EVER NEEDED A PLUMBER IN AN EMERGENCY?

This is the continuing saga about running a boarding cattery in a Spanish village recently.   As soon as husband went to the UK chasing a bit of work to keep our heads above water, we had a blocked sink.  I thought I had solved the overflowing sink problem with some liquid bought from the supermarket online.  But I was wrong.  When I brought a plumber he said he couldn't fix it by himself.  He wanted to bring a lorry with a grinding machine, costing a minimum of 150 Euros on top of his 60 Euros fee....what a con it seemed.  Maybe, on reflection, it would have been the best option.

I had emptied the septic tank five weeks earlier and since that time all the waste water came back into the kitchen, overflowing onto and inside the kitchen units, and the floor.  It wasn’t possible to use the washing machine or dishwasher as the waste water would return inside the machine in a grey, muddy, cloudy mess.  It was impossible to use the sink as the water came back up and overflowed.  Running a cattery was difficult with all the cat bowls to wash and disinfect.  Dirty plates were everywhere....My son Leo was able to wash some in the bathroom, but I struggled to reach the bathroom as the wheelchair didn’t fit through the door and I could only manage a few steps with crutches.  These things always happened when my husband had to work away from home.   Luckily there was a tap in the garden next to the cattery, but only with cold water.

The smell in the kitchen was atrocious with the dirty waste water and also the plumber used four bottles of "muy peligroso" (very dangerous) stuff in order to clear the drainpipes.  Unfortunately to no avail.

The next step was to call the septic tank people back and ask them to tackle it from that end.  The blockage was so strong it broke their power hose, so they had to leave and get their hose repaired.  Eventually, some days later, they blasted the blockage with a grinding machine, which backfired all over them....ugh....and the cost was another 90 Euros which I could have spent on something better, e.g. the mortgage.  The lady in charge had broken her arm, so we made a matching pair.

There was great relief that the problem was solved.  It was then a matter of cleaning up.  As I was barely able to hobble, the only way to do that was to sit on the typist chair, wheeling about the kitchen with wet wipes and disinfectant, washing the surfaces down from the filthy water.   The wheelchair didn’t fit inside the kitchen door.

Only problem was, I wasn’t used to moving about very much and I felt dizzy, probably from the fumes of the chemicals that were coming back up inside the dishwasher.  I went to bed the following nights with bad dehydration and if I sat up, I got so dizzy I thought I would collapse.

I had no choice but to lay down and drank water, sugar, bicarbonate and salt......no alcohol.  After a while, I felt stronger and almost normal. 

I hope this gives you a laugh. 

REACHING 57, RUNNING A CATTERY IN AN OLD VILLA, FROM A WHEELCHAIR!!

My 57th birthday was awful.  Stuck in a wheelchair with a broken ankle, the phone kept going like mad and I eventually rushed to wash my hair midday....the girls from Costa Blanca News (where I had been working two days a week) were coming at 4 and I tried to dust the lounge from the wheelchair with a feather duster.  I overdid it and came over dizzy again and had to lie down.....I took the phones with me to bed, as the road was dug up outside to lay drainage (not to our old villa unfortunately) and I knew the girls would have trouble getting down our cul de sac.  One of them fell down a hole in her high heels, and they had to leave their cars in the next street.  It was lovely to see them.  They spoiled me with birthday cake, flowers, cava, etc. and answered the phone for me as all 3 phones were going at once.  It was strange to see my boss saying "Albir Boarding Cattery, how may I help you, No she is tied up on the other line".   However, I felt faint and as soon as they left, about 8 p.m. I flopped into bed with nothing to eat....as I saved my slice of cake for after my Indian takeaway, Leo my son, had kindly got from Haweli in the village, but I felt too ill to face it....cava didn't suit me.  There were bottles of cava all over the place, crisps on the floor and dirty dishes in the kitchen.....just what I needed!!  The phone went at 10 p.m.  Thinking it was my husband who was working in the UK, I answered "Hello Darling" as he normally calls at that time when he's finished work, but it was my old friend Thelma and she thought she'd surprise me....the way I sounded, she nearly sent for an air ambulance.  Saturday was wonderful, I felt good all day, sat outside with a vodka in the early evening chatting to OH on the hands free phone, came in as Leo was warming up the curry and watched the X Factor on TV, singing at the top of my voice (terrible voice, but who cared)... I was lying on the sofa showing off my athletic skills with my ankle, then went to bed with a DVD and a glass of wine, so I didn't drink much but I woke up feeling terrible. 

