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Casey on the new decking with the fuchsiasIn all the excitement of me telling you about the new decking – as overseen and completely supervised by yours truly – and the new pretty flowers that the bees buzz around happily, I forgot to tell you that I’ve had another birthday.  I don’t really know what birthdays are about but I know you humans like to make a fuss about them when they happen to you. 

Mum didn’t know when my birthday was when I arrived on the decking in the winter months of 2012/2013.  Ollie used to wait outside for me and then tell Mum that I had arrived so she’d put food out for me.  When she spoke to Kevin, our vet, whose initials are KC – that’s how I got my name – Casey = KC – geddit? – he thought that I was about 1 ½ years old, so Mum worked out that I could have a birthday in June which would make me 2 years old.  She chose the 21st June because it’s the longest day and she thought that I could have lots more fun with all those extra hours of sunshine.  Little did she know that I don’t really do fun so all I did on my birthday this year was sleep.  All those extra hours of sunshine were wasted on me because I slept most of the day away!

Lots of you wrote to Mum to wish me a happy birthday and that’s very kind of you – thank you.  Apparently, I’m 5 now.

Mum has another quandary now.  When to give Gibbs his birthday as she doesn’t know much about his early life, except that from about the age of 4 months, he’s been hanging around our house. When Mum took Gibbs to see Kevin and he returned home without those dangly things, (Gibbs that is, not Kevin!), Kevin told Mum that Gibbs was possibly about 2 years old and on the carrier that Mum took Gibbs in, someone had put September as Gibbs’ birthday.

That got Mum thinking – she does that a lot, I have to tell you, and it frightens Dad when she says ‘I’ve been thinking…’  Anyway, this is a momentous year for Mum.  On June 7th, 10 years ago, she was diagnosed with a bad illness, something called leukaemia.  And in January, next year, it will be 10 years since she had her brother, Tony’s, stem cells which made her better.  Tony’s birthday is September 10th so Mum decided to honour him by giving Gibbs the same date for his birthday.  If Tony’s stem cells hadn’t been a match for Mum, she wouldn’t be here now and Gibbs and I would be living with a complete stranger.  That doesn’t bear thinking about.

As a cat, I know nothing about stem cells, or bad illnesses – or even birthdays – but I do know that when Gibbs and I both found ourselves on the decking we found someone who loves us and would do anything for us – even giving us special birthdays.  And to live with a complete stranger and not know Mum or Dad is beyond even our capabilities of understanding.

Dezi, in her blog, writes about being blessed – well, the Great Cat in the Sky certainly guided me first, then Gibbs, to the best house in the street where love flows like a river and we are, truly blessed.

Till the next time,

Casey xx      

A Cats Prayer

Lead me down all the right paths,
Keep me from fleas, bees, and baths.
Let me in should it storm,
Keep me safe, fed, and warm.

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