Day in the Life of a Blind Cat – Finding Joy in each Moment

Live each day to the fullest. Find joy in the simple things. And every other vapid cliche you can think of.

I suppose they’re true, though. Really, we all are built to adapt, to get acclimated to any situation. When I was tiny Mom used to keep me in the bathroom when she was gone to keep the canines from mistaking me for a squeaky toy (really, dogs?!). All I dreamed about was one day being free to roam the house. Now that I’ve reached that important milestone, I don’t even think about it anymore. It’s just life.

So that got my Pebbles brain working. What do I do every day, even in the little routines I take for granted, that brings me joy? And how can I even recognize it when it’s there? Well, I guess today’s post will be sort of a travelogue. Then this is it: a day in the life of Pebbles the Blind Cat.

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3:42 a.m. – Time for Breakfast!

This morning Dad was at work, but Mom was off.  We usually eat at 3:08 in the morning when Mom gets up for work. Exactly 3:08. But we all know Mom likes to sleep in late when she’s off work. It’s annoying (hello! we get hungry!), but we are all patient with her human limitations, so we allow it. At 3:42 a.m. I decided my glucose was dipping into dangerously low values. I jumped on the bed to let her know it was “hungry kitty” time!

“Hungry Kitty Time” is always a delightful experience. Some humans like to leave food out at all times for their felines, but unfortunately, Mom has decided that somehow her medical training trumps what my stomach tells me. This is very disappointing, so you can imagine how famished we all are (canines and felines alike) by the time we get our food. I eagerly ate my carefully measured bowl and then ran to see if my siblings had left any bites behind. Disappointment today, but there’s always supper time.

After feeding us, Mom went about scooping and cleaning our toilets. She follows this routine every day, but if she’s even a few minutes late the canines will step in to assist the waste removal process. Of course, every feline is fully aware of what it means when a human is cleaning the litter box:

Best Part of the Day – Play Time:

After eating I’m sure you understand that I had to take a very short cat nap. Since Mom was home and promised to take me outside, I kept it to a very brief four hours. Upon awakening I discovered that a small, flying creature had entered my domain. I immediately took action to eradicate said creature quickly and efficiently with my feline warrior ninja skills. Fortunately, baby brother Milton was nearby. What a perfect opportunity to mentor my smaller sibling on appropriate stalking and hunting skills.

I listened carefully, ears erect and ready. Crouching low, I did not make a sound. As the flying creature buzzed low in the hallway I struck at the perfect moment. Success! With one pounce the invader was terminated…. and Milton missed the whole thing. Sigh. I suppose all felines are not cut out for life as a wild cat.

After my grand hunting adventure I thought it would be time to go outside, as I was promised. However, Mom felt that we needed a “photo shoot”. This was not just any photo shoot. She had gotten me a new Bear Costume. Now, don’t get me wrong, normally I enjoy exploring different identities. But this particular one gets a big, fat NOPE from me. I felt quite foolish. I’ll let you decide for yourself…

Finally We Can Play Outside

I sucked it up, endured the ridiculous outfit, just for this moment. It was finally time to go outside. When Mom gets in the drawer with my harness and leash I know what it means. I ran over and cried as she buckled me all together. It is a bit over the top and somewhat offensive, but ever since I chased the bug down the hill that time she won’t let me out without being all leashed up. I guess I’ll have to take what I can get.

It was a very windy day. I loved the sound of the wind and the trees. But the smells were so exciting! The main drawback was that I couldn’t find any bugs to play with. But the leaves were almost as much fun! As I carefully explored the wilderness, I encountered a few sharp and clearly dangerous flowering plants. Fortunately for Mom I was there to warn her of the imminent threats that lay ahead.

After some time of my vast explorations, there were some loud humming noises that promised certain death, and the neighbor dogs started to bark. So that was my cue to wrap it up and go back inside. Besides, by now it was getting dangerously close to “Hungry Kitty Time” again. So I did what I always do when it’s time to go inside. I climbed up Mom’s leg. For some reason she can be sensitive about this sometimes. But it’s not my fault that humans don’t always grasp the subtleties involved in feline communication.

If you would like to get a short glimpse of my outdoor adventure, you can watch a little clip of it here.

Final Thoughts – Then Time for Bed

Nothing phenomenal happened today. I didn’t win the all-you-can-eat TEMPTATIONS lottery, I didn’t get a new climbing tree, and I didn’t reach my goal of being awarded the Feline Queen Ruler title (yet). But it was a good day. I got to spend time with those that I loved, I got to eat and sleep and play. Even though nothing out of the ordinary happened, I am grateful for today. It reminded me that even though we can so easily become habituated to our daily routines, we created those routines. And at the end of the day it really is the “little things” that make us happy.

Okay, now I’m ready for bed. Allow me to climb into my favorite sleeping spot and get my much needed cat rest! Until next time – Keeping “Pebbles Strong” (thanks to my friend, Michelle for creating my perfect cat phrase!)