"Cat Nap"

My head maid has written a rather quaint poem about cat napping and I thought I would share it with my blogger friends, with her permission, of course.

Cat Nap

Exhaustion catches hold
at the end of an oppressive day.
I seek refuge with my mild feline companions.
They are always there -
quiet slumbering friends.
They lift their sleek heads
and blink slowly at me.
'Don't worry' they say
'Don't let your heart
be troubled'
Primly they rise, and take such utter joy
in stretching their supple limbs.
They wash their faces
with downy dampened paws.
Patiently they wait.
I change out of daytime clothes
put on an old flannel robe.
With relief I crawl onto the couch
and pull a blanket over me.
A stripedy ginger tabby
takes two delicate steps
onto my legs.
He searches my face
with green soulful eyes.
'Are you all right? Have a nap with me -
you'll feel better.'
He turns once and twice.
He kneads, his throat quietly crooning,
assuring me that napping
is the best remedy.
His warm body
and comforting weight
rest upon my legs.
His contented rolling lullaby
soothes me to drowsiness.
My fingers trace the silkiness
along his curving spine.
The world is safe and soft
and gently rumbling.
I can doze off now
and leave the haggard day behind -
suspended in warmth and sleepy sounds,
thankful for my companions
who tenderly purr my weariness away,
restoring peace.

Ahhhh!!!!

At long last the fireplace has been lit! I spent a lovely evening on the hassock in front of the warm fire last evening. The very best part of this time of year if you ask me!

The Striped Contingency

It was a rather warm day for November here on Cape Cod today. I had the maid open the windows for our sitting pleasure. After noon time though, it began to get chilly and she closed the windows again. We probably won't have many more window-opening days now before winter sets in. The striped contingency of the household, namely Malcolm and Winston, found a warm spot on the couch where the maid had taken a nap to sprawl out and relax. She refuses to fold up the blanket and put the pillows away until they decide to get up! Says she doesn't have the heart to disturb them. Well, if it was me doing the cleaning, I wouldn't allow two lazy loafers to delay me in my duties! It is so hard to find good help these days, I suppose I will leave her to her way of doing things. Especially since I saw that she had brought in some LOGS yesterday which means a potential warm fire to sleep in front of any day now!!

Disagreement

Now tell me what is wrong with this picture. Wrong? Nothing is wrong with it! The top of the DVR is a lovely warm place to sit, with a perfect view of the living room, where I can keep my eye out on house mates and servants while I doze. Makes sense, doesn't it? My head maid insists that my hair will filter down through those nice warm holes in the surface and clog up the works inside, shorting out the DVR. She is afraid of bringing it back to the cable company and having them open it up and find it full of my hair! Nonsense!!! I'm sure it will be fine. She needn't shoo me off like she is always trying to do. (I have figured out that the third time in a day that she finds me there is when she gives up) Sometimes it is truly appalling how serving staff treats those of us who actually own the house, don't you agree?

Where's Malcolm?

The three of us decided to take a nice nap this afternoon, but Malcolm didn't join us. I think he was out on the side porch, watching the squirrels scurrying around outside. Since Mia has left us, those fellows have been getting bolder and bolder. I think it annoys Malcolm, as it does me, that they seem to mock us from the front yard as they busily collect their food for the winter. OOOO - did I say "winter"? It is a word my servants don't like to think about. As for me, I look forward to fires in the fireplace, but that's me. This week it has been unseasonably warm, but I doubt that I have long to wait before the kindling and logs will appear in the wood basket by the hearth!

**check out the NEW House of Seven Cats site, created by my head maid!

Unambitious Saturday

Today my head maid had to work most of the day outside of the house, leaving me alone to manage the boys. It really wasn't much of a task, as this is what they did much of the day. Yes, Nigel, Malcolm and Winston definitely lacked anything resembling ambition today. It was a disgrace, really. I mean, I have nothing against the occasional catnap, but to snooze the entire day away..............

Oh dear!!! I see I have been found out! How mortifying!! And to be seen napping with that rambunctiously irritating Winston!! Ah well, I admit that I miss my son Timmy, and Winston reminds me at times of him as a youngster.

Well, tomorrow is another day and another opportunity to attempt to inspire some motivation in these boys!!

***p.s. - I have added a link to the *NEW* House of Seven Cats website to my profile page! Though it is listed under "My Web Page", it is maintained by my head maid .... but it is still quite good.

I Return with Sad News ...

Well, it has been a while since I have posted on my blog. I have been keeping up pretty well with you all out there in the feline blogging world, but my servants have been ultra busy with who knows what - those things that people do, like work outside of the house, and of course, upkeep of my house here, etc...

