Fitzi-cat, vets and birds

It’s been a busy few days what with work plus trying to get the “garden” into shape. The weather has been fantastic, really warm, and I mean WARM, and bright and sunny. It’s amazing what a bit of sun does for the grass and plants. I swear you can hear them growing! The island is suddenly very green, and the grass in the field at the back of the house has grown several inches in the week. When I drove into town the yellow gorse is in full flower on the hills above Finstown, and the trees are all wearing fresh green leaves.

I’ve been trying to get the borders weeded, plus pot up some garden tubs for the flagstones outside the front of the house. I was in town last week so bought some bedding plants. When I was south I’d have a colour scheme in my head for my garden planters. But as I only go into town once every 10 days or so I just have to get what is available. Yellow seems to be this year’s theme – probably not what I would have chosen but I’m sure once all is in bloom they will look good.

The other event was taking Fitzi-cat to the vet for his annual injections and check up. Fitzi is a large, gentle portly cat, now getting quite elderly at 14 years old. He hates vet visits. I usually get the cat carrier out the night before and put somewhere handy and there’s no hiding it from him, so he does get some warning. He gives aforementioned cat carrier a wide berth, glaring at it as he passes. Catching him requires tactical manoeuvres but he never puts up a fight – well only a vocal one. But he is large and heavy so he gets his own back by throwing himself around in his cat carrier as I try and load him into and out of the car. The vet appointment went OK – he’s lost a little weight too with no obvious sinister signs so the vet was pleased. Fingers crossed all is well.

However the day after the vet appointment he was very unwell and it seems he had injured his back somehow (well throwing himself about in the cat carrier probably didn’t help!). He was a very sorry looking Fitzi-cat the-morning-after-the-night-before…… Fortunately I had some anti-inflamatory/analgesic meds that he had needed last year after a similar episode so after phone consultation with the vet I gave him a dose – as I said he is a very gentle cat and bless him he takes his medicine very well. He spent most of the day sleeping stretched out and was very subdued but the pain meds must have kicked in eventually and today he is almost back to normal, though still not too comfortable curling up. He even wanted to go out this morning, so as it was such a beautiful morning I let him, under supervision. Of course, being a cat he took his time about it, wandering about, sitting and admiring the view before wandering off again. I’d had the presence of mind to take my tea out with me so I did the same! We both ended up in the old garden watching the birds – but with different agendas! There was a small wren who shrilled out alarm calls that made me wince. And a pied wagtail was bobbing about too. There must be a blackbird nesting in the old barn as she was singing her heart out. And of course there were the usual shore-birds, the curlews, oystercatchers, and lapwings. And I heard the drumming noise made by the wings of a snipe – I just love that sound.

Last night I’d sat and watched the swallows which are also nesting in the old byre. One sat on the guttering just below the roof on the conservatory and I had a ringside seat from my sofa. It was briefly joined by another and both were twittering and preening themselves. I got a good view of their plumage, and the red colour of their throats which is hard to see when they are in flight. Well it was a Saturday night so maybe they were betting ready for a night on the town. I think one must have asked the other “does my bum look big in this?” and got the wrong answer….. as both flew off accompanied by a lot more chattering!

Below, a photo of Fitzi-cat last Spring.