Learning Resilience from our Pets

Max’s Story of Resilience

About a month ago, I was able (mostly because he allowed it) to catch my outside cat, Max and get him medical attention for an infected wound he received courtesy of the neighborhood bully, I’ve re-named “Mr. A-hole”. Let me preface this by saying, to the best of my knowledge, Max spent his first 8 or so years living outside. He came to me at about 1 1/2 after making his home on the patio of a family who adored him, but were all deathly allergic. On a rainy day in December, he learned what it was like to have a space completely sheltered from the rain, when he joined my garage cats, Cinders and Hailey.

Though Hailey disappeared a few years later, he and Cinders shared as close a bond as two cats can share until she passed at the ripe, old age of 16 last summer. By then, I’d taken in a cantankerous little fluffball I renamed Sable as I wanted something that sounded less aggressive than her given name, Panther. Over time, Sable came to tolerate Max, mostly because he has never had an interest in being the alpha cat. If he had, the neighborhood bully might have been the one nursing infected wounds instead of him.

Long story short, after 2 weeks inside, wearing the cone of shame until the wounds completely healed so he couldn’t lick them open again, I held my breath while he and my inside cats grew accustomed to more than the quick, before-breakfast visits they’d been sharing. It soon became clear he was quite happy becoming an inside cat, to the point where he’d run the other way if I opened a door. Though I still worried he might change his mind when the weather improved, and despite the fact he’d carved out his own space on my bed at night, I was grateful for the choice he’d made because it meant he’d no longer have to fight off Mr. A-hole.

Seeing Change as Just Another Mouse to Stalk

Little did I know, the best was yet to come. While watching TV with Scrappy Doo claiming his spot between my legs, Ishy on the back of the sofa, and Lazarus and Artemis checking in from time to time (Pyewacket prefers the floor most of the time), Max jumped up on the sofa beside me. I thought nothing of it, as he’s been claiming his spot on the sofa or love seat for a couple of weeks now.

To my surprise, he climbed on the pillow I rest my left arm on…and kept going until his massive, ginger body was snuggled deep into my lap! Though he changed positions a few times, he remained on my lap for over an hour before getting up and moving to the floor, probably because he knows from sharing my bed, I get up to use the bathroom rather frequently.

My gentle giant, aka MaxiCat has had no trouble making the transition from free-roaming garage cat to confined, but pampered house cat. Though I still have to move somewhat slowly to avoid spooking him after years spent having to watch his back out in the wild and woolly world, he’s made the transition seamlessly, and above all, stress-free.

Learning to Better Navigate Change

Meanwhile, we humans tend to experience stress with every change we navigate; often going into new spaces, jobs, and adventures kicking and screaming. Unlike Max, and so many other animals, we fail to understand the best way to navigate change is to go with the flow, expecting everything to turn out better than it was before.

I know my world; our world will change dramatically sooner, rather than later. I’m going to do my best to take a page out of Max’s book. I may not like what I see immediately before me, but rather then stress myself out about it, I’ll maintain the expectation and belief whatever’s coming, no matter how bleak and scary it might look right now, is going to be a step in a much better direction. I’m going to trust the Universe has a few aces up its sleeve it will play when the time is right.

It doesn’t mean I won’t be tuning my TV to the NatGeo channel on January 20th, but that’s a story for a different time, a different place, and a different day.

Grateful for the Examples My Cats Set

My gratitudes today are:

1. I’m grateful for Max’s easy transition to being a house cat instead of a garage cat.
2. I’m grateful for the examples my animals set, knowing they are, in most cases, wiser than humans.
3. I’m grateful for a plethora of non-news stations on my streaming services.
4. I’m grateful for sparks of hope, and trust in the Universe. Even on the darkest of nights, there’s a glimmer of light somewhere.
5. I’m grateful for my Sundays with the rescue kitties, even if many were not accessible until they’ve been fully cleared by the vet. Next week, there should be at least 3 kittens, if not 5 kittens and a mama cat to help socialize.

