We Literally Just Had a Caturday

Mrs Meow has lived with us for three years now. Where she came from, I do not know. She turned up three summers ago and spent day and night, rain or shine, under the same bush in our back garden. My husband is allergic to cats, so bringing her inside wasn't an option (ahem). She was happy enough to take food, once we had gone back indoors, and slowly, she would eat with me sitting a few feet away. By the end of the summer she surprised me by jumping up on the garden bench beside me. 

As autumn came around that year, we made a shelter box for her inside our boiler shed. It had a duvet and she could crawl under the door and keep warm. By that winter I had started letting her into the kitchen ("just the kitchen, I promise!") and at night she slept on an old coat, inside from the cold. My husband resigned himself to taking anti-histamine. 

By spring, Mrs Meow had extended her kingdom to include the whole house ("but definitely not the bedroom, and she goes in the kitchen when you get home, I promise!"). By summer 2013, Mrs Meow now sleeps beside me on our bed during the day (I sleep a lot due to M.E.) and is in the house all day, even when my husband is there. 

He had a love/hate relationship with her. He hates cats, he hates her fur everywhere, he hates when she poos in the corner of the kitchen instead of the litter tray. Secretly though, I think he does love her. He witnessed her catch a mouse that ran under the washing machine one weekend morning, and their relationship changed from there. No longer just a sleep machine, she now was a cruel, mouse teasing beast. Plus I've caught him sneaking her chicken in the kitchen.  

Mrs Meow is here to stay. I love her to pieces. So I decided it was about time I looked after her completely and made sure she was getting her yearly vaccinations. To get her to her first vet trip (with us anyway) I had this super duper fancy deluxe cat carrier from Swell Pets.

It opens at the front, like any carrier, but also the top swings open, which makes it so much easier to pick up your cat, set it down into the box, rather than trying to push it in the front door. Mrs Meow was in it before she knew what was happening! There's a removable double dish at the front which can be accessed without the cat escaping. This would be more for long travel, or air travel. There's lots of room and ventilation too. We were able to put a seat cushion that Mrs Meow likes to sleep on inside with lots of room left for her to turn around. 

here is Michael demonstrating the flip top access!

quite blurry, but I didn't want to hang around once she was in

Mrs Meow seemed happy enough travelling in her carrier. She miaowed her annoyance, but she wasn't stressed, or scared. At the vets she poked her head out the door when we opened it, then sat back down on her little cushion. I was expecting her to make a dash for it. Altogether a very successful trip.  

We found our she is about six years old, which means she was three when she turned up as a stray with us. 

Caturday continue with a trip to Bangor's Cat Show. Easily a hundred cats of all breeds to admire. My son and I had a fabulous time. My husband didn't attend, one cat is enough for him. 

The Best Cat