On Monday, I sent Leo to buy a new clean bowl to soak my foot in which was peeling badly and pick up my prescription and get the “off sick letter” from the doctor for my job as they wouldn't pay me without it....and you will never guess what happened, the ignition wouldn't start, so the Opel went on the back of a tow truck!!!  The night before, Leo took the car up the road as they were digging up the street again.  I was on the phone for an hour directing the driver to our car where Leo was waiting....liaising with Opel and Direct Line insurance in Spanish and going nuts....just to top the lot, Leo gave the man the car key with his gate and house key on it.....so I had to plead with the driver to return, a sob story about a broken leg and could he come back to give Leo his key so he could get in the house....meanwhile Leo was trying to jump over the wall....but the neighbours (holidaymakers) were staring at him trying to break in and he thought the police will come and well let's not go there. 

What a nightmare....you have to laugh.  He got a taxi back from Opel in Benidorm..... the taxi was 12 euros each way, which I didn't think was bad as it's right in the centre.  Speaking of taxis, Leo got a free ticket to see Spurs in Alicante and he took the coach from Benidorm which was fine, but when he left the football stadium at 11 p.m., there were no taxis and the last bus was at 9 p.m.  Thank God for mobile phones....he got two taxi numbers from a policeman and they were on answerphone and then he had to walk a mile to find any civilization in the shape of a bar and the waitress didn't understand him, so I rang her and she said Taxi 144 will be at Gate 1 of the stadium waiting for him (surprising how the Spanish gets better when your son is in the middle of nowhere)....I waited up for him and was singing Happy Birthday to Me in bed.  I paid for the taxi all the way back to Benidorm where the car was parked...that's what mum's are for!!! 

When I had the cast off I hired a ramp to get the wheelchair to the car and a Spanish friend came with us....I was told not to walk yet and there was a 2 month wait to see a physiotherapist, so I  just took each day as it came....good days and bad days

On a good day I soaked it for the first time in dettol....all the skin fell off and I managed to take off the crummy nail varnish with some contortioning and rub in Lancaster body creme with the help of ear buds, so it began to look more like my foot, not an alien I was frightened to touch.  Seeing my leg for the first time after removing the cast was a shock, so hairy, bruised, crumbling that I couldn't touch it for a few days.

In between all this chaos we had to take care of the cats boarding with us, make sure they were fed, fussed and cleaned, buy the food and cat litter.  Leo took care of the practical things and I did the paperwork.

Cat Names

NAMES TO SUIT YOUR CAT

Are you looking for that perfect name to go with your cat's personality or physical characteristic?  For example, if your cat is funny and amusing you might consider names like “Joker”, “Doodles”, “Noodles”, “Squirt” or “Pickles”.

Fluffy cats could be called “Fluffy”, “Furby”, “Fuzz” or “Fuzzy-wuzzy”.

Black and white cats:  what about “Domino” or “Boots”?  Black cats:  “Midnight”, White cats:  “Bianco”, “Blanco”, “Chalk”, Aspirin, “Cotton” (as in cotton wool) or “Coconut”.

Clever cats can be called “Aristotle”, “Py” (short for Pythagoras), “Newton, “Einstein”, “Socrates” or “Winston”.  Incidentally, Winston Churchill was a cat lover and had several.  Apparently, he was particularly fond of ginger cats.  A ginger cat with white chest and paws was an 88th birthday present for Churchill in November 1962, and was promptly named Jock, after the private secretary Sir John Colville, known as Jock, who gave it to him. This cat was such a favourite that he is even seen sitting on Churchill's knee in his grandson Winston's wedding photographs.   Jock was only two when Churchill died in 1965, but lived on until 1974 at Chartwell and is now buried in the pet cemetery there.  In compliance with Churchill's wishes, the National Trust - which inherited Chartwell on his death - has since acquired ginger cats called Jocks II and III.

