Second Cat

 February 28th 2021

Up at 7am, out by 8am and picking up Janet and Nina - off to go and pick up my new kitten - Nikki!

Snow in forecast, but pleasant morning, bit of sun hovering around 0C - but Nikki is being fostered by a family that live not far from Sergiev Posad - 160km away!!

2 hours later and we park up at the arranged meeting place - because I would have needed 4xwheel drive to get through the village and out to their home!!

They meet us, Svetlana gets into my car and proceeds to stuff a hissing, gray kitten out of her cat carrier into mine - say Good Luck! hands over his Pet Passport and off they go.

He's panting but quietens down very quickly and settles into a half sleep for the rest of the journey.

The journey which Yandex Maps has set when I just pressed 'Home' - not realising until too late (too much thought on kitten and not where we are going) that it has whipped us up onto a big new outer ring toll road! With no way of actually getting off once you're on it!!! And then it starts to snow.... big snow!!

Actually a very picturesque drive because it's so far out in Moscow Oblast, with hardly any traffic - but I was too worried because I couldn't work out, while I was driving, where it was taking us (even though Janet had found it on her maps and was convinced it would be ok...!) So, headed off at the first junction we came across -which took us down to Khimki and back onto the MKAD!

Actually turned out we could have kept on it and it joins onto the big new dual carriageway/road they have just finished, down to Zvenigorod!! It only cost 500r and was actually a far easier drive at a steady 110kmh with little traffic!

Nina looks after Nikki (and takes hundreds of photos!) and Janet helps with the navigation. I drop them back at Onegino and head home.

Anoushka interested in standing at the door and not at me carrying things inside, is unaware of the new arrival till later when she can smell him through the living room door.... lifts her nose, turns her back and walks off!

Meanwhile Nikki has come out of the carrier - and rushed to hide under a cardboard box - clearly very frightened!

I put out various boxes for him to sleep in, a bowl of dry food and several bowls of water - but he is too frightened to come out!

I keep popping in to talk to him, but eventually go to bed. Woke up in the night to hear him crying, but nothing I can do - and Noush is curled up next to me - clearly ignoring him!!