My cats are the best listeners!
IT'S SO QUIET IN HERE.
Having my children grown up and out on their own makes for some quiet times! My girls use to always be my audience when I needed their opinions and wanted to read back my books or other writing to them.
Toulouse
ALL I HEAR IS PURRING.
However, I still have a selective audience---my three cats! They will sit around on my bed and listen intently as I read to them, acting like kids during a bedtime story!
Toulouse and Gus
Gus and Toulouse, our Maine Coons, stretch out at the bottom of the bed, as Calee, our almost 20-year-old, sits by my side glaring up at me with her big green eyes. Sparkee was our other cat that would curl up next to me. She was 18 and the dearest little thing who would always sit there with her legs crossed like quite the lady. I miss her. All our cats we've had over the decades were rescue kitties. :)!
So, why not treat them like children? --- They are absolutely part of the fam!
Toulouse and Gus
Toulouse and Gus
Sparkee
Calee and Sparkee
Sparkee and Calee
LOVE IS INSPIRATION.
Inspiration often comes from loved ones and animals. Their influence on us is captured in our hearts and released in all kinds of thoughts and wonderful stories.
Do you read to your cats, dogs or other animals? Do you read to your children? Reading grows our mind and enhances our intellect. Writing brings out our creativity and feeds on our experiences.
We can write to our heart's content here for all the world to read!
Although I am not able to read this to you, thank you for taking it upon yourself to enjoy!
Erin :)!
Recent Comments
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My dog, Raven, was a certified therapy dog who earned her Tail Waggin' Tutor title from Therapy Dogs International for 100 visits to libraries and schools, where kids who wouldn't read in front of people would read to her because she wouldn't laugh at them.
It was so much fun. I miss that. The kids in my Read to Raven program showed remarkable improvements in their reading scores, primarily due to increased self confidence in their ability to read.
One of my kids, was in the 4th grade the last time I saw him, was reading on an 8th grade level!
When my son was little we had "Special Time" after bath time and about an hour before bedtime. He picked out a game that we played together, then a book, and we took turns reading a page at a time to each other. Ah, those were indeed, special times!
He'll be 40 in June, and I'd still read to him if he lived close enough!
Carol
Well, Carol, I REST MY CASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm not such a crazy cat lady after all! Ha ha! That is one of the most beautiful and innovative stories I've come across here! How wonderful that such a program exists. It just goes without saying that it would be totally beneficial--and then some! Great insight! Thanks so much for sharing it!
Maybe that's why I am so comfortable talking to others!
Thanks, Erin. It was a very special time in my life, and I miss it very much.
Hey, I think I might feel another post coming on! Haven't finished the last one you inspired yet!
Having renovations in preparation for selling my house, and can't get to my computer while they're moving things around!
My current dog, who is also a rescue, will probably not qualify as a therapy dog. She is way too timid and anxious. Part of the certification exam is a test of their personality. She is very sweet and devoted to me, but afraid of her own shadow!
I love how you begin your blogs on my posts! HeeHee!
Your doggie sounds precious! Do you have a pic? Glad I could bring to light some wonderful memories for you tonight.
Me, too. I have some pics, but will have to find them. Had to change computers, and pics aren't arranged in any very good order. Will look for them when I can and add them to the post.
Great post, Our pets are furry children they need to be taken care of just as our human children do. Because they are apart of our family and that is a great thing. And your cats are beautiful. I myself have 2 cats and a dog and they are our children and we love as such.
Your kitties are beauties, Erin! : ) Truly beautiful. Each one is special, with his or her own personality. Sorry for your loss of Sparkee.
I know just how much I miss all the cats and dogs who have left us over the past 20 years. I have such special memories, though, and I'm sure you do, too!
Currently, I have four cats, two of them are brother and sister -- soon to be one year old. We have taken in each of our cats from the outdoors (several were born in our yard). I have found homes for many!
It's funny because one of our pups sleeps at the foot of the bed ... but slowly works her way up to the middle, and one of the cats also shares the bed. I really need a good night's sleep ... and, perhaps, a California King-sized bed! LOL! Why aren't they using their pet beds??
Thank you for that heart-warming post! It was a very enjoyable read!
Blessings,
Cathy
You're so sweet, Cathy! I love your story, too! Good question! My kitties are the same way with sleeping arrangements! They are good alarm clocks, too! Ha ha!! Thanks!
I used to read to my girls when they were little and they would listen so intently, especially the younger one. Today as teenagers, they both love books, especially the younger one, of course! The older loves drama and is quite good with languages. The younger is quite the English scholar, speaking the language quite well from when she was little. She impresses that way :))
She is threatening to be a writer. I think she will be quite good at it.
I have not had the opportunity to read to any other animal, Erin, but the human kind. :))
Awesomeness!
Mojalefa.
I love your story and draw so much from it! You're a wonderful influence to your children and have paved the way for them in life! So happy to have you stop by and share your sweet thoughts!
