The Bounty of Christmas

I was fortunate enough to receive a number of gifts this Christmas, all of which are greatly appreciated. I thought I’d show two of them here, since they are cat-related.

The first is a set of steps. I had mentioned to friends that Josie was having trouble getting up onto the bed at times. This may be because of her weight or it may be due to laziness. Unlike the other cats who jump up on to the bed, she does not land rear feet first. She throws herself upwards then seizes whatever she can (ie. blankets, sheets) with her forefeet’s claws. This is inconvenient for her and costly for me. So a short flight of steps were made for me.

They are hand-made, varnished and have little felt pads on the bottom to protect the hardwood floors. The structure is heavy enough not to move whenever weight is put on them but light enough to be easily portable. This is a simple yet excellent present, which must have required not a little time in the making.

Josie has tried the steps and know how they work. Cats are naturally conservative creatures, though, and she will no doubt continue to jump up the side of the bed for a while. But I show her the steps as a reminder now and then, and she will start to use them when she realises that they provide easier access than leaping, an activity for which she is not really built any more.

Another gift was a sort of tapestry, featuring a cat asleep on a bookshelf. This item is not made for covering a floor; my cats’ clawed feet would see to its demise soon enough, but as a wall-hanging or a covering for the back of the couch, it is most attractive. Books and cats seem to dominate my life, so the subject is appropriate.

Though the principal colour, or perhaps I should write, background colour, is black, the tapestry is quite vibrant, and the details come out well in these photographs. The books depicted all have cat-related titles.

Christmas was a very pleasant time for me this year, and not just due to these and other generous gifts. Though sick (rather violently) the Friday before Christmas Day, I had recovered completely by the time the big day itself arrived. I suffered a complete loss of appetite which, for someone who enjoys eating as I do, was a disaster. I was, however, hungry by Christmas dinner. The cats shared a little of my turkey, except for Renn, who has an aversion to human food of any kind. This is a contrast to Tucker, who eats almost anything.

I hope everyone’s New Year’s Eve is enjoyable and safe, and the new year itself begins - and ends - happily.