by Smudge-the-cat
Hi there. It’s me, Smudge. If you don’t recall reading about me previously, please check out my Expatriate Cat story.
I am back with an update on my life since Anne, Rick and I retired to Grand Cayman Island. And part of the reason is that I am now “Sweet Sixteen” and also about to celebrate an additional 16th year milestone in my life.
Rick and Anne adopted me from the Riverside Animal Shelter in California on October 15, 2007 – almost 16 years ago.
So now it is just days short of my 16th Anniversary of us becoming a threesome when I was only 8 weeks of age – and now celebrating retirement together. I thought it best to celebrate by sharing a written and photographic documentary (documented by Anne, my editor, with photos contributed by Rick who I most dearly adore) of my daily life since settling into our Caribbean Condo on Grand Cayman.
5:00 am: The sun will be rising soon. I am a “Night Owl’ so I have been up all night indoors staring out into the clear, uncluttered skies filled with the stars and the moon. Anne will be up shortly and we will both go out on the balcony looking east to the stunning morning sky.
5:15 am: So strange. I am wide awake. However, Anne is stumbling around the house in a trance. She seems to do better when she turns on more lights — particularly more so May to July when the sun wakes her up rather than an alarm. Humans are so weird . . .
5:30 am: Oh goody! Anne opens the door to the balcony, so we can both go outside and ”treasure the moon and the stars just as they precede the sunrise”. Time for Breakfast on my Balcony! My first meal of the day is pate´ — a carefully measured and proportioned blend of Fancy Feast Pate (only the Fish flavors are acceptable) on top of Libby’s Pumpkin Puree (the latter because at 16 years, I need a little help resolving constipation).
8:45 am: I have been wandering in and outside since Breakfast plus enjoyed a brief nap. Time for Brunch! A second serving of pate´. However, at this time. I prefer to dine inside looking out.
10am: Time for serious indoor napping options. There are the two Kent Chairs that make nice napping locations
Or maybe I’ll choose one of my many Donut Fluffy beds scattered around the Condo.
Or if I want to really hang out the “Do not Disturb Sign,” I take a nap in my hide away corner behind the couch.
11:30am – 2pm: As much as I may want to nap all day, Rick and Anne impose their active life style on me as well. Sometime during the day, I am either picked up for a vigorous outdoor grooming followed by a harness free supervised walk back into my condo.
Or they put me in my harness and take me for a brief walk in the condo’s waterside garden common areas.
To be honest, I can never decide where I want to be when. Sometimes I prefer to be on the inside looking out.
Sometimes I prefer to be on the outside looking in.
2-5pm: That said, I generally “sack out” for an afternoon balcony nap.
I always crave interaction with Rick, because he provides particularly exceptional tail stretches which are my equivalent of physical therapy.
6pm: While Rick and Anne enjoy dinner, I generally have some early evening “kitty crunchies” on my balcony overlooking the canal as the sunsets.
The balcony is where I really like to hang out in the evenings — the moon and the stars are so amazing! 10pm: Anne is already asleep. Rick wants to go to sleep. He announces that I MUST come in. I protest.
I’m not happy about it. However, tomorrow the sun will rise again and it will be another day in Caribbean Paradise for all three of us.
