May I introduce Bobby and Suzie, our new foster cats. Finally, after several long months, we had a cat charity drop off these two beasties for our care and attention. The volunteer told the Buckwell and I that Bobby was the thinner one (on the right in this picture), and Suzie was the fat one (on the left). However Suzie is so massive and manly that we are sure she is actually Bobby, while Bobby is quite petite and jittery - although smoochy when you win him/her over – so we think he's actually Suzie. Neither of them answer to either name, of course, which doesn't help. Anyway, we have taken to calling them Blobby (the fat one, obviously), and Schmoozie (other one). Perhaps we are confusing the poor creatures. Maybe we should just call them non-gender specific names like Sam and Robin/Robyn, which don’t bear any phonetic resemblance to their real names.
Blobby and Schmoozie spend most of their time sitting underneath the sofa, or trying to get into the bedroom to get underneath the bed, although in the last two days they've discovered the windowsills. (The ones offering a good view of the birds in the tree outside.) Unfortunately we are having trouble getting them to eat, although they will deign to lick tuna off a spoon or eat luxury kitten treats from the palm of your hand. Um, it's all getting a bit tedious.
And I am also unbearably allergic to them.
They have quite bad cat dandruff/dander, so I had to go and buy some anti-allergy pet wipes, which you wipe over the cat as if patting it. I think the cat thinks someone's giving it a big lick - it certainly ends up quite damp. Meanwhile all the dander goes onto the wipe, supposedly. The cat's skin allegedly benefits too, thanks to the aloe vera in the wipe (if it's good enough for humans' toilet paper, it's good enough for cats). And voila, less sneezing. I'm not sure if it's working, though. Maybe yesterday I sneezed 347 times, compared to 351 the day before. As time goes by, I'm sure I will develop a resistance to them, though.
So yes, this fostering lark ain't the constant sunshine and cuddles thing I had in mind. Although I know of course it takes time. I think it’s just confirmed the fact that I am mostly a dog person (I’m not allergic to them, either - woo-hoo). Or a cat person, as long as the cat keeps its fur mostly to itself.
