Hi everyone, and a huge warm welcome to all the newbies that found their way through the catflap since the last Mewsletter was sent out. Speaking of the last Mewsletter, I am so sorry that you ended up with three issues all in one day. I was trying so hard to get everything in without forgetting something, that I forgot to go back and put the link to Qrfluffl – the pom hero and Tigger’s link to the Music Quiz didn’t work properly.
I fixed them both by the second attempt but something else happened and I had to send out a third copy. I am so sorry. I felt mortified to be honest as I’m such a perfectionist. I hate getting things wrong. But many of you wrote to say I shouldn’t worry and that you didn’t mind – which is very kind of you.
Inadvertently, I changed Qrfluffl’s (pronounced ‘Kerfuffle’) sex. He is not a he but a she – and I do apologise not only to her Mum, Lady Cat of Boulder, Colorado, but to Qrfluffl as well. Apparently, Qrfluffl has notified Lady Cat on a few occasions, that AshAvAri has been left in the bathroom with the door closed and if it hadn’t been for her being on the ball, poor Ash would have been stuck there!
On the itchy subject of the flea infestation that has beleaguered me at the Daily Mews house, I’ve had dozens of you write to let me know how you deal with the pesky critters. Thank you so much. The general consensus seems to be apple cider vinegar. It’s funny because I have a book on ‘Vinegar -1001 Practical Uses’ and when I looked up flea treatment, it said that apple cider vinegar is supposed to work wonders.
I just am a bit worried about the cats – and my house – smelling like a chip shop. For those outside the UK, chip shops sell fish and chips (and burgers and other things now.) The Portuguese gave us fried fish, the Belgians created chips but a Jewish immigrant, Joseph Malin, opened the first recorded combined fish and chip shop in London 1860 or 1865. A Mr Lees took the concept to Mossley, an industrial area in Lancashire, in 1863. In case you’re not familiar with ‘chips’, you may know them as ‘French Fries,’ ‘Pommes Frites’ ‘Patatas Bravas’, ‘Patatine Fritte’ to name just a few.
On Friday, 30th September I’m hosting a MacMillan Cancer Support coffee morning and then at 12.15 I’m going up to my hairdressers, and he’s going to shave my head. All donations will be given to MacMillan Cancer Support. Some of you that have been with me for centuries will possibly remember that in June 2006 I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. Stacy Mantle in the US and Jeff Shepherd in the UK did a fantastic job keeping the website and Mewsletter going while I was otherwise engaged (having chemotherapy and fighting for my life). As it’s the 10th anniversary and I’m still here, I thought I’d do something for MacMillan Cancer Support as they were very good to me while I went through all my stuff. There is a Just Giving page where you can donate if you want to – all and any donations will be very gratefully received and given to MacMillan Cancer Support.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Pauline-Dewberry1
There aren’t many of us that haven’t been touched by cancer in some way, either personally or a loved family member or friend. So please do give whatever you can – you’ll be helping to fight this war against cancer.
Friday just gone (16th) I took both Casey and Gibbs to the vets. For Casey it was his annual booster injection. For Gibbs it was the start of his injections and he has to go back in 3 – 4 weeks’ time for the second one. For both of them, they had a wormer each as they both eat like there’s no tomorrow and the vet also put a drop on flea treatment on them. Both cats screamed the place down in the car to the vets and they cried their eyes out once in the waiting room but when they were in the consulting room, they became different cats. Brendan, a Spanish vet, cuddled each cat and spoke to them as if they really mattered to him. As a result, both were completely won over by him and they allowed him to pick them up and cuddle them, and give them a thorough check up. Amazing. Both were much quieter on the trip home although Casey always does a poo when he gets in his basket and both of them had done a wee in their baskets. I know travelling to the vets – or even going in a car – can be stressful for cats and as it was only Gibbs’ second time (the first was back in April when he was neutered) I wore a tee shirt for several days and put it in Gibbs’ basket to hopefully relax him. Casey’s smell is already in his basket although once we were home all the bedding in both baskets were put in the wash.
Strangely enough, their appetite seems to have diminished almost overnight. Where they would have 1 ½ sachets of Felix, this morning they both only had 1 each. And the scratching has stopped – thank goodness. My feet are still itchy and I am putting cider vinegar on them which does cool them down a bit.
Last night I was about to close the front room curtains to cosy it up (it was much colder yesterday) when I saw an ENORMOUS spider – really, really HUGE – with very long legs and a big body almost hidden in the folds of the curtain. I decided not to close them after all and I’d let sleeping spiders rest. However, when I was ready to go to bed, without thinking, I just reached for the curtain to close it and the spider abseiled down – quite daintily I thought for one so big – the curtain and ran across the floor. Involuntarily, I sort of screamed out – as you do – and Gibbs hovered in the doorway, his ears just poking round the door, his body hidden from sight.
“Erm, is there something I can assist you with?’ he asked, still not venturing into the room.
“Help, Gibbs! There’s a big spider and it’s coming your way!” I replied.
Putting his paws up, the ears disappeared from view. A muffled voice from the dining room called out: “I don’t do spiders! This one’s down to you!”
I dealt with it the only way I knew how: I gathered up my personal belongings as quickly as I could, made sure the television was switched off, turned off the light, and closed the door!
My thanks to Aida Marina of EMRO (Egyptian Mau Rescue Organisation) for twiddling about with the logo for the Mewsletter. I hope you like what she’s done with it – and wait until you see the Christmas issue’s logo! Some people are just very clever – and Aida is one of those people. Thank you Aida.
Well this is just a chatty Scratching Post. The Mewsletter will be with you probably on the weekend of the beginning of October so I can add a photo of me with my new ‘lack of’ hair do.
If you haven’t already done so, please check out the various articles and stories that were listed in the most recent Mewsletter and as always, I welcome feedback: good, bad or indifferent. If you haven’t seen the last Mewsletter, you’ll find it on this link as it’s now on the website.
Till the end of the month,
Take care – and lots of love
Pauline – Editor in Chief
Casey – Happier now that he’s no longer scratching himself stupid
Gibbs – Happy to leave me with the biggest spider on the planet
In the Middle of a World...
"In the middle of a world that has always been a bit mad, the cat walks with confidence."
Roseanne Anderson