I do regret to report that there has been a tragedy in our household since my last post. Our housemate Mia has unfortunately passed away. She seemed to be eating less and less, and was (at long last!) losing some weight. But, as she seemed to be otherwise healthy - indeed she continued that horrific practise of hers of catching hideous voles in the back yard - the servants didn't think she was ill.

Then one day she stopped eating entirely. As food had always been the meaning of Mia's life, the servants were alarmed. After coaxing her with fresh tuna and getting no response, it was decided to bring her in to the (whisper it now!) vet.

According to the servants, for naturally I would not be accompanying them on this trip, the vet was a kindly woman who regrettably informed the servants that Mia's liver was in dangerous shape, in fact it was pretty far gone. She could not give them a reason for what had caused it, said it could have initially been just a virus or stomach upset that caused her appetite to decline. At the point she was at, however, the vet said that it would cost at least $1000 to diagnose the problem, and then who knew how much to attempt a cure, which may not have the desired result in the end.

With heavy heart, my head maid quietly made arrangements with the gentle vet to end Mia's life, as the alternative would have been to watch her slowly starve to death at home. The vet left the servants with Mia for about 10 minutes or so to say good-bye to her. They were in tears, bless them, but according to what was related to me, Mia was extraordinarily calm, and purred loudly to their stroking and soft words. Twice she gently laid her paw on the arm of my head maid and looked into her eyes, as if to say "it's all right, I am ready".

My servant's friend who was with them, offered to remain in the room with Mia while the injection was administered, as they were unable to do so. And so, she was held and stroked to the end, and departed this earth peacefully to the shining rainbow, and a green field beyond, no doubt full of voles just waiting to be caught.

My head maid was quite devastated by the whole episode, and cried copiously for days. She had just seemed to regain her composure when a sympathy card arrived in the mail from the vet, which sent her into a torrent of tears once again.

That was all 4 weeks ago now, and things have returned to normal. The three boys and I are all that remain of the House of Seven Cats at this point, though the head maid's daughter is already hinting that she would like to get another kitten. (Lord save me!) I will conclude this rather sad post with an image of Mia in healthier (and fatter!) days.......... my servants would appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

Sleepy Saturday

Today was overcast and warm. Perfect for crashing in the basket and taking a nice long nap, as you see here that young Winston has done. Winston has formed quite a friendship with Malcolm and Nigel, the other "boys" in the house.

Here he is with Malcolm. Not much of interest happening in the house at this point in time, as my housemaid has been busying herself with work-related paperwork. I shall try to add something more substantial to my next entry.

Leia

Best Buddies

Today was sunny, but still a bit cooler than is usual for June on Cape Cod. My house-mates and I spent the day in relaxation mode, observing the comings and goings of our head maid and indulging in frequent naps. Above is a photo of "the boys" of the house. Malcolm is the tabby, while his "best buddy" Nigel is the house panther. These two are frequently together, enjoy a good mutual wash, and seem to thoroughly enjoy one another's company. While Winston is the third male in the house, and is friendly with both Malcolm and Nigel, he has not quite managed to make it a threesome of best friends as of yet! His kittenish enthusiasm still sets him somewhat apart, I'm afraid. Malcolm wishes me to point out the tufts on the tips of his ears, proving that he is (or so he claims) really a wild lynx and not a house cat at all! Just wanting to check in on this lazy day, hoping all is well with my friends in the cat blogosphere!

Leia

For a Chuckle...

Many heartfelt thanks to all my friends who have sent purrs to me in recognition of my son's passing. It has helped tremendously to know that I am not alone. In an effort to change the tone and add a bit of levity to my blog at this point, I am sharing a photo of my house-mate, Mia. As you can see, she has taken up the most undignified pose one can possibly imagine, and she does this with regrettable frequency. I have spoken to her about the immodesty of this practice, but she takes no heed. At least she offers amusement for the staff, who never tire of laughing whenever she decides to position herself in this ridiculous manner. She doesn't seem to mind being laughed at, and in fact seems to be totally clueless that she is the object of amusement at all. (Mia is not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, to be sure) She is half siamese and half tortie by breeding, though the inherent dignity of these breeds seems to have eluded her. At any rate, I present to you Mia in all her glory!!
Leia

My Sadness

I am feeling a bit low today, and have been sitting on the glider rocker by myself in the meatloaf position most of the day. When my maid took to the couch for an afternoon nap, I joined her. She is a little worried about me, but I have told her that I am just mourning my loss and will be back to myself in due time.

On 22nd May I lost my son, Timothy. There was no warning, as he was not ill at all. He just crawled under the futon in the living room and passed quietly away, and there my maid discovered him. He was 11 years old and Timmy and I were as close as any mother and son.

