Tag: Cat

Cat yoga?

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Cats must have done Yoga in one of their 9 lives! How else could they bend and twist like they do?

Well actually its because they have extremely flexible spines and can move fluidly and easily.

Imagine a cat was a slice of toast,  it would always land butter side up. There was a joke once about tying a slice of buttered toast to the back of a cat. Because toast is meant to always land buttered side down the result would be a perpetually rotating cat!

Anyway I would never do that to any animal, let alone a kitty.

But joking apart cats can bend their spines so that if they are dropped from an upside down position they can generally turn right way up before they hit the ground. (don’t do this at home). Cats also cushion the fall by landing on their toes. Their legs and rest if their skeletons act like shock absorbers.

So Cats are pretty awesome, flexible, and good to draw!

 

Lazy days

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Sleep is fine for the cat,

Sixteen hours a day, rain or shine.

A wash behind the ears as he awakes,

A sniff of his paw, then cleans his face.

Time for breakfast/lunch/dinner

And cold, fresh, water.

Then off outside to peruse the birds.

See what’s on his territory.

Ginger from next door??

A swipe and it runs away…

Later as the sun sets,

Paw over nose

Cat again in a doze.

When cats stare….

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Late at night, my cat suddenly stares into the other room, somehow aware of something in there. I look but there is nothing but darkness, no sound, no movement, no figure, nothing except an old armchair.

It doesn’t happen often, but I feel sure my cat is seeing something in another realm that we cannot see. Cats eyes are so accurate, catch every ray of light, every glimmer or speck of movement. Reflecting them back in the dark as shining pools of mother of pearl, glimmering, unblinking.

What does he see? A previous presence? A future me? A distant spectre made visible by random fluctuations in the aether?

Nothing happens, he continues to stare for a few moments more then relaxes and commences washing his paws.

 

Cat in a box on its side…

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My cat tipped his box up today and seemed to enjoy sitting in it like that. Each end of the box has a hole in it and he could see his sister through the hole. He pounced on her a few times, with that bottom waggle that cats do.

I know it makes a mess of the house, but the cats love boxes and how could you say no to this?

Cat jumps into box …

Cat jumps onto chair …

Cat jumps up to windowsill….

Box tips up

Chair is now occupied by cat.

Plant falls off window ledge.

Cause and effect?

Cat thinks it’s just normal.

Human tidies up box,

Human picks cat off chair, cat sits on humans lap.

Human replaces plant, cat knocks it off again, and again, and again.

Humans never learn!

Meme today gone tomorrow ?

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I took this photo of Lily cat and altered it in instagram and pics art…because she looked so cute!

It’s alternative wording is, watch out there’s a Lily about!

I’ve never created my own Meme before if that’s what it’s called. I’m saying its my copyright as I created it. Is that correct?

Anyway if you have to explain it, it spoils the fun!

Familiars

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Cats are said to be Familiars, aloof but linked to their owners, and disdainful of fuss from anyone else. My experience is that I can make friends with most of them, if I can work out what sort of sound they like.

Years of being owned by cats teaches you that they respond to different noises or looks from the person trying to befriend them.

Noises: churring, purring, chuch-chuch sounds seem popular with cats, I’ve practiced making purring noises since we first had a cat. Then miaow, or prrup sounds, with kittens or shy cats I try and sound like a little cat crying, it’s sometimes difficult to get high pitched enough. But hit the right note (quietly) and a shy kitten may become more friendly.

Looks: If the cat stares at you don’t stare back. slow eye blinks are the thing, close your eyes and keep them shut for a second. Cats do the same thing and it makes them feel less threatend.

Gestures: If you want to stroke a cat just offer it the back of your hand or a finger to sniff, dont try and stroke it unless it starts to rub its head against your hand. Don’t lunge at it or try and pick it up. Cats are small animals and can feel intimidated.

Also try not to make loud noises which will startle the cat.

If you see your cats tail wagging/waving it might be getting annoyed or excited and wanting to play, just be careful, a paw may take a swipe at you and cats have sharp claws! Also be wary of the tooth and claw situation…..ow!