About the Author

Sheri Conaway is a Holistic Ghostwriter, and an advocate for cats and mental health. Sheri believes in the Laws of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful.

One Intention for 2025: Be More Like Max

Finding Intention By Way of the Cat

When I was finally able to corral Max and take him to the vet for his latest wounds which didn’t seem to be healing, my biggest concern, after his recovery, of course, was how to keep him from getting injured again. The local bully I’ve named “Mr. Grey” seems to have a single goal in mind: to get Max out of his way so he can move into his territory. This wasn’t the first time he’d left Max all bloody and battered, but it was the first time the wounds weren’t healing.

As it turns out, I needn’t have worried. When I first released him from his private hospital room (aka my guest room) still wearing the cone of shame, he wandered timidly around the house, finally settling on the love seat where he could spread himself across its entirety in regal comfort. From there, he watched the other cats perform their daily rituals from a safe distance.

As time went on, he ventured further afield, even sleeping on my bed for a couple of nights before returning to his haven. Then came the days when he’d wander around yowling, leaving me wondering if he was ready to return to the wild. But when I’d open a door, hoping against hope it wasn’t what he wanted, he’d either turn his back or run the other way.

Following Max’s Wise Example

Now that we’ve ascertained he’s decided against returning to the world of a barn cat, he’s solidifying his decision by investigating all the warm, soft, comfy spots in my house. His return to my bed at night led to showing a preference for my body pillow, especially when covered with a fleece blanket. Small wonder he now cranks his warm, deep, lovely purr up to full volume every time I come near him, and leans into every pet as if the touch of my hand is pure ecstasy.

What I’m leading up to in my usual, long-winded way is, I’m setting an intention to be more like Max; finding pleasure in the simple things like a soft pillow, a warm blanket, and simple, uncomplicated love, and most of all, adapting when his world went completely sideways. My warm, wonderful, adoring ginger has made me see what I’ve been missing in his own, unique way; it’s not about having a horde of adoring fans (not that I aspired to anyway), or a posse I called upon every week to entertain, amuse, and support me. Instead, it’s about finding my own comfort; my own safe spot; my own self-love, and allowing the rest of the world to go on around me, interacting when, and if it felt right on both sides.

Comfort in Being Alone

Despite my moments of blindness, I’ve never been alone. There have always been a couple of people who touch base, even if it’s just a text to let me know they’re there when I need them, and I’m never physically alone because my cats are always in attendance. No matter which room I’m in, or what I might be doing, there are at least a couple of them hanging out, or checking in; climbing into my lap, or shoving their noses into my hand for a pet.

Some might see this as a sad, lonely existence, but the truth is, I have never needed or wanted a lot of people in my life. Too many people means too many expectations, and too little opportunity to be my own, quirky, complicated self. It means I fall into the trap of trying to fit in where I don’t belong in the first place beyond the surface level of shared experiences, and common location. It means I forget it’s OK to be alone in a crowd some of the time.

2025 will be my year of learning to find comfort in being alone; in having a minimal social life at times; in spreading my wings and trying new things; in letting my world change as much as it needs to, and adapting to those changes joyfully; and most of all, in re-discovering the passion I’ve lost lately for simply moving wherever the music takes me.

Grateful for Examples, Wherever They Come From

My gratitudes today are:

1. I’m grateful for Max who not only stopped me from worrying by becoming comfortable as an indoor cat, but is showing me the simpler things in life.
2. I’m grateful for the friends who have been there for me all along.
3. I’m grateful for being able to give myself time to find the happy place I lost last year.
4. I’m grateful for returning to simplicity in a life which became too complicated for my taste.
5. I’m grateful for being OK with being a loner when the crowd I’m in isn’t a good fit.

About the Author

Sheri Conaway is a Holistic Ghostwriter, and an advocate for cats and mental health. Sheri believes in the Laws of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful and help entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income.

