'What have you just done?'

Because of Popeye's accident some weeks ago. And, also because of the recent events next door, poor Popeye has rarely been outside. He has all his life been an outdoors cat. This is in part his choice now because of next door with all the noise and the cement dust and fumes etc etc.

He still goes out to visit 'his' bathroom which I have made an outdoors one just a few paces from the cat flap.

All his life he has refused to drink tap water in a bowl, preferring to drink natural collected rain water outside, or from the frog ponds (which reminds me, I need to check on the frogs, they will be in hibernation now, so have the frog ponds been polluted as well from the shenanigans next door, and would it be a good idea to empty them a little bit and put tap water in? ).

In consequence he has not been able to drink outdoors. And even though I put water in a bowl he declined by emptying the water on to the floor. But I noticed he was drinking water from my bucket of water I throw my paint tools and lino rollers in as I am painting. But I didn't want him drinking acrylic paint.

I had a couple more black buckets which I sometimes soak washing in. So I filled them with water to the brim. One in kitchen and one in my bathroom. And now a happy Popeye who will willingly drink from them, even though it is tap water.

But the next problem was, hence the Blip photo, was his nails. They were getting far too sharp. Up to now he has shredded tree trunks in my garden, especially the willow. But indoors he was getting stuck as he was climbing up the curtains and material in the bungalow (don't ask...he still likes climbing and was always climbing outside, but the problem is his claws were now getting so sharp he ended up trapped dangling because he couldn't extricate his claws from the curtains). I was worried about going out in case he needed rescuing. I wasn't going to take him to vet because they would probably have anaesthetised him to do it.

So, dastardly plan was hatched:

Step 1: Get nail clippers.
Step 2: Lie in bed and meditate.
Step 3: Hope Popeye comes to lie on me and partake of the relaxation. He did.
Step 4: Empty my mind of all thought and pictures (especially those of clipping a cat's nails, believe me cats can pick up your thoughts).
Step 5: Massage cat's paws to check cat is totally chilled out. Still no thought and empty mind.
Step 6: Pick up nail clippers. Still no thought in mind.
Step 7: Still massaging cat's paws clip each nail one by one....

RESULT!!!!!!!!!!!

Popeye gets off my chest, goes to end of bed, stares at me...'What have you just done?'

I grab phone for photo...so funny.

He hasn't worked it out yet what I have done. He will find out when he tries to climb the curtains, because that is not possible now....

Take care and thank you for all your love x