Life with Mango Kitty is definitely getting easier in the leg-climbing department. Now that she has had her injections she is allowed outside (under supervision, being a baby, and to ensure that she doesn't chew on anything poisonous). Her favourite activity, unsurprisingly, is to run up the milkwood tree, and she makes her way to the very limit of weight bearing, which is nearly as far as the leafy part forming the canopy. There has been a lot of slipping and sliding and clinging desperately with her little legs, but she is learning fast.
As you can see, a milkwood tree is 'empty' inside - or bare of leaves - and the side shoots die off and eventually fall to the ground, leaving interestingly gnarled and shaped limbs stretching out into an umbrella-like canopy of leaves. With careful pruning, a cave can be formed underneath and provide marvellous shade for plants such as clivias and bromeliads, brunfelsia and impatiens. I call it my zen garden, as the tree blocks out the breeze and outside noises to a large extent, and there are always little birds hopping in the branches. A very peaceful place to sit quietly with a book.
Mango knocked off lots of the dead twigs and did some natural pruning, giving us plenty of kindling for the braai, and at least she won't poke her eyes out now. Her first observation of a bird was interesting - she was immediately on the alert and crouched instinctively, not moving a whisker. Fascinating to watch her discover the world. Every plant and stone is of interest to her and she dashes around like a lunatic, then hides behind a pot plant before leaping out at some insect she has spotted.
The best thing about all this exercise is that it exhausts her and she sleeps for hours before the next session! What a furry bundle of joy!
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