So long Ted, old chap

In a similar way to that of children, Ted perked up considerably as soon as I had phoned the vet to book an appointment for today when we would be passing through Kirkwall. This morning he seemed even better and he was even demanding food that we could not give him as we had instructions to starve in case treatment was necessary. After several days of desperately trying to get him to eat (we had reached the fresh salmon stage) it was pleasing - and also to hear his voice, which had been unnaturally quiet for the past week or ten days. 

However the news was not good and Ted had to be put to sleep today. The vet feared that if we brought him home until Thursday he might suddenly take a turn for the worse and not have veterinary help at hand out here. It certainly was not a situation I wished to face again, recalling the need to have a farmer shoot poor old Griff for us.

So it was that I excused us for half an hour in order to let Mr L know the bad news and to let him say goodbye. I walked Ted through the buttercups by the Peedie Sea and he chewed on some grass for a while before I took him back to the vet.

After fifteen years in his company we are going to miss him terribly.

We are now cat-less. I should very much like to find another Bengal rescue/rehome/breeding retiree to give a forever home to (albeit a mobile home)

Oh, yes, that's the big news. We paid a deposit on a pitch for the coming winter and will be living at Kippford for a while. The irony is that the plan was hatched because of Teddy's passport issues. Now he's gone and we could go to France after all. Ah, well. That's life.

Extra pic today was taken the other day at Taste of Perthshire. We came away with one of the cheaper bottles (about centre, bottom shelf). After a nice soak in a hot bath we shall be taking the bottle to bed and saluting our old friend with a glass or two. We may catch up on last week's Game of Thrones too.