So dear friends....

...have you missed us???

We've been busy being... well... not so busy actually! I've been working lots during the week so it's nice to come home and just chill out with the kitties and the husband. I've also rediscovered reading. I hadn't read a book in such a long time but got a Kindle for my birthday. Since then I've read 8 or 9 books on the trot, usually with bookend cats at either side of me on the sofa!

As for the raggies:

Mr Darcy has been working hard on his 'blue steel' pose for his model portfolio

...Sookie has joined Neighbourhood Watch

Looking forward to catching up with what you have all been up to too!

Oh and thanks to Spitty the Kitty for giving me regular nudges that I haven't posted in a while - I needed it!! :)

Love from Kitcaboodles

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Kitties First Snow!!

Hi everyone, we're so sorry that we haven't been around much lately and miss you all. My new job has started which is keeping me busy, so I've had to take the decision that when I'm at home I'll spend less time on the laptop and more time with the kitties atop my lap!!

...but I can never stay away for long!!

So what's being going on in the world of Kitcaboodles? Oh nothing too much really, other than:

- I'M AN AUNTIE!! On the 22nd January my sister finally gave birth to a healthy bouncing baby boy, Harry. They live in Liverpool which is about 4 hours away, so I'm excited as I will finally get to meet him next weekend.

- MY NEW JOB HAS STARTED!

- WE'RE MOVING! My husband and I both commute to work and have decided it's all getting a bit much so we're going to move closer to the city. The estate agents have been around and now it's just a case of finding some time to sell our house and buy another - it sounds so easy when you say it fast!

What's that? You'd rather hear about Mr D and Sookie? Of course you would! Well they've got news too... it's finally SNOWED!!

The week before my husband and I married in February 2009 we had some of the heaviest snowfall that I could ever remember. Britain is not good at dealing with snow and it grinds everything to a halt, so we were pretty worried that there would be no one at the wedding. Luckilly it cleared for the big day!

A year later we brought home Mr Darcy, our first anniversary present to each other and it snowed pretty much exactly the same time as the year before. Of course he wasn't allowed out into the garden at that stage, so he just watched it from the safety of the doorway.

Last night, we had heavy snow for the first time in a few years. I had wondered if it would happen because our anniversary is nearly here again. Mr Darcy and Sookie were beside themselves, they've never seen so much white and kept putting a few paws out the cat flap and then retreating back inside. At regular intervals in the night they also woke me up, I think this was to let me know that they were waiting to go out. So this morning I pulled on my wellies, opened the doors wide and let them have an adventure!

Mr Darcy: "I'm not too sure about this Sookie, it looks all strange..."

Sookie: "Oh you're such a scaredy cat Darcy. I'm going to investigate."

Sookie: "Oooh my paws keep sinking..."

Sookie: "...but it's fun, c'mon Mr Darcy get out here!!"

Mr Darcy: "Okay okay I'm out. I'm staying here though, this is weird."

Sookie: "Nah follow me Mr D it's fine..."

Sookie: "...and the snow tastes good too!"

Mr Darcy: "Geez you're so pushy Sookie!!"

Sookie: "The word you're looking for is motivational!"

To be continued...

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Happy 2nd Gotcha Day Mr Darcy!

It was January 2009 and our 1st wedding anniversary was fast approaching. We decided it was time to take the next step to commemorate the occassion... a pet of our very own! I had my heart set on a dog for a long time and had no experience of cats whatsoever as I'd always shown signs of allergies around them. But then one day as I was watching an advert on tv I saw THE

most beautiful cat - I had never seen that breed before and didn't even know what it was called! I rushed to my laptop and began searching google. It must have been fate that I saw the advert because I soon came across the Ragdoll breed of cats... often described as the 'cat that thinks it's a dog'!

"If a dog is "man's best friend," then it must also be said that Ragdoll cats are "man's best companion."

My husband was not so sure at first... he had found the breed of Bengals and was intrigued by them. I argued that they probably weren't a good match for us and that we should check out the ragdoll breed first. I got my way!!

