Ever just known something about a person?  Ever felt something was about to happen?   Like a tornado? 

I have.

Have you heard that cats know things people don’t?   You know about the cats that knew the Asian Tsunami was looming.  How they ran inward, away from the coastlines. 

Well, it’s true.  I’ve done this many times.  One day, Jane was coming home early from a 42-kilometre marathon.  She’d finished it in record time, and decided to come straight home.  I knew she was coming up the hill, and waited her at the crest of the wheel, as I always do. 

I have a paw-pal in Italy whose owners, who were farmers, accidentally left him at a farmer’s market 12 kilometres away.  I guess little Rotello had jumped onto the truck and hidden himself in the vegetables.   By 6 am he was back at the farm, a little thinner and very tired, but alive and well. (Nothing a dish of real lasagna couldn’t fix) His ecstatic owners were dumbfounded!   I’ve heard that some cats have done that for distances of hundreds of kilometers.  The record is 2000 miles!  And  one cat got back together with his owner after 24 months!

One reason that’s out there is that cats have an acute sense of time, and a great sensitivity to the earth’s magnetic field.  This time and energy sensitivity merge in the cat’s biological clock.  Ẅ̧́e cats sense, from the sun’s position at a particular time of day, where it is in relation to its home, and are drawn in that direction.   Amazing, isn’t it.  Well, you think it’s amazing because you’re only human.  We cats know stuff.  One way we let you know is by pawing at you insistently.  If you listen you might avoid certain dangers.   

We cats love our owners—the ones who love us, of course.  My paw-pal in London, Canada, used to get on the window-sill sometime in the evening, when Madeline came home from work.  He jumped on the window when he knew Madeline was still a whole block away.  If (Yes, he was black, with white paws) Madeline was a block away at 5:20, Domino was on that bay window at 5:20.  If she was there at 6:00, having done some shopping after work, Domino was there.  You can check with Madeline’s writer husband, Andrew.  

I’d love to hear your stories on this topic.  Cheers for now. 

 And how about this photo of Harry against his favourite pruning mirror, he’s looking especially good here.. you know I think he should be showed!!!

 On of the favourite things Harry and I share is to be active and I am really envious of Harrys owner taking him for walks out everyday where he can be with nature.  I will have to have a word with my owner Jane, maybe I can team up with Harry on his walks, that would be fun. Here’s a picture of him ready for action…

Harry’s a bit of a smart guy who is always learning new things, makes me look abit dumb I must say although I am the pretty one!!! well, Harry just loves to read the morning newspaper, although his owner Ms L. occasionally likes to the same and wants him off the paper.  He gets a bit narky about this and reckons he should be the one to read it first, can be a fight for the paper but Harry usually wins the battle since he is the quicker one to sit on it first! Hee Hee!!

Here’s Harry on the paper and giving Ms L. that look of ‘no way’ honey I got here first look!!

Well there you have it, what a great fella, he has taught me alot in the last few weeks since I have met him, you know, intellectual things and how to really get out and strut your stuff, walking proud and showing off, its fun! I hope to have him around for a long time to come.  I really fancy him actually, but keep that quiet for now don’t want to rush things and spoil me chances of a relationship.  Will play things easy for a while and have some fun with him.

See you later for more updates soon

gotta go and catch up with Harry

Well, she’s getting the silent treatment. She’s coming in the door, and I’ve had no food all day. Tubs drank the whole dish of milk, and I’m furious. I’m sitting by the dish with my back to her. She’ll learn all right. Now she’s trying to pet my—oh no you don’t! Hissssssssssssssssssssss, claws, hissssssssssssssssssssss!!! OOOOOh! What’s that I hear? She’s running a bath! Oh, no! Not that full hot tub again! Wait a minute, she’s in shallow water, and there’s no steam, Just bubbles. And there’s an orange scent. Nice. Hope she’s ready for this… SPLOSH!! Oh blissful bubbles! Jane’s lathering me all over, and good job she is, with all that mud we’ve been rolling in all day. This is the life!

