I was SO excited, I willingly climb into the Cat Cage to go Home!

I endured the LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG ride in the hire car.

I was carried in and sat on the floor in the Cat Cage to be reunited-there they were, me Mum and Dad and I couldn't wait to get out of the Cat Cage to tell them how much I'd missed them, and how very happy I was to be there with them again!!

(Wait, what was that smell, there were OTHER CATS here, what??!!)

"Hiss!"

WHAT WAS THAT??!!

OMG, OMG, that's a big black and white cat and he just hissed at me! I think I'll wait to come out...

Right, so they let me out and there was me Mum and Dad, and I let them know straightaway that whilst I was fine after my long Scottish holiday, I was very glad to be Home...but what was that smell, there was the smell of more than just that hissy Tux...

I explored, looking for those other cats...ahhh, there's one sleeping on the sofa, I think I'll give her a sniff...

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Her name is Dinks and she DOES NOT LIKE ME! She tried to eat me! She ran me under the coffee table and was trying to eat me!

MUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sigh. Things went downhill from there. I have been determined to 'not play well with others'; I tried warning those OTHER CATS off whenever I was In and they were Out and the screen was up so we could try to make friends. I yowled and howled like my Big Cat ancestors telling those usurpers that Mum and Dad were MY Mum and Dad, and I wasn't about to share.

They didn't listen. And They (Him and Her of Scottish extract) kept putting me in the guest room every time I got to the point where I was telling those OTHER CATS just  what I would do...

The first night I stayed in the guest room with Him and Her. I stayed in the bed with them because even though they aren't me Mum and Dad, they are OK. But just after dawn the evil Dinks came to the door and told me she would eat me, and then Smudge (the Tux) would eat me, and that there was another cat  here that would eat what was left, so I better get back in my Cat Cage and go back to where ever it was I'd slithered in from. (She is an evil kitteh, me Mum and Dad call her the Hairy Hand Grenade, and she is evil. Did I mention she is evil?)

Well, I got in my Cat Cage and if I had those damn opposable thumbs I would have closed the door after me! When Her woke up and found me in my Cat Cage, though, she is so thick she didn't understand I was saying "I'm packed, I'm ready, let's GO!" I thought we could all go together, Them and me Mum and Dad, and leave those OTHER CATS somewhere where we weren't.

Me Mum and Dad, and Him and Her, kept trying though, from Sunday through till Tuesday night, they kept trying to get us all to make friends. But I had to stay in the guest room because I kept telling those OTHER CATS they had to go, not the other way 'round.

Smudge tried, he really did. He kept telling me how great it was, and how much Mum and Dad were looking forward to us all being one big happy family.

But when I (ahem) tried to smack Smudge through the screen because I wanted him to go away so Mum and Dad and I could be one small happy family, I think everyone realised that sadly I do not play well with others.

And then the really hairy one, Shadow, well, she was in the house when I snuck out of the bedroom (doors are ridiculously easy to open, one hard paw swipe and I'm free, baby!) and she didn't hiss or anything but the look in her eyes as she chased me down the hall (WHEW, Her scooped me up to throw me in the guest room before Shadow could get her very sharp claws in me) said everything there was to say-she wanted to teach me some manners, and she wanted to do that very, very much! I really don't think I would have fared as well as Him thinks I would, that Shadow looks like a very dangerous cat.

No-one wanted us to try sorting it the normal way because really, we all made it clear that if we got the chance to duke it out (I'm learning American from Her, she says some very interesting things), there would be messy trips to the V.E.T. Yikes, we don't want that!

And Wednesday morning They put me back in my Cat Cage and we returned to Scotland. Another LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG ride but this time They made sure my Cat Cage was high enough on the seat between the seats that I could see out. If I wanted. Mostly I slept.

When I got out of the Cat Cage in the Scottish house I looked for me Mum and Dad but they aren't here. That's just not right, they should be here, I wanted to be with me Mum and Dad! (But not those OTHER CATS, dammit!)

I think Her understands that I REALLY miss me Mum especially, and somehow I think she is missing me too. I want to be with me Mum especially, but she has all those OTHER CATS to take care of, so I have to live with Him and Her now.

Her is going to make me my own blog page, I'll put a link to it when Her finally gets off her fluffy back side and does it.

Wow, those OTHER CATS make me mad, they have a cat gym and everything! My guest room was really, really nice, too, en-suite, room service, and hot running snuggles, what more could a fellow want? Well, a relocation of those OTHER CATS, that's for one big thing!

Dammit.

NOTE FROM 'HER':

Roo's Mum is the most gracious woman on the planet, I really do not think I could have been parted from Mozart with as much grace as she showed yesterday when we had to pack Roo up and bring him back to Scotland. It was a heartbreaking end to a simultaneously wonderful-tense holiday, and I wish with all my heart that Paul and I were the ones with the Roo sized hole in our hearts instead of Roo's Mum and Dad.

We offered to foster Roo partly in Mozart and Gonzo's honour, and whilst the Roo captured our hearts ten minutes up the road from the Devon caravan park, we fully believed he would be returned to his Mum and Dad to live happily ever after with Smudge, Shadow, and Dinks. It was horrifying when we realised Roo was not going to be able to adjust to being part of a large family. At seven years old, too, I don't think he will ever be able to be around other animals, so we brought him back to Scotland where he will live out his life with us.

We aren't his beloved Mum and Dad, and he looked a bit bewildered when we opened the carried door and he stepped out to look for them-it was quite clear he was looking for them and not the other cats. Paul and I will never be able to replace them in his heart, but hopefully we will be able to offer him a happy life.

I will be starting a new blog just for Roo as he will be having Scottish Adventures. I will put a link to the new page here, and then lock down Mozart's blog. Oh Mozart, I miss you and Gonzita so much, I know just how Roo's Mum is feeling today!