A Week for Shifting Gears

Throwing Regular Schedules Out the Window

The last week has been so upside down and backwards, I honestly have to stop, think, and look at a calendar to even know what day it is! The last time I danced was Saturday. The last time I took a ballet class was…I’m not even sure. I even missed my weekly training session, but rescheduled it for Monday along with my nail appointment. And Thursday’s walk didn’t happen because I was both exhausted and out of it after being up almost all night with Max at the vet.

To say the week went sideways is an understatement, but with Max ensconced in my guest room and on the mend, things are beginning to level out again. I always knew he was exceptionally smart, even for a cat, but who knew he’d adapt so well to confinement, or become as demanding, if not more so than any of my inside cats? Who knew he’d understand, despite the discomfort and unfamiliar territory I was trying to help him heal?

I brought one of his blankets in from the garage, and he was quite happy to make that his nest, at least until he discovered the bed. Any time I go into his room to check on him or feed him, he turns that wonderful, deep purr of his up full blast, and won’t let me leave until I’ve given him a few minutes of skritches, especially around his neck and face where the evil cone-of-shame rests. I know he’s trying to tell me to remove the evil thing, but excessive washing are what caused the wound to get infected so he’ll have to put up with it for a few days until I can see obvious improvement. He’s especially annoyed he can’t wash his tush. Perhaps I’ll have to help him with that area, as he’s doing a bang up job of filling his sandbox!

An Old Cat Learns New Tricks

Meanwhile, he gets to spend these increasingly cold nights in a heated room with all the conveniences close at hand. Not a bad life for a cat, even one used to roaming a 4-house radius hunting for gophers, rats, mice, and the occasional bunny. He’s even spared the clumsy, messy racoon visitations. One day, when he was having trouble settling down, much less, allowing me to leave, I took one of the many naps I’ve been needing on the guest room bed. He settled down on his blanket almost immediately.

For a cat I might often not see between breakfast and dinner, he’s taken a sudden liking to near-constant company! As for Sable, she doesn’t seem any the worse for wear being left alone outside right now. She follows her usual routine; meowing at the door for breakfast, wandering for a bit, then coming back to spend the day either on top of the ladder, or on the stack of cat litter bins. She, too, is up for a few skritches any time they’re offered.

Down Time to Allow Life to Shift Gears

Needless to say, I’m trying to fit work and writing in between going from room to room paying attention to cats (Mulan still occupies the den, and meows pitifully several times a day though she still refuses to emerge from her haven). At night, I now have at least 2 sleeping on top of me (3 if you count Pyewacket on my head), and as I’m watching a lot of Hallmark movies right now, am rarely without a furry blanket.

While this deviates from my normal schedule, I can’t say it’s a bad thing. Perhaps I, too just needed some down time to snuggle with the kitties, focus on keeping a temporary invalid safe, warm, and medicated, and doing nothing more strenuous than taking my daily walks. I’ll return to my regularly scheduled activities, and create one for my on-demand ballet classes in due time.

Perhaps this is just the healing time I needed after a year when the world as I knew it went up in flames. As the fires burn themselves out, I’ll be able to sweep away the ashes, and rebuild on a firmer, more loving, more supportive foundation. Maybe topsy-turvy was exactly what I needed!

Grateful for Building a New Normal

My gratitudes today are:

1. I’m grateful for upheavals which clear my slate.
2. I’m grateful for Max’s unexpected adjustment to confinement while he heals.
3. I’m grateful for an abundance of kitty cuddles. There, at least, I know I’m always supported.
4. I’m grateful for a quiet holiday season with no expectations on my side, or anyone else’s.
5. I’m grateful for another chance to reassess, and rebuild.

About the Author

Sheri Conaway is a Holistic Ghostwriter, and an advocate for cats and mental health. Sheri believes in the Laws of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful and help entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income.

