I was shocked to realize
that four years had gone by
since I last visited Calgary.
Immediately apparent was the fact
that Barb's conehead kitties had become cats.
Smoke ~ March 2009 Scotia ~ March 2009
Now they were grown up girls,
and I longed to hold a soft, warm, cuddly, purry kitcat!
Scotia and Smoke
March 2013
I come from a catless home.
Fact: Cats love Terry!
Fact: Terry does not love cats!
(Well, once in a while he tolerates them.)
Fact: I love cats!
Fact: Cats don't love me!
(Well, once in a while they tolerate me.)
I have always loved cats!
Donnie, Me, and Roy
Atholville, New Brunswick,
Spring 1957
Atholville, New Brunswick,
Spring 1957
Terry doesn't like much about cats.
They claw and scratch the furniture.
They climb everywhere: up curtains, on counters, into closets.
They have litter boxes and bring you mice.
They run your lives.
He doesn't care how soft, warm, cuddly, and purry they are.
He is not the Ever-Patient with kitcats!
Really, Girls?
Do You Have to Help Terry Out?
The Curtains?
The Chair?
Did Barb really have to tell Terry
how Scotia and Smoke have knocked out the ceiling tiles,
stripped the Christmas tree,
and gotten into the furnace ducts!
Good thing Barb caught and cured that,
or there could have been cooked kitties!
While hanging out in Calgary,
I had lots of time to stalk the kitcats with my camera!
It took a lot of hunting because these kitties are scaredy-cats!
And boy can they scramble!
And boy can they scramble!
Scotia Flies up the Cat Tree,
The Dominant Feature in Barb's Living Room
More Evidence for Terry's List
"Why We Won't Have Cats!"
Scotia is the pretty one with smarts!
Pretty Baby
Scotia slips into a room and investigates the tiniest change.
She curls up in linen closets, baskets, and suitcases.
She laps water from water bottles or glasses,
and she will steal a drink from your water glass at night.
She loves to be combed.
She stood outside Barb's bedroom
and howled and scratched at the closed door
every night I was there!
Would she walk through my open door
across the hall and deign to lie on my bed?
NOT!
Smoke gives new meaning to the word "scaredy-cat."
She runs if you accidentally make eye contact with her.
She is drop dead gorgeous, but not as smart as Scotia.
I think she is underrated!
across the hall and deign to lie on my bed?
NOT!
Scotia in a Basket
Smoke gives new meaning to the word "scaredy-cat."
She runs if you accidentally make eye contact with her.
She is drop dead gorgeous, but not as smart as Scotia.
I think she is underrated!
Smoke Keeping a Sharp Eye on Her Sibling
Smoke can vanish in a heartbeat.
She can stand right at the bottom of a tall dresser,
jump straight up,
and land on the cluttered top
without knocking anything over.
She can climb to the highest spot in the room
in the blink of an eye.
She likes to hang out just beneath the ceiling tiles.
Do Not Make Eye Contact!
But Smoke's singular claim to fame is worm wrangling!
In the summer she likes to hunt worms in the yard.
She will search for a likely spot,
crouch down, and pat the grass repeatedly.
Up pops a worm, and she's got it!
Fortunately, since Smoke is never outside without Barb,
most worms are rescued!
Unfortunately, the weather did not lend itself to
worm wrangling while I was in Calgary.
Windermere Road SW
Calgary, Alberta
Canada
On the last hour of the last day of my visit,
Scotia snuggled on my lap and purred
while I combed her,
and Smoke let me give her two pats on the head.
Maybe next time I'll have more luck!
Sisters Are the Best!
Right Barb!
Two beautiful kitties indeed
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah they do go everywhere at your feed
In the cupboards in the fridge
Will climb everything like its a ridge
But oh well I say
They are worth it at my bay
And unlike kids or dogs you can leave them alone at home for a while
Well dogs you can too, but you'll come home to a brown pile lol
Hey Pat!
ReplyDeleteI hope you are enjoying a much better day than ours!
Snow has been falling and wind has been calling for hours.
I'd love to have kitties,
but they give Terry fitties.
I love dogs too,
but those piles of pooh!
Hope the rest of your day is fair.
Take care!
OMG, those cats are gorgeous! I love every photo of them. And hey, I happened to be in Calgary last weekend too. It was bitchin' cold and blowing snow.
ReplyDeleteHi Debra! I hope all is well with you! Calgary's cold and snow headed south let me tell you! It's good to be home, and now I'm catching up on everything I missed in the blogosphere! Have a good one!
DeleteOH MY!
ReplyDeleteThose are 2 of the most beautiful cats ever, Louise and Barb and I mean the felines...lol!
What gorgeous soft purrballs. I know someone, like Jim, who's gonna love these cuties! I understand Terry and if you plan on going away well...you need kitty sitters etc. It's difficult if you weren't brought up with cats.
Brrr..Calgary looks cold alright! Nothing has changed in that department. Did you have any chinooks?
THAT LAST picture says it all!
Ron
Hi Ron!
DeleteThose kitties are darlings! I miss them! But we're going to remain petless in the near future. More than anything I want to travel and that doesn't lend itself to pets.
One of my teammates at school started a Dogtopia business which is basically doggie day care. She and her husband have created one of the top sites in the country, and she says she couldn't afford to put her pugs in her own daycare. Aside from the cost, I wouldn't want to leave my pet for long stretches of time. It just wouldn't be fair to the critter. If you take on a pet you have to give it a quality life, or you shouldn't have it. I love how much you and Jim love Sophie and how you care for her. That's the way it should be!
