I've just come back from an evening walk. My husband came with me and we walked down the road a bit to look at some large round hay bales. I wanted to take photos, but unfortunately it was too dark.

We walked about 500 meters, at least, accompanied by our lovely two boys - Smooch and Simba. They have followed us before, but never, ever so far. We were entirely amazed, scared, and thrilled all at the same time. It was just the family out for a walk. Although I don't think they'd have been quite so keen if Wag had joined us. The cars that passed us were very considerate as we attentively shepherded them away from danger. The cars all slowed, and I think they must have been quite amused by the unlikely sight of people out walking their cats.

It was a purely magical time.
 

Opal is such a little muncher. The nice area we originally put her in has now been denuded of grass. With autumn here now, it is unlikely to produce any great quantities so it became apparent that she must be moved to greener pastures.

Yesterday my hubby finally realised what I was saying (or rather had the time to do something about it), and carted her hutch - with her inside - across the deck, through the gate, and to the back yard.

Lots and lots of green stuff for her to munch on.

Of course, there is another resident in the back yard, and that is Wag, our black labrador. He is rather curious about his new yardmate and can regularly be seen wandering around her hutch making this cute little whimpering sound. Opal is just as suspicious, but quite safe and will adjust quickly.
 

Well, Smooch is up to his tricks again and come home with a new variety of critter. This is how it went....

*Ring Ring*

"Hello"

"Your neighbour here. I just saw the funniest thing. The grey cat just ran in front of me across the road with a baby rabbit in his mouth."

"Smooch! He's got a rabbit?" I exclaimed excitedly.

"Yes, it was so funny."

We said our goodbyes and I raced out the door with camera in hand. I couldn't find him at first and he sure wasn't coming when I called. After a few minutes I finally tuned into the soft rustling under the tree beside where I stood. Sure enough, there he was. I got a clear view of the rabbit, very much alive, and Smooch, but couldn't get a photo through the twigs.

He disappeared under the house, not letting me anywhere near his prize. I came back in and went out again a while later, but he was nowhere around. I decided to try out the front of the house..and there he was in the middle of the front lawn. He disappeared under the house a second time.

To cut a long, convoluted story short, I saw him trotting down the footpath on the opposite side of the street, carrying the rabbit, and with Simba trotting along a few feet behind. They came back home and Smooch went round and round the front lawn with Simba eager to share in the catch. Smooch eventually tired and both the rabbit and he rested. Simba warily watched the rabbit, but he knows Smooch is far too possessive to risk coming any closer.

Finally Smooch made the bunny cry and I couldn't stand it. He let it go and I picked it up - unbelievably unharmed!!! *phew*

So now I have a picnic basket with a baby rabbit in it safely stowed in my laundry until we can get the rabbit cage from my father-in-law's place. He or She is away from kitty stress and happily munching on all sorts of tidbits I raided from my garden.

I have as yet to decide on a name......

 

My hubby and I were heading out for our nightly walk the other day. Simba and Smooch both wanted dinner, but it was still a little early, and I was planning on feeding them when we returned.

They came out of the front door with us as we left the house. We headed out the gate, not too surprised when they came along, expecting them to stop at the next door neighbour's place.

Next door we have two girl kitties, just a few months younger than our babies. Fortunately, all are neutered, and they get on well together.

The two girls - Abby and Patches - appeared out of their property. We proceeded on our walk, surprised when not only both the two boys, but also the two girls, continued following us along the footpath.

They were so cute, strung out in a haphazard line behind us, all quite content to follow us along. I took a photo of them. Unfortunately a vehicle on the road scared one of them out of camera shot, so only three appear in the photo.

We continued on. After the car had gone past, we lost three of our little troupe to other interests (a stray leaf, a bug, or a nice fence post to scratch). However Simba continued following us, even around the corner and out of our street. Thankfully he ducked into the first driveway and scampered back home at that point. I did not want him walking the streets away from home. Who knows what alley cat or junkyard dog he might run into?

It was so cute, but now the neighbours are away and the two girls are holidaying in a cattery. So no four sets of padded paws for a while - just our two.


 

For a few weeks now, Simba has been coming into the laundry with me. He jumps up onto the rubbish bin beside me and watches as I wash my hands or throw the dirty washing into the machine.

I should have been expecting it, but wasn't. The day came when he followed me in, but I didn't see him. I have no idea how long he was in there, but as I was heading to the back of the house to get some firewood in, I heard a tremendous crash. I didn't know where it came from, but soon found out. I opened the laundry door and a very frightened Simba shot out of the door.

Inside was a mess. Things overturned and broken glass. First things first, I consoled my boy, then went to clean up the mess.

Well, this morning, just a week or so after that episode, I was alerted by a deep rumbling. It rather sounded like a truck growling its way down the highway. It was in fact Simba, trapped once again inside the laundry. This time he was banging on the door to get out, and not trying one of the other, more messy and dangerous methods.

This time, Simba was a lot less stressed!


 

From the start, it amazed me how quickly I came to recognise the different meows of the two boys. I could identify which kitten meowed from within a few days of them coming to live with us.

Since those early days, their voices are even more distinctive. Their 'chatter' is also very different. Simba is a very talkative boy. We often carry on complete conversations with him, as he responds when we talk to him. We both find this very endearing and delightful.

Smooch is more the silent type, but the times he does meow are funny. He will meow when he finds his way behind the curtains, but cannot find his way back out. He meows when he's looking at us through the French doors wanting inside, when the cat door is just a few seconds from where he is standing. He does not meow very often, but when he does it is a very urgent sound...and somewhat demanding in a cute way.

