The Return of the Three Amigos
For those who have been following our story you will know that it has been four months since we have seen our three little meowsers outside of a cattery or travel crate, and whilst we have missed them dearly we have been comforted by the knowledge that they were healthy and safe and well cared for at the Kitty Care Inn, but that separation was at an end and we were ready to bring them home.
We woke up bright and early on the first morning in our new house to find the main living area bathed in light and the promise of summer, it felt magical to fling open the patio door and let Lola zoom around the garden or doze on the deck in the early morning sun while we readied ourselves for what would be another important day in the Carroll family annuls, because today was the day that we were picking up the three amigos.
We were a little worried about how they would transition to life in Canada especially when they lived like wildlings in NZ free to roam where and as far as they wished. We knew that they would have to stay indoors until they had settled but were not anticipating three months. Tick protection was number one priority and unfortunately Canada do not dispense tick treatment over the counter in stores or in vets unless the vet has seen them, so we had to book an appointment for all three with the closest appointment not until August, the wait time was crazy.
How would they adjust to the next three months being house bound while they got used to the sights, scents, and surroundings of their new home? Would Bob even fit in the house? He was three times his normal size when we last saw him, he could be Catzilla proportions by now!
To stave off the boredom and bickering that would inevitably come with being confined to the house for three months we bought a cat tree which cost almost as much as an actual house and cat toys up the wazoo which Lola naturally assumed were all for her and despite confiscating them from her on multiple occasions we would often find her curled up snoozing on the sofa with a catnip filled mouse stuffed in her mouth…. Busted!
Lola would have to sit this trip out, the Warlock was big, but not big enough to fit two normal sized cats, a black and white Puma, and a dog so we left her in charge of the house security, a job which she would no doubt take seriously whilst observing the inside of her eyelids. Excitement and the quiet roads (there are literally no people in NS) made the trip go quickly and in the blink of an eye we had settled our bill, loaded the Warlock up with the blankets, kibble and toys, loaded the cats (using a small excavator to move Bob) and bid farewell and a huge thank you to Marilyn.
As we approached our house, we discussed what Lola and the cat’s reaction would be like when they were reunited, would Lola get the zoomies or get over excited with three new butts to sniff? The cats love Lola and Lola loves and fears the cats in equal measure having been on the wrong side of the jellybeans of death too many times to count, but we hoped that they would be pleased to be back together.
With the travel crates safely inside and the house locked up like a maximum-security prison it was time to let the proverbial cat out of the bag … or crate in this case. Bob was first out of the gate with Bear and Ray slinking out shortly after, Lola saw it as her duty to identify the three furry intruders with her hackles up and stumpy tail extended while the cats went off in three separate directions! Lola was curious and slowly followed them around for a little while but there was no excitement, no zoomies and very minimal amounts of butt sniffing which was unexpected.
The cats cautiously explored their surroundings, having such a wide area to explore it must have been like staying in a mansion for them after living in a shed for months. The cats were spoilt for choice with regards to places to perch, hide and sit, and they tried them all out, whether it was lounging around in Lola’s bed, curled up on the rug that our friends the Rock’s made us as a housewarming present or sitting on the windowsill gazing at the garden and forest. None of them however stepped anywhere near the ridiculously expensive cat tree, typical!
Lola and Bear have always shared a special relationship, we don’t know whether it is because they are both female and that they are both affectionate, but they have a lovely bond. They would test the strength of that bond on occasion usually when Lola got a bit forceful with her butt sniffing or head boinks forcing Bear to shout at her and slap her upside the head. But in the main we would always find them together, so it warmed our cockles to see the pair of them curled up on the mat together watching the birds outside.
As much as we wanted to constantly pick the cats up and hug them we knew it was important for them to have some time to settle, their world had been very small for many months and having so much space suddenly thrust upon them would have been stressful, so we pottered around and tried to leave them to just be for a while but they surprised us by following us around.
We realised that they had changed through this experience too, they were less fearful and more confident and as we moved around the house, we started to get the feeling we were being watched.
I may act like I’m okay, but deep down inside I’m hungry again.
Everywhere we turned there were cats, suddenly the house felt like it was full of them! Confident that it was not the pleasure of our company that they were hovering for we surmised that they were not so covertly trying to tell us that they were hungry… the cupboard love was back in full force.
Blob … sorry Bob had developed a cute but ridiculously pathetic Tiny Tim lame leg when he wanted food, he is so shrewd I mean how could you resist that little uplifted paw! No wonder he was able to schmooze everyone at the cattery into feeding him treats all the time. For today we would let it slide but come tomorrow he would be heading to bootcamp to get beach body ready for when we could release him back into the world in summer, we wanted him to start looking like a cat again and not an Emperor penguin.
It was so lovely having them all back home together, whether they were stalking around the house or sleeping, just having them here felt like a missing puzzle piece finally slotting in to place. Our family was once again complete and just when we thought it could not get any better a miracle occurred! We walked into the lounge to find not just one but all three cats lounging in the cat tree. We could not believe our eyes! We had resigned ourselves to the fact that the cat tree would become an expensive shelf or clothes hanger because we doubted the cats would use it, but it just goes to show you that they always do what you least expect them to and usually just to spite you.
With the all the Carroll clan back home, it was time to explore our new hometown and find out where the heck our shipping was and why we had not heard anything from the Moving Company since March.