Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Siesta time

We had a lovely week with Dorothy and Jean last week, managing to have some nice little trips out, including one to Bedar, which we had not been to before, and also spending lots of time relaxing outside and just chatting together. It was not ideal timing to add to our family the week before our visitors were due, but the little pups were really very well behaved, and the cats have learned to get along together, and really play well. They also share a bed and feeding dish now, until they are too big to do so any more.
So we thought that this week we should give them all some attention and try to socialize them all together. The dogs spend most of their time outside. Chris has fenced off an area where they sleep, and they only come in the house when it is too hot for them to be outside. We are outside ourselves a lot of the time anyway. Paco is growing fast and he had his second set of injections on Tuesday, so I am happy to let him out with the dogs. But they are only babies and they see him as just another plaything. At first they picked him up and I was afraid they would shake him and damage his back. But now, after a few minutes of pestering, they leave him alone. It's the much the same with Destino, but she is more feisty than Paco and she hisses and spits at them if they annoy her. But I think they would hurt her too if I left them alone. Early afternoon is the hottest time of day here, when we are all a bit sleepy, so I have been taking the cats outside then. Today the dogs bowled them around for a few minutes, but they soon got tired of us shouting at them, and flopped down on the porch again. Destino took refuge on my lap and Paco on Chris, and we all had a doze together. When Chris came in I went to get my camera and managed to get this picture of them all resting together, For some unknown reason, Chico chooses to squeeze himself behind the chair to sleep. Of course I had disturbed them by moving so they all woke up. Destino was about to get a good licking from Miki, but the crumbs Chris had left on the seat proved a more interesting diversion. Then Chico thought about teasing Paco and decided it wasn't worth the effort. When I had to come inside I brought the kittens in with me. I don't quite trust the dogs with them yet. But at least they are getting used to one another, and I am confident they will all be one big happy family in the end.
This is a picture of Destino as she is now, at three months old, and this is a cat called Bad Morrong Tarantino, who is her father, and a very handsome fellow he is too! I don't have a picture of her mother, but she was similar. So I don't know where all her grey colouring came from, but I think it may be why she was classed as 'pet' quality, and not for showing. Her pedigree describes her as 'dilute calico' and they are usually very pale. She is a soft little bundle of fluff, but she too is growing fast and is now over half a kilo, so is big enough to have her injections and other treatments. Surprisingly she isn't as 'cuddly' as Paco, who will sit and be stroked for ages, but they will both be welcome lap-warmers when next winter comes!

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