Nigel and I have not managed an overnight stay for 20 months and so we planned a short 4 night break to Norfolk for this month. It would let us explore a part of the country we had never visited and give the boys a gentle 4 night cat hotel stay. We'd be close in case they needed us and knew they would be in good hands as it is a cattery like no other.
It didn't bode well really as I wasn't well the three days before we went which Nigel put down purely to stress about not wanting to leave the boys. I pulled myself together, told myself it would be fine and packed ready. We were due to take them in at 8.00 am and at 8.00 pm the night before Indy was violently sick. This is a little boy who has never, in almost 3 years, once been sick. That should have been a sign.
We watched and waited and he kept supper and breakfast down so, an hour later than planned, we set off. It was awfully awfully hot and I am sure the heat had something to do with the fact that that the little buggers went on hunger strike. We knew Koda would be an issue - he is such a crazy screwed up cat. He looks - with his worried face - like a cat who has been mistreated, rehomed, pressurised. He behaves as if everything in the world scares him. You can cross your legs and he jumps a mile - but you can shout right at him when he is stripping wallpaper and he doesn't flinch. He couldn't have a quieter, more stable home wit us yet he is still nervous with anyone but us, looks worried to death all the time and has to have silence to eat. We expected him not to eat the first day, however we didn't expect them both not to eat. We all put it down to the heat and pressed on. But by the time we had gone almost two days without eating or drinking in 30 degrees heat we knew the trip was over. Thank goodness for such a wonderful cattery owner who tried so hard and to my best friend who went over to see if they would eat for her. Nope! She she brought them back home - fed them and they wouldn't eat there either and we packed and set off for home knowing they would be there waiting for us. We arrived at almost midnight and I have never seen Koda eat so much, so quickly, so hungrily. It appears it was emotional hunger strike and once he was at home with mummy and daddy he was prepared to eat. So, a much shorter holiday than expected and we will try the cattery again but wait until it has cooled down.
We did, however, cram an awful lot into a very short trip.
First visit was to Oxburgh Hall.
Built by the Bedingfeld family in 1482 as a statement of power, Oxburgh and the family have endured turbulent times. Through religious persecution, Civil War devastation, near dereliction and threatened demolition, Oxburgh’s story is one of survival.
Step inside to discover the legacy of the 6th Baronet who created much of what you see today, from the Victorian Gothic interiors to the ornate architectural additions that reflect a romantic view of Oxburgh's medieval past.
The weather could not have been more perfect and the Hall was stunning
It was a lovely start to the trip and a great opener.
I will be back another day to share further updates
Today I am thankful for
- a brief but lovely holiday
- the fact the boys are, by and large, OK