And then there were none...

I'd been feeling a tad under the weather the past few days and took to my cabin. Concerned, Helena took me, and my cabin, to her bedroom, where she located us on a bedside table. Finding myself so close to a snug duvet I crossed the divide and made myself comfortable; the stuffed bear provided a sense of companionship.

Today Helena laundered her bedding and scrubbed clean my cabin, which she later packed away. Sad to say I won't be using it anymore. My body waits to join that of Romula and Rema's, under the pseudo acacia fresia tree.

Y.T. (The White One)

June 2009 - 31st May 2011

Where are you?

The day has passed without a visit from my new friend.

I went to his bedroom to look for him, but he wasn't there.

What am to think?



Y.T.

Y.T.

That's me. It's my new name. Do you like it?

And this is my new friend, the person who gave it to me.

We've been spending a lot of time together lately.



Y.T.

(Formerly known as The White One)

Turin Shroud effect

I couldn't settle this morning and Helena took me to rest in her bed. The area of my body that had been shaved, in preparation for surgery, certainly feels the cold and her goose down duvet was a lot warmer than my bedding of acid free, archival tissue.

My wound is healing well, however there has been a little bleeding and I created something of a Turin Shroud effect on Helena's 400 thread Egyptian cotton sheet.

Hmm.

The White One

I'll spare you the details...

I have had an offending lump removed from my right hand side. It had grown quite rapidly and was starting to affect how I walked. So now it has gone. As has much of my fur.

The White One

I'm home

Back in my log cabin, among crisp, clean white tissue.

I have yoghurt and honey in one dish and galia melon in the other. Pine nuts lie scattered on the floor of my living quarters. I feel a little woozy and some discomfort, but very happy to be home.

Last meal

The last meal I had was some avocado and a little yoghurt with honey.

I felt content.

Then, most unexpectedly, Helena took me from my bed and placed me in the travel home. After a short time I found myself in the place full of unfamiliar animal smells. I was handled by a woman. She felt around my underarm; the pressure was uncomfortable and I struggled to get away.

Helena stroked me. Then left me.

What can I expect to happen next?

A bad trip

I was hustled into a cardboard box and taken for a ride in a car.

After a short time I was carried to a place that was noisy and smelly. I felt anxious. Confused. A short time later I found myself in a quieter space. I was removed from the box and handled by a stranger. I felt panicky. I wanted to get away from her. I was returned to the box and, before I knew it, back in my secure home with all its familiar smells.

Relieved to be back, I tucked into the tagliatelle I'd been served earlier.


The White One

Still here.

Still here.


The White One

The blanket and tissue paper are proving easier to manage; I've been able to totally block up the windows and doors in addition to insulating the roof.

Co-zee!

The White One

Keeping warm

With no-one to snuggle up with I've blocked up the windows and door, to my log cabin, with sawdust. It's a challenge to get the sawdust right up to the top as it starts to fill up the inside of the cabin.

The White One

Still Alone

Hmm.


The White One

I'm all alone now

Me and my security blanket.

The White One

We couldn't take any more

Helena took me for a short drive in the car and then we just stayed in it for a while. She fed me melon and talked to me. I felt weary.

A short time later I found myself being handled by a stranger; I was anaesthetised with gas and then administered a lethal injection. It all happened very quickly.

Helena held me as my life ebbed away. My passing was a kindness to us both.

Romula
2009 - 2011

Alone

I've been on my own for two nights now. I miss not having anyone to snuggle up with in bed.

Helena took me to visit Romula last night, but very briefly. I wish that she would come home to our log cabin.

I haven't been allowed out for two nights now. Hmm.

The White One

Wednesday , 16th March 2011

I've just received a bed bath followed by some melon and a little avocado.

I have spend two days resting on Helena's bed. I don't move around much; I wash myself and I still eat, though my appetite is modest.

I've been transferred to a fresh towel and left to rest under my blanket.


Romula

Monday, 14th March 2011

My partaking in this morning's breakfast was a gesture.

The White One joined me as I rested. She has been kind me; kept me company and washed me. I now want to be alone.

Helena found me lying outside of our log cabin and gently placed me on a large towel. I suspect she feels better now; viewing me against the peach coloured fabric gives me an appearance of looking clean and fresh and the cushioning of the folds suggest that they comfort my distorted body.

The scent of the fabric conditioner initially overwhelmed the odour of faeces that clings to my fur. Not sure which is worse.

Romula

Snug

Romula

I was the last of the litter to be adopted, and when Helena held me for the first time, I was so nervous I peed on her, then jumped out of her hands. Things haven't changed much since then; almost two years on and I'm still not comfortable being handled.

Romula, on the other hand, has a 'special' relationship with her.


The White One

Helena was absent for some days and Hana fed and watered us. I have to admit that we were somewhat anti-social; using the pieces of blanket Helena had given us, we blocked up the windows and door to our cabin. It was nothing personal.

My mobility has become more awkward of late. I'm still active though. Since Helena's return she has taken to hand feeding me, having noted that I now need to use my front paws to stay upright. I find washing ok as I can do that by leaning on my side.

I continue to have a good appetite and this evening I enjoyed pine nuts, yoghurt and avocado, after which I slept on Helena's lap for over one hour; I find an undulating surface accommodates my current body shape and supports my leaning head.

Romula

Not just a pretty face...

When, for the second time, Helena felt the need to free my 'mass' from the window of our log cabin, she decided to prevent the situation occurring again by blocking the windows with tissue paper. Helena may recall that she removed Rema from the same position, that of being wedged half way through the window, not so long ago.

This morning, having seen me resting on the raised pillow that I had created in the doorway of our log cabin, using the tissue used to block one of the windows, I suspect that Helena now recognises the purpose for our choice of posture; our bodies, now cruelly distorted by tumours, make our usual resting postures uncomfortable and a raised platform accommodates the additional bulk we now carry.

