Turbulent year

This has been a turbulent year since my last post in January. In February I started with a health problem which was put down to an irregular heartbeat. I was permanently breathless & going upstairs necessitated a stop halfway to catch my breath. The doctor told me that I wasn't allowed to bowl & that I should have a gentle walk each day as my only exercise. For once I followed his instructions.
At the end of March Sooty, my beloved cat had to be put to sleep as his liver had ceased to function. He was just 6 days short of his 17th birthday. To say that we were all devastated is an understatement. Lisa my dog kept wandering around the house looking for him & would cry when she couldn't find him. After all he had been there for here from the day I brought her home. We were all the same, the slightest thing & we were in tears.

We swore that we wouldn't get another cat as we felt it would be unfaithful to Sooty. But never say never. At the beginning of May the Pets in Spain charity posted a picture on Facebook of a little grey tabby kitten who with his sister had been abandoned by their Mum. He was about 2 weeks old & I fell in love with him straight away.

I just knew that we had to give him a home but we couldn't have him till May 28th as he was being bottle fed. We decided to call him Monty because he had an "M" on his forehead. On D-Day I went to collect him & he wailed all the way home. I brought him into the house & we were wary in case Lisa didn't like him & attacked him. But we didn't need to worry as she accepted him straight away & he became her little shadow. He settled in well & it was strange because he immediately started doing things that Sooty had done. Almost as though Sooty was there in spirit looking after him.
Because he was bottle fed he loves human contact wanting snuggles two or three times a day. But if he gets the chance his favourite place is wherever Lisa is.

When Allen takes Lisa for her walk in an evening Monty insists on going too. He is a real sweetie & a part of the family.
Since July Allen has one health problem after another and is only just starting to get better. He has managed 3 games of bowls since August but has won all three. As someone said "he hasn't lost it".
We are hoping that 2015 will bring better health for us both & hopefully a much quieter year.

Pets Christmas

I cant leave out the animals at Christmas and they both had their parcels. Sooty got a collar with a blue bandana & bells plus some cat nip treats while Lisa got choc drops, a snowlady soft toy & a new collar with bandana.
The picture shows them admiring each others bandanas.

Cold Weather

The nights have been getting colder even though the days are still warm enough when the sun is out.  Last night was the coldest yet with the temperature down to 1.3ºC. Not quite as cold as UK but cold enough that even Lisa needs her bed socks on to go to bed.

At least her front feet & legs were warm. Doesn't she look cute.

Friends don't have to be the same

Friends don't always have to be the same.

Lisa spotted her new friend out in the road and after been allowed to go and play she spent about 1/2 hour with him.  She sniffed & huffed, and tried to shake hands - at least I think thats what she was doing.

She would touch him lightly with her paw and he would stand up on his back legs and  hiss at her.  She even tried rolling over to see if he would play like the cat does but no luck.

At one stage she had knocked him onto his back and when she went to sniff him he grabbed her nose, I wasn't quick enough to get a photo of them.  Eventually, I brought her back into the garden and he went on his way.