The on going adventures of the made cat lady ...

... with a little bit of Arabic thrown in.

Yesterday CC’s visit to the vets went well al-hamdulellah. Her poorly paw is less swollen and her toes are definitely defined. If her paw is looking normal on 24 June, she does not have to go back.

I did have a bit of a scare though. As I was walking Kayla, my shadow Ambrose suddenly disappeared. I called and called and he didn’t appear. I called him when I got home from walking the dog. I called again when I got home from taking CC to the vets. Then again after I did some shopping; still no sign of him at all. He eventually arrived back home at about 2pm. The little monkey had me really worried. His absence was the longest one ever. My little boy is growing up!.

After our ACE visit I had a lovely visit with my mate who I met at Arabic classes. As our classes have stopped until September, we have decided to carry on meeting twice a week and do at least half an hour Arabic together to keep ourselves in. Her trouble area was the verbs and how to conjugate them and mine are the pronouns!!

I went through the present tense verbs and I think we have had a break through.

It was not as painful as last year

When I got off the launch on the East Bank I was asked where my cat was.

Anyway got to the passport office at 10.30 and was asked to come back at 2pm. I got there just before 3pm (after having lunch with a friend). The administrators were just leaving and getting on a microbus. One of them noticed me and went back in to the office and get my passport for me. If I had been a few seconds later I would have had to go back again tomorrow. How lucky was that?!

A totally different experience to last year - what a difference not being in Ramadam makes!

The mad cat lady rides again ...

...by motor boat, ferry and taxi!

I have had a bit of a frantic week this week. I had to take CC back to ACE (animal Care in Egypt) on Tuesday as her poorly paw was infected again and I got pus out of it on Monday evening. Anyway it turned out that the infection had gone down to her bone and was affecting her nerve endings.

So on the way home on a motor launch, bi el nas, a little boy was staring at me and the cat basket and so I told him, in Arabic, that she was not well and she was sleeping. An older woman then asked me, in Arabic, whether it was a qota (cat) or a kelb (dog) so I told her it was a qota. She was surprised that I knew Arabic …

The vet gave me an injection to give to CC on Thursday but I have to make a trip there again today and it was hot. I checked the temperature at the roundabout near the HSBC bank in Luxor which said 56 degrees C which was probably 6 degrees out and was in full sun!!!! So yes it was hot.

So between now and Wednesday I need to get my residency visa on Monday – hopefully this will be a less painful experience than last year, inshallah. I will let you know.

By the way, yesterday I was followed round the football pitch by Ambrose again – in full voice. He did not follow me to the Nile where Kayla and I had a game of catch.

It appears that I have a nickname ...

I think I have become known as the strange/mad cat women by my neighbours and the local boat boys. The reason I think this is because I am often asked how my biss (cat) is.

I can trace this back to when Willow one of my newer furbabies was spayed at the beginning of March. She managed to chew the glue that was holding her scar together and open the wound. I panicked. The following day was a Friday and technically the vets were only open for emergencies. Well I tried putting a dressing on the wound – she didn’t like that; then a bandage which again she didn’t like. Now covered with scratches I called the vet who said she would meet me at ACE (the vets) at 8am the following morning. She was cleaned and re-glued. She was given a collar but she managed to get it off! 1. Suffice it to say that she took that out on the Saturday evening so I was again at ACE on Sunday and Willow finally got stitches which stayed in for about a week! Again she managed to get the collar off. Luckily the scar was healed enough for me not to have to rush to ACE again.

The next incident involved CC. She had badly injured her paw. My visit to ACE this time was delayed as I had found a tiny kitten that I rushed to ACE to see if it was worth working with. Well it was but unfortunately died the following week. So that Thursday I took CC to ACE and her wound was cleaned and dressed. I returned again on the Monday more cleaning and dressing; and then again on the Wednesday more cleaning and dressing however it took her ages to come out of the anaesthetic and she managed to get her bandage off, for two times she was still out enough for me to get the bandage on again but on the final attempt of reapplication she scratched and bit me in the process.

We Europeans love our pets and take them to the vets when needed. This is not the case with Egyptians not least because they often do not have the money to do so and its not really in their culture.  Therefore they think it strange that Europeans do this, hence me being labelled the mad cat woman!

This image has been compounded by what has happened this week.

I have been looking after my neighbour’s dog and their cats. I have been walking the dog in the morning and on Thursday my little Willow followed me all the way to the football field, making no end of noise about it! She was scared because it was new ground for her. Well again today I was followed but this time by Ambrose. He even followed me for one circuit around the football field! Like his sister he was very vocal, telling everyone within hearing distance about his adventure. Good job there were not many people out and about and on the football pitch that time in the morning.

Then this afternoon I was followed by one of the neighbour’s cats and three of mine as I took the dog for her afternoon constitutional.  It must have been a sight!!!  I'm just sorry I couldn't take a picture of it!

My Action Packed Week - Part II

Friday - TV problems - Although I did not have to leave the house on Friday by television (which is all of six months old) decided to start playing about. I turned it on that morning and I was getting sound but no pictures. So I duly checked the manual and did everything it said. So I gave up and turned it off and watched some Grey's Anatomy 'bliss'. So two hours later I turned it back on and the television was OK.

 

The above scenario was repeated again later that same evening - not good.

