When I survey my backyard, it’s like Lion Country Safari. Cats galore. My backyard is a cat’s Wally World. A fountain with fresh running water, and because Earnie loves birds, about 20 bird feeders. We’ve got your finch feeders, your cardinal feeders, your ghords for nesting, your lint holder for making that nest, hummingbird feeders, and I could go on. It would look like Garden Ridge if I didn’t say no to Earnie every once in a while. We also have very soft furniture on our covered porch perfect for the 18 hours cats nap.
I spied my favorite feline, Hobbes, the other day loving life. If there ever was a cat that was grateful to have a home it’s Hobbes. He’s always fit in, even before we invited him to live inside the house. When Ruthie, the weinerful, would go outside, Hobbes would greet her and lay down next to her in the sunshine. He’s very snuggly and loves to purr. A true testimate to all things Great and Small.
Our neighbors, the Paysons, actually were the first family to take care of Hobbes. They were grooming him to be the neighbordhood ratter. They even took him to get vaccinated and “tutored”. I thwarted their plan when I started letting him in the house. He told the Paysons…”why would I want to hunt for stinky rats when I’ve got canned frisky’s from the lady next door?”
He has a pretty great routine down…here’s his daily journal entries:
6 a.m. Eat breakfast, sip some water, lay around watching everyone get ready for school and work. Occasionally pounce on top of Wilson.
7:30 a.m. Sit by the door to be let outside.
7:31 a.m. Go next door to get breakfast from the Paysons. Be sure to look pitiful like I haven’t been fed in several days.
7:40-10 a.m. Say hi to Cameron and Mitchell, the two stray toms, who have taken up residence on the back porch. Watch the occasional bird that hasn’t received the memo that cats will eat them if they visit the birdfeeder.
10:00 a.m. Sun is usually shining on the backporch, perfect time to stretch out for a morning nap on the outside couch.
11:00 a.m. Yawn
11:40 a.m. Play with rat I found, flip it into the air to get Earnie to notice me. Earnie comes outside, picks up rat, puts into a ziplock bag, and leaves on kitchen counter to show Mr. Bee.
11:41 a.m. Wait and watch through the window for Mr. Bee’s reaction when he sees my bounty on the counter.
11:53 a.m. Mr. Bee finds rat in ziplock bag.
11:54 a.m. Calls Mrs. Bee.
11:55 a.m. Resume nap.
1 p.m. Wake up. Get a drink from the fountain. Stand by the backdoor. Earnie lets me in the house.
1:05 p.m. Eat
1:10 p.m. Take a nap in the chair in the living room
3:00 p.m. Mrs. Bee comes home from work, greet her at the backdoor, say hi then go back outside.
3-5 p.m. Sit under bench in backyard. Still watching for birds that haven’t got the clue about the four cats living in the backyard.
5:01 p.m. Go back inside the house. Mrs. Bee is cooking dinner. Sit on chair and watch her lovingly.
6 p.m. Go back outside until dark. Might find a few more rats for the ziplock collection.
8 p.m. Go inside to listen to Little Miss Bee practice the piano.
9 p.m. Lay on bed with Mrs. Bee until she goes to sleep.
10 p.m. Go to sleep in my bed that Mrs. Bee made for me outside her door (because she thought me sleeping on the carpet might be uncomfortable).
Note: Humans asleep from 10 p.m. – 6 a.m. so they have no idea what I do during this time. It’s best to keep it that way.
6 a.m. Start agenda all over again
Hospitality is in my DNA. I founded Home with a Twist, a daughter’s twist on her mother’s traditions, in memory of my mother to celebrate her life and the gifts she shared with me. Mother loved to celebrate life’s occasions – big and small.
