Hannah Louise Swift

Firstly, there is a reason there is no picture on this post. Why? Because if I had taken a picture of the following tale, it would be too graphic to put on here. You have been warned.

A few weeks ago now (a Sunday), Monkey came in from playing outside and was all of a sudden very clingy, not wanting to leave my side. This is very strange for Monkey. The next day I went to work as usual (only to be sent home with the Swine Flu, more on that in a separate post) and Monkey had not moved from the sofa and was continually licking around her back end. Thinking nothing of it and heading for bed I left her too it.

A few days passed and I caught Monkey still licking. At this point (given her refusal to go outside too) I was concerned. I should mention that she would growl when you stroked her near her tail. Thinking she had been hit by a car and had maybe broken her tail I began to crap my pants. I’m ill, Christmas is coming and I dont want huge bills from the vet, or even worse a very sick cat.

By chance, the little bugger turned around and I managed to catch a glimpse of a sore patch on her bottom type area. She wasnt happy with me looking so I left her too it, and stayed on the sofa with her to try and stop her licking any more.

The next day we headed to the vets to see what the damage was, I feared the worst thinking it could be very serious with x-rays and the such like – poor mr bank…

The vet took Monkey into a room on her own and after a while called me in to look (if I had the stomach). She had cleaned up the wound and had shaven the hair surrounding. I have a strong stomach but even that made me feel ill. My poor baby had a gaping wound in her bottom about the size of the base of a mug (guestimate there) …

Something had bitten her (probably the Sunday), it had bitten through the muscles and it had gotten badly infected. Before anyone starts, there was no way I could have known, and the vet said so herself. Trust me, I beat myself up properly! My poor baby was too infected for stitches, so off we went with an almighty dose of painkillers and antibiotics, and yet another collar!

After a few days I took her back for a check up and more antibiotics and a quick clean up. Luckily she was making progress so no stitches were required just yet! PHEW!

2 weeks later and she was finally ready to have her collar off, it fully healed (leaving a nice scar) and she was able to go outside and play again, no stitches, just a whacking great bill from the vet and some very graphic images I will never remove from my brain.

From talking to the vet and knowing the surrounding area it looks like Monkey was being her usual aggressive self when something bigger had a pop. She went to run away and the bugger bit her bum! Judging by the size of the wound it was not another cat but most probably a fox or dog!

So watch out foxes, Monkey is back with a vengeance!

yummy yummy! And what a suprise! Jason of Loquax fame and his lovely mrs Jude made me a duck birthday cake, complete with duck wing markings! The cake was incredibly scrumptious! Jason is an excellent chef, and he should strongly consider a career change. I am told he is available for birthdays and weddings and the such like!

Mr. Tinker is the latest edition to Chez Swift. Born at approx. 6am 17/5/2009 he came to live with me and Monkey just over a week ago! He comes from Emma and Jason Brockman’s (of Easy Content Unit fame) cat Deliah.

You can see Tinker here in his first picture, he is the one 2nd in from mummy cats back leg. with the white neck. Emma was great and put plenty of pics on facebook for myself and the other new kitten owners to swoon over.

So Tinker came home last Friday night after me getting lost many many times trying to get to Jason and Emma’s house! He settled straight in and was Mr brave, jumping on everything, sniffing everything and running up and down the stairs! He can almost always be found fighting feathers or purring, his 2 favourite things! Or walking over my laptop!

Tinker and Monkey didnt exactly get on, infact its only now, 8 days later that they are beginning to like each other. Monkey just growled and hissed at him, never going to strike him, just angry sounds, so Monkey had to go outside at nights and was under parental control for sometime.

Here are some more pictures of him looking very cute!!!

Here are Tinker’s favourite things;
Feathers – any type or colour, they are fun to chase
Monkey’s tail – another great toy
Food – human or kitten, he’ll eat it – including attempts at curry… strange
Sleep – he occassionally sleeps, but dont move or make noise, he’ll wake up
Purring – he is a very happy kitty
Climbing – especially the backs of my legs
Me – he likes me, i provide all of the above

Tinker is very special, he had 6 toes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polydactyl_cat), the pads on his paws are a mix of pink and black and he has black bits on his lips too – you can see it on the pictures, it looks like he has black lippy on and is pouting!

Anyone who meets Mr. Tinker will fall madly in love and may try to steal him, but he is mine all mine! mwah ha ha

Is this Monkey or Archie? Archie is the Affiliate Window cat owned by Sam Leigh, Head of Communications at Affiliate Window. More fondly known as ‘little ginger monkey’

Spot the difference!!

I rent my house, let me start with that. If I had the money, I would buy it because I love it. But, when you rent there are a few things that you don’t usually own, one of these things being a lawn mower. I have never had a garden before so there has never been a use for one. Now I have 2 bits of lawn out the back and a chunk of grass out the front.
I like gardening and sitting out relaxing with a beverage or 3, so I thought I better go out sort the jungle growing out there. Not owning a lawn mower or strimmer I decided to trim the lawn with scissors. This did not go as planned. Lets just say never let me loose with your hair!
I got in from work, grabbed the scissors, a radio, a chair and Monkey – the results are below;

1/4 cut garden

Garden killers

help is at hand