When last we left our feline heroine, she was contemplating why on earth I’d brought a box-like thing with wheels on it into the house. Namely, the little carry-on I acquired for my big California Adventure (read Part 1 here; more to come).
Upon my return, she didn’t speak to me for a couple of days, but eventually came around. Not to worry – she got plenty of attention from Will while I was away.
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The Saga of the Scratching Post
I also mentioned that she’d decided to use her cat condo for a scratching post, even though it’s not really made for that and we end up with carpet fuzz all over the floor. This happened because I made the unforgiveable mistake of taking away her beloved scratching post (that had seen better days, in my view, but what do I know?) and replacing it with a new scratching post that she promptly ignored and continues to ignore.
So, what do I do to remedy this situation? I research cat condos that have scratching posts included in the design, and find one at Tractor Supply. Bring it home and set it up. She was perplexed about this new thing and has never used it the entire time it’s been in the house. Not once. In fact, the only time she paid any attention to it at all was when I was putting it together.
I finally took it upstairs to a window overlooking the bay and all manner of birds and creatures, and she continues to ignore it. I mean, I’d hang out there if I was a cat, but again, what do I know?
Face-Off With a Bird
One morning this week, a Flicker kept flying against the house and windows. I see a lot of Flickers around here, but I’ve never seen one behave this way before. He knocked against the windows, perched on the door, and looked inside to see what we were doing. This went on for about an hour. Maybe it was Tim’s way of checking on us. Of course, Charley was intrigued.
Finally, the bird landed on the window at eye level, at which point, this face-off lasted for several minutes. Then the bird flew away and Charley resumed her important task of napping.
About That Dog
Ok, bear with me on this part of the story. I love dogs. My Border Collie, Jennifer, was a big part of my childhood and went everywhere with me. So I’ve been thinking about getting a dog, because it just seemed like a good idea. A faithful companion who would go on hikes with me and be my pal.
Well, when word got around the Peninsula, I soon found myself with the opportunity to take in a beautiful 3-year-old Golden Retriever. We had the dog for 24 hours. This is the story of those 24 hours.
This dog, named Buck, was well-trained, friendly and quickly made himself at home here. Really, the perfect dog. I mean, look at this face…
But he took one look at Charley and chased her up the stairs and into the room where her Cat Cave is located (mattress leaning against a wall where no one can get to her – she still hangs out there during the day). Then he came back downstairs and ate her food.
Charley finally came downstairs later that night, and once again, Buck barked at her and chased her upstairs. Along with all this, having a dog in the house for 24 hours made me realize that we’re not quite ready for a dog yet. Maybe sometime down the line, but not yet.
Thankfully, the person we got Buck from was completely fine with us returning him, and said he had another re-homing option. While I feel like a bit of a monster for returning a dog (and a Golden Retriever at that!), I think everyone involved, including Buck, realized it was for the best. I’m not ruling out a dog at some point in the future. We just aren’t ready yet.
After we returned Buck, it took Charley a good day to come back downstairs. First she peered over the railing, then sat at the top of the stairs, then came partially down the stairs, and finally, her feet landed on the floor down here. I assured her that she was the only one in the house, and we both felt a sense of relief about that.
The silver lining of having Buck in the house for a day? Charley finally climbed onto her bed on my desk where I’m writing this right now – because it’s the only place that Buck didn’t sniff and leave a scent. Now while I’m working, she hangs out with me much of the day, napping and watching the birds and squirrels through the window.
She’s not quite the task master as my former managing editor, but having her nap beside me certainly makes being at the computer a joy again.
Also Read…
Great Gazette again, Jane.
A good overview of stuff going on out here which most of us would miss, or a least not know about for a couple of months, until the grapevine finally got to us.
I always save the Charley tales until the end, so I can close with a smile.
Ann S.