well, the felines & the hens are getting along famously. That is, the hens
ignore the cats walking by the hen run and the cats (Francis especially) can
be *fascinated* by the feathered residents. But he's seemingly not
fascinated in an "I'm going to eat you" way, but in a "Go on, do that thing
with your bum again. You know, the bit when you pop out a big round thing
that's not poo!"

As it's early days for Anode & Cathode at Chateau Wafflycat, I tend to keep
an eye on proceedings if I see one of them in laying mode. Being ex-battery
hens, they are still looking a bit scraggy, especially as they've now got
lots of designer stubble where new feathers are growing in the bald patches,
and due to the hard conditions they've experienced until now, there's a
possibility they can get an egg stuck... amongst other things. So this is
why I keep an eye on them. Anyhow, I can be sat alongside a hen in full
laying mode, and I will have a black & white cat sat on my knee. Said cat is
also watching proceedings. The hens are utterly unpeturbed by this. I'm
fairly sure there's some mental communication going on. Perhaps Francis is
saying "That's it.. *push* *push* stop pushing and *breathe*... Another one?
*Push*" and the like.

The laydeez are thoroughly spoilt, getting a mixture of layers'
mash/pellets, cut corn, various seeds, peas, greens, grit and *things*...
This morning I was letting them out of the henhouse into their run and as
soon as Anode had walked down the ramp into the run, she spotted a large
earthworm. She was on it like a heat-seeking missile, swiftly chased by
Cathode who was determined that she was going to have it. Cue two hens
running around one chasing, one avoiding being caught whilst eating and
earthworm of ever decreasing length dangling from her beak. Francis was
looking on and absolutely enthralled. The hens are making great cat TV.

And, hurrah, Vernon is making them a nice big extension to their run so
they'll have lots more space very soon.