I had a feeling everything would be fine tonight. In fact, I’ve had a feeling about a number of things lately…I knew Jane was worried about that job in town, and her Dad, and a number of things, but it’s all worked out just fine. I’d better let her know x is trying to get in touch with her; also, she’d better not run by the stream this Wednesday, ‘cos the water’s going to rise after the storm on the East side. Jane knows I sense stuff… we cats have done this for centuries. Remember how they all scurried from the shore the days before the Tsunami hit in Asia? We know. We just know.

I know Jane’s excited about the next race. She’s doing a 42K one again, and she’s looking forward to the challenge of the hills. She wants me to be happy, and trust her. She’s not the ogre that I can’t get out of my head.

Next morning, I awake to a dish of warm milk, and juicy, scrumptious meat. Way better than anything I’d had with the witch and her mate when I was tied to that post in the house by the beach.

I think I’ll try curling up at the foot of her bed tonight. Wonder what she’ll do…

Oh, she’s gone running again.. I can see her half-way down the hill. And she’s got a sign on her back that says “NZ MARATHON 2008”. Hmmm, is she going to be gone long?

WHAT’S THAT I see in the garden next door??? Am I dreaming, or is it my reflection in the pond walking around? Same silver-grey fur, same meow, same speed, but smaller than me! Let me see if he dares come near my turf. Hey, hiss, scratch! Hiss, swish, leap, tussle. Hey, this is fun! Take your scratchy paws off me! I swat him one, and he slinks away. Then he turns around again. His human calls: “Sprocket, din-dins, come in, Sprocket”, and he goes inside.

Wonder what my human has left me.

So through the flowers I go, and sure enough, there’s milk and tons of food. Ahhhh, this is the life!

This evening, my human comes home, and I watch her as she runs a bath, then steps inside, I perch myself on the edge, watching the steam rise from the water. What’s this? Lavender? I scoop it with my paw. OWWW!! It’s HOT!!! Why didn’t she tell me?!?!. Let’s try it again. OUCH!! It’s hot!!! How can she sit in it???

Well then she gets rub-a-dub-dubbed, and gets into bed. Now for my well-laid plans…I pussy-foot onto the bed, the end with no pillows, and wait. Is she going to swat me off? No, wait a minute: she’s never swatted me at all. I’ll just curl up into a tight ball and sleep. She does the same. So far, so good.

I hear an owl hooting. Must be the middle of the night. She’s sound asleep. Now for the next phase. I creep onto the pillow beside her, and snuggle up. Ohhhh, it’s warm here, and oh, so comfy. Why didn’t I try this sooner?

What’s this? she’s off again on her mountain bike. Today, her shirt says “100-LAP SWIMMERS CLUB” I think she’s training for the Iron Man. Can’t she just stay home with me? Oops, but I musn’t let on . I’ll keep that hissing act in my back pocket, just to keep her in line. You never know, with these humans. Mind you, I have to admit she has the most amazing vibrations.

What’s this? Carrots, broccoli with my meat? There’s no end of surprises here. Sure never had this in the old place by the beach. I’ll have half of it now, and half later. Time for a stretch and a nap. HEY!!! Who’s this!!! Look at the size of him! They say there’s an obesity epidemic, but I didn’t know it had spread to cats!! The guy must weigh 20 pounds!!!Hey, Tubby, leave my dinner alone!! (But he’s so big. If he rolled over on me I’d be squished. If his claws came out I’d be a goner). Let’s see (Yawwwwwn) if he eats it all. Huh! What the– He’s already inhaled it! Oh, I’m too sleepy. What’s this warm thing next to me? I don’t believe it! Jumbo’s asleep next to me, and he’s already snoring!!! Oh, well, let him sleep. He looks harmless enough.

zzzz Huh? What? What’s this cold thing on my face??? Hey’ Tubbo! I’ve already washed my face! Cut it out! TUBBY!!! That paw on my shoulder’s way too heavy. Ah well, I guess he just wants to be friends. OK, Tubs, you win. Let’s race to the tree with the birds! Last one there’s a tub o’ lard!

This is the third day Tubby’s eaten my dinner, but no matter, Jane replaces it right away. Wow, is she ever amazing. It’s always fresh and fab. And it’s endless. Come on over, Tubs. Chomp away!