Timmy was from my first litter, when I was a youngster of one year, and his father was named Curtis - a very handsome lynx point siamese. As it turned out, all four of that litter were lynx point like Curtis. Timothy stayed with me, and as my serving staff will tell you, he was always a true "Mama's boy". Seldom did he allow me out of his sight and whenever he napped, he wanted to be curled up with me. I admit, I did spoil Timmy, and perhaps he was too attached to me.

The truth is I adored him, and now that he is gone, I find myself at loose ends and often catch myself looking for him about the house. I miss him at nap time especially, and as my serving staff has noticed, I have been more affectionate towards them than is my custom. A few times I have even allowed myself to curl up against young Winston, of whom I am not particularly fond - but it is not the same.

I have read from many of you about similar losses, so I know that I am not alone. Perhaps in time I will get used to napping by myself and not find myself each time on the verge of tears.......or perhaps I will even form a new bond with one of my housemates. Only time will tell.

Timothy was laid to rest in a peaceful spot by the edge of the woods behind the house. I can see the large stone that the serving staff placed there to mark the spot from the kitchen window. Sleep well my dear Timmy. I miss you and will love you always.

Leia

Timothy

The Rest of The Others

Today I return with the aim of completing the introductions which I began yesterday. There are two members of the House of Seven Cats left to mention. I will begin with Nigel, who is a son of mine from my fourth litter.

One would think that a mother and her only offspring in the home would be close, but it pains me somewhat to say that Nigel and I are not particularly so. Don't get me wrong, we are on cordial terms, and will even share a nap time on occasion. Nigel is a very good boy, quiet and a little on the shy side, and the least "demanding" of us all, or so say the serving staff. I suspect that my own residual feelings related to Nigel's origins are partially to blame for the lack of outward affection between us.

Nigel

You see, during the period of my life before the birth of Nigel and his litter mates, I had been going through a very difficult stage, thus some bad choices were made. One of those was Nigel's father, a common street cat, with whom I had but a fleeting romance of one torrid afternoon. Regrets? Well, yes, I suppose I do regret the liaison to some degree. I do try, however, not to be too hard on myself for this momentary indiscretion. After all, who among us has never made a less-than-desirable choice at some point in their lifetime? Suffice it to say that Nigel has been a good son, and thankfully takes more after his maternal side than the other.

The final occupant of our home is also the newest, having been "adopted" by the serving staff this January last. Winston is but a kitten of not quite seven months, and so allowances must be made. Besides being a rather shocking shade of orange, and with stripes to boot, Winston has displayed the rambunctious nature of a youngster since his arrival, and thus has been less than pleasing to me, as I prefer the more sedate and tranquil attitude of a well-mannered adult feline. He has made quite an attachment to the other males in the house, and I am hoping that they will impart to him the proper codes of behavior in due course.

Winston

Before I conclude my literary efforts for the day and retire to my early-afternoon nap, I have been asked by my maid to include a reference to her website. I must say, she has spent considerable time in constructing it, to my frequent annoyance, as I have been kept from my own computer use due to her obsessive need to complete this project. And so, I mention it here and refer you to the link, placed on the upper left of this page in an effort to placate my maid and put the matter to rest.

I thank all of you for stopping by, and do leave me a message as it is a delight above all things in the measured routine of my daily life.

Leia

The Others

It is truly amazing and gratifying to me to have made so many new friends already! I thank you all who have visited my new blog and extra special thanks to those who have left comments! This is a new experience for me, as I have not ventured near to the computer until now, except of course to jump up on the computer desk and sit, blocking the view of the monitor, when my servant is late serving dinner!

I had mentioned the other felines who share this home with me and I suppose it is time that my new friends and readers become acquainted with them. None are of royal lineage such as myself, it must be said from the first. That fact is more than evident in their daily behavior, as I'm sure you will agree if you follow this blog with any regularity in the future.

The eldest beside myself (for I have already admitted that I am 12 years old, though you would never guess it by my youthful appearance!) is a rather large female cat named Mia. And to use the term "rather large" is, I believe, being exquisitely kind to her. You get the idea.

Mia

Apart from spending much of her time monitoring the food bowl for any additions that might be made during the day, Mia has the most annoying habit of asking my servants to let her outside just after I have made myself comfortable on top of them, relaxing on the couch. The fact that she is an "outdoor" cat is disturbing enough, for I am constantly in a panic that she may bring ticks and fleas into the house. But her insistence on magnifying this shortcoming by the indignity of lying flat on her back, hind quarters stretched out and forepaws up in the air, leaves me at a loss as to what to think about this slovenly creature. Enough said about Mia.

