For today’s open thread, reader Georgiana Y. shares a big breakthrough moment with her cat Stormy:
Well it only took three years but my Stormy finally snuggled with me of her own accord! Don’t misunderstand, I can pick her up and she never struggles but you can feel she doesn’t really like it. What she does love for some reason is sitting at my feet while I pet her head and scratch the bridge of her nose. It’s the first time that she jumped on my lap by herself to cuddled, I’m a happy cat mama!
Congratulations, Georgiana! What a wonderful feeling. Welcome to the cuddles, Stormy!
How do black cats become so shiny? So beautiful.
I still don’t have this with Maszat. When she wants ear-scritchies, she sits on her favourite rug and looks at me, but she never wants to sit on my lap.
At the risk of sounding like and ad, “How to Argue with A Cat” would likely help with getting skittish cats to voluntarily cuddle with you, instead of begrudgingly.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/588950/how-to-argue-with-a-cat-by-jay-heinrichs-with-illustrations-by-natalie-palmer-sutton/
Either that, or it will convince you that you’re the problem.
Thanks for the recommendation! Now on my listening list.
You’re welcome.
Book is actually a wonderful modern take on the old timey art of rhetoric, as demonstrated by cat behavior.
He also wrote the more serious Thank You For Arguing, also about the art of persuasion.
I saw he’s got one on Aristotle’s rhetoric. I love a good classical argument!
Georgiana, you have been honored! Congratulations. She sure is a beautiful kitty.
I had a pleasant surprise visit from my former neighbor yesterday. She wanted to say hi to the cats. She waited outside while I brought Butch and Jacques down. When I opened the back door, neither of them even flinched. Just walked right out to her as though it hadn’t been two years since they’ve seen her. Kind of, oh it’s you. Good. Pet me. I tell you, once you’ve won over a cat they are super loyal.
Need to do gardening today. I’ve got a couple of boxes of daffodil bulbs that HAVE to get in the ground. First I have to clear the ground. I was very lazy this year. Now I’m gonna pay for it.
I could use some good audio book recommendations? Y’all talked about Harry Potter last week. I have them on tape and actually have a walkman I can use to listen to them, but I’m not in the mood. I just finished The Women by Kristin Hannah, which was excellent. And my dad recommended The Dictionary of Lost Words, but I’m having a hard time getting into it. Any recommendations would be welcome.
I hope everyone has a lovely weekend planned.
You’re going to be sorry you asked!
Try Poet’s Square: A Memoir in Thirty Cats; anything by David Sedaris (I just finished A Carnival of Snackery).
Things I’ve got in my queue: John Scalzi’s newest book in the Old Man’s War Series, Naomi Novik’s latest The Summer War.
Harry Potter in full cast recordings comes out on Nov. 3.
haha! Thanks DebG – I knew you’d have something to recommend. Of course David Sedaris! And I will check out the others.
I wonder if I’ll like a full cast recording of HP. I’m so dedicated to the Jim Dale version, I even have a hard time with the Steven Fry version. Please give us a review once you’ve listened.
I too didn’t love the 30 seconds of Stephen Fry, because I’ve pretty much memorized Jim Dale’s.
Will report back on HP full cast. There’s a special listening event on Nov. 3 that I’ll attend–it will determine whether I buy the books or not.
Hello everybody, Storm hasn’t jumped on my lap again after this but she did climbed on the bed and laid on top of me for a little while the other day.
It’s a cold grey morning here and I slept maybe 3 hours last night so I’m a little cranky but the chores still have to get done so here we go.
Oh and not to rub it in but … Go Blue Jays!!
Hope everyone has a good weekend.
No need to rub it in about the Blue Jays, I was thrilled to see the trouncing that the Dodgers took last night. As a Canadian by heritage and someone who loves an underdog, I am firmly in the Blue Jays camp. Hope they can keep the momentum going.
My void Scorpius does not allow me to hold him, and if I walk over to him for petpets, he usually walks away. But every night–every night–he wants cuddles in bed. Fred Weasleycat is the same. Each cat has his or her own special place and time for cuddles. I just have to adapt to their wishes.
Go Jays, Go!!!!! My hometown team. 🙂 The crowd atmosphere in the Skydome is bonkers compared to US counterparts. So that’s the other thing these teams don’t know what to do with– besides our fabulous Jays….
Happy Caturday! I want a void…
My godson is 11 today! Party tomorrow.
The goose-, er, turkey-, er, dogs…right, dogs… were good again.
(Props to the commenter who wrote this one: “Why did you say they have more than just dogs? That’s clearly a Cane Horso.”)
Cane Horso 😂
The original post for that dog said something about how he was used to being the biggest dog at the vet. Not today…
Oh that turkey! Warms my heart. So does everybody else, of course. Love the special dogs event.
I can’t believe my sweetie with the balloon from yesterday didn’t make the cut!
I know! I hadn’t watched yet when I saw your post, but I had seen it the other day and fully expected her to be included!