Scritch-Scratch outside the door. Who can that be? Tubbs! And he’s brought a kitten. Oh my, he’s got exactly the same fur: black with white socks. Too, too funny. OK, guys, let’s play predator! Ohhh! how about hide and seek? try and find me!!!

Honestly, though, I didn’t know if I could trust her at all—when I think of that witch I had in the old house—how could I ever trust a human again.

There was something about this human, though, that made me feel, well, somewhat safe.  But just to be sure, I had to keep up my hissing act.  Now, let’s seeeeee…let me crank up that hiss button again.  I’ll try it out behind this tree.  Hisss!  No, louder!  HISSSSS!!  Not bad.  Now longer HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! Yesss!  Got it.  Now back to the house where I test her mettle.

Into the house I go.  Oh no, she’s coming close, with a “Hey, ther, kitty kitty…”  HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!  She backs off!  Ha!  Not bad at all.  Getting her well trained.  I’ll just sit and watch.  She comes near, she gets the hiss.  She tries again, there’s always the claws.

She wants to pet me… or hit me.  Which is it?  Never mind. HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!  And she backs off.  So we have a mutual truce for 3 months.  Now look who’s annoyed.  She hasn’t tried to come close again.  Maybe she’s going to throw me out.  Hmmmm, that means no food.  I’d better give this one a try.

I don’t like this house at all.  Too much noise, too many stray cats coming in and out, and she puts food out for them all!!! What kind of human is this? 

What’s this???  What’s with all these boxes?   Let me see…this one looks interesting.  Let’s get inside and find out.

Nooooooooooooooo !  It’s all dark in here!!! Help!  Let me out!!!  I’m bumping up and down.  What’s going on??   MEEEEEEOWWRRRR!!!  MEEEEEEOWWRRRR!!! 

MEEEEEEOWWRRRR!!!  Whew!  That’s better!  She heard me, and she’s opening the box!   Lemme out!  Gonna take a bite outta those ankles.  How dare she scare me like that..

Wha_ the!!!  Where’e the street?  What happened to all the cars whizzing past the house?  Hey!   A garden!  Flowers!  Have I died and gone to heaven?  And what’s that valley down there?  Where are the other houses?  Omigod!  Are we alone here?  Do I have a house all to myself, without all those pesky felines dropping in all the time?  Lemme go inspect the premises. 

Oh, so there are other houses, but they’re all on the west side.  And more gardens.  Wonder if there are other humans here.   There’s my tree.  Oh goodness…a brook, lot s of trees, and birds!  I could get used to this quite easily.

Ahhh, sunshine galore, and lots of outdoors to explore. 

“ Kitty, kitty”  she’s calling me in to dinner.  Let’s see what’s in the dish this time.  I liked the raw steak she gave me in the house down the valley—‘bout the only thing wotth staying there for.  And the hissing act.  I must admit I’d honed it to a fine art down there.  I’ve trained her to know her place, my human, and she’d better keep it that way.

Oh my goodness!  Rain!  Great whopping drops!  I’m flying in for shelter!  Oops, so is she!  We fly in the door together, and she slips on the rug!!  Now who’d be such a nit as to put a rug there!! She lands on her back, I fly into the air, and I land smack-dab on her tummy.  She wraps her arms protectively around me, HISSSSSSSsssssssssssPURRRRPURRRPURRRRRRRR.  Omigod, what bliss…I didn’t know it could feel like this! No!  I must keep up the act!  She musn’t know!  HISSSSSSSsssssssssssPURRRRPURRRPURRRRRRRR.   Heck, I can’t help myself.  This is too, tooooo good.  I’ll let her hold me for a while, but only just a while.  Musn’t let on I kinda like her.  Ohhh, this must be heaven.  She’s saying “Molly, oh Molly”, and I’m melting, melting, relaxing at last.  She’s the one… I’ll drop the hiss for now.

I was near collapsing point when a lady in running gear opened the door—this wasn’t someone I knew, and I thought maybe she would shoo me away or throw stones at me like that boy used to…he really didn’t want me around.

