Introducing Lily Bobtail

So, in the current affairs of the les Gîtes de Guernegroach my peaceful countryside Breton rental, the main story this month is Lily Bobtail. He’s one of my two cats.  Yes, yes I know that Lily is a girl’s name but that was what he was called by the little girl who found him on her doorstep who desperately wanted a girl cat and he was too young to sex.  Once they worked out that he was a boy and that he didn’t get on at all with the other cat in the house they passed him on to us.  

As it turns out Lily Bobtail is not only a proper farm cat but, as the vet explained to me a couple of weeks ago, as he was bottle fed as a kitten he’s quite weird.  Lily Bobtail is now known as LB, which is remarkably appropriate since he’s either a Little Bugger or a Little Bastard!  Derek, my handyman, calls him Beelzebub.  I think you’re starting to get the idea.

As you can see he’s a gorgeous ginger and white cat and he will hang out with people, lull them into a false sense of security purring and pushing into the stroking and then suddenly for no reason he’ll turn around and bite you!  Apparently normal behaviour for bottle reared cats - who knew? 

Of course I have to warn any guests to watch out for the ginger cat because he bites but there’s always one person who says "oh no I’m alright, cats love me!, look he’s letting me stroke him! Arrrgggh!"

Most of the time he just gets on with his own thing; guests might see him doing his rounds but that's about it. I never used to see him much apart from when I fed him. Then my dog Isis died and suddenly he’s in the house - I stupidly assumed that he was making the most of the new dog free territory.

The Shit hit the fan on this year’s annual vet visit when there was something wrong with his eye - the treatment was eye drops twice a day.  Well, I can tell you, that was fun, NOT.  Anyway it all got worse and he ended up having to have emergency surgery because there was something in his eye (knowing him probably someone else’s claw!).  He’s spent ages at the vets in hospital and I got the impression they were rather glad to see the back of him when I got him back yesterday.

I am pleased to report that the twice daily eyedrops are being administered in an orderly fashion and he seems to be on the mend - stitches out in 2 weeks meanwhile he’s not allowed out with his cone of shame and Lily and I are reestablishing our relationship.