A Thump in the night

We both heard the thump but it was hours after we’d gone to bed. I remember fuzzy thought processes. What was that? Hmmm weird! ‘Roll over and go back to sleep, Carol, you have to be up early’, I told myself. My hubby also heard it and also wondered what it was. Both of us too tired to get up and investigate.

It wasn’t until the next morning we discovered the cause. Callie has a window hammock that is attached to the glass by suction cups. It’s been very cold. Cold does not go well with suction cups, invariably they will let go. I’d taken the hammock down in early December as it was in the way of the Christmas tree. I’d put in back up when the tree came down. The weather was mild through Christmas and for the first couple of weeks of January. Then winter came back with a vengeance – temperatures plummeted.

Poor Callie-cat had been sound asleep in her beloved hammock when the suction cup let go dumping her unceremoniously onto the floor. Thump! For a small cat it sure made a big sound!

Whoever heard of a cat falling out of bed? Not me, not ever. I thought it would take her a few days before she ventured into it again. Nope! She was back in it for her afternoon nap today. I wish I were a cat!

Callie-cat

Sweet, sweet Callie and Christmas

Like many others I finally succumbed and put up the Christmas tree. I have very rarely put the tree up much before December 18th but this year is a year of change in many ways. I needed the lift that staring at a brightly lit tree gives me. Callie loves Christmas, I think. She loves to lay under the tree as if to remind us all of what a gift she really is – and she is! And a blessing in many ways. I don’t know how I would have gotten through these difficult months without her. I know cats have a reputation for climbing (and often destroying) Christmas trees. Callie has never been destructive in any way. (Her mama raised her to have good manners LOL – wasn’t me, she came to me when she was two years old haha.) Here she is in all her Christmas glory:

My very sweet Callie-cat

Have you met Callie-cat?

It’s been a while since I posted any photos of my fur-baby and constant companion. Still one of my favorite things to do: photo sessions with my kitty . . .

Mmmmm yummy

A favorite game of hers: Hide and Seek

She leads such a hard life

and knows the secrets to life, the art of just being

Time to take a page out of Callie’s book!

Cat love

This is my fur baby. Her name is Callie and she absolutely loves to be scratched. She is not one to sit on your lap but she is very affectionate. I love my Callie-cat.

Pressed up against my leg enjoying her favorite activity

Yup, loves to be scratched

Such a hard life – I wish I were a cat (well, at least a cat who gets spoiled as this one does)

Stop and smell the flowers

Callie-cat loves to smell the flowers out on the balcony. She is a comfort and a reminder life is not all doom and gloom.

I think she really likes the hydrangeas

Hoping you all have a lovely day.

Feline Friday: Fotos only

Posing for the professional – just kidding. Photo by my daughter, Anastacia Hopkins

My favorite toys are strings – any strings, any colors Photo by Anastacia Hopkins

This is my chair, hooman Photo by Anastacia Hopkins

What’cha eating hooman? Photo by Anastacia Hopkins

I’se hiding. I’se scared. Photo by Anastacia Hopkins

I’se self-isolating in my hidey spot. Photo by Anastacia Hopkins

My box – all the boxes mine, mine, mine. Photo by Anastacia Hopkins

Callie-cat reigns supreme

Queen of all she surveys

When the world seems like a crazy place. When I am bone tired and don’t want to walk one more step. When life is hard and times seem tough, there she is again. Her simple needs and constant love lift me up again. I am so grateful for my fur baby, and so blessed to share her life.

Divine One, thank you for the gift of pets.

Callie’s road trip part 2

I was so happy to have our fur baby with me during our brief stay in Edmonton. She did a fair bit of crying when we first left home, at least for the first little bit, but on the way back she was ready for it. And, yes, she did enjoy the hotel room (I told you I’d let you know of her decision). She enjoyed exploring all the new smells and especially the window where she could investigate, at least visually, the big city. She spent the first half of the journey home on my lap. She remembered not to get under my seat where she’d suffered the indignities of wet paws and a dirty tail on the way down. On the final leg of the trip she settled down in the back of the car and had a nice cat nap.

Callie really is my furry angel and I fully understand how our pets came to be called ‘comfort animals’. She certainly comforts me. We hit freezing rain as we made our way back into the city we call home. It was stressful. But, having Callie aboard definitely helped lessen my anxiety. Here are a couple of photos of Callie in the hotel room, and in the car going home.

Looking out at the city and seeming to enjoy the view

“What’s that, Mom?” Taking in the view as we drove home. She is one very curious little beast.

My lap was a much warmer, drier, and cleaner place to sit during the drive. I rather enjoyed it as she is not given to sitting on my lap as a rule….

On the road with Callie cat aboard

Its been a while since we drove any distance with our beloved fur baby along for the ride. The last time was the spring of 2016 when we were fleeing a forest fire. Callie is a fairly well traveled cat. She has flown from Ontaro to Newfoundland and years later, from there to Alberta. She’s also been on several small road trips. But, it’s been a while. Suffice to say today’s little journey was not without its adventures. For one thing winter has made an appearance so the floor mats are quite wet from the mess on my boots. So, I arrived at the hotel covered in fur and in small paw prints. This is Callie’s first winter excursion and the place she most likes to ride is under my seat – Not so great this time of year. Her paws got a soaking and her beautiful fluffy tail got rather dirty. She, being fastidious, was not impressed. Poor baby. She’s not given to sitting on my lap but she made an exception today my lap being dry and much warmer than the floor. Yet we have arrived at our destination safe and sound if a little disheveled. Oh the horrors……She is now perched upon the back of a chair and making up her mind whether the room is to her satisfaction. I will let you know what her decision is on the matter. By now you all know who rules the roost. Yes, seriously. Hahaha

Settling in at the hotel.

Bewitched by Callie-cat

Ready to play? Callie is pretty much always ready…

Here it comes: another Callie tale. Yes, another little story about life with Callie-cat. First let me tell you about one of her most favorite games. It involves me chasing her around the house calling out, “I’m gonna get you”. She initiates this game first of all by a wild race through the house bounding over furniture at break-neck speed. It’s also a sort of hide and seek kind of thing because she hides and waits for me to find her. Once I do, I say, “I see you”, and she’s off and running again. I call it the chase me game. Without fail she wants to play this the minute I get home from work and mostly I try to humour her by going along with her mad cap antics. But some days I arrive home totally exhausted and cannot stay on my feet another moment. That’s okay – Callie has her back up plan for attention: she leaps up onto my bed as soon as I enter my bedroom to change into comfy clothes. She meows and bids me come lay down with her. (At least that’s how it seems to me). Once I lay on the bed with her, she immediately rolls over on her back for another favorite activity: belly scratches. It is always a mystery to me how much better this little fur baby can make me feel, especially if my day has not gone all that well. I get how the term “fur baby” was coined. Callie is very much like a human toddler and has me completely enthralled. Perhaps she was a witch’s familiar in a previous life? I say that because it seems I am bewitched. Seriously. But I’m not complaining.