The
long dry winter of 2004/5 is drawing to an end in
Southern England, where Gypsy and Timmy have spent
the season relaxing. Gypsy prefers…..
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Tim |
Hold
it, hold it. We said in episode 11, the introductions
were getting boring; this |
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is more of the
same. It is also almost high summer; Gypsy is on his
recliner in the |
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garden most days
now. |
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Staff: I told you
if you wanted great literature go and live with
an author.
|
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I
don’t think many of them called round when we were
looking for a new home. |
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We’ll have to
put up with you. This story stars Timmy rather than
me, so you |
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should have made
a few changes. |
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Staff:
The title is different, a pun about a CD rather
than a film.
|
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That’s
the one you have been playing since Christmas. The
kitten is getting very |
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fed up with it.
I like it. |
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Staff: You are being
polite; it must be close to feeding time!!
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Gypsy |
It is always close
to feeding time. Now Timmy, let’s hear all about your
adventure |
Tim |
First
I think we should tell our fan about what else has
been going on at Timmy |
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Towers. |
Gypsy |
Chateau
Gypsy, you mean. Well we had an excellent autumn,
winter, and early |
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spring, as the
staff had to get up very early to get the kitten off
to college, which |
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meant we got breakfast
really early as well. Some days in the middle of winter,
we |
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had had breakfast,
been groomed, gone out for the daily patrol, had our
second |
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breakfasts,
and were back asleep before dawn. |
Tim |
Makes
the days just slip by. The staff were a bit grumpy
most mornings, and then |
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they had the cheek
to be late getting up at the weekend. We frequently
had to |
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organize community
singing to wake them up. |
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Staff Comment: There
is no snooze button on a cat that wants its breakfast.
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Gypsy |
The time they
call Christmas was especially tedious. I lay on the
settee all one day. |
Tim |
Just one day?
I thought it was every day. |
Gypsy |
I’d
not finished. I’ve since moved to my spring quarters,
the smaller armchair. On |
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this particular
day, the staff spent a lot of time, climbing up and
down ladders |
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pinning coloured
bits of paper and metal to the ceiling. |
Tim |
Then
they produced lots of balloons, I tried playing with
one. What a noise, I |
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won’t do that
again. |
Gypsy |
About
a month later, they spent another day taking them
all down. It did provide |
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considerable entertainment
for me. Then they put all the bits in a box, which
went |
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up into the loft.
That is where they came from at the start of the performance.
One |
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day I must go
into the loft to see what is up there. |
Tim |
One
evening while the staff were eating a meal in front
of the TV, rather than at the |
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table, one of
them put a bowl down on the floor. |
Gypsy |
A
cat’s primary duty is to investigate everything new
or unusual. When the staff |
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had their bathroom
renovated a few months ago, the floor-boards were
lifted. I |
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was removed twice
from there. Then they kept the door shut until the
floor-boards |
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were replaced,
most unfair. |
Tim |
Again
this was my duty as I saw it. I went and had a look,
a sniff, a lick, and |
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discovered what
the staff call ice cream. Very nice it is too. I cleaned
up the bowl. |
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Occasionally I
get given some now. |
Gypsy |
I’m not over
fond of it myself. |
Tim |
That’s a first,
you not liking food!!! A few weeks later, one of my
teeth fell out. |
Gypsy |
I warned you
about eating sweet food, look what happens. |
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Staff Comment: Timmy
has had a gum infection for some time, we had been
trying to improve things by diet, but it did not
seem to get any better. On the previous trip to
the V-E-T, for their annual jabs, we were warned
an operation might be needed. As the tooth fell
out only a couple of weeks before the next annual
jab, and Timmy seemed quite well, we left it until
then.
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Tim |
They
kept my tooth in a plastic bag, I was expecting a
big box of cat treats from the |
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tooth fairy, but
she never came. |
Gypsy |
What
we did get was our annual outing to the V-E-Ts. Now
that they have stopped |
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trying to put
me on a diet, I quite like the trip, the sing-song
on the way there is |
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great fun. I do
wish the staff would join in rather than turn the
car radio up. I like |
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Radio 2, but they
play it very loud, just on that trip. On the way back
it is much |
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quieter. |
Tim |
So are you. |
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Staff Comment: It
is like a family outing, Timmy is in the front in
his travel cage, while John drives, and Gypsy is
in his travel cage in the back of the car with Thelma.
