everybody used to the new situation. However last night Tim followed me into the Bakery, so I went and got a kitten to see how he would react to them - it was H the less agressive of the two. To mine and Als suprise TIm stood there looking a bit worried and as soon as I put H on the ground, the kitten started hissing and yoewling, back arched, fur raised.

We thought that it would be predent if H won the face off as it is the kittens territory, but we didnt have to intervine - Tim was petrafied of the kitten and as soon as we opened the door he was off like a shot.

Then Betsy, the black shy cat kept coming over and sticking her paw through our letter box - rattling it toget our attention. She kept doing this until we let her into the Mill via the door - she has arthritise and we think she was having problems climbing in the window to get her food.

Tim and Batsy also appeared to be missing Barabara - who they seemed to think we were hiding in the Bakery - this myth was dispelled earlier with heer return from holiday - the endless watering is now at an end 🙂

The kittens house training has dramatically improoved with a) a box over the litter tray to make it resemble the covered one they were used to. b) treats and rewards, plus being taken to the litter tray. c) Cleaning the litter tray out three times a day and d) feeding them specific cat milk so they dont have the squitz anymore!

Water and Electricity Stupidity! (by sarah)

Grrrr!!!!

Well today I opened a letter from our electricity supplier - I wasnt expecting a bill as we have recently payed one. Unfortunatly two weeks ago we'd had our first meter reading since we had moved in - add this to the fact they hadnt changed us off of economy seven and I cant remember if I posted the letter asking them 🙁 We have a bill for £1000!!!!

This is a magnitude different to previous bills - it incorporates all the extra we havent been paying over the last yr that they didnt know about cos they hadnt read our meter 🙁

The economy seven is a right pain! Al works with computers - we prepear most meals at home - during the day! For those that don't know about economy seven it is a tarfir that changes less at night that standard but almost double! during the day.

This bill would have included all the excess from heating over the winter too. This was exceptionly high becuase a) we have no gas or oil heating and the fire only heats a small patch of down stairs. We only managed to put the thermal curtians, mum made, up towards the end of the winter - plus I didnt unpack synthia the carpet snake draft excluder until spring. Ontop of that we have no double glazing and we have found a couple of 1/2 inch gaps in some of the windows!

We are peed off with the gas people as we have been waiting for the quotes and stuff for over six months now - they came and did the free servey! We still want gas for cooking but we now thinking that oil central heating might well be the way to go!

I am slightly worried over the ecological-ness of our house at the moment 🙁

Still we phoned them up and have arranged to pay this nasty bill a bit every month though the household budget is now completely up the creek 🙁

The other stupidity is the water company - I could strangle them!

Now when the first water bill came it was obviously in Babaras name - I phoned them up and advised them of the change and who we were etc...

Bow I got one more bill and that was it - this was becuase for some reason they started sending our Bills to Babara - wrong address, wrong name. She kept phoning saying she had payed her bills - they look it up on the pooters and yes she has etc... but then another letter arrives and nother - she phones up each time - then one threaterning solicitors - then she noticeses that it our account.

I phone them up and they apologise and say they have taken our account off the 'bad' list and a new bill will be sent.

Then over a month later I'm thinking I've still not got a bill and lo! We go to feed the cats and sitting on top of the post at the Mill is a letter from the water company saying - with the wrong name but our adress - this again was threatening balifs and stuff - I have sne t the cheque off along with a peeved letter. But am still expecting the balifs to flipping kinock! Incompetance!!!!

What is wrong with the srtructures of these companies that this can happen?

ok thats all folks!

I don’t like carpets :-( (by alaric)

It seems I'm always having to try and clean liquids out of carpets.

In our previous place, there was carpet in the bathroom; cream carpet. With damp barefooted people getting in and out of the bath, plus the carpet often getting wet due to the leakage problems then being walked on, this meant it was a right pain keeping it dry and clean.

Then there's the problems we've had with flooding here, in our carpeted kitchen. Again, having a carpet in the kitchen is a bit of a pain, since it's a nightmare to clean if you spill anything.

And now we have kittens, who it turns out the mother of hadn't quite finished toilet training, so we're having to encourage one of them to use the litter tray. And I'm having to clean kitten turds out of the carpet... which isn't so bad, if a little labour intensive compared to the simple wipe/spray cleaning stuff/wipe again routine required when they go on a HARD surface; but when they pee on the carpet, all I can do is to keep making the carpet sopping wet with disinfectant-laced water and then sponge it up again a few times in the hope of diluting the urine in a greater mass of water, then trying to get most of it up again.

Ugh.

Gimmee tiles any day. With rugs laid down for comfort in places where we might walk barefoot, that can be easily lifted to be hosed down if they get mucky.

Photos added (by sarah)

We have now put the photos up in the posts Kittens, Toad, and Shrew.

They are cute - go look!

Kittens (by sarah)

We have KITTENS!!!!!

Two little black and whites - called Hydrogen and Helium 🙂 Hydrogen has one black leg with a little white soc where as Helium has two white front legs 🙂 So they fit their names quiet well 🙂

Last night I ended up buried in kittens that after being stroked to carmthem down decided that my shoulder was the place to be 🙂

They are pouncing everything, including my hand I stupidly dangled!

They are 10 weeks old and were part of a litter of four - they are pretty inseperable so everyone was glade thaat we wanted both to keep each other company. Hydrogen instantly went for an explore when we got them home but Helium is shy and very scared of Jean who atempts to get the 'cuddles' and when denied this through her toys at them!

Things are starting to come together now 🙂 Now all we need isx a few more cats - some ducks and bees..... 🙂 🙂 🙂