Cleaning fest

Guinea pig cleaning fest in a mad half hour outside .

Pigs are transferred into outdoor run ( we still have them indoors as still waiting for Summer to arrive ) and they charge up and down unusually for them , wofflings and squeaklings emanating from their general direction whilst we get the hose going and power spray out a large GP indoor hutch and four large cat litter boxes .

As always halfway through the proceedings as I spray high velocity water and pig debris all over myself and any cat poking its nose into things , I notice I am wearing my pin stripe trousers when I have many a pair of old jeans more than suited to this purpose . But no matter . I am always too eager to get on with things to bother to change , though I know in theory it makes sense .

Unusual for the G Pigs to charge about , they are usually all too happy to find a cardboard box to sit squashed up in for the duration , with the occasional foray for a carrot or lettuce . But tonight they seem to be enjoying life , pottering about on their cute legs and making happy chunterings as they find stray hay .

The cats sniff the air gingerly and Pearl makes a mad dash to escape over the wall . We have to grab her as she is stone deaf and we fear she would not last long amongst passing cars and dogs. The other cats are happy to pace around amonsgt the plants and roll in the dust but Pearl cannot settle .

Once the pigs see the hutch appearing clean and dry they set up a loud shrieking , happy to be back in their fresh bed and ready to start the long night's re arranging of the furniture . There is a routine . The hay heck has to be tipped up and all the hay dumped unceremoniously on the bottom . The bed dept has to be fought over and whoever loses that battle then settles for the night in a pile of sawdust out in the open , though there is another covered bed . Hedgehog the large grey roly poly girl usually stays out . Once the house settles for the night she allows herself to relax , and her little feet and legs come out to the side as she lets her belly sink slowly to the ground , sighing as she goes . Something completely satisfying about guinea pigs , especially their sociability . Ours squeak every time we enter the kitchen , especially if we open the fridge door , or come into the house with carrier bags , which they associate with dandelion leaves from outside .

And I swear they wolf whistle at D on the rare occasions when he braves the kitchen in his dressing gown , legs on view .

CatCalls.....

CatCalls picking up and the little black kitten is a delight , chasing me and everything that moves . One of the advantages of this job is getting to play with numerous cats and kittens with all their little foibles . I prefer houses with good sound proofing , often wondering how the neighbours regard someone like me who goes in and starts an immediate dialogue with the cat , usually in a very loud voice in case they're sleeping upstairs , not wanting to give them a sudden shock if they appear and find me lurking amidst the food bowls and scratching around the litter trays .
Soon after I started I was looking after two cats whilst their family was in Brazil over Christmas and on Christmas Day itself I went in and greeted them loudly with various endearments and wishing them both Happy Christmas as you do , fretting that they were feeling bereft . As I left , after half an hour or so , the door across the landing opened and a smartly dressed man appeared , wished me a good morning , then retreated behind his door . I concluded ( from his bow tie ) that he was a psychiatrist wanting to check me out ,talking to cats and calling them darling and poppet and on a public holiday too . Though on reflection isn't it surgeons who wear bow ties ? The psychiatrists I know usually wear beige chinos and no ties at all .