Life’s Frantic Whirl: cats, yarn and shopping

It has been a funny old week. Treacle was sitting on the cat tray, wailing, at the weekend and was seen to be dashing around trying to squat and pee in inappropriate places. He has suffered FIC before and we concluded that a phone call to the vets to request antibiotics would be in order. But by Monday he appeared to be fine! (Hold that thought for later…)

Tuesday, I finally steeled myself for a trip to town and me and my shopping trolley headed off to the ferry terminal. I overdid things as usual and wore myself out.

Wednesday was Spinning group, chez woolgatherer. Minimal fuss this week – I decided spinners could take me as they found me and just deal with the fact that I keep a scruffy house. I didn’t even make a cake. I was far too tired and sore to be dashing around appearing to be domesticated.

Fast forward to the moment when I tidied up the cat trays before spinners arrived: I was aghast to find a large and very bloody puddle in the litter.

We blocked SpinningGill’s Lace Fichu, but not mine – it turned out to need more blocking mats to do two than the room would resonably hold.

When the spinners had gone home, I rang the vets and booked Treacle in for Thursday. Conveniently SpinningGill was taking her cat to the vet that day – we begged a ride with her and Trampas.

It was odd, though. Treacle appeared to be fine. He wasn’t behaving as we are used to when he has a bout of FIC. I checked his ears and they were cool. He was skipping around like a kitten and wide-eyed and bushy-tailed. I checked Ted too. Hard to tell with him, as Lethargy is his middle name. He too appeared to be fine and was seen having a giddy half hour on Wednesday evening, chasing imaginary prey.

As luck would have it, I was in the kitchen when Teddy decided to use his tray that evening. I don’t know what made me investigate after Niagra Falls had ceased their torrent… but I did look, and it was a good thing too as the wrong cat almost went to the vet. It was an easy mistake to make, given Treacle’s behaviour at the weekend – compounded by the fact that Ted was exhibiting no signs of difficulty or distress at all.

Wednesday evening, I was blocking my Lace Fichu when I heard a car draw up. I had forgotten that I had a meeting with some people that I maintain a web site for. We had our discussion, and then they said that they were grateful for all that I do for them and that they insisted on paying me something and then gave me a cheque! (Hold that thought for the next post…)

I then, being ridiculously excited about my windfall, became involved in something (about which you shall hear shortly) and totally forgot  about my half-pinned and now almost dry knitting. I knew it was probably misguided, but I continued pinning it out and finally got to bed about midnight – about 2 hours after my normal bedtime.

Thursday’s boat leaves early; still worn out from Tuesday’s shopping and Wednesday’s spinning hosting, I lurched from my bed at a very unaccustomed 6am and boxed the cat. SpinningGill was collecting me at 7am. Me barely functional, but at least I was dressed and decent.

We dropped the cats off at the vet as soon as the ferry arrived in Kirkwall and went off to do some shopping before collecting our wee chaps at midday, in time to catch the boat home at 1pm. Teddy had apparently “been a real gentleman” with the vet – there’s a turn up! He’s got a very sore bladder, so had a steroid jab as well as an antibiotic and has pills to take from Saturday. After he’s finished his pills I have to attempt a urine collection to get a test sample to the vets to look for crystals. I invested in both a pill popper and a urine collection kit and the entire bill came to £48 – rather less thanI had braced myself for.

Last night I was good for little else other than collapse. I took my knitting to bed and cast off the first half of the Flutter Scarf. It has proved to be absolutely ideal for knitting on the ferry and has made really rapid progress, given two return journeys in one week! I’ll put it aside now and get it out the next time that I go to town, cat pee in pocket 🙂