It hasn't been the best of days, chicken-wise.
I got up very very late.
I'd had a bit of an interrupted night. I'd had cheese on toast for my dinner last night (DH is away, and I end up eating some odd things at odd times), which augered an approaching migraine. My cheesey induced dreams were bizarre, involving me meeting Tom Kerridge by winning a competition, but incorrecly thinking that the prize was a meal at his restaurant in Marlow but was instead a normal meal in a normal pub. Actually, thinking about it now, that dream seems to have been on repeat last night, I got sutck in it a la Groundhog Day.
Sorry, I digress.
I was rescued from embarrassement by hearing Isobel meowing pathetically. I leapt out of bed because this has been a sign that she's had a fit. I couldn't find any evidence of a fit, and she didn't look like a cat coming out of a trance.
I stroked the cat and went back to bed.
Next, still stuck in my Tom Kerridge embarrassement, the chicken alarm went off. I woke up with a start, saw it was 7am, and attempted to spring out of bed. It wasn't really a spring, it was a bit pathetic really. Anyway, I got out of bed, looked out of the window, saw them all standing to attention and shrieking. Dressing gown on, ran downstairs, unlocked the bck door, ran out to see what was happening. Which was nothing.
Back in the kitchen I contemplated staying up, but decided I'd really like another hour in bed, and I could feel the threat of a migraine hanging over me. I drank some water and took some Ibuprofen.
Back in bed, the two cats decided to snuggle against me one on either side, and I fell asleep. I woke up a few times, but closed my eyes determindly.
Eventually, I decided I really had to get up. It was my turn to see to the Allotment chooks. I decided the best thing would be to have my shower, shut the girls away, go and do the chickens, then come back and have brunch. I reluctantly pushed the cats away, and got up. 11.15am.
Out in the garden, shutting the Girls away, I coudn't find Lotti. I called and called. Nothing. I looked in all the hiding places. I decided she was just in another hiding place, and I'd leave her to it...but I couldn't.
I painstakingly looked everywhere, including standing on a chair so I could do a quick sweeo if next door's garden, and looking through the gate down the driveway. I combed every bit of the garden. I checked the house.
I realised that Lotti really wasn't in the garden anymore.
I locked up, took my key, and went to check the front gardens and to check the area that backs on to our back garden. In the front garden, I caight a tiny movement out o fthe corner of my eye.
Lotti was sitting in a Vinca bed, by the cat flap. I went over to her, she crouched, and just as I went to pick her up she ran off - straight back through the hidden gap in the trellis that the cats used to get from front to back. She left an egg behind.
I guess I knew she'd find it eventually, but it's really well hidden. Trouble is, she knows it's there now, so it's going to be an ongoing problem.
So, we need to decide how to fix it, whilst still allowing our cats access.
Another catflap perhaps?
