Live Like A Cat

Stephane Garnier - "Cats are free. They are calm, observant, wise, elegant, charismatic and proud. In fact, cats have found nothing less than the secret of how we should all live". 
This (video) Things Cats Teach Us, has some great pointers.
And I took these 15 rules from Petplace's list of 20 Rules to Live By - Things You Can Learn From a Cat:
1. Rest and relaxation are the keys to happiness, so relax any chance you get. And don't work too hard.
2. There is always time for a cat nap.
3. Nighttime is the time to party, and it's more fun if you can share it with your family. Howl, meow, play with their ankles, or leap across the bed to wake them up.

4. Spend time with the people you love, especially when they are working. Sit near the computer and purr, walk across the keyboard occasionally, or better still, knock things off the desk one at a time so your person doesn't get bored.
5. Show your favorite people that you love them. Sit on their lap, pet or rub a leg, or run your tail across their faces to get your message across.
6. Get excited and come running every time a special treat or food is available. Showing a little appreciation and enthusiasm will always get you treats.

7. Stretch and yawn before you get up, no matter what time it is.
8. Enjoy the sun – lie down, roll around and just appreciate the warmth.
9. Purr when you are happy.
10. Cleanliness is next to godliness, so keep yourself clean and pristine.
11. Enjoy the solace of a view from a nice window.

12. Be independent.

13. Don't always do what people want you to do.
14. Keep cool. If you don't want to do something, no need to argue – just don't do it.
15. Don't be afraid to look at things from a different perspective occasionally. Sit high on a bookshelf or peek out from under a chair.

Saturday 3/2 - It was cool and damp, but not too bad of a day weather-wise.  When I got to the barn, I was glad to see that Amiga's bandage had held up well.  Duct tape is good stuff.  In fact, I had to work to get it cut and the wrap off Amiga's hoof.


The 15 to 20 minutes of soaking time seemed to be going slower and slower.  What would a cat do in this situation?  Probably bolt!

Emily moved Zorro into the pony pen and I soon had Amiga out there with him, and took them hay and water.

Back at home, the cats and I sat in the sunroom, watching the birds, and I did a little research here at my computer.








Not quite knowing what to do with myself, because I was all caught up with blogging, I decided to go to the gym to work out.  It was too cold and damp to want to be outside doing anything productive.

After a great two hour work out, I grabbed a bite to eat and went to the barn.  I put Zorro in the gelding pen so he could run with the boys and gave Amiga 45 minutes of grazing time on the front lawn.

I hurried home, changed, and Joe and I went to the play 'Barefoot In The Park.'  As always, the cast did a great job and we enjoyed the production.

Once home, I fed our critters, changed, and went back to the barn to soak Amiga's foot.  The time was dragging.  I struggled getting the diaper/duct tape bandage on.  And it was already 7:30 when I got home.  I watched the horse documentary (on health of your horse) and was in bed by 9:00.


Sunday 3/3 - The rain had started before I got up at 4:45.  It was forecasted we would get 2" in the next ten hours.  UGH!  I was thinking of cat napping the day away.  My muscles were sore, but that is a good feeling, knowing I worked them well.  But my back also hurt, which was from wrestling with Amiga's leg, trying to keep her from putting it down while I was wrapping her hoof.






My morning barn trip lasted a lot longer than usual.  Because I had asked to keep Amiga in for the day to keep her foot from getting too dirty, I wanted to exercise her, give her some grazing time, and help out with her stall.  Seen in this photo, she is tied outside her stall by the round bail, which she was munching on while I mucked her stall.

The rain had momentarily stopped so I rode Amiga (bareback but with her bit) out into the side yard to let her graze.  Zorro and Rocky had been out all night so came to visit.  After about a half hour, the sprinkles that had started got more numerous and we were getting wet, so I came back into the barn and rode her bareback in there for another 30 minutes.  She did great, no signs of lameness, light to the touch, and listening to my leg cues.  After soaking, into the stall she went for the day.







Knowing it would probably not be a very productive day, I heated up a cup of water and got some more tea brewing.  While it steeped, I decided to finally make beer bread. I had added flax seed to give it added nutritional value.  Then I watched day five of my horse program while Monita lounged near by, watching it rain.




Once the bread was baked, I enjoyed a nice warm slice of it.  The cats always come running when I sit down with food at my computer.  The bread was quite good, and I did not share it.






The ducks were the only critters I saw that seemed to be enjoying themselves (photo blurry through rain streaked window).  After blogging a little, there was nothing more I could do here at my computer, so I transgressed to the couch to read and nap.  It was a cat's life.