I was terrified…memories of being chased by a pit bull came flooding back into my head, and I charged for the rock face next to the house. I gave it another go the next day, but, terrified at the sight of this human carrying a round weapon, I headed for the security of the rock face, re-opening the wound in my head.

However, from the top of that rock face, I noticed that the round object was not a weapon at all but a saucer full of milk—warm, welcome milk that I had never had since my kitten days. Its tantalizing scent wafted up the rocks as the gentle morning breeze blew.

Next to the dish was a square dish with—no, it couldn’t be— meat like what the butcher had thrown to me from the back of his shop the week before. There were veggies too. Should I or shouldn’t I? Hunger took over from fear the next day, and when I saw her take away the food I thought I might as well lay me down and die.

Minutes later she came out again with meat and warm milk, quietly, and in the gentlest tones beckoned me. I inched forward, one paw at a time, my head still smarting from the wound, took a few licks of the oh-so-blissful milk, and then a bit of the meat, and ran for my life, up the hard, familiar rock face.

Next day the door was open, the meat and milk were there, and my head felt better already. The dishes were in the doorway, the door was wide open, the lady nowhere to be seen. Hunger pangs got the better of me, and I inhaled the milk in one mighty slurp. Slowly, carefully, I looked around. No humans, no dingbats trying to snaffle it from me. Good. I sank my teeth into the meat; oh, the juicy, tearable meat, and licked the dish clean, then headed for the hills before she had a chance to return.

Next day, it was there again, but my ear was bleeding once more. As I lapped up the milk I felt a light touch on the fur of my back. It was electrifying. I bolted. But she called to me again…it was irresistible. Slowly, one paw at a time, I came closer. She had some cotton balls in her hand, soft, wet cotton balls, and she tended to my ear. I heard myself purr for the first time in months, and I heard words which will forever remain with me, which I cannot share even in this blog—they came straight out of cat heaven…she told me her name was Jane, and asked if I would stay…

Thru’ my window one New Zealand day

I saw her look front, back and right

A cat that had been in a horrid fray

Decided then to make things right

She crept around my garden hedge

Still checking for neighboring cats

Her ear was bleeding round the edge

From a scuffle with wild dingbats

Skinny and hungry, no flesh on her back

And wobbling from the head-wound pain

She crouched, expecting another attack–

Hoped that pit bull wouldn’t growl again

She wanted to be like domestic cats

Ensconced in cat-care, safe and warm

She didn’t want to hunt for rats

She wanted pet food as the norm

As soon as he saw me she bolted up

The rock face adjacent to my house

I quickly put some milk in a cup

She was quivering there, like a mouse

Come, kitty, I want some cat photos to keep

For when you’re my pet, in glowing pet health

My pet names are ready, do come in and sleep

Come in for pet care, no need for stealth

In my pet lovers’ forum I have often seen

Pictures of cats, funny kittens, big cats and more

Your grey coat will soon sport a silvery sheen

The brightest of cat breeds, with cat health to the core

I quietly placed organic pet food in a dish

(Most kitties just love it, pets just lap it all up

Cat pictures of you would be my dear wish)

Come in before it’s found by next-door’s wee pup

Kittie-kitties, kittens, pet finders all seek

But I want a scrawny cat who’s got the right vibes

From your cat behavior I know that this week

The pet horoscopes named you, and lots more besides

Looks like it’s time for Cat Power right here

I’m hungry as a ‘gator spotting prey on the bank

I might just go in this door without fear

If she’ll rescue pets I’ll have her alone to thank

The kids down the road have virtual pets

But she’s friends with us tigers with big roaring purrs

I’d better go in –it’s as good as it gets

I can’t sit on this rock face with prickly burrs

This food is delicious, the milk’s warm and good

Oh, look at that shelf with pet products galore

I’ll be good and well-groomed: I like the great food

If I come back tomorrow can I have some more?

She must think I’m peculiar, creeping in and back out

She must know some funny cats, but I take the cake!

I’ll tell her if she wants me she’s to give me a shout

She’s kind and so gentle I’ll go in for her sake.

And they lived happily ever after.