I'VE DECIDED....I DEFINITELY WANT TO COME BACK AS A CAT...

 

My husband and I have had the pleasure of sharing our space with many cats and kittens over the years.  First on our hobby farms and now in our in-town home.  

While living on our several hobby farms, any cat passing through was offered daily food and water and a place to sleep.  In our big barn, we would put out dry and canned food and water every morning.  And there was a big, dry hay loft full of straw (and blankets) in which to cuddle up and sleep. During especially cold snaps in the winter months, we would hang heat lights in various (safe) spots - not in the hay loft - so that they could stay warm during the coldest of nights. I don't remember seeing any cats under the heat lights...but, I do remember seeing our peacocks under them rather than roosting as they usually did.  

My heart went out to these homeless, helpless animals and we did all that we could to feed them, love them and keep them alive.  Our hearts also took in sheep, goats, horses and whatever other animal or bird that needed a home...It's all been so worth it.  We received much more love and joy from them, than we could ever give.  Often times, obviously pregnant cats would wander into our farm, and we would take extra care of these mama's and their kittens.  

Usually, a few would stick around, but generally, they would move on.  Even though I felt like it, I wasn't going to trap them in somewhere...only offer them food, water and a safe place to stay, medical treatment if they needed it, until they felt that they needed to leave.  

Fast forward to the selling of our last hobby farm in Wisconsin. And our move into an old log cabin in the north woods of UP Michigan.  We also purchased an intown Victorian house to stay in while we were renovating the log cabin on 40 acres.  Renovating the log cabin was by far the hardest renovation we had ever taken on.  The hand-hewn logs were over 100 years old.  It was a heavy duty, dirty renovation.  The log cabin had been used as a 'camp' for hunters for many years since the original owners had lived there.  

We would take Tipo back and forth with us between the log cabin and the in-town Victorian.  But, we would leave Sadie and our parrot at the in-town house.  We would be there most every night to shower and sleep.  They were fine.  We were not going to take them out to the log cabin until we were done with the renovation.  Often times, the doors are open...windows are open and it would just not be safe to have them there.  Many times, depending upon what we were working on...we would leave Tipo in the truck...which he loves.  

 Sadie, our cat and April, our parrot would be so happy when we would arrive back in town.  And, Tipo would be happy to be home also.  

I love our evenings in town mostly to watch our Sadie. She just comes and goes, all over the house, as she pleases.  She had so many windows to sit at and watch the neighborhood.,  We have a glass door at the back of the house and we feed birds/squirrels at a table right outside that door.  It's her favorite place to be.  After her favorite view of the feeding table, she naps, eats...gets a case of the zoomies once in a while and then will rub up against any part of us to receive snuggles and pets.  She always purrs like a little happy motor.  I've put together a cardboard box with all of her 'stuff'...which she jumps into and then proceeds to empty out every day.  I gather it all up once she leaves for another adventure and always add something new that she might like...crinkled up paper, a bag, a bell, a feather...I craft a lot...so my supply of fun stuff is endless.

She will come when we call her.  When we're not sure where she is, we call her and soon we can hear here sweet 'conversations' coming down the stairs, from upstairs or coming upstairs from downstairs.   And then, she continues telling us...whatever...once she is on our lap or rubbing up against us.  I like to think that she is telling us about everything that is going on in our neighborhood when we are out at the log cabin.  She has several windows, with pillows, that she sits at upstairs and watches the world go by.  

No stress...no problems...just food, naps and love.  

As I get older, that's all I that I want also...so, I hope that when the day comes...I return as a cat that lives in a big, lovely home with a loving, fun family.

But, in my always busy head and big imagination (I'm a writer of whimsical stories) I think that I might actually come back as a cat that lives outdoors, in a big city, kind of the God Mother of the streets of the neighborhood.    Often getting into arguments and sometimes fights...but always surviving and helping others less fortunate. Making deals with local shop owners for food and protecting others when they need protecting.  Just kind of strolling around like I own the neighborhood. Always helping others find food and warm, dry places to sleep.  

The big loving home sounds wonderful, but the street smart, city dwelling crusader sounds pretty perfect also. Whichever will be fine with me...as long as I am a cat....  

   

OUR NEWEST ADDITION....A KITTY FROM THE HUMANE SOCIETY

We rescued a 5 yr. old Chihuahua, named Tipo about 8 years ago.  He has been our everyday, in every way sweet, little love.  We also have an African Grey Parrot named April.  We purchased her at a bird sale when she was still in her pin feathers. It's been 33 years since that day at the bird sale.  She talks extensively and is very entertaining We also have all of our animals (pets) that live outdoors...llamas, fiber sheep, chickens and peacocks...and any cat that wanders by our log cabin in the woods.  And now, after a visit...to donate...to our local Animal Shelter, a cat already named Sadie will also join our family.  