A Day Filled With Surprises

Never a Dull Moment

I’d like to say today has already been beyond ordinary, but frankly, ordinary days are the exception, not the rule nowadays. But this one certainly raises the bar for unusual. As it’s Saturday, I thought I might sleep in for a bit, and actually did…kind of. The cats seem to know when it’s getting close to 8, and become rambunctious, if only to start demanding attention.

Artemis held pride of place on top of me while Pyewacket claimed his own, special spot on my pillow where he rubbed his furry face against my head until I got the message he needed skritches NOW! While Scrappy Doo and Ishtar did a remarkable job of feigning patience, Lazarus saw no need to pretend and began his morning “where’s my breakfast?” song, loudly, and proudly. Unfortunately for Laz, Artemis and Pye won this time, and got to cuddle for another hour or so.

Laz was truly long-suffering this morning, as another breakfast delay came in the form of Sacajewea who decided she absolutely had to be inside the house, under the guest room bed today. No amount of hissing, or noses in her face would remove her until I brought out the big guns. Putting the Roomba in the guest room, I turned it on, and waited until it made its way under the bed and flushed out the stubborn, little explorer so I could take her back to the garage, growling and hissing…at least until she realized breakfast was imminent. She’s a sucker for a bowl of wet food!

More Gifts

Peace reigned while I enjoyed my breakfast and coffee, and put a bunch of pings on hold until I was properly caffeinated. Only then would I put on my Consultant hat and deal with client issues which couldn’t wait until Monday, even if I had the extra time to give when what I already know will be a crazy day rolls around.

I made the mistake of stepping outside to check on Cinders and Max, who were more than happy for the attention, by the way. That part was no mistake, and has become a habit lately. While administering the requisite amount of chin and cheek skritches, I noticed what appeared to be a corpse on the front lawn. At first glance, I thought it was avian in nature, but quickly realized my mistake (birds don’t have long, skinny tails), identifying it as yet another rodent. Again, I questioned whether or not Max was the gift-giver, as he typically plates his catches and leaves them near the kitchen door in the garage.

And This Week’s Hunter is….

Yet he has been acting out of character a lot lately. The first of his recent presents was carelessly tossed next to the compressor. The second, he carried around in his mouth until I acknowledged his hunting prowess, and admitted my mistake in not crediting him in the first place. So it’s not a stretch to assume the latest, though left outside to be cleansed by the rain, is his doing as well. Either the rat population is growing lately, or he’s traveling farther afield to keep the neighborhood safe from ratkind.

I do wonder if Sable has started hunting too, though, and simply consumes her catches, or leaves them where I’ll never find them. Although she may have spent a large part of her life inside a sheltered space, I have no doubt she was foraging for food before she was trapped, and allowed to give birth to her two daughters in warmth and safety. As she’s not inclined to do more than watch me from a safe distance (which grows shorter over time), sharing her catch is much too personal right now.

At least I got the drama and craziness meter filled early in the day. I’m looking for a little peace and quiet after my walk this afternoon, but know the Murphys are stalking me this weekend, so I’ll keep my guard up for a couple more days. In short, I’ll expect the unexpected, and not be too surprised by whatever form it takes.

A Healthy Dose of Gratitude

My gratitudes today are:

1. I’m grateful for cats who hunt down the rodents rather than letting them re-occupy my garage and homestead.
2. I’m grateful for Saki’s easy acceptance of me and my household, in hopes she’ll be able to show her mama we mean her no harm.
3. I’m grateful for the Roomba when there’s a cat under a bed who needs to come out.
4. I’m grateful for daily walks to keep me moving, my daily steps up over 10,000 most days, and my stress level in the manageable range.
5. I’m grateful for waking every morning to snuggly cats.

About the Author

Sheri Conaway is a Holistic Ghostwriter, and an advocate for cats and mental health. Sheri believes in the Laws of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful and help entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income.