The Cat with the gold plated paws!

Spud declares a Duvet Day occasionally now 

Spud Cat very nearly turned into the cat with the gold plated paws the other day after a very close encounter with a pot of paint, and gold plated has a rather better title ring that bronze splodged, don't you think?!. To start the story at the beginning, it had been on my conscience fro a while to paint a set of table and chairs hidden away in the Italian Garden and the other afternoon with a sudden enthusiasm I rushed into the workshop with the intention of mixing a little white into a tin of black Hammerite to produce a dark discreet grey. Naturally the black could not be found but an unopened tin of bronze caught my eye and after several tours of the house to find my glasses to read the small print I formed two  conclusions, one that the size of the small print on most items these days is a vanity of the young! and two that it would do either looking vaguely chic or completely vulgar but worth a bet and so off I set.... hotly pursued by Spud. After a great deal of rubbing and chipping I decided it was time to paint and also that Spud should be removed to a place of safety and so he was carried wailing away by Charles to be employed exercising the local mice in the stables.
Things were going quite well until Spud burst out of the hedge yowling the feline equivalent of Gung Hoo and launched himself at the newly painted surface skidding past on the wet paint and probably mortified by my outrages screams and his indecorous descent - with an outraged look he shot under a bush and spent the rest of the afternoon watching balefully from there. Well, luckily for Spud the paint was water miscible as I discovered after another session of glasses searching and I think the table and chairs doesn't look too bad....

Spud has been busy elsewhere in the garden too - the Italian garden has just had its first cut of the year and naturally Spud was there to inspect his domain.

Spud inspecting the newly cut hedges

"Yes just right".....or was he planning a new paint attack

Our other young newcomer has continued to do well and tends to rule the roost, it seems not an hour goes past without the imperious whinny for "more milk" but she is growing on well and even a little bit plump!

Lillie sporting her new headcollar

Lillie with her Aunt Sophie

Lillie introducing herself to Sophie

Left to right Lizzie, Sophie and Lillie

and of course mum Amie