I would like you to meet our cat Pirate, seen here watching his favourite TV program: Meerkat Manor. He would sit through the whole thing, then turn the other way and go to sleep when it was finished. The series has ended a while ago and we miss the little creatures too.
Pirate is quite a character. He eats his food in a hurry then rushes upstairs to beat Peter to the computer chair. Another regular activity of his is lying in ambush in various places (usually the stairs), ready to pounce on our feet, especially if we're wearing socks or slippers.
We had to fit a magnetic catflap to deter an aggressive neighbouring cat from paying us unwanted visits. Every now and then, Pirate can't get in or out because all the bits and pieces he picks up with the magnet on his collar clog up the system and we find nails and other debris blocking the flap. Around Christmas time we noticed that he looked rather festive, with something pretty attached to his magnet. It was a lovely beer bottle top!
Cats bring gifts to their companions and Pirate is no exception. We had offerings of birds, mice and lizards. Whilst we appreciate the sentiment, we draw the line at live mice. One of them managed to get behind the kitchen cupboards, then into the one where I keep my cooking pans and chewed the seal of my pressure cooker lid to fine shreds...
Finally, we believe Pirate has an Alaskan soul. He will not eat his food unless it's very chilled!
Pirate looks adorable when taking a nap:
Thank you, Pirate. You're a great cat and we love you dearly.