Dear Smudge

You're a girl! I thought you were a chap like me until my Primary Care Person saw you on George's blog recently. She told me all cats of your colour are female.

I don't know about you but it's been a busy couple of months for me and they didn't get me a new diary for this year until they saw one going cheap because the year had already begun.

While I'm on the subject of incompetent humans we've had one workman here after another which has meant I've been dashing about non-stop to keep an eye on my floor space, all because J turned the bath taps on and went off to check her email. Half an hour later water poured through the ceiling and my paws got soaked every time I crossed the carpet to get to the television for my evening viewing. It took days to dry out. As you know we companion animals are very fussy about our surroundings. I don't do any outside activities if it is cold, wet, windy, hailing, snowing or too hot, so having a soggy carpet inside was not at all to my liking. Then they had it cleaned and it smelt really funny, so I hung around in the other rooms and spent more time upstairs.

Then would you believe, black smelly lumps fell from the chimney and covered the hearth where I go to play with the odd log or two when there's nothing much on TV. Smoke billowed into the room and another workman came to sweep the chimney. He brought lots of interesting things for me to check out but I dashed off when he pretended to use me as a brush and stick me on the end of his cleaning stick. Everyone thought it was very funny but me. I'm as willing to have a joke as the next creature but really.

If you are still willing to believe the stress I've endured, a mouse moved into my kitchen without so much as an if-you-please. The weather has been pretty blowy but he could have asked. They put a humane catcher down with chocolates and cornflakes inside but no luck so far. He puts on a good show when he skates across the the shiny floor so I'm entertained while I nibble my hay. It makes for a change. He doesn't have much conversation though. He just might be stealing my hay for a nest, I must watch out.

Then there was the earthquake. I would have slept through it quite peacefully but my PCP came trundling downstairs, waking me up and fussing to see if I was ok. Nothing much disturbs me when I'm sound off. Not even earthquakes.

Finally, I had a sore eye, conjunctivitis, and had to go and see my vet again. It was red and I tried to keep it closed and manage with one good eye. Did I get any sympathy? Nope. "All you need now is a parrot on your shoulder Harv", they quipped and squeezed some cream in it twice a day. Not very pleasant but I was given a treat each time for being good. It's better now.

Have you got these new things called sunbeams in your house? They come through the window and settle on the floor and you can stretch out and doze on them. If you don't keep a sharp eye out they move about a bit. I expect you can pounce on them and keep them in one place. Binkying on them doesn't work. Pouncing is probably better. They are here already this morning so I'll catch one before it disappears again.

Best wishes and happy snoozing

Harvey

Auld acquaintance

This is the last page in my diary and nobody has given me a new one for 2008. Looking back it has been a busy year and I've taught my family a lot about looking after a house rabbit. On the whole they have been quick to learn and very keen to follow my advice. For humans, that is. Janet and I are both Virgoans so the stars might have made it easier. We seem to like the same things in life, she likes gardening, I like scrabbling and sitting in the holes I dig. She likes growing herbs in pots, I like eating herbs in pots. I like turning pages in books, she likes reading them. We both like a place for everything and everything in its place. She likes bananas, I could smell one out at a hundred paces in the dark, with paws tied behind my back. We both love a nap in the afternoon. On the whole we work well together although I do more around the house, especially supervision.

I've made a lot of friends, both animal and human. Willow my dog and Summer my blue cat shared my first home with me while George and Smudge have kept in touch during my blogging. Celia Haddon had faith in my ability to write my diary and it was another family friend, Patrick, who named me "The Cog" because he spotted both feline and canine traits although there's much more to me. A rabbit is a rabbit but this new name opened up the pathways to closer observations of my activities around the house which I have shared with you. Pauline-the-Postie cares for me when the family is away and knows all my little ways and needs. My Joanne who bought me from a pet shop started me on this life of comfort and love which I still enjoy. My secondary care giver is my personal photographer and has kept a record of my life so far, catching me often in very embarrassing situations. My friend Celia says "Where love is given it will be returned." It works in our house.

Everyone should have a bit of heaven in their lives and you are ours, Harve. Shall we keep your diary open in case you find another?

My Christmas box

All the packages, paper and lights around the place are for something called Christmas. A friend brought a cardboard box with a big label that said Harvey's Christmas box. It was full of carrots and beetroot from his allotment. The smell was like a deep soily burrow, a grassy field and a vegetable patch all rolled into one. I sat in it surrounded by carrots, my dream had come true. I dived headfirst for the biggest carrot. Mmm. Bliss. I like this Christmas happening.

