Trudy-Versary

A year ago today we adopted our sweet Trudy-cat. It didn't take us long to fall in love with her and it didn't take her long to fall in love with us. She is not as in love with the other cats (nor them with her) but she is one of the family and is happy to be here.

Resting on her favourite blanket

Trudy has decided I'm her BFF (best friend forever) and she follows me around the house when the mood strikes her. She isn't a lap cat, but she likes to be near me. She'll lie at my feet when I'm at the computer, or she'll sit at the other end of the couch if I'm on it.

Her first time sleeping on the couch with me

She is a very social cat (with people). Periodically I'll feel a cat paw poking at me if it's time for pets or playing. She is the first cat I've known that really loves belly rubs. She rolls onto her back and demands them. She is so silly and fun.

Give me all the belly rubs!

We have come up with various nick names for her over the past year. There is Trudy-Bear, Trudy-Doody, Tru-dor, Trudinator, Big Gray, Big Grump, Tank, Pretty Eyes, and a million more that we make up while talking to her. We love her!

Tank sitting on some boots

Pretty Eyes sitting on a pillow

Convenient Cat Storage

We have a small foot stool that doubles as a small storage container. It doesn't hold that much, but we usually find odds and ends to put in there.

Last week I decided to clean it out of any junk and organize what belonged in there. As my back was turned, Gary decided to make this storage space her bed, and stayed there for a few hours.

Cabinet Cat

Trudy kind of blends with this house, which makes her hard to find sometimes. Her dark fur matches the dark carpet, and if it wasn't for her beautiful gold eyes giving her away, at times she would seem invisible.

The other day I was looking for her and did a sweep of a few rooms but couldn't find her. Then those gold eyes found me, at a height I wasn't expecting, and I snapped a photo of her lounging in the corner cabinet. She is really something. :)

The Cat and The Cupcakes

Gary has a strong love of sweets. She loves caramel corn, banana bread, muffins, and pancakes, to name just a few. I don't let her have these treats because (a) they're mine, and (b) she doesn't brush her teeth. I have never known a cat to like so many baked goods, and I have a theory that she is actually after the butter contained in them. This week she was very interested in buttercream frosting.

As I frosted my Mint Chocolate Swirl Cupcakes, Gary was sitting close by, eyeing any potential for the buttercream to become hers.

She does this adorable thing where she puts one paw on the table, a clear indicator of her intention, but also a sign of self control, as she holds herself back from getting entirely on the table (she knows she is not allowed on the table). But just her paw? Just a paw is fine, right?

Trudy's House

In the summer we adopted a ten year old cat named Trudy from an elderly relative who had to go into a home and then later passed away. Trudy had a bit of shock moving here (a new environment, other cats, new people), but it's been over six months now and she is really thriving here. Trudy is an adorably grumpy cat who'd prefer it if she were the only cat who lived here. Funnily enough, our other two cats feel the same way about themselves!

Some family were clearing out her old house in the fall and brought over her "cat house." I have never known a cat who had a house before, and this is proof of how spoiled she was (and, to be fair, how spoiled she continues to be...). She doesn't sleep in this very often, but it is a great hiding spot for her when she wants it.

Any Size Will Do

As of last week, the Ontario Fire Code changed to make Carbon Monoxide Detectors mandatory in Ontario homes that have a fuel burning appliance (furnace, wood stove, etc), or an attached garage. We didn't have any CO detectors in our home, and I'm glad the Fire Code changed, otherwise I never would have thought to install them. Better safe than sorry.

But this blog post isn't really about the fire code or carbon monoxide. It's about the Amazon box that the detectors came in that Gary decided was her new hang out (even though the box was clearly too small for her to be comfortable).

My cat is the best!

Surprise Cat Adoption

John's great Aunt recently had to go into a nursing home and was unable to take her ten year old cat with her. Aunt Jean is devastated to have to leave Trudy behind, but is finding some comfort in knowing that family will be caring for her.

Here is a photo of our new friend Trudy, the newest member of our household.

She has been living with us for a week and is adjusting to her new home as well as can be expected. She is going through a really hard change - the loss of all things familiar to her. We brought over a pillow from Jean's house and we keep the radio on for her so it sounds like home, but everything is new. New sounds, new smells, new people, and other cats. Trudy is getting loads of care and attention from us, but loss and change are hard things to deal with, even for cats.

We are slowly introducing her to her new home and the other cats. We started Trudy off in a room by herself and let her adjust to it and feel safe there. The other cats smelled her through the closed door, and she smelled them. Yesterday we moved her to a different room and let the other cats explore the room she vacated. Trudy transitioned really well into the new room, and our resident cats seem to be accepting of the new smell in the house. A few more days and we are going to try a visual introduction.

The slow introduction process seems to be going really well and I hope it results in positive relationships between the cats.

Yoga with Friends

Inspired by Plowing Through Life's post about Cats Stealing Dog Beds, I thought I would post this video compilation of pets interrupting yoga. As someone who has done yoga with a cat on her mat (see: cat yoga), I can totally relate to this video.

Here is my version of this. Cats like yoga too!

Happy Monday!!

Cat Says: I'm Not in Your Way, Am I?

Yesterday I posted about my summer dishcloth knitting project, which needed a photo of my yarn to go with it. I wanted to photograph the yarn in natural light so it would best represent the actual colours. The spot I picked for natural light, also happened to be the best sunbeam in the house. The photo shoot was delayed a wee bit, while Gary did her best impression of 'cutest cat ever'. I love that little monkey!

Bliss.

Don't mind me. Just having a nap here.

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #28

A similar photo to this one has appeared on the blog before, as my little Gary knows a good thing when she sees it. I'm not sure what is so comfortable about sitting on puzzle pieces, but she always seems really happy when she does it. Maybe she thinks she is helping.