 

After a search, we found an advert for a breeder looking to rehome a 5 month old. We went to visit the next night. I expected some kind of pen or cordoned off area, but instead she said "you can go straight through, he's dozing on the couch!". And that was when we first met Mr D. He was a bright white bundle of fluff with dark brown on his nose, eyes, ears, paws and tail and as we walked in he lazilly opened one dazzling blue eye to peek at us. 

It was love at first sight for all 3 of us! 

The breeder let us brush him and he just lay there and gazed up at me (little did I know then that this was the one and only time he would tolerate being groomed without a fuss!) then she picked him up and plopped him in my arms like a baby - I wasn't even sure that this was acceptable behaviour for a cat and human, but he seemed perfectly content, so that was that!

We couldn't work out what to call him. All the names we'd thought of beforehand didn't seem right somehow. He was so beautiful, so debonair, he looked 'classy'. The breeder mused that she liked the name Darcy, but that was a girl's name so wouldn't work. "That's it!" I said. "He's MR Darcy from one of my favourite books Pride and Prejudice!" 

(Of course now half the time we do just call him Darcy anyway!).

Mr Darcy has now been with us for 2 whole years. With a swish of his tail and a blink of those big blue eyes he was in our hearts and I don't think he'll ever leave. It's fair to say that our entire outlook on life and priorities have changed. I used to get bored sat at home... now I rush home at the end of the day! I used to shop for nice shoes and handbags, now I'm most excited when I see a cool toy that I KNOW the cats would like! I sometimes catch my hubby talking gooey to the cats (and them talking back) when he doesn't know I'm there, which never fails to make me smile.

Life is good. 

Thanks Mr D, we love you lots xoxo

Wordless Wednesday - The Blue Box of Peril

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Tank Wars

Sookie: "A few little adjustments to make and then my dastardly plan for world domination shall be complete!"

Sookie: "I'll just move the canon to the right a smidgen... excellent! Now all I have to do is wait..."

Mr Darcy: "Ooh The Tank... let's see what whiffies it has for me today!" *sniff sniff*

Sookie: "My plan is working! Time to load in the cat nip mices and get ready to fire!"

Mr Darcy: "Wait a minute... "

Mr Darcy: "Sookie! Is this another one of your foolish attempts at world domination?"

Sookie: "Err...."

Mr Darcy: "That's it, to the battlefield: I challenge thee to a duel!" 

Sookie: "Oh drat!"

Mr Darcy: "Prepare to meet your maker!"

Sookie: "Haha that tickles Mr Darcy!"

Mr Darcy: "Haha... okay now chase me!!!"

It may be a new year, but old habits die hard. We were woken by a thunderous crash this morning... upon investigation it transpired that a hearty game of chase had resulted in our dressing room mirror being knocked over. Both cats are now well over 4kg so they really do sound like a 'thundering herds of elephants' as they bolt up and down the stairs and around the house!

The cats are loving their new toy the cardboard tank. I think they are supposed to get in it, but I doubt either would easilly fit (don't tell them I said that!). However they are enjoying clambering over it, chewing the edges and stalking one another around it, so I'd call it a success!

I hope that everyone has had a lovely Christmas and New Year break - we have enjoyed lots of down time just chilling out at home with the kitties, it's been so relaxing. Unfortunately it's time to go back to work tomorrow to do *gasp* four whole days in a row - what a shock to the system that will be! Next month I start my new job which means more responsibility and most likely much longer hours, so I'm not sure how often I'm going to be able to blog - but I'm having too much fun as part of the Cat Blogosphere to quit now so maybe I'll just need to post a little less often... we shall have to see how things go.

Plus there is so much to look forward to in the UK this year - for a start it's the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in June marking her 60 year reign and then in July we are hosting the Olympic games! On a more personal note, Mr Darcy will be celebrating his 2nd Gotcha Day at the end of January and Sookie will be 2 in March. 

So get ready to join in the celebrations my friends, it's going to be a great year!!

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