 

Saturday - I called my landlord about the TV and he was taking a neighbour into Luxor so also took me and the TV. After telling the man in the shop what was wrong he said that is "had the devil in it". He then informed me that the repair would take one month OMG!!!. This is because the van that collects the broken TVs only arrives once a fortnight, they are then taken to be repaired and returned on the next van.

 

So, although I was planning on getting a new TV in the future, it was a case of needs must and so have purchased a new 32" HD TV. It has 4 HDMi slots; a cooling fan inside and I can connect my TV and Wii and everything when it eventually arrives. It’s very very nice!!!

 

While I was at the shop I also saw a new Stereo that has a 7" screen (for some unknown reason!!), a USB port (which means I can plug my IPod into it), a MP3 port, 3 CD changer, radio and 2 tapes. I think I might get that tomorrow - Wednesday. :)

 

One of the things about Luxor is that you go to the shop to get the goods then you have to go to their warehouse to collect them! It’s like a little hole in the wall. I will try to remember to take my camera when I get the stereo.

My Action Packed Week

You know that they say about buses, there are none for ages and they all arrive at once; well that is a bit like my outings. I don’t gop out for ages and then I’m out every day! My week so far has gone like this:

Sunday - at home – missing Neil who went home yesterday (8 January)

Monday – went to Luxor with my neighbours for shopping, a food treat at Tutti Frutti (The English Tea Room in St Joseph Street Luxor)

Tuesday – Animal Care in Egypt ‘ACE’ – Cupcake aka CC went out yesterday and was beaten up and had a nasty cut on her right front leg. She came in last night limping and this morning it was not clean and she would not let me get anywhere near her to clean it. So I umm'ed and ahhhh’ed and decided to take her in and get it cleaned.

CC’s wound was dressed to keep it clean and she had a very fetching bright pink bandage over the top (see below)

Got a birthday phone call from my husband and my mum.

Wednesday – my birthday – I had a phone call last night from the lady I was going to get some baby kittens to say they were ready. I was going to get them on Thursday but decided to do it today as a birthday treat to myself ...

The babies are now called Willow (female, looks like button) and Ambrose (ginger and white male).  This is Ambrose (below) has taken to CC but she wants nothing to do with him at the minute anyway ...

The neighbours agreed to go out to the local restaurant the Africa for something to eat. We all had a lovely meal then all of a sudden the lights went out and the waiters lead my Ahmed and Ali the owner brought out a cake and sang Happy Birthday in both English and Arabic very very loudly. I was rather embarrassed and totally surprised. The cake was a Twinky cake and a gift from my middle neighbours and it was made fresh that day as they did not have a chocolate sponge cake. It was very very delicious and I was very surprised and delighted.

Then I came home and saw all the well wishes and birthday messages on Facebook and made my first birthday in Egypt really lovely.

Thursday – ACE – took CC back for a wound check and she has been signed off.  The babies have now had their first injection. On their return home Willow decided to hide under the cabinet next to the gas bottle and Ambrose played with me and we had cuddles! They are settling in well although Button comes in and hisses at Ambrose and bops him on his head; CC tends hiss and then ignore them both.

Oh and have been sneezing my head off and am streaming with a cold :(

Had some more cake and tea at the middle neighbours.  There is still a bit more cake left which I will have tomorrow - yum yum

Baring any further overnight developments I intend to stay at home tomorrow Friday … and rest after all this activity.

The process of grieving

I had a weird dream (26 October 2010); that my dog Odin had been put to sleep but that he came back to life.  We then went on to do all the things that he loved.  Walking in Buckham Park and wondering through very very muddy puddles; swimming in Tilgate Park (both in West Sussex) and then the Nile.  Going for early morning walks with 'Uncle' Les.

Because of aforementioned dream the next two days (27th October and 28th October 2010) were more difficult than usual.  My Arabic teacher asked me how I was and I said noss-a-noss (or half and half).  She asked why and I told her the back story and then that I had had a strange dream.  She asked me what the dream was as she interprets them.  She said that this type of dream after a bereavement is very usual as you want to be with the 'person' that has passed hence them being returned to life.

I have been better the last couple of days having posted on here and sharing some of my memories of the Monster.  Plus I have a little one (a kitten) to look after. 

Although Odin can never be replaced I have compant again;  the kitten is four months old (an a lot smaller than European kittens of the same age as they have a harder start to life.  He arrived at my house two weeks ago (11 October) and has been causing mayhem even since.  He does occupy some of my day and makes me laugh with his antics. He's a typical baladi cat and his name is Button. You can guess why!

He enjoyed eating feet, playing with his balls.  He can finally go out on 9 November 2010 but we have the facility of letting him roam in our villa.  He visits upstairs alot eating their cat's food (see above) mooching around and sleeping.

(11 October 2010 - my tail is 10.5 inches and I am 12.5 inches in length from the tip of my nose to the base of my tail!?

(14 October 2010 - see I told you my tail was long!!  Aww mum did you have to post me yawning?!!)

(15 October 2010 - meeting one of the neighbours - Gismo (aka The Ginger Whinger!)  I wish you could have heard the noise that Gismo was making - would love to know what he was saying!)

(17 October 2010 - oh I'm just too cute.  I love purring, padding (even in mid-air), sitting close to my mum and snuggling up!)

Follow my story as I grow ...