It’s not only Kevin’s birthday today, but also that of Grabbity, Sir Izacat Mewton and their siblings Emo, Davina, Bob, Loki, Pancho & Mowgli, who are two years old. Hare to believe we’ve had so many years of wonderful furry purry madness, and that’s just Kevin!

Still, happy birthday to all three other lifeforms in this flat!

Grabbity doesn’t need a book to win her arguments. She uses pure kyewt instead.

Mewton doesn’t entirely fit in the hat, but is giving it a damn good try!

My wonderful husband at the House of Trembling Madness in York, shortly before trying the Brewdog Tactical Nuclear Penguin weaponised stout (but that’s a whole different story).

Happy birthday all!!

The entire ensemble is operated by the cat, via sensors:

I am sure Grabbity and Mewton would love one of these!

My Dad made us a cat wheel so that Mewton and Grabbity can burn off a little energy – energy that they would otherwise burn off at 2am by jumping up and down on our heads. This is a prototype, made of steel, hardened woven kevlar and, yes, duct tape. The wheel is whisper quiet and spins incredibly smoothly (possibly a bit too smoothly!).

I picked the wheel up from Dorset yesterday and we unpacked it and pretty much left the kittens to just get used to it being around. They don’t seem overly bothered by its presence, so we tried to introduce them to the idea of running on it today, using the age old tactic of bribery and corruption. Our attempts met with a modicum of success, but I think it might take a while for them to build up the confidence that they can just jump on, run for a bit, and then jump off again, but I’m pretty sure they’ll get there!

The next prototype will be prettier and if anyone wants one, we’ll sell it at cost plus a wee bit for labour. (This one cost udner £150.) Just get in touch if you’re interested.

I hope Grabbity doesn’t see this – she might get ideas.

I’ve had cats all my life, including some kittens, and I’ve never caught one in the act of getting their adult teeth. Usually kittens teethe, swallow their milk teeth and the new ones are there to fill in behind so there’s nothing much to spot. But I was surprised to see Grabbity – who has been chewing on everything in the flat she can wrap her teeth around – has two sets of fangs in her upper jaw.

I first spotted them on Friday, so I’m going to keep an eye on them and if the deciduous teeth (that’s milk teeth to you and me – I had no idea that deciduous applied to anything other than trees! does that make her permanent teeth ‘evergreen’?) don’t fall out within the next week I’ll be talking to the vet to see if they need pulling.

Meantime, they do look rather impressive!