My family told me a story to explain things, all about a rabbit family living together long ago in a stable full of hay. One night in the coldest part of the winter some travellers came to share the warm shelter and while they were there a human kitten was born. All the rabbits snuggled up to the baby to keep it warm with their soft fur and when the baby put its hand out to grab one of them that bunny's fur turned white. He became the Great White Rabbit who waits for us all on Rainbow Bridge.

A Very Merry Christmas

A handsome chap

I'd done everything by 8 o'clock this morning. Punched the end flap down in my cardboard tunnel, eaten my bit of carrot, shot upstairs to check on M, completed two speed circuits through dining room, kitchen and hall, cleaned J's soapy hand and tried to pull her bedsocks off with my teeth. After a good wash and brush up there was nothing else to do but sit it out until crunchie time. How boring. Then I found this. It was on the floor ready to throw away. It was a bit of a surprise when I first saw it but immediately peered behind, saw nothing so decided to have a long look at the handsome chap therein. Me. What grace, what elegance, what ears, what glossy fur and such a happy twitching nose. It's funny how it keeps going. I don't do anything special. Seems to have a life of its own.

Not too sure about the back view. Does my bum look big?


Your diary's filling up fast Harve, only a couple of pages left.

Strange Happenings

What on earth is this? I hope they haven't brought one of those giant rabbits to live here, there wouldn't be room because most of the house space is mine. Anyway I couldn't compete with such extraordinary sized messages. And look at the sparkles! I couldn't do that. My bits are always a darkish brown and being so fastidious I try to clear them up as I go along unless I decide litter tray action is needed, you can see a sample beside my water bowl below. Can't smell any food inside either. And something else has moved in next to my sleeping cushions. I've given it a good sniff but it doesn't roll along or make a noise. Better ignore it, it's probably something they've mislaid. My usual floor tracks aren't as clear as they should be either, boxes and bags keep appearing on my mats and some of them are too heavy for head-butting action. Hmm. There is definitely something unusual afoot.
Anyway, to important matters. I have a message for Smudge from the dottie about dog training. She says have you tried leaping from a great height, claws at the ready and landing on its face. She says it always works for her. Good luck!

Teeth

10.40 am; visit to dentist who looked very much like my vet. Smelled just like him too. They thought I had toothache because I kept stamping my foot and moving away from my crunchies each time I took a nibble. I can't remember why I did it but Simon thought I might have bitten my tongue by mistake or a bit of sharp crunchie could have hurt my mouth. He carefully felt round the outside of my face and gums which was a bit like a cuddle to see if I had an abscess or anything unusual there, then stuck a 'scope inside but all was well. My back teeth are a smidgen long but nothing out of the ordinary. It's said you can only see a quarter of a bunny's teeth when you inspect with a torch but if you are an exceptional rabbit specialist like my vet it's more like two thirds.

When he clipped my nails he noticed there was white paint on one of them and asked if I had been helping with decorating. I was so proud when J said I'd been overseeing things. Well, there was such a mess everywhere, just look at it.

As we left the surgery we saw a very sick rabbit waiting its turn. It had myxomatosis because it hadn't been vaccinated. J looked in its cage and was almost crying as we drove home. Poor bunny. It will have crossed Rainbow Bridge by now.

Harve knows the ropes and was very well behaved.

Bonjour

I'm so excited! I've been invited to visit my pen-pal, half-a-tail Mimi who lives in a ninth floor apartment in Paris. Naturally she's a house cat. Or a flat cat. Here she is taking the sun on one of her big balconies.
Our humans keep in touch for us so we know what the other one is up to. Living indoors means we get up to the same sort of things, eating, sleeping, hiding in various places, getting under feet and entertaining guests, so we'll have a lot in common. I'd say I'm more helpful around the house. She doesn't get so involved with what's going on and prefers to watch from a distance. The other morning about 2 am. she knocked over a vase of flowers and there was water all over the lovely wood floor. Then she paddled in it and tried to drink it so Sheila wouldn't notice but she made too much noise.

If I decide to go I wouldn't know what to wear. This beret is chic and very French but would Mimi be more impressed by English city style? And should I take champagne or onions?

I don't expect she's met a rabbit before as she was rescued from the streets so we might get on quite well. I know she'll be impressed by my manly appearance, most people are. She's quite pretty for a cat, a colourful coat with decent whiskers, I think I'll accept the invitation.

She also has teeth, Harve. And she's fast.