Thank you, Mum, for this card.

Thank you for all your birthday wishes for Louis Catorze. We could not have asked for more to celebrate the auspicious occasion of his thirteen years. Cards, gifts, visitors, jambon de Bayonne, Crémant and cherry gin cocktails (now named Screaming Roi, thanks to the landslide result of a vote among my cat freak friends), the traditional French feast of, erm, lasagne, an altercation with a parakeet, Kurt Zouma limping off the pitch with an injury (yes, we are STILL going on about that) … Catorze’s birthday weekend had it all.

Surveying his kingdom from his favourite spot.

At the start of the day we were worried about him because he appeared to have lost his voice, with only a weak, breathy squeak struggling from his mouth. Although we knew there was nothing wrong with him, and that he’d probably just overdone the screaming the day before, an almost-silent Roi is an eerie thing indeed. But, by this time his weekend visitor arrived, he had very much found his scream again and “normal” Catorzian service had resumed. And it hasn’t stopped since.

As Catorze is now at the upper end of the “Senior” age spectrum, I do worry a little more about what we may face as he grows older; I don’t have much experience with older cats and feel out of my depth. But he’s pretty good at letting us know what he wants, even if we are too dense to figure it out immediately.

Thank you for all the joy you bring, little sod. May thirteen be a very lucky number for you, although it doesn’t look as if this online source agrees:

“The number 13 has always been an ‘unlucky’ number. The number 13 is the number that represents Satan, evil, wickedness, devils, and everything vile that is connected to them.”

Antigone Books
“Hark! I smell beaucoup de mischief to be had!“
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31 responses to “13 est le nombre magique”

  1. mary mcneil avatar
    mary mcneil

    Don’t now if you should worry overmuch about “thirteen” if your source is named Antigone…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      I like 13 as a number!

      Like

  2. CC avatar
    CC

    Happy late birthday to him, he is beautiful. 🐈‍⬛

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      Merci! 🌞 👑

      Like

  3. Raven Moore avatar
    Raven Moore

    Happiest Birthday Little Lord 💐🕯️🎂🐈‍⬛

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      Merci! He’s been on top form this weekend! 🌞 👑

      Liked by 1 person

      1. CC avatar
        CC

        😍

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Kate Crimmins avatar

    Great picture of him. He doesn’t look scary!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      A picture tells a thousand lies! Deep down he’s still as scary as ever!

      Liked by 2 people

  5. Belle avatar
    Belle

    Happy Belated Birthday, Roi…Long may you in mischief reign! Black cats are bionic 😺 My moms’ lived to 19, a petite, sweet hellraiser.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      Merci! That is exactly what Le Roi is, minus the “sweet” maybe.

      Like

  6. sevencatsandcounting avatar

    Joyeux anniversaire, le roi!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      Merci! He’s had an absolute blast!

      Like

  7. Penny Cooper avatar
    Penny Cooper

    Ooooh Joyeux Anniversaire tu es magnifique petit chat noir hurlant!

    13 was traditionally considered a lucky number in France and was used in numerical form as a good luck symbol on postcards and charms and of course everyone who reaches a great age has had a 13th birthday so it must be very lucky 😻 (I am confused though because I thought we had a conversation recently that this was dear Lous’ 14th birthday?? Or please excuse me if my very tired brain is making this up?!)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      Sorry, your brain is making that up: it’s his 13th! Maybe you thought it was his 14th because he’s Catorze?

      Like

      1. Penny Cooper avatar
        Penny Cooper

        There’s no rhyme or reason to my brain, I’m thinking I possible dreamed it!!

        Liked by 2 people

  8. mmechapeau avatar

    I’m glad to hear you had a great time celebrating Louis’s birthday.
    Thank you for this funny report.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      Merci! It’s been a hell of a weekend!

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Dr. CaSo avatar

    Gorgeous Louis, gorgeous card, and gorgeous garden 🙂 13 is my lucky number. Calinette lived until she was 16 and only got blind around 14 (high blood pressure), but she got used to it quickly, and Miss Penny lived until 19, and she had arthritis so she wouldn’t let me pick her up and she slept a lot, but she was still the cutest and dearest kitty in the universe. Old cats are quieter (which you might appreciate) but also, I found, more precious.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      Aww. I really want Sa Maj to live to a ripe old age.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Lou Carreras avatar

        Xenia lived to almost 20, Smitten 21 and Clancy 17, good veterinary care, loving parents and a good home can make for long lives. Long live the king!

        Liked by 1 person

        1. iamthesunking avatar
          iamthesunking

          Those are amazing ages! Catorze certainly has good veterinary care and a good home. We’re more like hostages than loving parents, but tant pis. 😬

          Like

  10. cat9984 avatar

    Sounds like a birthday fit for a king!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      Little sod had a magnificent time!

      Liked by 2 people

  11. CINABRE avatar
    CINABRE

    Happy birthday votre altesse ! Il est extraordinaire ce chat , j’adore lire sa vie au fil de vos post

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      Merci! Il est extraordinaire et bizarre.

      Like

  12. Marie-Luce, miaougraphe avatar

    Joyeux anniversaire en retard ! 13th is a good age. Wishing beaucoup de santé to Louis Catorze ! An aging cat is a blessing in many ways. Although, apparently, kidneys tend to be the weak spot of cats. Watch for change of behaviour in drinking water, eating and peeing. More importantly, enjoy each moment in his company (even if he does like the taste of certain books… 😸).

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      Merci! He had a cracking birthday and is looking forward to another bank holiday weekend of strutting around and loving himself.

      Liked by 1 person

  13. M - avatar

    So he is a Taurus. Happy belated Birthday, Louis!

    My Ramses is a Gemini.

    As an aside, how do you make your cherry gin cocktail?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. iamthesunking avatar
      iamthesunking

      He is! Stubborn and bullish!

      Here is the cocktail: https://louiscatorze.com/2023/04/12/un-cocktail-digne-dun-roi/

      Like

      1. M - avatar

        OMG – I love that name. “Prince of Darkness”. I’ll have to see if our local TotalWine carries it!!!

        Thank you.

        Liked by 1 person

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