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Jasmine, Ivan & Cat Toys

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This is a hard post to write, and I put it off for -what, three months?

On Christmas Eve morning, my 16-year-old Siamese cat Jasmine passed away peacefully sleeping on my lap.  It was a frigid cold morning, but the sun was shining. As I looked out the vet’s office window, I envisioned a delighted kitty romping through the rural setting. Miss Jasmine K. Kitty loved boxes and baskets, lap time, getting scratched and brushed, catching butterflies, and chatting like all Siamese are inclined to do. She also enjoyed the occasionally nibble of dark chocolate, so I’m sure she was a gourmand in a past life. She always meticulously groomed, so I’m also positive that the gourmand was a fashionista, too. She was greatly loved, and is missed in this home.

So now, this house is me and the 20-pound grey kitty named Ivan who has been in my life and home for about 13 years.  Because this was an adjustment for both of us, Ivan got some new toys from Mouthfuls.Net. This Denver pet store has some of the most adorable kitty toys ever and they ship nationwide. More importantly, in this house, they’re tried, true, and totally beloved by Ivan.

First I grabbed the 12″ Catnip Tackle Bag stuffed with fresh catnip. Just watch the video for 30 seconds of pure kitty delight.

I also picked up a dozen furry mice. In the past I’ve gotten the Three Bathed Mice.,Ivan loves to stalk these – and then bring me a present of the ‘dead’ mouse. I’ve found I can take the furry mice and bath them in any catnip and he’ll stalk with pleasure.

We’ve adjusted into a daily routine. He makes sure I’m out of bed at about the same time every day and accompanies me throughout my morning routine – including watching as I shower. I’m pretty sure he’s simply fascinated with the flowing water. He watches out the window as I drive away to work. And when I come home? He’s at the door waiting for me… Err, he’s actually waiting for his daily can of wet food, but I like to think he’s waiting for me and only me. He sits on my lap through TV shows, and often sleeps right on the bed with me through much of the night. And if I’m in the kitchen, Ivan likes to be there to ‘help.’ Pretty sure he was a chef in a past life because he always has a comment or two or three or four to add while I’m cooking.

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Breathing with Pets

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I totally  hit a blogging wall over the weekend, and just couldn’t sit down and write something out. And yet, we all need to take breaks, especially if you’re developing a new skill.

Since May I’ve been using Duolingo to learn a little Spanish for an upcoming trip to Peru; it’s a free app that is fun and pretty easy to work with.  I tend to study in bursts of intensity followed by a period of total indifference. Do you do that when you’re learning a new skill?

All that to say, it’s OK to take time off. I plowed into 31 days of Meditation and Mindfulness with nothing more than a handwritten page of vague thoughts. And I have to say that I’m darned proud to have published something nearly every day in October. And this weekend I worked on other stuff:

  • I mowed the yard, blew leaves around, planted some things, pulled up some weeds in the garden.
  • I bought more cute clothes and stuff from Moxie.
  • Also got a few things for that upcoming trip.
  • I unsubscribed from Graze, Wantable, and KitNipBox; loved all of them, but it was definitely time to let them go.
  • I worked on a blog post for November – something definitely not about meditation or mindfulness!

And maybe more importantly, I sat quietly with two kitties purring kitties. One was on my lap, the other sitting as close as possible. Then they’d change positions.

Here’s a simple breathing technique to try with your pet. Writer Amber Polo recommends trying the technique with a dog, but I bet it would work with any pet. Or any human.

*For a full list of associated meditation and mindfulness posts, click here.

(This post contains affiliate or referral links. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.)