Cats This Week

This is Solly, my sister's Maine Coon kitten, supervising gardening operations.

It's been a difficult week for dogs. Herbie threw up several times on Monday night, then wouldn't eat for a couple of days. I thought this might be the beginning of the end, but he's eating again. He seems more frail, though. He doesn't have the reserves any more to fight off stomach bugs. I was beside myself with worry, but he pulled through this time. I'm not sure we can get through another bout.

The house thing plods on, as these things do. The HIPs pack isn't acceptable to the bank, so searches have to be done over again. I genuinely don't see the point of the buyer and seller each having to do the same work, but someone somewhere will be making money out of it. I'm hoping we can sort everything out for the end of October.

Basking

...in some unexpected sunshine, after one of the wettest summers on record. Never mind the sea levels rising, the rain alone made last weekend miserable on the edges of the moors. This weekend we're drying out.

Herbie's nodes are somehow even bigger, and Holly seems to be going bald. She always sheds a lot in autumn, but this year her legs are looking bare. More sardines all round.

I've had the survey back on the house. It needs a lot doing, but it's mostly structurally sound. I say "mostly", but that really means "fixable at a price". Hmmm. But it's on top of a hill, so it won't flood.

Things That Make Me Smile

Every now and then, you find something online that just makes you grin. Stephen Huneck, who created the Dog Chapel on Dog Mountain is selling the Healing House there. If you scroll down the page until you find the dog faucet... well, it made me smile. I never knew I wanted a bathroom with a labrador, until now.

Then there's cats that look like Hitler...

Yup, I'm distracting myself. I think I've found a new house, but worries are creeping in. Anyone know of any other displacement activities I could take up? (Ive already washed, vacuumed and ironed, I'm houseworked out now.)

An Ear-y Tale

This has been a tricky week. Herbie got an ear infection (and a lump I was worried about, but vet's dealt with that one) and so I have had to chase him round the house twice a day in order to clean his ears and put drops in. He's normally so stoical and brave, but ear-cleaner? Noooooo!

Once I've pinned him down, I then have to squirt CleanAural into his ears (or "Nettoyant Auriculaire pour Chien" in case I ever have to ask for it in France) and duck as he shakes his head, and coats me with whatever's in his ears. Then I add some oozing yellow antibiotic drops, and have to massage them in. I think the vet was quite impressed with how much he fought the pair of us at the surgery. "He's still quite strong, isn't he?" Yup.

And smart. There's no bribing him, no distracting with pieces of cheese, no hiding little plastic bottles of ear-drops in my pocket and sneaking up on him from behind. I've had to resort to brute force, and I'm not proud of myself. His ears are much better, though, and I'm counting the days till Tuesday, when I can stop putting us both through this.