Today was one of those days where I just needed a slow start.
You know the kind. You aren’t awake yet, but you can’t sleep any longer. You know you should get up but you don’t want to do anything yet.
And, as (bad) luck would have it, I was out of coffee beans. Nooooo….. I know better than to recycle the last bag without writing COFFEE down on my list.
I struggled to find the old Keurig machine parts (why don’t they stay intact?!), rinse everything off, then throw in a k-cup. Whew… that was a lot of work for this time of day! 🙂
After that quick cheater brew, I took my cup to the living room, and was met with 4 little hopeful eyes watching my every move from the cat tree. They were waiting for ‘the invite’.
Ok… here we go. In complete babytalk… “GIRDEE GIRL! LAKEY! Wanna play?!”
Their real names are Skye and Lake. Don’t ask.
My son says I ruined our cats.
I beg to differ. Of course. 🙂
As luck would have it, they don’t care what I call them. They both eagerly pounced to the floor, where their favourite toy waited for them. I tossed De Bird back and forth, back and forth, as they jumped their very highest.
Do you have Da Bird (Amazon affiliate link) for your cats? It’s a MUST!
The joy of just watching them be happy and so grateful for some fun filled me up like TWO cups of hot coffee.
And then I heard myself say, without pause…
“You guys are just SO enjoyable to be with!”
How can they not be enjoyable? They’re always kind. Never talk back. Don’t ruffle feathers. They dote on me. They are available whenever I need my furry fix. And agree to anything I want to do with them.
Cats are perfect, are they not?
While I was musing how wonderful the simplicity of a cat was, it put me in mind of how I deal with those around me. Am I the kindest and accommodating I can be?
I think I try to be. But I can’t say that I always am. I can’t even say I always try my hardest all the time. Some of that has to do with how things are thrown my way first, and taking it personal.
I need to work harder at this. Because I really do think kindness seeps from kindness. It would be impossible to want to be around my cats if they were fussing and fighting all the time.
Hmmmm… pondering that thought.
So next time things get a little rough and too realistic in life, I’m going to pretend I’m wearing these irresistible cat paws. And pretend to be more like a cat.
Just be kind. Regardless.
Give people a little more of yourself. Even when time is tight.
Be patient with those unkind to you. It isn’t about you anyway.
Who knew a cat could teach me so much?
Now to grow a set of irresistible paws… 🙂
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What area you do want to work on?
Your cat looks very much like my now deceased but still very much beloved Clyde. He was the smartest cat I ever saw. I had to let the ex have him when we divorced, and it nearly killed me. Our fur babies give us unconditional love. How could one ask for more?
Brenda
Your cats are beautiful and I appreciated your thoughts. The thing I need to work on is really taking the time to listen. Instead of doing while listening wouldn’t it be really nice if I took the time to look at the person speaking. I get so used to doing while saying I’m listening and I really am listening, but am I. I get so concentrated completing a task, and it would be good to forget everything and truly give the person speaking my real, full attention. Our pets do settle us and can teach us. My little dog is so loyal and a great listener. Thanks for the thoughts and the lovely photos.
Great Message! I could easily be the crazy cat lady. We have one indoor cat and numerous other outdoor/barn cats that have started to come to the house because they know I will feed them or give them yummy leftovers.
My indoor cat hasn’t been feeling well and I am afraid that his days may be numbered 🙁 We have had him for about 11 years.
Lovely post about cats! They are gorgeous! From the moment I left my parents house untill now I´ve lived with 17 cats…not at the same time! Only one of them I picked out as a kitten, the other ones were ´left-overs´ from other people (emigration, baby´s allergic, found on the street etc.)
At the moment we live with a dark grey boy, he was found in a plastic bag with his dead mother and a brother, he´s the only one that survived, now 10 yrs and he´s afraid of all people, but loves us dearly.
Number 2 is a 14 yrs old black and white girl, who´s only goal in life is to love my husband! She doesn´t like me to be near my husband. She only likes me because I´m the ´food-giver´, but anyway….I love HER!
Once we had a little white lady, thrown out of a car, missed a leg and her tail, but she was the best climber and mousecatcher and a lovely creature! They teach you!
Francisca
Francisca, bless you for that big ‘ol cat lovin’ heart of yours! I love that their imperfections only made them more endearing to you. Thanks for the smile!
