This Week With Charley: Scratching Post News, a Meditation Pillow and ‘The Look’

This week with everyone’s favorite “sent by Tim” cat, Charley, is having all kinds of new adventures.

First, let’s talk about her scratching post she doesn’t use. Instead of the perfect new post I got her months ago, she instead uses the carpet-covered part of her cat condo next to the window. I don’t think it’s meant to be a scratching post, because the shredded bits end up all over the floor, and sometimes she gets her claws caught in the post.

That’s not to say she doesn’t use the new scratching post. Here she is using it as a foot rest.

So we just gave up and now use the scratching post as a fan holder for those hot days we’ve been having. Plus, she likes being cooled off when it’s 90 degrees outside.

She still loves her original desk bed, but I decided to put another bed on the other side of the desk. Now she can hang out with me and look out towards the driveway OR the front yard. So many choices.

The new one even has a plant nearby to play with.

I think I may have mentioned that she does what we call “loafin’,” where she curls her front feet in next to her body. Will says she looks like a loaf of bread, and that’s where the “loafin'” came from.

But she also has a “half-loaf,” where one of her paws is only partly curled in. Here she is on her “meditation” pillow – which was actually my meditation pillow I got during the pandemic, but when I moved it to the top of her chair, it became her meditation pillow. Namaste, Charley.

When she has her legs out in front of her, we call those “breadsticks.” Loafin’, breadsticks, you see where we’re going with this.

When the weather got warmer, I started opening the slider in my living room. There’s a screen door there, and she’s very intrigued that she can be “this close” to the great outdoors. I’m a little nervous about having her “this close” to the great outdoors (as if the screen door could magically open by itself and she’d race outside). But she continues to avoid going outside at all costs, and usually runs the other way when someone opens the door.

My birthday was in July – yay for making it to 62! I immediately ordered my lifetime National Parks pass – more on that later. I made it through my birthday ok, but she stuck pretty close to me all day. Thanks for being my emotional support cat, Charley. Clearly, you understand the assignment.

And finally, because I do better emotionally when I’m out of the house (more on this later, too), I’ve been driving to neighboring counties to hike or explore (sometimes it helps to be somewhere where Tim isn’t everywhere I look).

Of course, Charley isn’t too happy when I’m on the road for days on end. Here she is giving me “The Look,” when I sat down to work the other day. Don’t worry, Charley. I’ll always come back to you.