Eventually I got motivated to go to the gym and do 45 minutes of aerobic work.  Next I went back to the barn to give Amiga time out of her stall.  The horses had been brought in early and a few were actually shivering from being cold and wet all day.  They have lost so much of their winter coat they are no longer well insulated.  Zorro seemed fine.  I took a towel to him and let him stay in his stall to dry off.  The wind was really whipping in through the front doors and I had to dig a trough to finally get them closed.






The rain had stopped so I rode Amiga out by the pond to graze for 30 minutes.  Boy was it cold.  Then I came back in and rode her around the barn another 30 minutes.  I wanted to give Zorro more time to dry.  After the usual soaking and diaper bandaging, I returned Amiga to a clean stall and then put Rocky and Zorro out together.  I was feeling bad for them driving home in a snow/sleet mix.  My forecast had showed no more precipitation.  

TV by a nice fire after dinner and I had finally warmed up.  I have gotten interested in the Blue Blood series and watched it past my bedtime.


Monday 3/4 - I didn't go to the barn quite as early because I wanted to wait until the farrier would be there.  I was hoping to slip in ahead of two ladies, but it didn't work out so I 'killed time' first by checking on Zorro.  When I called Zorro, he and Rocky came a running (video).  The cold night, with snow flurries, didn't seem to have bothered them, they were both dry.  After a good brushing I sent Zorro back out with the boys.

I cleaned his and Amiga's stalls and then rode Amiga out into the yard to graze.  I took these photos of frost on the trees up high on Black Mountain.

 

Once Tom was done with the two horses, he took a look at Amiga.  He could tell right where the abscess had been and said it looked great at this point.  He said it was no longer draining, and to stop soaking it and let the foot dry out.  But I still need to keep it covered.  So I bandaged her back up to see how the duct tape would hold outside during the day, and sent her on her way, finally back out with the mares.

It had been cold at the barn and I was having troubles warming up when I got home at 11:00.  So I had cream of wheat, hot tea, and sat by the fire.  Hard to imagine that just a few days ago I had been sitting on the deck in a t-shirt.  Reading lulled me to sleep for a short cat nap.




Later in the day when the sun shines into the living room, the fire is no longer needed.  Maggie knows how to live like a cat and nap in the sun.

I spent two hours at the gym, noticing sore muscles, even though I am lifting less weight than before my surgery almost five weeks ago.  It is hard building back up, but at least I can start up again.

A quick trip to the barn to re-bandage Amiga's foot and home for hot ham and bean soup was followed by a movie by the fire.  Love my cat-like life.

Tuesday 3/5 - it was in the low teens when I walked Maggie at 5:30.  After finishing off the corn, these two deer headed across the creek and up the hill.  It was so, so nice to not have to go to the barn to soak Amiga's foot.


I lingered at my computer extra long, enjoying the fact that I didn't have to change and get to the barn before 8am.  I had extra tea and cookies (Fat Tuesday) knowing soon I would not allow myself the sweet luxuries (temporarily giving them up for Lent to help me draw closer to God and cut back on this bad habit).

After a nap in the sun with my fur babies I went to the gym.  Learning that Ballroom Aerobics has been cancelled forever, I was feeling a loss and knew I needed to find another dance outlet.

Next I went to Bible study.  Back home, I then got started on the project to move the top corner cat shelf down a bit.  It was too close to the ceiling to allow for the cats to jump up onto it.  I had read (after it was installed) that they need room to arc up and then down onto the structure.


Stevie was quick to come check out my new eight food ladder Joe had bought me, and to investigate the project.






This photo I took from up on the ladder.  Monita had been exploring also, and was in the barrel container looking out.  But she had headed back to go down the cat ladder by the time I got the photo.  It does give you their point of view from their perches.

Joe did the work, while I helped hold things and make suggestions.  Getting the screws out was quite difficult because the heads were stripped.  But we got the shelf moved to its new location before I had to hurry off to the barn.

Amiga's bandage had worn/broken open at the toe and her hoof (and drain hole) were muddy.  So to clean out the mud, I decided to go ahead and soak her foot in Epson salt.  She was much less tolerant of this process than ever before.  Hum.  I used a hoof pick and brush to get all the mud out.

I rebandage the foot and then parked Amiga by her stall while I neatened it up.  Cookie was ready for bed (in the hay pile) while I finish getting Amiga ready for bed.

I enjoyed bean soup and finished the last (#7) of the "Listening To The Horse" series and then I too was ready for bed.

Wednesday 3/6 - I experienced something any cat owner would not want to experience.  I noticed that Stevie hadn't greeted me as usual when I went out to the kitchen and still was not around when I got back from walking the dog.  Joe was up about an hour after I, and when I enquired about the cat, he admitted that she might have escaped to the garage the night before.  I hurried out there looking for her but no cat.  Well, then he said it was possible she might have gotten out of the garage.