I so agree with you. And I have a funny story to tell you. So you know we have the two cats in Vancouver and the one new kitten from the devil in England, well, Robert called me a few weeks ago to tell me that three cats had moved in and are living in the carport under my Land Rover!!! But there’s this wonderful scheme in England, where the cat rescue society will come and trap the stray cats, take them to the vet (our wonderful vet as it happens) where they are neutered for free, and then, if possible rehomed, and if not released back where they were found (If the property owner agrees) and they give the property owner all the cat food he wants for the life of that cat…and pay any further vet bills. WOW! So as it turned out, this was a little family of a one year old mother and her two six month old kittens…they were all probably abandoned. The kittens were rehomed because they were just so cute and young, and the mom cat brought back. We now have still two cats in Vancouver and now we own two cats in England as well. How about that result? 😀
Ahhh Veronica, it doesn’t appear to matter WHERE you are… they will find you because they know you will love them right back! Congratulations on your new babies! 🙂
Love the thought of treating people with more patience and giving of our time. Love to see your cats in your photos. We just lost our 17 1/2 year old cat, Lucy. She gave us so much joy and there is a huge gap in our lives.
Laurie,
I am so very sorry for your loss…my heart goes out to you in your pain. I hope you can take solace in the fact that you gave Lucy a good long life with plenty of love, affection, respect, and happiness…no one can hope for more than that out of life. Wishing you much strength, serenity, and comfort during this most difficult time.
Thank you, Susan for your kind words.
Aww Laurie, I’m sorry for your loss. I know about that gap way too well I’m afraid.
But I have these two filling it right back up again. I told myself I’d never get more… never say never? 🙂
I hope when the time is right, you feel whole again. I think some people just have to have cats…
Love your cats..they remind me of one I had a few years back “Princess”. She was a true princess! Same coloring; a rescue from the woods as a 6 month old kitten; probably left out there to starve. She passed three years ago now; still have found memories on how sweet she was. You are correct; they teach us patience, have a calming nature to them, lovable. My other cat was “kitty”; quite the brave one. He accepted Princess and they became friends, sleeping buddies, crazy time play buddies too. He passed five years ago. Miss them.
You know how much I love my cats but mine are driving me crazy!!!!! They do not like each other. The older cat spits at the younger one when the younger one jumps on the older cat’s back. Our dogs keep eating the cat food so the cats wake us up in the morning for more food by crying and crying and crying. After they are fed they wait a couple of hours and then start crying again until you give them treats. This house is for the dogs and cats – we are only the food dispensers but I don’t know how I would survive without them.
If only everyone tried to be a little kinder….. How much better the world would be for us all! We can learn so much from our furry friends!
I just lost my GSD and when I reflect upon the past two years of caring for him in his illness, he made me a much more patient person, which I need to be as my mother has been diagnosed with dementia. It’s like he gave me this life lesson so I could better serve her. I thank goodness for my little tuxedo kitty who still gives me plenty to smile about. I love your sweet tuxedo kitties, Donna…they are beautiful…just the fact that their lessons to you are not lost on you says a lot about the person you are! Keep shining on!
Oh no Susan… you lost your fur baby? I’m so sorry!
I agree, they do teach us so much. And when not busy teaching, consoling and comforting. They are the hardest, working sleeping pets I know. 🙂
I’m also sorry to hear about your mother. But she sure couldn’t be in finder hands!
I have 5 cats and love them all. different personalities. I would want to work on patience. That is my theme this year. Great message today.
don’tcha just love hearing all the names people have for their cats? i have a girlie girl too (also called julia and jules), and the four other cats here are known as: jake, jakey or jakepie sweetpants; louie or sweetpie; ems (for emma), also called minnie and sissie; and mups (for muppet), also known as the punkinator, a mix of punkin and intimidator (in honor of dale earnhardt (the elder)). a friend has a cat known by a different name given by each member of her family – armani, sheldon (from ‘the big bang theory’), kenny (from ‘south park’), noodle and one other name i can’t remember. –suz in ohio
HAHA! Sweetest names ever! I think the more we love them, the sillier their names become!
Lake has now morphed into Achey Breaky Heart.
Don’t ask… again! hahah
I’m not a cat person because they bring out the sneezes in me, but I’ve always had a dog buddy…. Every night after work the first thing my husband does is love on our “Gunner”… named that because my husband always says, “Whoa, Gunner” to all the rough and tumble nephews and neighborhood kids…I thought it would be a natural transition with an aussiedoodle…. anyway, he scratches and pets him while saying in manly babytalk, “Has your momma spoiled you rotten? Yes, she has.” And Gunner eats it up… and puts his paw on my husband’s arm… it’s almost a hug!
I love your post today… we should be as kind and vulnerable and affectionate to others as we are to our pets, too!
I love my cats, they never complain, they love me no matter what, they are always there for me, but I do think I could be kinder if I had on demand back rubs, a maid, food placed under my chin while being told I was so cute and I didn’t have to do anything to look that way, and the fatter I got the cuter I was, and 12 hour beauty naps, so some days I just feel like a junkyard dog.
Such a pleasure to read. 🙂
Please. Would you consider devoting one whole blog entry to photos of your kitties? They are so beautiful.
Thank you Kathy! I’ve done one called, “When Cats Photobomb” at https://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/2014/03/when-cats-photobomb.html, but I’m most certainly overdue for a new one! I’ll put it on my list. 🙂