As I had mentioned in other blogs, we have two homes - for reasons.  An old log cabin on 40 acres in the middle of hundreds of acres of state land in the Upper Peninsula.  And a big old Victorian home in a small city, also in the UP, about 45 minutes from the log cabin.  We spend time in both homes...depending upon a variety of things.  When the sheep are ready to lamb, we have to be out at the log cabin.  Do we need to grocery shop, we spend the day at our home in town. The weather is always a factor, especially winters. Do we want to be snowed in or snowed out of our log cabin.  The roads are all clear for our home in town, but not the roads or our long driveway out in the woods. We do have people that help us out at the log cabin.  A nearby farmer can come in with his big machine and just blow however much snow off of our long drive and the road coming in...and, we appreciate that assistance so much.  We take our animals back and forth with us most of the time, but sometimes, they have a reprieve from us at the Victorian house while we are working on the renovation of the log cabin and tending to our animals out there.  We do have someone out at the log cabin that checks on our animals every day.  We pay them in eggs, fresh vegetable, fresh fruit and meat chickens.  They love the animals and enjoy coming out to our place...so, it is a win win situation.   

One day, after viewing the available cats on-line at our local Animal Shelter I also saw a 'need' list.  So, I told my husband that I was going to go to the store and pick up a few of the items that they listed as needed at the Shelter and then we could swing by and drop off the items on our way out to the log cabin.  Well, we did all that and then after looking at all of the cute cats, put in an application to adopt a cat.  Not really planned, but it seems our history together is never about first planning, then adopting.  Usually adopt or buy first and then plan how we're going to accommodate the new addition.  It has always worked out for us because we make it work.  33 years together and always rescuing, adopting and/or purchasing animals and we continue to do that...just less, and at a slower rate at this point in time.     

  My husband loves cats, and we haven't had a house cat in a while.  We always seem to attract many of them when we have lived on our various farms.  They would show up one day, many times pregnant and we would provide food, water and a place to sleep for them in the barn...and they would sleep up in the hay that was full of straw and a few blankets.  And that still happens out at our log cabin/hobby farm but not as often.  Our log cabin is surrounded by many thousands of acres of woodland and a variety of wildlife. Whereas our other farms were surrounded by other farms...more chances of there being stray cats around.

This little girl...named Sadie...spoke to us at the Humane Society...literally and has not stopped.  Every time we call her (she has our large home...several stories and a basement to roam...and she does) but she always comes when we call her.  She seems to enjoy our rather annoying screechy cat call/voice that we use when we want to know where she is.  She must like that call and pretty quickly comes from wherever she is.  On her way to us...she is talking the entire way and then continues as if she is telling us a long story about what she saw in the neighborhood as she sat in one of her upper floor window seats.  Or, she might be telling us what might be going on in other parts of the house.  Nothing at all...we hope, but we do part time occupy a big old Victorian home that has had many owners and has a history...so, maybe she sees or feels things...that we might not...you never know... 

We could not have selected a more perfect cat for us.  She is the right amount of everything for us.  She does a little bit of everything...and that works. She zooms around, for a while, sleeps a lot, comes over to play and then leaves for parts unknown...in the house. She retrieves things and steals pens.  I tossed a wool dryer ball down the stairs where the washer and dryer are located.  It had gotten wrapped up in a blanket that I had washed, dried and carried upstairs.  So, when I found it in the blanket, I tossed it down the stairs so that I wouldn't forget it upstairs.  I went on to do other things and when I entered the kitchen, there in the middle of the room was the wool ball. She went down the stairs and somehow carried it upstairs.  She is so funny.  Also, I was upstairs in one of my craft rooms using a green marker on some craft project.  I set it down for a moment and she walked right over, took it in her mouth and ran away.  She then batted it around on the floor and like all games...she is totally interested in that game for about 1 minute and then walks away. She wouldn't retrieve that for me though; I had to get up and fetch it myself.  

She loves her food and especially her little treats.  Uses her litter box, drinks her water and Tipo's.  She loves to be loved, purrs a lot and is definitely perfect for us.  No matter how we play with her, she has never taken a bite out of us or even scratched us...we talk daily about how perfect she is for us.  She kind of scratches the furniture...for just a small scratch or two...but nothing worth mentioning...can't even see where she scratched the fabric.  

She loves all of her window seats...loves to watch the water go down when a toilet is flushed and also loves to just run along with our dog.  When Tipo, our pup, comes in and runs to his favorite spot...she runs with him...doesn't really do anything other than just join in the jog.  We let Tipo out of a clear glass door that is in the kitchen, out onto a deck and then out into the yard.  Sadie will keep watch for Tipo and let us know when he is back at the door and wants to come in.  After he enjoys his outdoor 'walk about'.  Sadie watches as we give Tipo a treat when he comes in and then, as I said, runs with him to his bed to enjoy his snack.

Sadie is probably the first cat we have ever had that refuses anything other than her hard food...which really is pretty nice.  Other cats that we have had would jump up on the table or onto the counter and eat or finish off your food if any was left sitting out. She does not pay any attention to anything other than her beloved bowl of food.  She will tell us when she wants us to put more in her bowl, even when there still quite a bit of food in there...but, apparently not enough for her to begin eating...Once we put another handful or two in there, she will supervise the event and then will crouch down and begin eating.  

We adore her and are so glad that we found her and have her as a member of our family....