Fame at last!

I can't remember if I've mentioned Tybalt's sister before. Her name was Lilith and she was black and white, too, and cute as a button. We often had long conversations as she was incredibly vocal. She had some bad habits like sitting in the kitchen sink and then walking around leaving damp kitty buttock prints all over the shop, and perching on top of the kitchen cupboards, then flinging herself down onto the kitchen table - WHALLOP!- when you least expected it (and generally when you'd just rested a cup of tea or other some such liquid or wobbly material on it). Every morning she would sit on my lap whilst I had breakfast and remind me not to eat all the muesli in my bowl as it was her custom to polish off the last teaspoon herself. Sadly, a circulatory problem we knew nothing about led to her sudden and untimely death just over a year ago. I won't go into details, save it was a very traumatic time and Lil is greatly missed.

At the time she died, Andy revealed he had sent photographs of her and Tybalt to a pet artist in order to have a painting done of the two of them for my birthday. Given the circumstances, he asked the artist to go ahead with the painting immediately as a memento of Lily. The painting now hangs in our living room and is much admired by all.

And now, it seems, Lilith and Tybalt are going to achieve fame via the medium of jigsaw puzzle! The artist who painted the picture has contacted us and said that a jigsaw company has expressed an interest in using their portrait as a jigsaw. We have been consulted re: whether we are happy for this to happen and although it won't bring us riches, if the company goes ahead, it may well bring us a free jigsaw puzzle!

'A free jigsaw puzzle?' said Tybalt, when I told him the news. 'What good is that to me with my lack of prehensile thumbs?'
'Aren't you just a teensy bit flattered you are going to appear on a jigsaw puzzle?' I said.
'I suppose I could chew on the puzzle pieces,' said Tybalt, ignoring my attempt to flatter his ego. 'I like chewing bits of cardboard.'
'You won't be allowed to chew it,' I said. 'It's going to be an heirloom.'
'I'd be more impressed if I was asked to play the role of Felix in that cat food ad,' said Tybalt. 'Tis often remarked I look like the cartoon cat what already plays him.'
'Who already plays him,' I correct because I can't stand poor feline grammar.
'Then I'd get free cat food,' said Tybalt.
'You don't like tinned cat food,' I pointed out. 'You'll only eat the dried stuff.'
'This is true,' said Tybalt. 'The vet says it's good for my teeth.'
'Besides,' I said, 'to appear in telly ads you have to do as you're told. And that's not likely to happen is it?'
'I am very well behaved,' said Tybalt.
'When it suits you,' I said. 'You're a bit naughty about sitting in the kitchen sink and drinking from the tap, aren't you?'
Tybalt sniffed. 'I don't know why you get so huffy about it,' he said. 'You never minded when Lily did it.'
'Lily was different,' I said. 'Lily was cute and delicate. You gobble at it like a pig at a trough.'
'Well, that's charming,' said Tybalt. 'The vet also said it was good for me to drink fresh running water because I'll only eat dried cat food and I need to take care of my waterworks, whatever that means.'

Tybalt's waterworks have become a minor bone of contention of late. I have, on occasion, caught him weeing in the semi-squat position as opposed to the full squat, meaning there have been one or four accidents over the top of the litter tray. This necessitated us going to the pet store last weekend to buy the highest sided litter tray we could find. Unfortunately, the highest sided litter tray available was called, inaptly, the Boutique Little Powder Room tray and came in either pink or black. Would have suited Lily down to the ground. Now I know Tybs can be a little camp sometimes, but fortunately he can't read (he can write but not read - it's a rare talent) so he doesn't know that his new loo is really designed for big fluffy Persian type cats who want something that little extra special. And as he 'd need a step ladder to be able to wee over the side of this tray, it serves the purpose for which it was purchased.

I am thrilled my cats are going to be immortalised on a jigsaw puzzle. I'm also thinking 'That's Christmas presents sorted for this year. Hampers all around containing eggs, homemade jam, a bag of root vegetables and a jigsaw puzzle of Lilith and Tybalt. What more could family and friends want?'