Erin
Awwww, I always love a cat story. Your kitties are cute. Now that we have 4 they keep me pretty busy at home. The 4th (our cute little 14 year old calico with the bushy tail) we have nicknamed Sweet Pea. I think that will be her name from now on. She never responded to her actual name Sphynx anyway. We are still getting her integrated into the family. This is only a problem because our large, orange tabby baby is being a bit of a bully to her and chases her so she hides a lot. He wants to play but it is not on her agenda. He has gotten the squirt bottle, the sink and even the shower so far for chasing and cornering and scaring her. Unfortunately, his fear of water seems to be going away! He is unfazed by the squirt bottle now! Thank goodness the Safe Space for Cats drops seem to work on him as well as our other boy with anxiety.
Anyway, you got me talking about kitties! They are just so hard to resist! I usually have two on or near me at a time. I am glad you have kitties to love you and listen to you too Erin!
I knew YOU would be by, Jessica! Ha ha, as we share a great love for cats! Gus, the top header photo, loves to go in the shower and sits under the drip cleaning himself. I didn't have the drip fixed purposely! LOL. He also still fits in the bathroom sink, where he sometimes sleeps to stay cool.
Calee, the small black Calico, (20 years old this September) is the one that I give the capsules to that I bought from you.
They love sitting in the windows getting fresh air and on their window perch, now that the weather is nice again! My babies!
I have thousands of cat photos on my phone! (I think more than my daughters!)
Remind me which capsules you got Erin? The ones for teeth or immunity? Good for you having a 20 year old kitty!
Yes, we sure do love our kitties! That is so cute. None of mine would go near a drip!
Ha ha! Gus loves water for some reason. He even flips the water bowl all the time to get wet!
I give Calee the Pet Alive Gumz-n-Teeth.
Thanks, he is so beautiful..and sleeping in the chair next to me right now! He was named after my daughter's favorite character in the cartoon Cinderella..the mouse Gus Gus, which is his given name!
Cats are cute, I have 2 of them. We adopted our first cat. Her name was Jade, we had her for 18 years until she passed less than a year ago. I still miss her.
I miss reading to my kids, the youngest is 17 and she loves to read. She is more excited to receive a gift card from Barnes and Noble than anything else.
Which is rare with today's youth, a lot of them would rather have money, cloths or games. Not her, give her a good book and she's happy. Which is a good thing.
Great post Erin, Have an awesome day!
You're a huge and wonderful influence on your children! So happy your youngest loves to read--she takes after her Dad!
My cat, Sparkee passed a year ago at age 18 also. We have both given our cats and children lots of love and directed them sweetly through life. --- Something to truly be proud of!
My granddaughter and I will work together on creating blogs. Picture blogs, she will select the picture, name the animal and give me a few facts to write.
After it's posted she loves to read the comments!!
She loves feeling like a creator plus she will be going to a fine arts school next year.
Tried and True
Elaine
That's so beautiful, Elaine! That makes for a wonderful bonding time for the two of you! Awwww! You will both always remember those times! You've been a great influence on her wanting to go to art school, too! My Mother was a teacher who also shared such a special bond with my daughter---who ended up becoming a brilliant teacher after my Mom passed away. I know she's still guiding her from above! XOXO!
My two African grey parrots which I have had for 20yrs, were my second set of babies and though of a feathered kind, hearing them speak clear and in the same voice of a human was difficult to not treat them as such.
To have birds answer me intelligently or ask "are you cold?" If I said Brrrr or say" I love you mom", and laugh when I laughed and knew when I wasn't feeling well and softly ask "you ok?" and always with a cheery,"good morning mom" and a "goodnight sleepy with angels" and even knew to sing "Halleluliah" with wings up in the air and head bobbing and swaying from one foot to the other is a beautiful sight indeed. They would call the cats by name and the silly cats would come to the cage awaiting some prize only to get a cheery "hello" and a giggle as if to say fooled you again,lol. If the dog happened to bark Ptree (the female) would ask the dog "you want a scratch or "needed to go out" or "are you thirsty" "are you hungry" , then call out "mom dog" is truly an amazing experience like non other!
Sadly they died one after the other and a piece of my heart died with them as Ptree and Yoshi were my feathered babies that listened to me sing off key, or read my morning devotion and even give me a WooHoo if I let out a Yaaay to the smallest of things like getting a jar lid to pop and open...lol. I dearly miss my feathered support team ;(
Suzanne
What an entirely beautiful story, Suzanne--one that will live on in your forever! I am amazed at their human-like capabilities! What dear, sweet little feathered friends! I love how your other pets interact, too! You have one huge heart, my dear. I was all choked up by the end of your story. Hugs to you! Erin
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Hi Erin,
Thanks for sharing your experience with your felines.
We have just one (also a rescue kitti) but he is the love of our life. I can't put his picture on the "Reply" but he, like yours, is a great listener.
Sometimes he chimes in with an appropriate "meow". It makes you wonder how much they really know.
They (cats) are only hampered by muteness of voice.
Best wishes for long life (2 already have it) for your other ones.
Bill
So happy to hear of your rescue kitty! I know for a fact that they really do understand what we say! They are so lovable, too! I wish the best for yours, as well!