Bonny and Clyde
When I first meet Bonny and Clyde they are chasing each other around the dining room and barely stop to say hello. At six weeks old, they were much more interested in each other and whizzed past me at breakneck speed, pausing only to stop, pounce and dive. Mid circuit I lift Clyde onto my lap and start to give his ears a clean. Bonny skids to a halt and doubles back to see what’s going on. They both have ear mites and once I have administered Clyde’s medicine, I gently place him on the floor. He shakes his head vigorously before immediately breaking into a run. Bonny tries to follow but I scoop her up and start the cleaning process again.
It’s a month before I see Bonnie and Clyde again and they have both filled out. I pick them up and Clyde rubs his face against mine and immediately begins to purr. Bonnie twists her body around and wiggles free. Clyde continues to purr, his little body vibrating in my arms. Too soon he is distracted by his sister and before long they are chasing each other around the room.
I am leaving when I hear a crash. I rush back inside and there is water gushing out of the tap, the lever is detached and spinning around on the work surface. Bonny and Clyde watch wide eyed and for once, still, as I clean up the mess. They recover quickly and when I leave they are happily rolling around on the floor.
The next day I arrive and slowly open the door, the two kittens are at my feet looking up at me while behind them there is chaos. They have managed to open a cupboard door and there are shopping bags everywhere . A huge dustpan has mysteriously found its way to the other side of the room and a trail of bristles lead to the brush that has been dismembered and abandoned under the table.
On day three I arrive and the kittens are as usual at my feet. It is quiet apart from a humming that is coming from the kitchen area. I pick up the kitties and we go and investigate. I cant quite believe it but they have managed to turn the Aga on and it is blowing warm air into the kitchen.
The kitties are changing rapidly. Every day they learn something new and during my short visits I try and expel some of their energy. I take them for a run around the house, dangly feather toy flying behind me, kittens tripping over each other trying to catch it. Eventually, I collapse onto the floor exhausted. Clyde climbs onto my lap, purring loudly and Bonny follows, overtaking her brother and clambering into the space between my chin and neck. I feel a tiny vibration and for the first time I hear Bonny purr.
