Liz Williams: journal

I haven't done a Sid Rep for ages. Basically, he's settled in very well. The bald patch where his poor tail used to be has grown back, so he now looks like a small black bear or a lamb. He has also grown, rather a lot. He has established a summer routine for himself: go out all night ('Bye, babe. Going out to do Cat Stuff. You wouldn't understand.'), then return for breakfast and the daily attack on the menace that is our staircase. What is it with cats killing stairs?

The Household Award for Dignity at Breakfast goes to our Rottweiler, who sits patiently waiting while the two boys, Sid and the Alsatian, run to and fro, squeaking and yelping with the Excitement of It All. Attempts to get the dog to calm down have been only partially successful. Last time I tried this, I asked the dog to sit and he promptly did so, but unfortunately on top of Sid, who was not appreciative. Sid climbs up the side of the kitchen unit like a bat in an effort to reach his dish, since I am always much too slow. ('You don't understand! STARVING! MIGHT DIE!!!')

Then he has a day of restful repose: inside the conservatory if the weather is inclement, or outside on the table or in the laundry basket if it's fine. Repeat breakfast performance for dinner and that is Sid's day, with some additional lap-sitting, bed-invading, exchange of insults with female cat, etc.

This morning, I came into the kitchen after breakfast to find a poor broken-backed mouse trundling towards Sid, who was watching with interest. Bore Sid away and asked T to finish it off, which he nobly did. Sid was initially pleased ('cuddle!') but then realisation dawned: I had a mouse! AND IT'S GONE!!!

He was locked, protesting, in another room while vile deeds were carried out and the last I saw of him this morning was of Sid heading grimly towards the outbuildings in search of another furry toy. It's possible to hate them.

We were in the garden last night, accompanied by Sid, who is a keen gardener (who knew?) in that he supervises, and then deploys the 10-foot litter tray that was lying under all those weeds. I was talking to T and Sid suddenly leaped up and head-butted me, straight in the crotch. *DOINK!* Good thing I'm not a man. Then he ran away.

He is the most bizarre little cat. I've encountered some weird feline behaviour, but not this one before.

Sid, meanwhile, has discovered that there is Another Person in the household. Perhaps two other People - real ones, with tails, not apes or dogs.

Due to the fact that the two other cats live in the tack room, Sid hasn't encountered them properly, although he knows they're there. Last night, however, Cobweb got shut out of the tack room and met Sid face to face in the kitchen. Cobweb did an impersonation of a powder puff that's been attached to a bellows (WHOOOMF!). Sid's eyes grew huge and black and he said 'Fehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!' Then he ran away.

So...this is a cat who will happily take on a Rottweiler (he clawed her hind quarters this morning, unprovoked), but who will run from a middle-aged lady cat. Go figure.

Well, more or less. After some work last night, I got up this morning thinking: novel's going to be finished today. And it is, although it's about 4K under my estimate - normal for me and there are some scene which need filling in, so I'll get onto that over the next couple of days.

91,000 / 95,000 (91.0%)

In other news, T just messengered me to say that Sid is now Sir Philip Sydney, member of the Explorer's Guild: he has been out, for several hours, and just returned. So now Sid has discovered what is Outside.

Sid has now been here for just over a week. He has started to explore, although Outside is still a bit big and he is wary of it. Yesterday, on my way to work, I said to T: 'He's on the stairs. I think he's about to go onto the bookcase - you know that pile of books that's standing on it? Well, if you hear a - ' CRASH! Indeed.

Last night we played 'bashing people' through the bannisters, that well-known form of feline amusement. When I'd had enough and was en route to bed, the Rottweiler took up position at the top of the stairs. I came out of the bathroom to find Sid pouncing on her feet. She has been desperate to play with him all week - she follows him about, meeping and wagging her stump of a tail. So last night was fun, according to her. Sid caught her with a claw and she barked, but she didn't snap and Sid stood his ground. He's a bold little cat.

Could have done without the overturned litter tray this morning, however. I think one of the dogs skidded into it. You haven't lived until you've had to pick kitty litter out of the top of a skirting board. It looked as though someone had thrown a grenade into it.

Sid has conquered the north face of the dog. The Alsatian was between my lap and Sid yesterday evening: Sid stood looking urgently from one to another and eventually clearly thought: oh, sod it. He wound round the dog's legs and jumped up on my lap.

When we went to bed, a shadow snuck onto the end of it, sat squarely on the hot water bottle and imported some extra mass from a parallel dimension, just in case I decided on any funny business like warming my own feet. He stayed for some time, as far as I'm aware.

T's last words last night were: 'That cat's not stupid.' I'll say.

...should be here:

http://pics.livejournal.com/mevennen/gallery/000057wr

My entire Sid-rep for the day is that he has spent it on the sofa, venturing out once to bash the dog (dog ran away and hid in basket). We have now introduced Sid to my lodger's lurcher: they evinced little interest in one another. The lurcher did not bounce, which helped (he did, however, treat himself to a light snack from Sid's litter tray en route, so would seem to be more interested in what comes out of the other end of Sid. Again, I grow faint and cold).

Not a lot to report as we spent most of the day perforce in the hospital (the short version for those who have just joined us: my partner is undergoing follow-ups after successful cancer treatment). Sid was on the sofa this morning and behold, was still there when we came back 6 hours later. He's been watching the dogs, but no violence has ensued. He also favoured T with his august presence this morning, treading in T's toast and flattening the Racing Post at the same time.

His wordcount for yesterday, after a sudden incursion onto my laptop, was 150 words: all versions of '['. An avant-garde piece, which critics are still struggling to interpret.

I have now retrieved the camera and will try and take/post some pics later on this evening.

One of those days where you feel you haven't done a damn thing, but then look back and realise you did - just a relentless grind of quotidiana (shopping, gardening centre, recycling, kitty litter and so on and so on). I did, however, groom the horses and trim their tails in preparation for the farrier, who did not show up. Dunno where he went, as he's not answering his phone, again. Honestly, they are like plumbers - so in demand they can charge what they like and behave as they please. We also put out the radio show - we're now live at 7 pm GMT on Tuesday nights, which is much more civilised than midnight.

My f-list has increased again and I know at least some of it is Sid's fan club! You're most welcome and I hope you enjoy the rest of it. The boy himself is basking on a velvet sofa in front of a roaring log fire. He has barely moved all day, except to entertain visitors, all of whom have come to see him. It's like housing a potentate, or something. Then again, he is a cat, so same thing, really.

Came down this morning to find Sid curled up in the armchair. With some trepidation (he's used to being outside) we left a litter box covered in earth, in the hope that he'd realise what it was for, and indeed, he did. One rather major hurdle over, in that case.

I have also been ferociously attacked, my arm slain, and then enthusiastically purred over.