Everything is a Photo Opportunity #27

The best part about receiving an order from Amazon, is that it always comes with a brand new hang out for Gary Bear. Pretty much the instant I unpacked my items and set the box on the floor, she claimed it. On a brief break from being in her new box, we managed to slip a fleece blanket in it so when she returned it was even more comfortable. Perfect for some cute cat naps.

Cat Sits On All The Things

Gary either really likes sleeping on my stuff, or I have a habit of leaving my things where she likes to sleep. It is a chicken or the egg type question, and a reminder that maybe I shouldn't leave my things lying around. Still learning that good habit.

Gary with my iPod: "I'm waiting for an important text"

"How do I get to my Twitter, again?"

Gary using The Hobbit as a pillow

And Your Little Dog Too

There is a Chihuahua in my house!

John's sister is getting married on Saturday, so she and her bride to be flew in from Vancouver on Monday night with their dog Alex. They've rented a cottage and are getting it set up for the wedding, and they left this little guy to run around our house. John just loves him.

Alex is a great little dog. He is so quiet and easy going. He is also smaller than Gary, which is pretty adorable to witness. Speaking of which, this is the look Gary gave when Alex came into her space:

"Are you guys serious??" Don't worry Gary, it's just for a few days. Alex and Gary have met before and she is actually really easy going around him. She's not scared or territorial, mostly just curious about who is running around trying to eat her food.

I think they are going to be good buddies.

Sunshine Bear

Gary Bear likes her heat. She's never more blissed out than when she is sitting in front of the fireplace or lying in a sunbeam. She's loved all the sunny days we've had this week.

 Love this cat.

March Break Recap

I spent most of March Break in Barrie house/cat-sitting for my brother who spent the week in the much more exciting Montreal. My Bro's cat is an interesting dude who wants to be alone but doesn't like being left alone. It is a subtle difference and my presence was required to keep him company so he didn't pee on things he shouldn't. I also kept him fed and watered, gave him attention when requested, and removed a large quantity of cat barf from the carpet. I am a hero.

Pippen - my Barrie cat buddy

Since I normally live in the country, I was excited for my cat-sitting trip to Barrie so I could do city things. When I think of city things, I think of walking and ending up somewhere interesting, quickly traveling to multiple places, and the freedom of getting treats late at night if so desired. I enjoy my country life of trees and nature, but I miss destinations on my walks (like coffee shops) and I long for sidewalks and 50km/hr roads. While in Barrie, I wanted to walk around and see things!

So I made a plan. I wasn't just cat-sitting, I was going on an adventure. I mapped out stores downtown that I would walk to, explore, possibly buy things, and probably get some take out sushi to walk home with. I also mapped out places in the south end that I could drive to and walk around and explore. I'm not necessarily interested in buying things but I l love walking around and looking at stuff.

But you know what they say about best laid plans...

The weather didn't cooperate. Last week it was nearing spring like temperatures and I forgot that it is still winter in Canada. So it was cold and rainy and then it was cold and snowy. The sunny afternoon walkabout I dreamed of is probably still a month away. Stupid winter!

Also, my body refused to sleep properly. I'm often a bad sleeper when I sleep somewhere else, and this time was no different. My motivation to walk around and do cool stuff during the day was thwarted by my lack of sleep.

But I didn't let it get me down. I'm in a new phase of my life where I'm trying to accept things as they are and not as I expect them to be.

So I pretty much just hung out with the cat. And watched tv shows and movies. And ate ridiculous foods. I have stuck pretty well to my meal plan over the past few months, so I let March break be an excuse to eat whatever I wanted. Basically I just didn't eat vegetables for a number of days in a row. It was fun and super tasty, but I am happy to be back on my meal plan.

Sidekicks and curly fries for dinner - almost 100% vegetable free!

I'm back in the country now, eating vegetables and thinking about going on a walk to nowhere. I'm also back with my own pretty kitty, who always gives me the best cuddles and love when I've been away.

How did you spend your March Break? I hope you had a good one! :)

On My Own Time Line

It is the last weekend in January and I still have my Christmas decorations up.  It is not because I am lazy (or tacky), it is just that I really like the glow of Christmas Tree lights.  Plus the cat has a pretty cool hideout under the tree.

I'm taking everything down today, but thought I'd ask what your tradition is.  Do you decorate for the holidays? How long before you take everything down? Are you judging me for keeping mine up for all of January? When I was growing up, there were some decorations that stayed up for years, so an extra month is an improvement on what I was taught. We are a funny bunch!

Musical Bears

Fact #46 about our kitten: she has two names that she goes by equally, Gary and The Bear.

Fact #72 about our kitten: Everything in our house belongs to her. It is something we accept in order to experience the joy of being in her presence on a daily basis.

Having said that, I give you: Musical Bears!

This might look like my Wii drum kit, but it is actually a cat pillow!!

This might look like John's guitar case, but it is actually Gary's office.

Bear Stardust

Gary Bear doing her best Bowie impression.  Also, I love the Hipstamatic App.

Everybody Wants Some

To be fair, my Mom's caramel corn is pretty amazing.  Even Gary is getting in on the good stuff:

Multi Purpose Pizza Box

When John and I made the choice to get a pizza the other night, we had no idea that we were actually investing in Gary's happiness.  Not only did she make a bed out of the box, she also found herself a new treat dispenser.  Pretty much my cat's life goals are to sleep and eat, and this pizza box brought those two joys together beautifully.

I think there is bacon in there!

Yep, definitely bacon!

Mmmmm.... hunted bacon...

Pizza Cat!!

You can actually see her tongue in this one... Bear likes bacon.