Handsome boy

I have a lodger for a week, my best friend Ben is staying with me. He is a lovely steady old plodder, so gentle and kind, he gets on with anybody. Don't you think he is a handsome boy?I have to make a few alterations while he is here. He knows there is cat food about and would demolish it given the chance, so I have to move their three trays from the living room into the bedroom. This confuses the cats for a couple of days, they look at the empty space and say, 'Ok, what have you done with it now?' Then I have to put a barrier across the bottom of the stairs so Ben can't sneak up when I am not looking.

He is a crafty old so and so. Yesterday I hadn't seen him for 20 minutes and panicked when I couldn't find him anywhere in the house. I looked out into the garden, and there he was, enjoying a sniff around the hedge bottoms. My garden is not fully secure, goodness knows what might have happened if he had wandered further. The only way he could have got out there was through the cat flap, I was amazed because I thought he was too big to go through it, but I suppose, where there's a will there's a way. Now I have put the cat scratching post in front of the hole so the cats can still squeeze through.

Bugsy and Lilly are fine about Ben being here, he has been brought up with cats so no chance that he might fight with them. But Freddie has gone a bit sulky, he stands his ground and threatens Ben. This is his territory and he doesn't like it being invaded by some alien from another planet. Freddie will hiss and spit, and lash out in an attempt to drive Ben away. Poor Ben retreats because he is such a gentle soul, and I have to be vigilant and make sure Freddie doesn't go the whole way and jump on him.

What fun and games I am going to have for the rest of the week. At least I can take Ben to his own house for a few hours to give Freddie a stress break. Ben also needs some restfull times because he is not so good on his back legs. We can't go long walks any more, just several short strolls around the nearby churchyard. Yesterday the Church was open so we called in for a chat with some of the ladies who were doing the flower arrangements.

Everything will have to be worked around Ben this week, so I won't be going far. I don't think it's right to have pets and then keep them locked up for hours on end. The cats are more independant and don't need constant supervision, so I can go out for a long day, they are fine till I get back. And I always have my nice neighbour to help out.