Have you found a stray, or perhaps rescued a kitten?   Many strays are named after the street or town where they were found.  Another common way is to choose the day of the week when you found the cat.  Other suggestions for stray cats are “Abby” (as in abandoned), “Alley” (found in an alley), “Bones” (found as skin and bones), “Chance” (you took a chance with him), “Hope” (given a second chance) or “Velcro” (he found you and stuck with you).

Travelling cats:  What about  “KATmandu”, “Katar” (as in Qatar) or “Paris”.  Speaking of Paris, some French names are: “Houppette” (powder puff), “Bijou” (jewel, trinket), “Douceur” (gentle one), or “Mou” (softy).

Posh cats: “Aristocat”, “Princess”, “Champagne”, “Posh Choo” (Jimmy Choo) and “Diamond” spring to mind.

Feng Shui names: “Crystal”, “Tai and Chi“ (for 2 cats), “Bamboo” (as in wind chimes) or “Harmony”.  "Hibiki" is Japanese for "Harmony."

Chocolate shouldn’t be fed to cats, but there is no harm in naming them: “Buttons”, “Flake”, “Fudge”, “Truffle”, “Kit Kat”, Cocoa”, “Bean”, “Mars”, “Bounty” or “Choccie”.

Playful cats: “Speedo”, “Zippy”, “Zoom”, “Chaos”, “Frantic”, “Hypurr”, “Rascal” and “Mischief”.

MORE CAT NAMES

It can be fun choosing a name for your new pet.  A lot of people base the name on the appearance such as Smokey, Misty, Blacky, Snowy, Tabby, Ginger etc.

Human names are popular such as Lucy, Fred, Pedro, Dolly, Fanny, Maisie and Chantelle.

Food and drink suggest names like Pepsi, Kahlua, Cookie, Peanut, Sushi, Coffee, Toffee and countless others.

 
For a posh looking cat there is Princess, King, Czar, Sheikh.

Religious names are Soloman, Sampson, Delilah, Sheba, Buddah, Zen and so-on.

There is plenty of choice in the world of music, Jazz, Opus, Beethoven, Trumpet, Cymbal, Madonna, Jagger, Jacko.

Models spring to mind for delicate princess type cats.   Ellie, Naomi, Kate, Jerry, etc.

If you become the proud owners of two animals, choosing a name can be even more fun.  What about Adam and Eve if they always like to stay together.  Sometimes it is best to wait a few days to see how their personality develops before settling on names.  Alpha and Beta could refer to the first two from a litter.  A pair who keep an exceptionally clean litter tray could be called Spic and Span!  Or what about Yin and Yang for a passive female and active male?  Brahms and List perhaps for a tipsy, energetic, slightly crazy  pair.?

The most popular names are Tigger, Sooty, Felix, Charlie, Fluffy and Lucky (most cats are lucky to get away with some of their antics, so it is an appropriate name.)

Persian cats could take an Iranian name like Atoosa, the name of an Iranian Princess or Bousseh meaning kiss.  Likewise two Siamese cats could be named Si and Am like in the film “The Lady and The Tramp”.

Return from holiday with new ideas re publishing a book/blog

Having just spent three weeks in Benahavis, Southern Spain, I feel refreshed and ready to take a new approach to my half written book.  Several people have suggested that e-publishing is the way to go, no longer associated with vanity publishing.

As I have only written the first three chapters (the usual requirement from an agent reading a memoir)....this now means a busy winter finishing the book.  At the back of the book is the A-Z of cat breeds, and most of those have been written or published previously in a newspaper.  E.g.

A-Z of Cats

PEDIGREES OF THE WORLD (A to Z)
“EGYPTIAN MAU”

The Egyptian Mau is a fascinating cat, not only because of its past history, but because of its delightful personality and striking appearance.  The Mau (mau is the Egyptian word for cat) has been clearly identified in the artwork of the ancient Egyptians, leaving no question in the minds of many experts that the Egyptian Mau is indeed the cat domesticated from a spotted subspecies of the African Wild Cat by this unique culture. To gaze upon this beautiful and engaging creature is an opportunity to view a living relic.

