cat tree – Page 4

The Furry Philosopher

My wife and I were discussing how we’d love to know what Boo is thinking. Like Scout, the black-and-white cat that preceded him, Boo is clever, but more than that he seems to ponder, to wonder, to want to understand not just the what of the world but the why. We’ve had other curious cats but there is a depth to Boo’s curiosity that is unique, so much so that it sometimes takes me aback when he plays with all the joy and enthusiasm of the other cats, even though we’ve had him since he was a kitten and we’ve played together countless hours.

Would that all so desired to understand the unknown, rather than fear it.

Sailboat

I LOVE BIRDS SO MUCH!

You know little Squeaks, the birds might come closer if you could restrain your enthusiasm a little bit. There’s a brave mourning dove that comes close to the sliding glass door that really gets her going, she flattens herself to the floor and whips her tail back and forth and chirps at her feathered friend.

The In-Between Time

I took many pictures of Sam sleeping atop the cat tree over the years and only through the greatest restraint have I avoided sharing each and every one of them with you. It is the day this picture was taken that packs the emotional punch for me, two days before the movers were to pack our things and load them onto a truck, three days before we would leave for Arizona, five days before we would arrive. He knew something was up but he had no idea how much I was about to upend his world.

A simple picture of Sam sitting in a chair with his name writ large on his collar. But I know the chair was in my office because the junk haulers took away my old couch that morning and I brought down my old chair from our bedroom, a chair we bought when we moved into the house and which served me well for many years (and serves us well even now). It was a delight to photograph Sam in it as it reminded me of when Templeton loved to sleep there, especially after he lured me out of it so he could steal my spot. The collar though he and the other cats only had to wear in the days leading up to the move, and during, and after, in case they got loose during the confusion.

Thankfully they did not. This story ends in joy not tragedy.

A picture of Sam sleeping on the bed, I took many of those too, but it was only our bed for a night as this was the hotel in California on our first night, the in-between place in the in-between time. A reminder of a long trip, especially for the little ones, but a reminder too that as long as we were together we would be all right.

A quick picture of Ellie that I snapped after we arrived at our rental house in Arizona at the end of March. The house will be home for a year, Arizona for much longer, and I am so thankful we found the house and that our lovely landlords accepted all the pets. All of the hiking and swimming has been great for me, I’m in the best shape I’ve been for a long time. The one story house has been great for Ellie as she can now follow us everywhere we go. As for Sam, well, our little snuggler has been putting on weight as he no longer has to go to the basement to use the litter box, the main floor to hang out in my office, and upstairs to join us at night. He’s getting a reduction in food to slowly bring his weight back down. Trixie and Boo are doing just fine, they love watching the wildlife in our back yard.

Tired

The past number of months have worn me out. Sometimes physically, sometimes mentally, often both. That hasn’t changed in Arizona, although now I’m more often tired for positive reasons. It hasn’t helped that I’ve been getting up at 4 a.m. to go hiking on my days off, but mentally it has helped tremendously. The exercise has been good for me too.

I am certainly tired of filling out a seemingly endless stream of paperwork. Every time I think I’m through the worst of it another wave follows. The constant need to make decisions has at least slowed dramatically and life has begun to take on a rhythm. Mentally I’m more upbeat than I’ve been in a long time, even if I’m falling asleep not long after dinner.

For all the stress of the past half year, I think every day about how blessed I am. I know many are not so fortunate. I had a wonderful time on the trails this morning and came home and spent one-on-one time with each of the pets. Then my wife and I were off to get some paperwork notarized and sent off, then it was back home to sort through some pictures. Now as the light fades I think I’ll go for a quick swim.

Maybe tonight I’ll sleep like Samwise.

The Unfamiliar

Today was my first day at the new job and while it went well, it was still a day where everything was unfamiliar and will be for a while. Even the simplest things like finding my desk again after going somewhere else was a daunting task and only accomplished after a few wrong turns. But it’s the kind of day, and will be the kind of week if not month, where you just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other with the knowledge that in time this too will become familiar.

And that applies to everything right now, the new city, the new state, the new region, the new climate, the new house. At least I understand the reason for the change and can look forward to the opportunity it brings, the pets aren’t so fortunate. Not surprisingly our dog Ellie has adapted the quickest, although with the warmer weather she has not been interested in long walks. She is loving having us all on one floor for once again she can sleep in the same room as us and follow us wherever we go in the house.

The cats have done well all things considered but the stress is easy to see when you know them as we do. My wife picked up this short cat tree / cat bed and all three have used it, Sam is in it here but Trixie has claimed it the most. It is during these times where you take advantage of every bit of trust that you’ve built up over the years to give them comfort as you can. Soon enough even for the little ones the unfamiliar will become familiar.

Until then, patience, patience, patience.

The Adorable Samwise

Roar of the Little Lion

I decided it was finally time to tell Sam that we are moving to Arizona. He took it well.

Shelter Me, My Brother, and Protect Me From All Harm

Trixie has been a bit on edge lately as she knows something is up from all the sorting we’ve been doing the past couple of weeks. She’s always adored our eldest cat Sam and seeks him out to snuggle with him, but never as much as now. Seeing them like this reminds me of how much comfort Sam took from Scout when he was younger.

Tag: cat tree