Calgary's cold and snow hit us Friday night into Saturday evening. Supposedly we got 12 inches where I live. It doesn't look like it to me, but we had strong, blustery winds for over 20 hours, so maybe there are big drifts in other spots. Brrr! It's still cold, but at least the sun is out. Hopefully the roads will be melting when I head out for breakfast with friends in a couple of hours.
Have a great day!
Louise
Absolutely gorgeous cats! The photos are beautiful - love Scotia in the basket.
ReplyDeleteOur cats are pretty darn well behaved. They don't jump on counters, drink out of glasses, etc., but Tishia will sharpen her claws on the sofa if you're not looking.
Hi Terry!
DeleteI hope you all fared well during yesterday's snow and wind! I only ventured out once looking for our Saturday paper, but I never found it. I resorted to 45 minutes of housewalking, because I knew my car wouldn't make it through the drifts on our road to the clubhouse where our fitness room is.
My sister's cats are beautiful, and they are usually quite good, but they climb everything. And they simply can't resist sleeping in the Christmas tree. I wish I had gotten a snap of Scotia drinking from a water bottle cap, but I wouldn't take Barb's picture when she was so under the weather. She's doing great though.
I'm looking forward to catching up on your blog posts, and I shall make sure to look for a picture of Tishia.
Have a good, warm one!
Such lovely looking cat, your wright about the furniture our lounge is in taters.
ReplyDeleteHi GT! It's good to hear from you! Now that I'm home I'm looking forward to catching up on all the great posts I have missed while I was in Calgary. My sister's cats really love their cat tree and scratch it all the time. Mostly they're climbers ~ and can they climb! Have a great day!
DeleteThese cats are beautiful! And these photos are fantastic. They really capture how incredible these animals are. I think your hubby would feel differently if he met my two cats. They are so well-behaved. I have never in my life had cats like these two. They do not cause damage around the house, and they are quite calm. I've had cats in the past that have caused considerable damage to furniture, but the two I have now are angels compared to them!
ReplyDeleteHi Martha!
DeleteHow to it is to hear from you!
I'm looking forward to catching up on your blog posts!
I missed seeing everyone's posts while I was up in Canada.
I know there are lovely calm cats like yours out there. Barb's are sweet ~ but such curious explorers and investigators. Barb has learned to make sure the cats can't get into the room where they figured out how to get into the furnace ducts, and they seem to be over knocking out ceiling tiles! And the Christmas tree ~ no gorgeous production any more! It's definitely decorated for Smoke and Scotia who like to sleep in it.
Have a great day!
Oh, they are such gorgeous, sweet-looking kitties. I adore cats but I'm highly allergic. So, of course, my daughters are obsessed with cats and constantly blame me that we can't have one at home. As if we don't have enough pets with two dogs and two birds (one of whom has pecked a hole in the wall!)!!! I really enjoyed your photos and cat stories!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Audrey! It's great to get in touch with people again! I'm sorry to hear that you are allergic to cats! That would be hard, especially if you have little girls who adore kitties. Perhaps when your girls are older they can volunteer at an animal shelter that has cats. Some of my nieces have done that. I guess every pet has its moments ~ I've never had one put a hole in the wall though! Have a fun week!
DeleteUnlike dogs, cats need time to build trust for strangers. So, Louise when you go back to Barb's the 'girls' will probably start where they left off with you.
ReplyDeleteGood to have you back and these photos of Scotia and Smoke are great and it looks like they you really enjoyed their company. One of these days when you and Terry are all traveled out, you will fill your place with pets!!
Have a great day.
Hi Jim! It's so good to hear from you again! I worked very hard on building trust with Scotia and Smoke ~ a lot of hand sniffing, slow movements, soft talk! We'll see! I have to get back to Calgary more often! My sister-in-law Noreen takes rescue labs over the summer when she is here in Colorado. I'm thinking I may suggest that to Terry. I'm a long way from traveled out! I hope that you, Ron, and Sophie are having a good day!
DeleteHi Fundy, Its Barb. Theses pictures of Scotia and Smoke are lovely! I cannot imagine my life without pets & as soon as I retire, I will have dogs as well as cats:)Bye the bye, my Kitties are very well behaved - they scratch only their cat tree and any strange or wild traits are my fualt - LOL.
ReplyDeleteSsiters are the best - thank you so much for comming up to Calgary and helping me out.
Love ya,
Barb
Hi Barb! Did you teach Smoke to wrangle worms? I can just see you in the backyard patting the ground and calling them up. Your kitties are sweet ~ It's Terry who has the hangups about what cats can potentially do. He is so freaked out about cats scratching the furniture and climbing the walls. He remembers Mitsey only too well! I sure loved being up in Calgary with you! I'm already thinking of ways to get back. Maybe Donnie or Bertie could have an operation now! Take it easy, and I'll be thinking of you tomorrow when you make a BRIEF ~ NON-STRESSFUL visit to your office! Love you right back!
DeleteHello Louise,
ReplyDeleteHope your sis is doing well, see she is just above (hi!). I am guessing you are missing the cats a bit! They are gorgeous! I would love cats as well (as more dogs!) but I would stress about letting them outside, especially here! We had/helped a stray cat that had been attacked. He was with us for a year, we feed everyday and nursed him at the beginning. He would sleep on our back step with a bed we made and one day he moved on. Good to see you back!
Ivan
Hi Ivan! It's so good to be in touch with you again! Yes, Barb is recovering well. I miss her and the cats a lot! It was great to visit Calgary and spend time with Barb, my other two sisters, and my extended family. I'm so glad to hear how you and Mark cared for the stray cat. There are so many who are on their own and having a difficult time. Have a wonderful week! I'm looking forward to catching up on your blog!
Delete