Romula

I journeyed under Helena's coat arriving at the place smelling of unfamiliar creatures. I was handled by one person and then another. Lots of unfamiliar faces surrounded me and after a short time I was returned to Helena and once again I found myself cradled under her coat. We returned to the familiar surroundings of our home and I was fed pine nuts, before being settled under the sofa duvet where I slept until early evening.

Romula

Tree Feeding

Tonight will be my body's first night outside.

Rema

Helena wrapped me in a crisp white cloth and placed me under the pseudoacacia frisia, with Tony Blair, 'Shy Boy' Archangel Gabriel and Gordon Brown.


Rema

Special Relationship

In the past few months Rema actively sought a closer bond with Helena and in the last few weeks they gave each other a lot of attention.

Did it come across as insensitive that my appetite for yoghurt and honey was not affected by Rema's departure?

Romula

Missed

This morning I waited for Helena at the door of our secure home. When she came she picked me up and stroked me. Had she come a little earlier I would have been able to greet her. The White One watched on. I was still soft and warm.

Rema
2009 - 2011

Some time later

Helena left me on my own and returned smelling of spices. I was brought a small dish of water and some grapes. I had a drink but declined the food.

Rema

In Bed With Helena

Helena wasn't her usual active self today. Come early afternoon she took to her bed and took me with her.

I enjoyed the warmth and comfort of resting on the pillow and against Helena.

Rema

Well if had the freedom to choose...

...it would be here.

Romula

My favorite place?

Is it on the sofa, under the throw or on the bed, under the duvet?

Romula

Diurnal?

di·ur·nal (d-ûrnl)

That means:

adj.
1. Relating to or occurring in a 24-hour period; daily.
2. Occurring or active during the daytime rather than at night: diurnal animals.
3. Botany Opening during daylight hours and closing at night.

Romula

Interesting Comparison

Helena leaves the door to our secure home open during the day and evening, closing us in at night. She may think it curious that, given the freedom of her house, we choose to stay within the room in which our home is located. Even more curious is that each of us hangs out no more than 2 meters away from our home, be it Rema, in the blanket which lies against our home; The White One, who lies with either Rema, in the blanket, or under the sofa throw, on or under the sofa, which is located only centimetres away from our home, with me.

The following abstract provides some interesting insights into the activities of our country cousins, which all sounds quite exhausting. I wonder how they would find life living with Helena.

Abstract
(1) Radio-tracking techniques were used to study movements of rats on arable land. The mean range length for ten female rats was 340 m and for seven male rats 660 m. (2) Movement occurred primarily along hedgerows which provided cover, but several individuals occasionally crossed open ground, covering distances of up to 500 m without approaching cover. Most of the movements observed were between homesites and known food sources up to 500 m away. (3) Although the rats frequently changed their homesites, there was no noticeable tendency to move them towards recognized food sources in the area; changes of homesite were apparently random occurrences or were related to encounters with other rats. Males and females changed their homesites on average once every 7 and 14 days respectively. (4) The rats studied became active soon after sunset but generally did not move away from their homes until about one hour later. Peak activity occurred 4-5 h after sunset. Six of the twenty-one rats studied were active at times during daylight and one was predominantly diurnal.

Romula

I'm looking old, aren't I?

Rema

A Belated Burns Night

Our yoghurt and honey was accompanied by grapes and pine nuts which was followed by haggis and 'tatties'. No sign of 'neeps'.

What's the world coming to?

Rema

Comfort Concentrate Sunshine

Rema smells of fabric conditioner. Helena has washed the blanket in which Rema loves to sleep; it eases the weight of her bones.

Romula

Same for The White One too I guess.

Romula

Same here.

Rema

Cheese, sweetcorn and avocado are the next three on my list.

Romula

Come late evening I thought to take a wander over to the window and check out the curtains. (Look carefully and you can see some of my 'handy work'.)

Rema

I think it's the same for The White One too.

Romula

It's the same three for me.

Rema

My top three favorite foods are:

Yoghurt with honey
Pine nuts
Grapes

Romula

My body has changed significantly over the past six months; if you consider that I age at approximately fifteen times the rate of a human, those six months have been the equivalent to seven and a half years. In human years I'm around 60 now.

I've lost my robustness and and now carry an additional bulk in my lower abdomen, which hinders the use of my right leg, though I don't let it get in my way (excuse the pun).

I still have an appetite and, while I'm still interested in exploring the room we reside in, I take short cuts rather than following the usual practice of circumnavigating it to reach a destination.

During the recent cold spell and at night, a blanket has been placed over a section of our secure home to keep out any draft. In the day it lies crumpled on the floor and I've found the folds to be a comfortable and cosy place to lie in. Over the past two nights Helena has provided me with my own dish of food and water and allowed me to stay there overnight, while the other two stay in the secure home.

The White One has joined me in the daytime and preens me. All in all I'm comfortable and where I want to be.

Rema

Rema has been allowed to stay out for two nights. She's slept on the blanket, under the sofa. Though we're twins, she's notably less active that I am. I think.

Romula

Helena hasn't let me sleep on the sofa the past few days, which is a pity as it's so warm and comfortable there; I'd made the snuggest of beds out of the wool blanket located under the throw.

Romula

I'm missing a piece of Polish garlic sausage, which I had left under the throw on the sofa. I wonder what has happened to it.

Who's there?

We seem to have spent a long time holed up in our cabin; when it wasn't too cold to leave our nest there were unfamiliar voices in the room, which discouraged up from venturing out.

Once they were no longer around we took to the sofa; Rema underneath, nestled in the overhang of the throw, and The White One and I on the seat.