Only the kitten is missing. The boys sing along
to the records on the Terry Wogan show. Luckily
it only takes about 20 to 25 minutes, although if
Gypsy is in good voice we have got it down to 17
minutes.
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Gypsy |
I have a fine
voice, loud too. |
Tim |
I know it has
been heard over 200 miles away. |
Gypsy |
That
was over the phone. Anyway, back to the story. We
went into the V-E-T’s |
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surgery. This
is a good V-E-T, cats have their own waiting room,
we don’t have to |
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mix with dogs,
and other non-feline pets. It was the same nice man
I saw last year, |
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I was checked
over first, he said I was in fine condition, and only
slightly over- |
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weight, nothing
to worry about. |
Tim |
True, that’s
what he said. |
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Staff Comment: That’s
what he said. Even Gypsy looked surprised.
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Gypsy |
I
was complimented on the fine condition of my fur.
It was followed by a quick jab |
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with a needle.
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Tim |
Then
you were shoved back in your cage, and out I came.
He said my fur was |
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wonderful too.
I got the jab as well, and then he started looking
in my mouth. John |
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gave
him my tooth. They then started muttering. I was put
in my cage, and whisked |
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off
into another room. My front leg was shaved, and a
needle stuck in it. Then I |
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went back to join
the others. |
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Staff Comment: Some
of Timmy’s teeth needed extracting, and he had gum
infection we already knew about. This was his blood
test.
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Gypsy |
Then we went home.
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Tim |
Not
before the V-E-T suggested that the staff might care
to try to brush my teeth. |
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Then he saw the
look on my face, & dropped the idea. |
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Staff Comment: Staff
not having skin made of titanium were not thrilled
with the idea either.
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Gypsy |
I like going
home from the V-E-T’s surgery, we always get extra
treats. |
Tim |
A few days later
there was no supper. |
Gypsy |
Yes,
I thought it was an oversight, and was going to speak
quite firmly to the |
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catering staff
the next morning, but worse, NO BREAKFAST. |
Tim |
When
I came in from my morning constitutional, still no
breakfast, instead I was put |
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in my travelling
cage. Off John & I went in the car. |
Gypsy |
I
was packing my bowls and blankets ready to leave,
when I GOT BREAKFAST. |
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I was so pleased
I forgot to complain about missing supper. |
Tim |
We
went back to the V-E-Ts. This time John left me. I
called, but he did not reply. |
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Then, some fur
was shaved off my chest, another jab with a needle,
and I felt |
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sleepy. Next thing
I remembered, I had a bit of a headache, but my jaw
felt better. |
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Thelma arrived
and took me home. I was a bit sleepy. Brother Gypsy
seemed |
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pleased to see
me. I got special food for the next week, all my favourites.
|
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Staff Comment: It
was the only way we could get him to take antibiotics
twice a day for a week. Timmy has had almost all
of his teeth, except the little ones on his lower
jaw, removed.
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Tim |
Plus I can still
hunt, and now I’m switching to dry food. |
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Staff Comment: Since
the boys settled in, several years ago, Gypsy has
chosen to eat dry food, while Timmy has eaten wet
food. They are not averse to the other type if the
bowl is nearer, but given a choice that is what
they eat. Now Timmy is eating about equal quantities
of both dry and wet food.
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Gypsy |
I’m not happy
about that, he has found my private dining room upstairs.
|
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Staff Comment: See
earlier episodes for details of the boys feeding
areas.
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Tim |
Have you ever
noticed catering starts CAT? |
Gypsy |
That should be
my line. |
Tim |
Say goodnight
Gypsy. |
Gypsy |
Goodnight Folks.
|
Tim |
Fans, my fur
has grown back now. |