Cats like fusses, being stroked, if they are enjoying it they may start kneading you with their front paws, but beware a cat having its stomach stroked or tickled might kick out with its back legs while grabbing you with its front paws and biting ….

I’ve learnt from experience that you have to move your hand away carefully, pull I away and you can end up badly scratched.

Do: treat a cat with respect, try and make friends, enjoy the love a cat can share with you.

Don’t: shout at it, pull its tail, insist on picking it up if it doesn’t want you to.

When insomnia strikes

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My ears whistling that high pitched whistle again, last night it was sussing like a weathered shell held to my ear. Plus it’s gone cold  all of a sudden, the chill has reached my ankles, my knees, got up to get the duvet to snuggle in, then I was too hot…

Snoring from my partner doesn’t help, it builds up gradually, not too loud, but when you are trying to lie quietly it creeps up on you, can you sleep before it reaches peak snore?

So I go back to bed, snuggle under the duvet, elbow my partner in the ribs so he turns over, blow my nose to relieve the whistle…5 minutes, 10 minutes….no, pick up my book, turn to page 44 and start reading. It’s a science book, Richard Feynmann QED, trying to understand light waves or particles, quanta…..dozed offf…….zzzzx…CAT decides to jump up to get warm next to my back,,uh….drsf ,,gnnnh…she wakes me up running over my face!…..awake again I seek solace in my computer, check emails…write this…..no midnight trumpish tweeting where’s the coveeffee,,,,Gnnn, coffee,,decaff,,hot…….

Sisters cat

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Sisters cat is so neat,

sisters cat is so sweet,

 

Sisters cat has cheerful purrs,

Sisters cat has kneading paws,

 

Sisters cat is still a kitten,

sister’s cat chases a mitten….

 

Sisters cat is all black,

Sisters cat is called Jack.

 

Sisters cat chases his tail,

Sisters cat, he likes gales.

 

When purring, pawing, kitten plays

You see him running through the days,

 

Now sisters cat is getting older,

And as the year will soon get colder,

On sister’s chair Jack cat will sleep,

Warm and snug, then wake and leap,

Down to the hearth to drink and eat.

Then off outside his friends will meet.

 

Hmm I didn’t know how to finish that…Sisters cat is actually female, but Jack sounds better. Anyway she is sweet and neat and purrs !

Gemma cat

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I was watching a video today and remembered one if our old cats, Gemma. Like the cat in the video she would ride round on my shoulders, and was determined to stay near me. I once visited a friend in the street and went in through the front door. I came out the back way after the visit and could not see her so I went through the entry (passageway) back to the front, and there she was, sitting on my friends doorstep, waiting for me.

We first met because she had been going to my friends house and eating the dog’s food there. I had recently lost my old cat, he had died of old age, so I agreed to take her. We booked to have her neutered but she was pregnant. She was fine up until the birth but did not bite through the umbilical cords, When  we got up in the morning the kittens had been born, but one had died. It was a shock as I had not realised there was a problem. We were saddened by the kittens death.

As there were three kittens left we kept two and gave one away. This was because it was an odd eyed white cat, and we didn’t think living by a main road would be good for it.

Her two kittens, a male and a female lived with us too. All of them lived long lives, I think they had a good life with us.

Anyway we had not realised how bright Gemma was. I have a painting I did of her from a photo. If I was outside with her and tapped one side of the gate post she would jump across the gap to me. She was so good at it that I could take a photo of her in mid air, this was the basis of a painting called Gemma leaping.

Her happiest spot was sitting in the sun on the window ledge upstairs. This is my favourite cat painting, and most loved image if her.

Two cats together…

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This was what I saw when I got up this morning. Two cats together, going about their business, looking out for birds or squirrels. Not a care in the world. I wish I had their life!

The thing is I have to leave them a space to sit in because they just knock things off the cupboard if I don’t. I have had broken glasses and side plates to prove it.

They don’t go out so I guess it’s fair enough, but both of them don’t like going out. They will look out the front door but if a car is driving along the street they dart back in. I’ve never known such scaredy cats!

Anyway, they continue to thrive, despite not being allowed out. Maybe one day if I can get them in a harness? But I doubt that would work………..!