Cats on Tuesday - Pepper's Big Adventure...

We had a bit of a drama with Pepper last week - she disappeared for twenty four hours.

In the morning she was upstairs with Charlie and myself.

Then she vanished.

What we think happened was that she was either chased or attacked by another cat in the garden (possibly Ralph!), and jumped over the fence to escape - then discovered she couldn't get back.  We had an absolute downpour on Tuesday that lasted all night and we were out of our minds worrying about her.  We called her, we walked around the local streets searching, we asked people to look out for her, but nothing.  It was a long sleepless night (well unless you were Charlie who took complete advantage of the situation by stealing Pepper's spot on the bed).

By Wednesday morning I'd informed Pet-Log (she is identi-chipped) that she was missing, I'd put an alert on Facebook, and a local radio station asked people to search their gardens/sheds etc for her.  I decided to try calling to her one more time from our garden, so out in the rain I went with umbrella and Charlie (who always likes to know what's going on). Amazingly, after calling her name (without much hope it has to be said), I heard a plaintive miaow coming from the gardens behind ours.  Standing on some bricks to look over the fence I was able to see Pepper running frantically backwards and forwards, crying pitifully but unable to get to me as the gardens there are at a much lower level than ours.  I tried encouraging her to jump up and climb the fence but she couldn't, and so I tested each fence panel to see if there was one I could life up or remove, finally finding a narrow one right in the corner that I was able to pull off.  Then suddenly there she was jumping into the garden, very wet, cold and muddy, but with no injuries apart from a couple of scratches.

We were so glad to have her back safe and sound .  She seemed rather subdued, stiff and uncomfortable for a day or so, but after a few good naps and meals seemed back to her old self.  Thank you so much to all those who helped and who spread the word about her, and especially to Corrie the nurse at the vets who got in touch with the radio station.  

Getting dried off in her towel...

Fur a bit spikey from all the rain and mud...

Glad to be home...

And finally... I'd just like to let everyone know that I now have a website for my pet photography! It's a work in progress at the moment but I'm pretty pleased with it.  So if you're in the UK and want some beautiful pics of your pets please get in touch.  It's at www.focusonpetsphotography.co.uk

For more kitty news visit Gattina's Cats on Tuesday.

Cats on Tuesday...

A week in which we had a visit from Ralph! You may remember Ralph from the tense finals of the Kitty Olympics last year (click here).  We haven't seen him in the garden all winter but it seems he's decided to start partaking of the odd snack here again - yesterday he had the temerity to come into the kitchen where David and I were lurking, and snaffle five dishes of cat food!

'Please sir can I have some more?'

Ralph does his Oliver Twist impersonation.

The resident cats' reactions to the interloper were mixed.  

Mrs P briefly look up,

then decided it wasn't worth the

effort of moving from her spot

in the sun - and promptly

went back to sleep.

Charlie decided to hide

behind some flowers

in the garden.

...and Pepper just rolled about like this,

and begged us to make him go away!

Which all means that he'll probably be back today...

For more kitty news visit Gattina's Cats on Tuesday.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday...

This week I met up with my friend Corrie to do a photo shoot with her three dogs Bud, Dudley (who you may remember from a previous photo session involving mud), and Faith.  A good time was had by all (except we lost the toy I had bought for the occasion - Bud I'm looking at you!).

Walking...

You'd think that if you were a 15 year old

dog who'd hurt her paw on a walk, you'd be glad

of a lift from human Mum. Not so - Faith was

most put-out at not being allowed to do what

she wanted and protested until Corrie let her

have her own way and potter along the path.

Yummy to my Tummy...

That is a terrible title,

it actually made me cringe when I read it!

Archive shots of something David was eating one day

when we were out...

Yes I take pictures of just about everything!

Favourite Toy...

This is Bud.

This is the toy that is lost.

Hmmmm...

What I Did This Week...

Yesterday I went to Stratford upon Avon for a 

discussion on Shakespeare and Marlowe.

Stratford looked very spring-like - here's the

Royal Shakespeare Theatre framed by

some beautiful magnolia blossoms.

Anything...
Early morning seagulls.

Friendly, inquisitive cow.
She must have known I was a vegetarian
who doesn't drink milk!

Me being a stalker.
Taken by the husband.

Who is obviously not as good
at stealth photography as I am.
My skills are honed...

We were in the ruins of Grace Dieu Priory,
it's not that far from where we live, dates back
to about the 13thC and is a
great location for photography.

Still loving the wide angle.
This was shot at 10mm.

To boldly go... (to Brighton)

And to hell with split infinitives!  So anyway, what was I up to last week?  I went to Brighton with Helen that's what - I was doing a two day intensive pet photography business course (not sure what Helen was doing).  We had a great time and the course was excellent if exhausting - I feel much more confident about actually starting my pet photography business now.  I really only managed to get photos of non-dog related subjects either early morning or in the evening but at least I managed to get some.  So here are a few pics from the 'Two go mad in Brighton' tour.

This is Boo... 

Boo is crazy...

 

She is also an attack dog :O)))

Brighton in the evening...

...and again.

Calm before the storm...

Helen at the marina...

'I must go down to the seas again...' 

I miss it already.

Very early morning pier...

Scavenger Hunt Sunday...

Helloo, helloo, helloo! Here I am back from Brighton (a great place to visit if you're ever down on the south coast) after a fab two day pet photography course.  Thought I might as well utilise some of my shots from there for the Scavenger Hunt.

Happiness...

is pug shaped!

This is Rhian and her adorable 

dog Boo.  If you want to see some 

amazing dog photography visit Rhian's

website at

Brighton Dog Photography. 

'Me and you and a dog named Boo...'

(I had to put that at some point - sorry).

Spring in B&W...

Down beside the canal

in beautiful spring weather yesterday.

The original...

Family or Faith...

I posted this a few weeks ago but I 

like it so much here it is again.

David and Charlie - my guys.

Fuzzy...

Charlie would possibly rip my head off

if he knew I'd described him as fuzzy. 

I was lying on the brick paving to take this.

It hurt.

Gathering or Provide.

A gathering of gulls at Brighton.

I was standing there for what seemed ages

trying to get this shot - I knew I wanted

spray in the background.

Cats on Tuesday...

In which there is another of the occasional sightings of Ginger, the self-assured, cheeky little cat that lives opposite Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford upon Avon...

Setting out on patrol...

Having a quick scratch in a shop doorway...

Showing his opinion of some

rather naff greetings cards...

Deciding which part of

his street to investigate next... 

Heading off to the Antique Centre

(which he disappeared inside - possibly

to thieve something priceless).

For more cats getting up to stuff they probably shouldn't be doing, visit Gattina's Cats on Tuesday.

Cats on Tuesday...

In which Pepper has her photo taken with David... she's a bit of a Daddy's girl :O)

For more kitties visit Gattina's Cats on Tuesday.