The boys 'converse' in totally different ways. Smooch is an 'active' communicator. He is more likely to rustle a piece of paper or plastic to get a cuddle, whereas Simba will ask for one. Smooch will get in front of your feet when he wants feeding, and Simba will stand by the food dish and verbally ask. Simba meows to ask you to lie down so he can curl up on you, then he does so while purring loudly. Smooch will scrabble at the covers until you lift them up for him to burrow under. Smooch communicates his displeasure with two sets of claws digging into bare flesh, while Simba will hiss, and may even run away.

Yes, it still amazes me the different ways they 'talk' and the way I immediately know which one has 'spoken'.

At night time, whilst in bed, it is relatively easy to tell the two apart by touch as well. It is the 'long and short' of it when it comes to their coats.

 

Of course we have the two brothers, Smooch and Simba, but they also have an older big brother, in the form of our black labrador, Wag.

We were really unsure of how they would relate, given that Wag was almost 7 years old when the kittens were introduced. However, I am delighted with progress.

Given that Simba has been attacked by a few cats, he has taken to hanging out in the back yard ... where Wag is. Wag ensures that no other cats will invade the area. He only barks at foreign cats, not at our two boys. Over the past few months, they have developed, if not a friendship, then at least a tolerance of each other.

Wag does not seem to care at all about Simba, doesn't even really look at him, especially if a human is outside. The other day hanging out washing, Simba was keeping me company. Wag came and leant against my leg, totally oblivious to the fact that his actions placed Simba fair and square between his 2 front paws. Neither of them minded, and for me it was a real thrill to see them so close.

Simba does keep an eye on where Wag is, but I think it is more of an unconcerned nosiness rather than a fearful watch.

Smooch is a little different, mostly due to some unwise actions on behalf of my husband. Again hanging out the washing one day, both boys were with me. Hubby was home and decided it was a good idea to kick Wag's ball as close to the kittens as possible to see how close they would all come before the kittens reacted to the dog's presence. This was very early on in their relationship.

Unfortunately, Wag in his eagerness to get at the ball, bowled over Smooch -- didn't even see him. So now Smooch is very eager to run whenever Wag is too close. I hope that over time he will relax, and follow Simba's cue, but for now, he is a wary little kitten. Anywhere else Smooch is the gangster and Simba the peacemaker. But in the back yard, it's Simba that rules the land.


 

Poor Simba has been in the wars again. I heard the yowling, and Smooch raced out the door ahead of me. By the time I got outside, there was no further sounds or sight of the traspassing cat. I waited a few minutes, called Simba, and then returned inside. I was half way down the hall when I heard the cat door flapping madly, a mere second before Simba-baby came tearing past me. He hid on the windowsill, behind the curtains.

I finally managed to get him to come out, but he was very watchful and jittery. His tail was bloody, too --he was hurt again.

All that day he slept on my chair - from 8.30am till 7.30pm. Then he finally had to go outside, but he was not out there very long.

He is ok now (almost a week later). The injury is more of a tear than a bite, so I am hopeful it will not abcess. My poor darling. He's such a gentle wee soul.
 

There is one thing that Simba is very good at over Smooch. To understand why he is so much better at this particular activity, you only need look at the two beautiful boys. Smooch is short-haired, and Simba is very, very, very LONG-HAIRED.

The activity is collecting biddy bids. I don;t know if that is a regional term or not? Just in case - they're little sticky balls (seeds) the size of pin heads from a weed that has sticky leaves. And they STICK really well.

Now, Simba has a beautiful plumed tail, very long and bushy. I love it. But unfortunately, biddy bids love it. I awoke at 3.00am this morning to go to the toilet and stopped to pat the boys who I had to shift from me to get out of bed. Smooch had a few biddy bids in his short coat, which I removed. As I patted Simba, I found a veritable forest of those nasty little balls.

I picked a few out before heading to my destination and returning to sleep. I am still picking them out now. I can't get too many at once, as he gets restless by the pulling at his fur. He is an accomplished biddy bid gatherer, TOO good!

I just wish that those little balls were worth something. A little cash for my hours of grooming that follow, wouldn't be a bad deal.

Oh well, maybe it's time to pull a few more sticky balls from his tail.


 

My baby Simba is all better, thank goodness. The antibiotics did the trick, and he was much happier by the second day of being on them. The scab has come off now, but it's still a little tender, and Smooch does insist on play biting him right there.

It will take a lot longer for the fur to grow back where the vet shaved him, but it's such a relief to see him active, healthy, and vibrant again.

Smooch on the other hand, is being a little ratbag. He is into exploring places he shouldn't go at the moment. Yesterday morning he TWICE switched off the computer on me by playing where the power cords are. Last night he drove me crazy trying to get a wad of paper stuck down between some things. He knows what "no" means, but he just tries a different approach the next time. And he's got lots of 'different ways' in his arsenal.

Smooch is also using me as a ladder. I'll be minding my own business, and from nowhere his sharp claws land on some part of me - the back of my legs or my butt. Then he climbs up, with me complaining loudly, to perch on my shoulder while purring his heart out. *sigh* If only he wasn't just so darned adorable!!!

The kittens diet has changed a little and we've introduced fresh meat to go with their kitten food. The only problem with this is I have to stay and supervise, or Smooch pushes Simba out of the way and eats both lots. My wee lion is too soft-hearted!!!