pets – Late Blooms

What greater gift than the love of a cat? ~Charles Dickens

I had never expected to be as doting towards my cat as I am. Whether that is due to my never having had a cat before or to needing the companionship of a cat at my age, I don’t know. When I saw Cali comfortably sleeping in all these different poses, I had to grab my camera and take these images. I found a lovely poem on sleeping cats which I’m going to share with you below.

Cats

Cats sleep, anywhere,
Any table, any chair
Top of piano, window-ledge,
In the middle, on the edge,
Open drawer, empty shoe,
Anybody’s lap will do,
Fitted in a cardboard box,
In the cupboard, with your frocks-
Anywhere! They don’t care!
Cats sleep anywhere.

Elanor Farjeon (1881-1965)

a poem from OLD POSSUM'S BOOK OF PRACTICAL CATS The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter, It isn't just one of your holiday games; You may think at first I'm mad as a hatter When I tell you a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES. First of all, there's the name that the family use daily, Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James, Such as Victor or Jonathan, George, Bill Bailey -- All of them sensible everyday names. There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter, Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames; Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter -- But all of them sensible everyday names. But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular, A name that's peculiar, and more dignified, Else how can he keep his tail perpendicular, Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride? Of names of this kind I can give you a quorum, Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo or Coricopat Such as Bambalurina or else Jellylorum -- Names that never belong to more than one cat. But above and beyond there's still one name left over, And that is the name that you will not guess; The name no human research can discover -- But the CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess. When you notice a cat in profound meditation, The reason, I tell you, is always the same. His mind is engaged in rapt contemplation Of the thought, Of the thought, Of the thought of his name: His ineffable effable Effanineffable Deep and inscrutable singular name. - T. S. Eliot, "The Naming of Cats" — a poem from
OLD POSSUM’S BOOK OF PRACTICAL CATS
The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn’t just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I’m mad as a hatter
When I tell you a cat must have
THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there’s the name
that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George, Bill Bailey —
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names
if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames;
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter —
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you,
a cat needs a name that’s particular,
A name that’s peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers,
or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo or Coricopat
Such as Bambalurina or else Jellylorum —
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond
there’s still one name left over,
And that is the name that you will not guess;
The name no human research can discover —
But the CAT HIMSELF KNOWS,
and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same.
His mind is engaged in rapt contemplation
Of the thought,
Of the thought,
Of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular name.
– T. S. Eliot, “The Naming of Cats”

My cat is a Calico and her name is Cali. She knows her name because when I call her, she wags her tail. She’s adorable especially when she’s sleeping. You can see how cute she is from the pictures. Calico is not a breed of cat but a species.

A bit of trivia here: There is a Calico Cat Teahouse in Nanaimo, B.C. This is what their website says about them.

The Calico Cat Tea House is Nanaimo’s premier tea house. Originally built in 1910, this character home has an exquisite charm all of its own; you’ll even find the original stained glass windows and fireplace. You are invited by the proprietor, Heather Frank, to come and enjoy warm hospitality, exquisite homemade food and even have your tea leaves read by one of our professional tea leaf readers! And, if you’re really lucky, you might even get a glimpse of our friendly ghost!

Tea Leaf Readings

One aspect of the Calico Cat Tea House that keeps our loyal customers coming back time and time again are our insightful, world-class Tea Leaf Readers. Choose a 10, 20 or 30 minute reading with one of our experienced readers and then enjoy a delicious meal to cap off the visit. Our Tea Leaf Readings are very popular, so we do recommend you phone ahead and make reservations! We also offerDinner Parties, please phone for details.

A Bite to Eat

What would a Tea House be without wonderful food? We aim to impress and our wonderful kitchen staff and team of servers is proof of that. Whether you’re enjoying one of our heartyAfternoon Tea for Two, a delicious scone (a perennial favourite!) or any other selection from our menu, full of soups, salads, sandwiches, crepes and more, you’re sure to leave satisfied. Choose from over a dozen different types of tea while you enjoy your meal and Tea Leaf Reading and afterwards why not top everything off with a home-cooked desert from our always popular desert menu!

This place sounds nice but there’s no mention of any calico cats there – too bad! We’ll just have to be content with my precious Cali now.

Cali's wide awake here. — Cali’s wide awake here.

Cat Kisses

Sandpaper kisses
On a cheek or a chin –
That is the way
for a day to begin!

Sandpaper kisses
A cuddle and a purr.
I have an alarm clock
That’s covered in fur!

Author Unknown

Hope you enjoyed “A Sleeping Calico.”