OneGuyFromBarlick

They have an infinite capacity to adjust. Susan's cats used to be wary of Jack but she said that one slept with him the other night when he was a lodger. That's a pretty basic adjustment.

Bella the 3 legged kitten has fully integrated herself into the household. After a long day playing in the barn and helping me clean the house for more visitors she has stolen my favourite seat on the sofa.

No surprises there Wendy..... Being a cat with you as a companion animal is my idea of a good reincarnation.

Ah Bless.

I have solved the problem of Jack being left on his own by getting in touch with Jackie Taylforth who knows Jack and she is going to care for him if necessary. All will become clear this week. At the moment I'm not even sure I will be kept in overnight.

Susan and I have decided that we go carefully about introducing Jack to Seraphina the new kitten. With that in mind and accepting that there is no certainty about next Tuesday being day surgery I am going to arrange for Jack to spend at least one night with Jackie anyway and have enough grub for two if necessary. Jackie lives on her dog caring and I am not going to dangle a stay in front of her and then remove it. It will also get Jack used to being with her if ever we need to do it again as the future is not yet clear.

I'm pleased you have something sorted for Jack that settles your mind.
Seraphina is a fine name for a cat! We call ours by any name that comes to mind though she remains Bella for best. To me she is Kitty and to Colin she is Bing Bong. Whatever she is called she knows her place!

Nice post Wendy. I am perfectly relaxed now and will be making final arrangements today. The nice thing is that all concerned understand perfectly why Jack's welfare caused me more anxiety than the cancer!

Most cats feel very vulnerable when exposing their tummies, but Sylvester , erm Sylvie, oh sorry, Bella, obviously feels very trusting and contented with you. Well done

All sorted and arranged for Jack yesterday. All my troops are in place and have their orders! Amazing what this has done for my peace of mind.

I washed the big sheepskin on the rocking chair and it's taken a couple of days to dry it. It is now reinstalled and here is a very happy dog who has the world sorted. He regards it as his day bed......

Not sure if this is the best place for this post - pets loosely covers it.

Remember last year when I said I'd had an email from a Baronet - well here he is. The word 'legend' doesn't come close to describing him. A genius

I've had the tour he gives here - it's a life enhancing experience.

That took care of ten minutes David.....

No ďoors for the horses to stick their heads out of and those stables are like isolation cells! It obviously works for him but it looks cruel to me.

Do you know Wendy, I thought that as well. Horses, like any other animal, enjoy socialising and those cells don't encourage that.

Wendyf wrote: ↑15 Dec 2018, 06:58 No doors for the horses to stick their heads out of and those stables are like isolation cells! It obviously works for him but it looks cruel to me.

I hadn't noticed that, and you know a great deal more about horses than I do. I'm probably visiting again in the next few weeks - I'll ask him about it. I'd guess he has thought about the matter over his long 47 year career. On the plus side he doesn't allow any of his staff to use a whip.

I'm guessing you woudn't want to hear about his other enthusiasms - bull fighting and hare coursing. Convicted of the latter along with the 'one fat lady' Clarissa Dixon Wright.

I know nothing about the world of racing Tripps! I wonder if being isolated from the "herd" affects the way they behave in a race? I'll Google it!

He kind of explains it in part 2.

Thanks - I hadn't seen that. I've seen, and had explained, nearly all that's in the video except the stable doors. . The treadmill is impressive (and noisy) close up. We saw the favourite for last year's Ebor Handicap doing his final work last year. (came second). I had thought briefly that security might be a factor - some of them are very valuable,

I thought he would have given the matter a lot of thought. He says that as a result, he has no 'crib biters' or 'box walkers' so that's good. I could listen to him all day.

Shall I put your name down for the next visit?

I still like to see them poking their heads out with ears pricked.....
Better still, Like Dennis and Sparky, talking to each other in the field..... Those two get so much pleasure in each others company.

It looks as if old Bertie won't be around much longer, his back legs are failing him as is his bladder control. He is still taking an interest in life and eating his meals so we don't think he is throwing in the towel just yet, but it won't be more than a few days. We are hoping he can hold out till after Xmas. No idea how old he is but the vets think he is well into his teens.

Very sad news Wendy, poor Bertie. Thinking of you all.

Sad news Wendy and inevitable. You'll know what's best for him. Always a sad stage and the price we pay for unconditional love.

Thanks Cathy and Stanley. He has kept going a lot longer than we expected, and is still showing signs of wanting to stick around. It's just a question of getting him out of the door without falling over before he pees! The kitchen floor is tiled which makes accidents easy to mop up but we have had to cover it with mats so he can get a grip.... otherwise he is like a large, hairy Bambi on ice.

I have absolute confidence in your ability to care for him and make the right decisions. The question I always ask is whether there is going to be any enjoyment in life. Treasures in heaven.....