I’ve probably mentioned that Chip, the handsome long-haired tabby, is living next door with Rose, for at least as long as Lawrence is regularly going for his immunotherapy cancer treatment.  Eloise cat is very unimpressed.  She doesn’t really like other animals.  It seems odd, as she was born into a family with several cats and then lived with Ziggi, four other cats and two dogs.  Ziggi’s daughter, Firstborn, said that she only got on well with one of them, though.  She’s okay with Rummy and they play together, but sometimes in a slightly spiky way and she won’t eat with him around.

She’s had a few minor fights with Chip, who is bigger than she is.  Last night, she made a strange whining sound and LT went to investigate.  She was on the landing looking alert but all seemed well and we went back to sleep.  An hour later, it happened again, I went to look and found Chip on the stairs.  Emboldened by me, Eloise chased him and they had a fight in the hall.

The annexe is joined to the main house by a small laundry room, big enough for our two washing machines and there’s a cat flap in both doors.  That leads into a back hall where I keep the big chest freezer and there’s another cat flap in the back door, which only opens for cats with a recognised microchip, registered to all three cats.  I fastened the kitchen and dining room doors so that Chip couldn’t get further than the kitchen, but of course that meant that Eloise couldn’t get through at all, which didn’t matter for one night but obviously isn’t the answer.  I don’t know what is.  I’ve no objection to Chip, who’s a nice enough cat, but Eloise needs to feel safe at home and he needs to be discouraging from visiting overnight, though I don’t know how.

I didn’t feel like doing a thing this morning and the freezing wind and rain was no encouragement for action.  So I embraced the inaction, lit the fire and snuggled on the sofa with books and newspapers.  I’d made squash soup for lunch yesterday and we finished it today, with lovely Black Bomber cheddar and some of our jalapeño chilli relish.  I made a vegetable curry last night and the remains will go in the freezer, as there’s only enough for one helping, ready for when LT is away next.  His next visit to his house will be another occasion I can’t go, so our hearts will have to grow fonder instead, again.