Toby the Trickster!

Last night, the family went over the play a late night game of rummy with grandma at the bungalow. Sir Tobes seemed keen on joining in on the game, so we opened up an extra spot for him. However...

Pst. Grandma. Put down the ace of hearts!

...he kept on trying to cheat! Look at him here, trying to catch a furtive glance at grandma's hand!

Insulted at being called a fraudster, he sauntered off in a huff, making it perfectly clear that he found his comfy armchair much more fascinating than our game.

I don't need you people!

I shall pretend that you don't exist.

Aww, Tobes, don't be a wet blanket! After all, you reap what you sow! 

Trip to Chester in Cheshire

The Cheshire Cat is to us felines as what Elvis is to beans. As such, a trip to the town of Chester in the Cheshire county could not be passed up during our two month stay here in the UK. 

The Chester town centre

While Heather's mum and dad went off to marvel at the Roman ruins, Heather and I went on the hunt for a photo of a real life Cheshire cat. Being the county of the famous Alice in Wonderland character, we were convinced that a cat encounter was inevitable...that is, until we realized that Chester is far from your average hokey pokey town. It is a hustling bustling metropolis, packed with boutiques, cafes and restaurants - hardly the right place to meet and photograph furry friends. 

The Chester Roman Amphitheatre

However, all was not lost! We decided to settle for second best by searching for some interesting cat related products. And of these, we found quite a few. 

Our first encounter was with these lovely Moggies, an adorable series of paperweights produced by Caithness Glass! 

Far from a real Cheshire cat, but a start nonetheless!

Farther down the road, we happened upon these useful and equally adorable moggie doorstops. Wouldn't it be nice to come home to one of these little guys sitting by your front door?

Near the end of our walk around the town, we spied this splendid German-made Rollie in the window of a fashionable furniture boutique. The perfect guard for your shelf of knickknacks!

And finally, on our way home, we were tickled pink to see this Cat Crossing sign. We definitely need more of these on our streets to keep us kitties safe from those mean machines on wheels!

Located between Aberdyfi and Tywyn

So, while we didn't meet up with an actual Cheshire cat, we did pool together quite a bit of moggie material! Perhaps we'll have some better luck over the next couple of weeks!

Cats Protection - The UK's leading feline welfare charity

Just before the family and I walked out of our local Morrison's supermarket today, we had a marvellous encounter with the incredible people at Cats Protection, a UK charity that was established especially to care for forgotten felines. They were selling cards, collars, buttons and more to raise money for the charity, which relies solely on donations from the public. (We, of course, made a paw-fully generous donation!)

What exactly does Cats Protection to do help cats in the UK? Primarily, they set up adoption centres and search out loving homes for their fuzzy residents. And how can YOU become involved? There are many ways - just have a glance below!

The team volunteering for Cats Protection in Aberystwyth

1. Take the road most travelled and donate money. Just £15 can feed a cat for a month. £198 can cover the neutering, microchipping and rehoming of a cat. But even a few pence or cents can make all the difference!

2. Volunteer! This could involve becoming a 'Special Friend', a chauffeur who takes cats to their new homes, a fundraiser, a fosterer, a charity shop volunteer, a helpline operator, or a homing officer. The options are endless!

3. Leave some of your will to Cats Protection. It is thanks to these generous people that the organization is as widespread as it is today. 

4. Adopt a cat from Cats Protection instead of buying one from a pet store. Remember, these abandoned kitties are far more in need of a good home!

And if this isn't enough to convince you, pay a visit to the Cats Protection website and get a deeper  idea of what they're all about!

In other news, we have joined a new blog hop hosted by Two Little Cavaliers, Life with Dogs and Baby Patches! To see the details about how to take part in the blog hop, pay a visit to Baby Patches' very detailed post. How fun it is getting to know so many other cats and their owners!