The Mau or Miw was the Ancient Egyptian name for the divine household cat. It is believed the Mau is a natural breed which originated in Cairo. It is a very affectionate and playful breed of cat and is one of the rare breeds that doesn’t object to being walked on a lead.  Maus are intelligent, active and very playful cats. They love toys, and many learn to retrieve as they really enjoy interacting with their owners. They are reputed to have the fastest reflexes of any domestic cat, and are formidable hunters if allowed outside.  Maus generally get along very well with other animals including dogs.  They bond strongly to their owners, but are sometimes, initially, shy of strangers.  They are very intelligent and stubborn cats. They learn fast and like to have their own way. They can open doors, cupboards and drawers and love to investigate anything new.  Maus are still a relatively rare breed in the UK with fewer than 200 kittens being registered with the GCCF each year.

The Egyptian Mau has the distinction of being the only natural spotted breed of domestic cat. An extremely intelligent animal, the Mau places a great importance on family, both human and their own, and is fiercely loyal in his devotion to them. They are moderately active and often express their happiness by chortling in a soft melodious voice and wiggling their tails at great speed while treading with their forepaws.  With an elegant body that is randomly spotted, banded legs and tail, expressive gooseberry green eyes, distinctive mascara lines, a worried expression on the face, and a graceful cheetah-like stride, it is no wonder that the Mau attracts such a tremendous amount of attention at cat shows.

The Egyptian Mau is always spotted and comes in three colours: bronze, silver and smoke. Bronze colour has dark brown to seal spots on a dark to lighter bronze background. Silver colour has black spots on a pure silver white background, with smoke colour having black spots on a smoke background. Coat colour can take up to 15 months to fully develop.  The spots on an Egyptian Mau are random in their distribution over the body and vary in size as well as shape. They can be round, oval or irregular or a mixture of all three. Ideally the contrast between dark spots and ground colour should be distinct. Broken necklaces on the chest, buttons on the stomach and that all-important "M" on the forehead complete the pattern. Eyes are an expressive, almond-shaped beautiful gooseberry green and can take over a year to reach their full colour.

The role of the Mau in the religion, mythology, and everyday life of the Egyptian conveys the degree of affection and respect in which these cats were held. They were worshipped as deities, cherished as pets, protected by laws, and mummified and mourned upon their death.

Their history in North America began with their importation in 1956 by the exiled Russian princess, Nathalie Troubetskoy. One day, while she was staying in Italy, a young boy gave her a silver spotted female kitten that he had been keeping in a shoe box. The kitten had been given to the boy by a diplomat working in the Middle East. Troubetskoy strived to learn more about the kitten. Her research led her to conclude that the kitten was an Egyptian Mau. Troubetskoy became determined to save the Mau.  She rescued some of the remaining Maus, and using her political connections, she obtained several more through the Syrian Embassy. Her first Maus were Gregorio, a black male, and Lulu, a silver female, and Geppa, a smoke male. In 1956, Troubetskoy and three Maus a silver female Fatima Baba, a bronze male Fatima Jojo, and the third was apparently never bred, emigrated to the United States. Once there, Troubetskoy established her Fatima Cattery and promoted the breed. Many modern Maus can trace their ancestry back to Troubetskoy’s cats.

Recognition by The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) for championship competition came in 1977. In the past, all Egyptian Maus in the U.S. and Canada traced their ancestry to two of the original imports from the Fatima Cattery. Recent importations have enriched and broadened the available gene pool for breeders.

The breed benefited from the publicity provided by the 2004 “Catwoman” film that starred an Egyptian Mau as well as Halle Berry who, it was reported liked the breed very much!  In the  movie, the cat 'Midnight'  brought Patience Phillips (Halle) back to life as Catwoman, (well, there were three Maus playing the role as well as a computer-generated Mau, and it was part of the fun of the film to recognise where the cats swapped scenes.)

So now it means, more research and to write, write, write!!