Jack and the Vine Stalk and things we did this summer

Last updated on September 17th, 2019 at 11:15 pm

Within a few slow blinks of an eye, the days have become shorter. And as I sit here washing my paw, I pause for a second with my tongue out, as the thought of Leaf Fall sweeps away my lazy summer reverie. I will miss our catio expeditions, the backyard drama and the sun puddles kissing my fifty shades of grey fur.

Yes, it’s me, Mr. Jack, and I paw this with a sense of sadness and nostalgia as summer is coming to an imminent close. And much like Henri Le Chat Noir, I wish to hold onto the memory of those long balmy days before my winter ennui sets in.

But as much as I lament the ending of summer, I am grateful that it was a fruitful one, both for us cats and the humans. You may have noticed that the Big Lady Cat was less visible in the Blogosphere. But guess what? Instead of bashing her tired fingers against a keyboard while carefully shooing a kitty paw off the ‘caps lock’ key, she spent a lot of quality time with us in the catio! That meant a lot of time goofing around with me, letting me sleep on her bare feet which I love doing, and making up silly kitty lullabies about stray cats and forever homes!

I had her all to myself…. or so I thought.

As the Chief Social Facilitator at the Chirpy house, besides being responsible for cementing the friendships through scent, I also head the environmental patrol squad to ensure the catio is safe from intruders and everything is in its place.

Well, there was a lot more going on in the backyard than we normally get to see. And some things were outside the realm of normal.

I seriously think Charlie needs more friends, the guy is total clinger!

I repeat, NOT normal! The nerve!

And yes, she sure has lured Ollie with her wily ways. He likes her and will meow and paw at the kitchen sliding door when he sees her.

So we had our fair share of intruders!

Word went around that the party was happening at the Chirpy House and we had quite a lot of paw traffic in the backyard. There was Lady Marmalade, a ginger and white cat who took great delight in rolling in the catnip bush or on the lawn and flirting with Ollie.

There was the pitter-patter of Boom Boom, the neighbor’s Persian cat with his fancy diamante studded red bandana who came by just to turn up his nose at the cat food meant for Niles, aka Mr. Perkins, a tuxedo feral cat the humans were trying to trap and neuter. He was limping when we saw him, so I wasn’t too worried about him overtaking the Chirpy Kingdom. In fact, I don’t mind Mr. Perkins (or Niles, or Jasper, or Jeeves, the humans can’t decide on a name) hanging out here because he doesn’t tease us or hiss at us. He’s just homeless like we once were.

There were skunks, raccoons, and Freddy the groundhog who just quietly ate the weeds. We don’t mind them as long as they stay away from our catnip!

But that snooty old Persian who seemed to melt into the hands of the Big Lady Cat needs a good hissing at. Turning up his nose at our food, how dare he! So I set up a task force team to guard our fort with Sly Pie assigned to guard Kitchen’s Landing where it’s easy to view and study the exact secret cativities of the chief manipulators, Boom Boom and Lady Marmalade. I don’t care if Ollie has taken a liking to her, but she needs to know her place!

When off-duty I found time for plenty of relaxation and recreational cativities too. Don’t underestimate the feel-good benefits of unwinding with some Actinidia vine sticks or your greens of choice. I like these cat vine sticks but I’m still a catnip kind of guy and I look forward to our October Catnip Fest! Ah, see, I just convinced myself of a reason to look forward to Fall. #positivethoughts

Summer was fruitful!

Late summer and the kiwi berries were ready for harvesting from the Actinidia Kolomikta vine. The Lady Cat is very pleased and has a small bucket of fruit ripening in the fridge. She gets something to throw into her smoothies and we get to rub on the twigs and leaves and sleep in its shade. #happykitties

In the same way that I try to protect the Chirpy Cats Lair from attack, I’d like to think that I had a hand, or rather, a paw in protecting the vine and her fruits from attack from insects. When the catnip tunnel is being guarded by a certain capri pants Sly Pie, I climb up and snooze in the vine tunnel. my favorite place for an afternoon getaway.

And after these long sojourns in the tunnel, one tends to emerge feeling quite rejuvenated and ready to tackle a hearty meal at suppertime. On a few occasions, humans have failed in delivering on time. I have no qualms about begging for my supper and so I would call loudly in my signature siren meow and sing the suppertime blues.

And while I may wail away in seeming discontent, I get the warm fuzzies when I realize that we don’t have to worry about the humans’ affections for the ‘intruder’ cats. After all, this is our forever home. And if you really want to hear the Lady Cat singing her silly song about stray cats and forever homes, watch the video below.

I might not have her all to myself, but who else is going to keep her bare feet warm in winter with the softest grey fur for miles? Me and only me!

So tell me furiends, how did you spend your summer and what do you have planned for Fall? I hope that whatever it was, it brought you peace, rejuvenation, and gratitude. As for me, Mr. Jack, I hope to make the most of the last warm days out in the catio before the snow sets in.

But before then, there might be some fun to be had at the spooky-licious grass salad bar for Halloween or perhaps some festive fun at the watering hole! I don’t know what she has planned next, but can’t guarantee it won’t be another lullaby!