Thursday, September 26, 2019

Oh, The Things Cats Do!

by Karen Rose Smith

One of the advantages of having pets is that they can raise your spirits even on your roughest days.  When I am not feeling well or having a bad day trying to rouse my muse to finish a chapter that has taken what seems like forever to complete, I simply need to look at the cats to find a reason to smile.  They do the darndest things that, while not over-the-top funny, warm my spirit and lift my mood. 

It may be something as simple as an unusual sleeping position or as mischievous as reclining on the kitchen counter with a stare that says, "Feed me."

Paddy takes solace on top of a wardrobe in my office, jumping there from the back of the sofa.  She just enjoys the view of the room from that height.  Freya, on the other hand, also jumps there on occasion and proceeds to eat the Pussy Willows in the urn.

Sometimes trying to hide under a table or in their cat cubes, parts sticking out, paint a humorous picture that is worth a smile.

Zander and Freya have adopted  Beanie Baby stuffed cats (Zander's is a yellow tabby and Freya has claimed the gray tabby) that I gave them to play with when they were kittens, two years ago.  I never know where I will find them.  Zander mostly leaves his where he naps.  But Freya... The gray tabby might be in the dining room when I go to bed at night and I might find it in the living room or kitchen the next morning.  She particularly likes to play with it on a runner in the kitchen.  One morning Freya had managed to crumple up the rug and bury the stuffed cat in the folds.  Zander usually cuddles the toy along with my slippers in the bedroom.

Bonnie and Clyde, our outside cats, also add warming moments to my day.  They must have been caught up in a TNR program before they were led to our yard by Sunnybud, a stray who passed on. It has taken 3 years for them to trust us and our property enough to consider our yard as home. Clyde can often be found sitting inside the basement door near the cat door, protecting his area and waiting for his sibling Bonnie to came in.  Once in, they both go through antics of stretching and meowing while waiting for their evening meal.  Occasionally, Bonnie takes longer than Clyde would prefer so he has to go out to look for her.  She likes to nap on the deck outside my office.  One day she caught sight of me watching her through the window and came over to greet me through the glass while Clyde waited patiently at the bottom of the steps for her to stop being social and head inside for the night. 

Daily feedings, cleaning out litter boxes and straightening up rumpled rugs is more than worth the trouble, because the smiles, comfort and companionship that my felines bring to me on a daily basis is invaluable.  They are my joy, my sunshine, my bright spots every day.

Of course, my sleuth is a cat mom as well as a mom of two teenagers. One of her cats is a tortie like Paddy and Bonnie and the other is a black tuxedo like my seven year old Zoie Joy.  I chat about them a lot on my Facebook page ( KarenRoseSmithBooks Facebook page ).







StephanieHobrock said...

Pre-ordered. Love reading about your kitties!

Tom Burns said...

Just checked off a bucket list item and brought home a Maine Coon kitten last Saturday. He's already made himself an essential part of the family!

Dr. Mary Kennedy said...

Love the idea of the cat cubes, Karen, and will get them for my cats. A wonderful blog!

Tonette Joyce said...

I am a cat-lover to no end and enjoy seeing yours on FB all the time. I should probably post more of my own!
Continued luck with all of your writing.