I was livid and so worried by now.  I put on my coat and hurried out into the frigid (14 degree) air to look for her.  It is amazing all the things that can run through your mind as the adrenalin rush occurs.  Did Stevie run away and get lost forever, freeze to death, get eaten by coyotes, hit by a car, or any number of other catastrophes?  I don't know if my tears were from fear, the freezing cold, or thoughts of the worst case scenario.

Thankfully, when I went looking for her, it was just a few minutes and I heard her howling, under the screened porch.  She was frightened and shaking from the cold.  I brought her in and started warming her up.  She was purring loudly but not moving as I hugged her next to my warm body.  I did notice a cut by her nose, but otherwise she seemed ok.  Once warmed, she wanted down, and went to eat.  Then she laid down in front of the space heater, cleaned herself up, and took a nap.  Monita kept growling and hissing at her.  I imagine Stevie smelled peculiar.  I am so, so thankful I found her right away and that she wasn't badly hurt.  Tuesday night for Stevie was not like how a cat would want to live.






It was Ash Wednesday, and after careful consideration over the past several weeks, I had decided to give up sweets (desserts, pastries, cookies, candy, ice cream, etc.) for Lent, to promote my spiritual and physical wellbeing.  I would make it a point to pray and/or read scripture each time I was craving sweets.  During Lent, as we give something up, we are encouraged to also give back in some manner, so I was trying to keep this in mind too.

I picked neighbor Carole up before 10:00 and we headed to Ladies Club.  We each paid $2.00 to wear jeans.  What a deal, I didn't have to dress up.  This is Judy Lynn, in her jeans and in the spirit of Mardi Gras and St. Patrick's Day.  She is one of our regular swimmers at the adult pool and we were dreaming of summer days out at Dorchester.








The cats were playing on their climbing shelves when I got home, and these are the only other photos I took all day.




Seen left, Monita is hissing after noticing Stevie.

I had little luck with phone calls to reschedule appts. I had cancelled (because of my gall bladder appointments and surgery that interfered) back in early February.





Stevie didn't let Monita scare her off.

I went to check on Amiga's bandage at 3:00 and it had held up well.  I left it on and rode her around and let her graze for over an hour.  The rays of sun were warm, but the 35 degrees made me cold.  When applying a new bandage once done riding, my hands were so cold I had difficulties with the duct tape.

Joe's card game broke up early and he was home while I was eating dinner.  Later we watched Survivor together.

Thursday 3/7 - Blogging, e-mails, phone calls (got my three appointments set up), a nap, and organizing my desk all occurred by 1pm.  Then I went to the barn to horse around.  Amiga's bandage was a muddy mess, and as usual, the diaper had soaked up some water, but her toe was clean and dry.

I put Amiga's boot on and got her saddled up for the first time in over five weeks.  Then I took her out for a more intentional ride.






I was in the saddle for over an hour and made Amiga work for about 45 minutes.  We watched the first livery ride of the season head out from the barn.







I hurried home, and then off to the gym.  My weight work out was taxing for some reason but I got through it.

Joe and I picked up Patty and went to Romo's for dinner.  A two piece band was playing so we enjoyed that along with huge plates of food.  We all brought home leftovers.

Friday 3/8 - Mr. Hawk was back hunting for breakfast first light of day.  It had rained some overnight and started up again before 8am.  We had a record 13.7 inches of rainfall in February, and last year (2018) saw a record amount of nearly 79 inches.  Needless to say, we are sick of rain.












If I were a cat, I would have chose to nap the day away.  But I had picked up a new gym schedule and went at 10:00 to try out a new line dance class.  Well, it turns out I had the class schedule for the Wellness Complex downtown.  So, I ended up in a Zumba class.

Home for a quick lunch and I was at the barn before 1:00.  I brought in my wet horse from the pony pen, dried her off, and got on bareback.  I rode her to the bean field where I let her graze for 30 minutes.  The three dogs were delighted to be out on the trail, but wondered why this was all the further I was going.







It was drizzling off and on but when it picked up to a light rain, I rode back to the barn.  And then I rode inside for almost 30 minutes.  I had Amiga walk (video) quite awhile, working at not rushing.  Then I bumped her up to a gait (video).  She showed no signs of lameness.

I cleaned up and treated Amiga's abscess hole and put on a dry boot.  It was almost feeding time, so I put Amiga in her stall for the night.  Leaving the barn, the clouds around Black Mountain, made it look like the Smokies.













Joe left for cards just after I got home.  I had an early dinner and was soon in my pj's, here at my desk.  Eventually I moved in front of the fire and watched TV for a few hours while enjoying popcorn.  Thus far, I have had no craving for sweets or chocolate.