The Rain It Raineth

After so many months of drought we seem to be blessed with too much of a good thing now. The rain began late Monday and here Friday it's still drizzling. A side effect of rainfall is grumpy cats who are stuck inside having to put up with each other. My days consist of cleaning out litter trays and breaking up fights. I worked out yesterday that it takes me half an hour to get organised when I get up as I work to keep everyone happy. First I wake at 3 am as apparently when you turn thirty your bladder turns 103. The Demelza wakes up and knowing how she'll yowl at me for hours I have to shut her out of the bedroom so I can cat nap till 5.30am. That's when Peaches wakes up. Her strategy is to jump off the bed, then on the bed, run across my chest to leap off the other side. She knows she only needs to do this three or four times before I give in and get up. Then the following routine happens.....

Pull back the bed covers. Haul on winter tights and socks so feet don't fall off with cold. Open bedroom door to find Demelza crouched down behind it in order to leap on unsuspecting kittens. Go across the hall and open bathroom where Piper now sleeps in her little sheepskin bed since she began wetting mine. Say hello to Piper. Check to see if she's wet her bed (which she usually has) and/or used the litter tray. Head to dark kitchen. Turn on light and nearly pass out. Unlock back door and allow Mishka dog and Peaches and Demelza go out (Peaches doesn't do anything but sit on the woodpile waiting for the dog to return). Open sitting room door so that Piper can hiss at Kit who sleeps in there. Gasp at how cold it is. Turn on light, radio and heater in that order.

Go down to the bathroom and collect wet Piper bed. Throw in washing machine. Carry litter tray to kitchen, return and wash bathroom floor with disinfectant. THEN I can visit the little room myself. Go into office and turn on computer. Check to see if dog is at the door. When he comes in try to prevent Kit from picking a fight with Demelza who is following him. Peaches makes a run for the kitchen chair.

Get dressed. Turn off heater. Carry nightie and thick jersey I sleep in back to bedroom and pull back curtains. Feed Kit her special dried food. Tip Piper's special food into her red dish and carry this and three other cat dishes with cat food into sitting room. Shut door so I can work in peace. Dish out food and then balancing four dishes and two cans of food on lap return to the kitchen where I feed Demelza high, and Piper, Peaches and Gypsy on the floor. Feed dog last as he's lowest in the cat pecking order. Check Kit has finished her breakfast and let her out. Shut dog in sitting room to stop him clearing up everyone else's food.

Wash hands. Get the computer started on dialing onto the Internet. Make a cup of tea. Check everyone has eaten and then let the dog out. Light the fire and allow this to heat the room for an hour while I go on the net. The evening rigmarole isn't as complicated but it's getting there. No wonder I'm tired!

And news about Angel. She turned up at my old place last week after a seven month abscence. Walked into the cottage where the old man was having his evening meal so he shared his steak with her. He then let her go. She has since been seen in the hay barn but runs away from them. I just wish they would bait the oppossum trap with meat and catch her so I could have her here.

Tuesday night Kit did a silly thing by cramming herself behind the birdcage on top of the fridge for a nap. All I could see were two hairy white feet hanging over the edge. An hour or two later there was an almighty crash. I arrived in the kitchen to find the cage on the lino with the floor lying elsewhere and a worried bird sitting there wondering why he'd woken up out of a pleasant dream about owning a millet factory. His drinker was smashed as was his favourite toy (a bell/mirror). Got him sorted out and vacuumed the seed off the floor at 10pm. Kit then spent the next half hour attached to my jersey desperately apologising. I've docked her pocket money until she pays for the new drinker and toy I had to buy the bird the next day.