Kitties climbing all over!

When Mango Kitty and Mr Bigglesworth are charging around the house, tumbling and grappling, doing those funny arch-backed, sideways jumps that kitties do, and then suddenly shooting off at a 90 degree angle, the phrase "more fun than a barrel of monkeys" springs to mind. I would have thought there would be a similar phrase for kittens, but I have yet to hear it. So for now monkeys will have to do.

They have discovered the curtains. This no doubt is to give my legs a respite. One jumps onto the windowsill, and then the other runs up the curtain to catch him. I can say it's been an unmitigated disaster for my curtains, which are at a very fragile stage of their existence, having spent nearly twenty years in the sun. I'm hoping this playing stage will pass, as none of our previous four cats ever ran up a curtain, or my leg that I can recall. So far I have managed to rearrange the ample pleating (these were not cheap, ready-made curtains!) and hidden the little claw holes from view, but it only needs a little extra weight and enthusiasm for the curtain to rip from top to bottom with a kitty sliding down. Shades of Harpo in A Night at the Opera!

The house has always accommodated animals before people, strangely enough. Perhaps I am just too easygoing and could never smack an animal, but they have had free rein here for 30 years. The leather couch has seen better days, but because it too was a top of the range item in its day, bought because it was so comfortable to lie on when watching TV, some colourful throws and scatter cushions have rejuvenated it. Of course they slide off as the kitties leap from couch to couch but hey, it's good exercise tucking all those bits in!

Here we have them on either side of a window, trying to touch each other! What wonderful toys they make!