The next and final housemate who I will describe for you today is Malcolm. While I have fewer complaints about Malcolm as far as his behavior is concerned, I hope you won't think me too snobbish when I describe him as a "common" tabby cat. His markings are gray and black stripes. Rather like wearing a prison uniform if you ask me. But, as I said, he is not such a bad chap and is held in much affection by both staff and housemates for his easygoing and friendly manner.

Malcolm

Malcolm was the son of a former member of the House of Seven Cats by the name of Molly who was naught but a scrappy stray that my servants picked up out of a parking lot in the middle of the night! However, I suppose I cannot fault him for the inauspicious circumstances of his birth, and so I will leave it to you to judge Malcolm as you learn more of him through these writings.

There are as yet two feline members of this household who I have not introduced, but as I am new to this medium and tire of it quickly, I shall take my leave of you for now and plan to complete my introductions in a future post. Feel free to comment on Mia and Malcolm and I will pass your comments on to them if you wish.

Leia

Spring Musings

And so I find myself here, about to compose my second blog entry, having been pleasantly surprised today by what I have discovered on the internet! I thought that I might find a few other cat bloggers who might be willing to link to mine, and what do you suppose I found.....?? HUNDREDS of cat blogs!!! And what appears to be a lovely network of feline authors, all happily posting and commenting on one another's literary endeavors. I do hope to become a member of this most austere society, and shall continue to write and wait and hope that others will find my entries interesting and leave me a comment.

In the meantime, I must report that Spring here in New England has been quite enjoyable, from a feline perspective, though the staff's never-ending complaints regarding the abundance of rain resound on a daily basis. What, may I ask, is wrong with a delightfully rainy day....?? All the better to find a cozy spot to curl up and enjoy an extended catnap, letting the cares of the world drift away on a dream. Such has been my experience this Spring, and one can only hope that Summer will follow suit, as I dread the heat of the hot sun during that season of the year.

My contented period of napping was, however, marred by one tragic event in May - but I find I am as yet unable to talk about it, as the trauma leads me close to tears which I am loathe to let fall. Suffice it to say that since that day, I have found the napping less than satisfactory and have been quite restless of late, not knowing exactly what to do to soothe myself. It is my good fortune that my favorite person, a former maid of mine by the name of Johanna, is returning from college tomorrow afternoon, and will be spending the evening with me. While she is a mere human, and lacks the sophistication and refinement of the feline species, I have always had a particular fondness for her, and do look forward to the respite from my troubles.

I do apologize for having mentioned my great sadness without putting a name to it for my readers, but I will pledge that soon the truth will be disclosed in full and you will certainly understand why I am reluctant to discuss the matter at this early date, so hard on the heals of the tragedy. In the meanwhile, I thank you for your patience and do hope that you will continue to follow my writings until such time as I am able to confide my woes to you, which will not be too very far in the future.

And so, I must go and bathe myself and then rest up for my visitor tomorrow. I shall continue to browse through the blogs of all those cats which I have so recently discovered, and don't be surprised if you find a comment left by myself one day very soon!

Leia

Introduction

This blog is written by the paw of one who has already lived an eventful life, and hopes to have many more years ahead; hopefully somewhat more tranquil than the first twelve years of my life have been. I live on Cape Cod in the state of Massachusetts, United States of America. As you will find through reading my blog, I am a feline of noble heritage, being of the ancient civilization of Siam (now known as Thailand), and as you shall see, I display a distinctly exotic air, born of the mysteries of the orient.

I share my domicile with four other felines at the moment, though at one point in time we were seven, hence my home is known as The House of Seven Cats, a name which seems to have stuck, even though our numbers have diminished by two. You will come to know these housemates of mine as I relate to you tales of the past as well as recount for you my daily experiences. It must be mentioned that the other four felines occupying this home are more than a little wanting in many ways, but leave that to become apparent as we progress.

In addition to the five of us living in this rather small but cozy house, we employ one full-time and one part-time domestic servant, both of whom cater well to our needs and of whom we are all very fond. Naturally we do run across the occasional disputes and other matters which normally arise with domestics of their species, but that is to be expected and, at least on my own part, are borne with infinite tolerance and patience.

My first project for this blog, now that I have made somewhat of a clumsy introduction, will be to find some photos of the occupants of The House of Seven Cats so that you may have an idea of whom I speak when I am relating my tales of the past and keeping you updated of all the happenings that have yet to occur. As you will see in subsequent posts, there are three males; Malcolm, Nigel and Winston, as well as one female house mate known as Mia. The servants are named Kate and Mari, and occasionally we allow our former servants, now living elsewhere, to visit - they are known as Johanna and Andrew.

My name is Leia.