A furry bundle

This is Mabel and she came to live with us about a fortnight ago.

It’s been nearly two months since we said goodbye to Hattie and I wasn’t sure we were ready for another cat, but then big daughter spotted this photo in a Facebook group and sent it to me.  As soon as I saw it, I thought, “Oh!  She looks like Hattie!”, and it felt like a sign.

Not exactly like Hattie – Hattie was a calico cat and Mabel is black and white, but she’s got the same markings on her face and I knew that I’d regret it if I didn’t put my application in to the rescue charity to rehome her.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and this little whirlwind of furriness (complete with new name as we didn’t like the one she’d been given) has moved in and made herself very at home.  She’s super-friendly, very confident and cuddly and now, three weeks later, is most definitely part of the family.

I was a bit worried at first that Astrid would feel that her nose had been pushed out of joint by a newcomer, but after about a week she’d decided that Mabel could stay and now they are getting on very well – although I have seen Astrid roll her eyes at the kitten exuberance more than once!

We were advised to keep Mabel and Astrid apart for about a week but Astrid absolutely wasn’t having any of that.  If there was a new cat in the house, she needed to be able to see it at all times …

She stationed herself in a box on the kitchen worktop like a furry lifeguard looking out over a beach, and watched the proceedings as Mabel explored the living room …

Mabel’s been to see our lovely vet already – Astrid had a health check booked so Mabel came along to practice going in the carrier, the car, to the vet’s for no particular reason, and to meet Sarah the vet.  Sarah said Mabel’s a bit small for her age (she’s about 5 and a half months old) but the lady at the cat rescue we got her from said that she was picked up from a colony of about 30 cats living behind some houses in Oldham, so having survived living wild through that very hot summer we had, firstly I’m amazed that Mabel is still alive, but secondly I’m not really surprised that she’s a bit small.

After the first week when Astrid had decided that Mabel could stay, Mabel decided she needed to be everywhere that Astrid was – including in her food bowl – so I don’t think it will be too long before she grows a bit!

I’ve been looking back over the blog at posts from when Hattie and Astrid first arrived, and this one made me laugh: Catkins and kittens  They’d been with us for a few weeks and had already been re-named “Basher and Smasher”, “Smasher and Trasher”, “Trasher and Trouble” and “the Teeny Terrors”.  Mabel, in complete contrast, has been “Tiny Dot” because she really was tiny when she arrived, and “Little Flea” because she pings about all over the place – you think she’s somewhere, and then you spot her somewhere else!  I’m starting to think that she’s either worked out how to play the space-time continuum or she’s got magic powers because I have no idea how she can move that fast!

Yes, that is Astrid’s box and yes, Mabel is in it.  In fact, they were both in it at one point, and that was a bit of a squish!

I’ve been making sure that Astrid gets some quiet time away from Mabel because she really is full on – we’ve also discovered she’s a digger so the curtains may be safe (unlike with Hattie and Astrid), but the plants aren’t.  Fortunately, I have a stack of old tea-towels which are back in service as soil covers!

For the most part, though, wherever Astrid is, Mabel isn’t far away.  She clearly adores her new big sister and it’s a relief that she does – and that the new big sister is quite happy to be just that!

You put your laundry down for five minutes on the way to the washing machine …!

I’m sure I’m going to have plenty more photos of Mabel to show you so I’ll rein myself in for today, but we’re very glad that she’s here and I’m glad I’ve been able to introduce you!