The gang are wrecking the place. The long wait for their spaying and doctoring ops was beginning to tell. Shredded table covers, naughty wees in their baskets and anything not anchored down was lost under cupboards and spiders were making homes in them.

We moved them to a temporary room at the farmhouse, a cat pad so to speak to get them used to the house. Seven growing curiosity timebombs were impatient for the great escape.

The vet did the snips and yesterday the big kitchen door opened and you couldn’t see cats for dust. All except little Charlie. She cried. Where are my brothers and sisters?

Well they are tumbling about in the long grass, bombing up the huge fir tree in the front and making mischief in the shed. I carried Charlie out and placed her by the fir. Without hesitation she flew up the trunk and precariously edged out onto a high branch meowing the whole time. Tokyo had only reached the lower branches and was already nervously waying up how far to drop to the ground.

The rest of the gang explored the tree and for the first time the fir was alive with daredevil acrobatics. Tokyo fell heavily to the grass below and the nine lives lesson had started.

Jasper loved sniffing round the tool shed and getting dusty. Small spaces are fun. Spiders ran and lizards scuttled to safety. Watch out everyone.

But the strangest thing was Archie. Brave gang leader was nervous of the big fir tree. Numerous times he ran up the lower trunk but shrank from climbing to virtiguous heights.

Charlie looking confident.

Look if Charlie can, so can you. She had even got out on a limb and tumbled to a lower branch from where I had caught her from another long drop. That cat is mad!

Well everyone in. Do not want broken stitches! A few yawns and heavy breathing meant time for a snooze. Adventure over for another day.

Archie finally being brave.

With two hectares to explore I think the gang will get into a few scrapes, but it will be fun and freedom. Just wonder who will be the first to get chased by a goose!