We are so looking forward to Eloise cat being free again. Just another week and she can start to have the run of the house. I plan to extend her free area over two or three days, so she can have the fun of a new freedom daily. Then, another two weeks and she can go outside again and her ordeal can be over. And ours, though that’s much less, of course. She’s coping well, on the whole, though it’s no fun for any of us.

It was a warm and muggy day, with thunder forecast. That didn’t happen, though it did rain. At least Tim and I had done some weeding, so the rain has gone where it needed to. Walking the cat is so time-consuming though. In a couple of hours, she may have walked a few yards, in various circles and rambles, stopping to contemplate or wash herself in between, never where I could do anything useful. It’s a fair test of patience, especially when she chooses to go out in the rain.

I can’t find the bottom part of the small feeder, so the chick crumbs have been put in a plastic saucer, of the sort you put a plant pot in. Last night, because I’d had to refill it several times during the day, I added a china dish so that they had more available food. This morning, I discovered the plastic dish out in the wired run, where Canasta had pulled it. It still had plenty of food in it, she hadn’t spilled it, clever chicken. They’re still all adorable balls of fluff and don’t vanish under their mummy when I approach now. It’ll change, of course, but we appreciate the loveliness while it lasts.