I do appreciate that he made a disclaimer about not giving dogs corncobs (there was also a note on the original post for that one).
She’s got an IG post of her own. It’s adorable and so hilarious. Wait, that’s what you initially posted yesterday, right?
It’s so special when an animal trusts you enough to finally come to you, to snuggle or just to lay by you. And she’s such a beautiful void too.
I had such a great and relaxing day yesterday. Went shopping and it was so nice not to fight the weekend crowds plus not rush around. Scored a couple table runners that are actually long enough to use on my mantle (it’s ridiculously long, like over 6 ft, close to 2 meters) which usually I can’t find. One is a nice sparkly green one for the holidays. I’m now fully stocked on library books for the next month or so, all three of my holds came at once so now to figure out which one I want to read first. I was thinking about going to my sketching group today but the arthritis in my hands is bothering me so probably won’t go, I’ll just join them next month. More errands today, then laundry, and reorganizing the craft room. I finally gave up calling it the dining room because we don’t ever eat in there, lol. But first breakfast! I have a nice slab of peach cobbler from my favorite restaurant that’s calling my name and I’m topping it with maple whipped cream. Mmmm yumm!!!
Enjoy the weekend everyone!
Congrats, Georgiana! Now you can experience the joy of getting black cat hair all over your light-coloured clothes!
More news on the health front: I’m anaemic, which explains the hair loss and a couple of dizzy spells I’ve experienced recently. I’ve just started a four-month course of iron tablets. Also NEARLY on the health front, yesterday I decided to trim some ivy growing on the back of my garden wall. The small paving stones (they’re not exactly cobbles) in the alley behind the Shortcakery have been there for around 120 years and are very uneven, which didn’t help the stability of my ladder. I reached out a bit too far and fell off, taking the ladder with me. Fortunately I got off lightly with grazed hands and a bruised leg, thereby sparing myself the posthumous embarrassment of a newspaper headline: “Local idiot dies in freak gardening accident”.
Finally, I’m starting to think that the new, as yet unfinished house at the end of the road was designed by M C Escher. It has a door but no ground floor windows on the street-facing aspect, a decent-sized area of flat roof ideal for a terrace but with no access unless you climb through an odd oriel-type window, and no garage. I assume it was built to order, but if it goes on the market I might have a look round to satisfy my curiosity!
Glad your fall wasn’t worse. I don’t love ladders at the best of times, on even floors etc. Please take things slow as you recover.
Glad you didn’t get more hurt, I really hate ladders.
I loved trying to figure out which of my hold books I would read first! Back when they let you borrow them for 3 or 4 weeks I used to check out around 6-7 books. Such fun putting them in reading order
on my “library shelf”.🥰
I truly miss going to the library and spending time hunting!
Morning.
Feeling a bit grumpy today. Could use a cat on my lap. Colour doesn’t matter.
Nasal steroids for head congestion. Not impressed.
Missing Duckie.
HUGE family discussion coming up (topic huge, not discussion), possibly tomorrow, depending on how people feel. Could solve many problems all at once.
Try to have a good weekend, everyone.
Lavender would sit on your lap and stare deep into your eyes. She sends comforting purrs.
Good luck with the discussion.
I’ve had a couple rabbits that would fall asleep in my arms. I DO miss that.
Definitely best of luck with discussion!👍🏼
Storm is so gorgeous, and the voluntary cuddles are a bonus! When a cat chooses to seek out love, there’s no stopping them.
I slept in this morning, so I’m feeling pretty energetic. Need to finish my will, complete my mail-in ballot, warp my loom, and all the usual chores and errands. Wish me luck!
Hugs to you all.
Happy Caturday, all! Was at a lovely and important gala yesterday evening to raise funds for the local no-kill shelter. Was so heartened by the massive turnout, positive vibes and many donations! We got our floofy orange girl Ekaterina Velikaya (a very judgy Maine Coon, as it turned out) from the shelter, so this is a cause close to our hearts!
Now off to do errands. Going with my mom and sister to a new play tonight, hope it will be good!
Home after about a week in the hospital.I seem to have reverse Grinch, heart is about three sizes too big!
How are you feeling? Hope you’re back on your feet soon.
Still wobbly! I intend to get better, thanks.
Has anyone seen the new Frankenstein film? I’m thinking of seeing it tomorrow.
I didn’t know there was a new Frankenstein!
It’s coming out on Netflix in Canada on November 7th I’ll be watching it on that day! Guillermo del Toro has yet to make a movie I didn’t like.
Thanks for the heads up! I just added a reminder.
(I swear, every time I log into Netflix it tells me a new device has logged into my account. It’s always the same computer!)
I get that too! Not on Netflix, but on some of my other account apps. So Weird.
I know it will be available on Netflix but it looks too gorgeous to watch on a tiny screen! There’s also a new “Dracula” on the horizon but it looks like a remake of the Coppola version.
Yay! For cat cuddling! So glad your void decided she trusted you completely 💙