Even though our cats live indoors and we try to keep the temperature constant, they sure seem to know it is winter. Their habits change dramatically depending on the season. For example, during most mornings, here in California, Lily and Sophie seek out sunlight beams streaming in for their day-long naps. Now they cozy down in their little beds in front of the wood-burning stove.
Most days, Lily can be found on my lap as I write. This time of year, however, she prefers that spot in her bed in front of the strove. And she cuddles closer at night in my bed.
Lily and Sophie are more active during the colder months. Lily, especially, is a real slug when the summer heat cranks up.
Max is the only one who doesn’t seem to change his stripes (er, patches) according to season. He is always lethargic and he has his daytime and nighttime sleeping routines set. He sleeps on the foot of the bed at night whether it is 32 or 132 degrees. And during the day, every day, all day, you will find the big, old guy snuggled under the quilt in the bed. And no matter the weather, Max always demands (and gets) a little lap time every morning between his nighttime slumber and his daytime nap.
My mother has her first kitten and she remarks daily how entertaining he is and how he keeps her laughing. He’s a handful. His mother is a purebred ragdoll, so Shady must take after his father—whoever he was—a cheetah or a leopard, perhaps? Docile and quiet, Shady is not. Oh, he does run out of energy a couple of times during the day and crashes. My mother says he relaxes as hard as he plays. But then, he is not quite five months old, so maybe he will slow down as he matures.
Have you ordered your copy of Catscapades for holiday giving? I’m starting to get an increase in orders from Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com. I also sell this book through my website: http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html. It’s $12.99 and it is full of fun, delightful, entertaining, heartwarming stories of cats and kittens. It is also fully illustrated by color photos.
To refresh your memory, this book is a collection of over 40 true stories and vignettes featuring over three dozen cats and kittens in a variety of loving and harrowing circumstances. You’ll be treated to stories of clever, clumsy and quirky cats. You’ll meet cats who are incredibly spiritual, deliciously humorous and some with quite un-catlike behavior. The stories are amusing, they’re touching and they’re real. (Most of the stories are illustrated by charming cat and kitten photos.)
You’ll fall in love with Frigie FryPan, the fearless chocolate and white cowboy kitten who survived being dumped in a coyote-infested wilderness. Yet, just when he was ready to settle down with a doting family, he was catnapped. (Don’t worry, this story has a happy ending.)
You’ll smile while reading the story of Gus, the reluctant babysitting cat. You’ll cringe at PomPom’s valiant attempt to defend her injured kitten against human intruders and marvel at her sudden uncanny ability to trust one of them completely.
You’ll meet an obstinate calico who responds to mind-talk and an engaging Himalayan who responds to a spiritual healing. And then there’s Sammy, the cat who changed a heart. There’s also a story about four aging cats who were orphaned when their owner died and whose uncertain future was purr-fectly orchestrated through nothing less than divine intervention.
Who on your shopping list would enjoy spending a few hours learning more about cats, getting to know some very interesting cats and being thoroughly entertained and charmed? This little book would make a wonderful gift for each of those cat-adoring people.
