Laboscope app

I was all prepared this morning. A bucket of various cat dishes, and dried cat biscuits and wet food sachets. I could see at least one black cat was on the swing.

BBCat leapt off the swing up the garden path, as I went out, and Shadow was still on the swing. No they are not best buddies, but yesterday I cleared one end of the swing seat from my garden stuff. I put Popeye's Big Ted in the middle, and made sure either side of Big Ted had loads of my old knitwear, for comfort. My plan was for there to be enough space for two cats to sleep on the swing at the same time but far enough apart if needs be. And Big Ted would be referee.

And guess what? It worked!

Shadow was still on the swing, her front paw and head was on Big Ted's leg, indicating she had been keeping a very close eye on BBCat who had been sleeping on the other side of the swing seat.

Usual friendliness from Shadow to me, despite this close proximity of BBCat. I put wet and dry cat food in Shadow's double dish. She eats as I am getting BBCat's double dish ready, and I walk slowly up the garden path towards BBCat, and I place it on the path and walk back to Shadow. But Shadow hisses and spits at me for supplying BBCat with food. I put more wet food down for Shadow, and she is mollified for all of two seconds, then turns towards BBCat and hisses and spits at him, lashes her tail, and leaves the garden.

BBCat does not care one jot, and carries on eating. I came in for my cuppa, and sit down just in time to see Mr Magpie come in for his favourite fish cat pate for his babies, but belatedly sees BBCat, and does an about turn mid-air, and lands on the garden chair next to BBCat, and makes a heck of an aggressive racket towards BBCat.

BBCat does not care one jot, and carries on calmly eating. Then when he has finished he goes back to 'his' chair by the potting shed. There are more interactions between Mr Magpie, BBCat, the four Gingers, Shadow, and Mr and Mrs Blackbird while this is all going on. Heffalump is watching interestedly, as am I, eating his peanuts from 'his' bird table. I am not eating peanuts, but drinking a cuppa which has now gone cold watching this lot.

Then BBCat comes and sits on the swing, immediately above the cat food. It is the first place the sun touches in my garden, everywhere else is cold this time of day.

Then the gingers come in one by one, and only take a few bites each before they leave. No words are spoken, and no aggressive language between BBCat or the gingers, despite their heads being less than 12 inches away from BBCat.

BBCat appears not to care one jot about the gingers eating beneath him, and carries on enjoying that early morning sun.

Suddenly in comes Mr Magpie, for his fish pate, and dives into the dish, and I stop breathing. Then it occurs to Mr Magpie to belatedly check if there is a cat above him on the swing. He reaches high on his legs, and peers over the swing seat. BBCat is staring him right in the face. Shock, horror, disbelief from Mr Magpie who does a very unsteady loop the loop flight to the bird water bath, where he screams and screams and screams at BBCat.

BBCat does not care one jot, and carries on sunning in that beautiful sun.

Mr Magpie stops screaming at BBCat. He is in 'The Thinker' pose. 'How about I...' Then Mr Magpie leaps into action, gets on the ground, walks slowly towards the fish pate cat food, keeping his eye on BBCat. Mr Magpie risks life and limb, for one more look over the swing seat at BBCat, who still does not appear to care one jot about Mr Magpie who then takes a mouthful fish cat pate, and flies safely back to his babies.

Seconds later Mr Magpie is back, lands on the bird water bath, but does not say anything this time. He cautiously gets down, slowly walks towards the fish cat pate, checks over the swing seat right into BBCat's face. BBCat still does not appear to care one jot. And Mr Magpie takes another fish pate portion back to his babies. Then again and again....

The fish pate cat dish is now empty, and I realise I should start breathing again...

There is Magpie appropriate food on the bird table for him at all times..

I need that coffee...


Creative today is my pink clematis. A kaleidoscope in Laboscope app, with both Shadow and BBCat...