Dear Readers, I allowed myself a whole half hour in the garden before the third part of my Zoom Away Day today. What a pleasure it was to see a Big Cat drinking from the pond! I have written about Bailey before – he is a magnificent creature who lives a few houses up the road from me. This year he will be eighteen years old and so he is a little slower and more arthritic than he was when we first moved in, but he is still a Very Fine Cat Indeed.
Bailey has previously drunk water in our kitchen direct from the tap, but today he seemed in the mood for something more ‘natural’. I suspect he is getting a bit deaf, because he didn’t turn a whisker when I crouched down to take his portrait. Or maybe he just doesn’t care. He has always been a most implacable cat, who knows exactly what he wants and where he’s going, regardless of other cats or humans.
He still has the world’s loudest miaow, and after a drink he made it very clear what he wanted.
Sadly, i have a very nervous little cat of my own these days, and so Bailey is no longer allowed in the house. He used to wander in and sit in the armchair for hours. Today, he just looked a little put out, and went to a sunny corner of the garden for a doze.
It is always sad when we see those we love, human or animal, becoming slower and older, but there is a kind of beauty to it too. There is something dignified and thoughtful about this cat, and we could learn much from his calm demeanour and direct but gentle ways. There is no doubt that he is in the autumn of his years, but he is still undeniably himself, a cat with his own way of doing things and no desire to change. I wish for all of us such a peaceful twilight.
Bailey looks like a marvellous cat and has done well to get so old. Our cats have lived to such a ripe age – one reached twenty before falling into the deepest of sleeps.
I sometimes wonder why cats seem to live so much longer than dogs? I can understand that some pedigree dogs have been overbred and have shorter lives, but even most ‘mutts’ seem to top out at about fourteen, whereas I know lots of cats that have lived into their twenties…
I hope my King of Cats, Orlando, lives to such an age! He’s also quite implacable and calm.
I do too, sllgatsby! I think being phlegmatic really helps cats to live longer. Stress is definitely a bad thing for everyone.
What wonderful cat! I hope he’ll be able to carry on enjoying life for a good while yet. I love the photo of him waiting by your door – it’s a shame you can’t let him in, although I understand you have to think about your own cat, who I hope is also thriving.
She is, Liz – see tomorrow’s post 🙂
Bailey is definitely a beauty.
Pingback: A New(ish) Cat and the Joy of Shieldbugs | Bug Woman – Adventures in London