cats – Page 11 – Jennifer's Journal

Guest Post: Vivian’s View From Here

Published on September 10, 2012November 21, 2023 by J. Kelland Perry15 Comments

I am happy to introduce a guest blogger on Jennifer’s Journal this week. Please welcome Vivian K. Perry, a very dear friend of mine who also happens to be, um, feline.

Greetings, humans! I am thrilled to be given this opportunity today on WordPress to share some photos, and a few things about myself.

To be honest, I think Jennifer is allowing me to host today to make up for shrieking at me last week, when I brought a mouse in the house. It was a gift, after all, so instead of screaming bloody (mousey) murder, shouldn’t she have been grateful to receive a trophy of my hunting prowess? Especially since I brought it home to her, and dropped it in the hallway – STILL ALIVE? You try to do something nice, but you are only misunderstood…

Actually, I enjoy a lovely life here with Jennifer, her husband, and my sister and womb-mate, Maisie.

Up until two summers ago, we all lived in the city. It was okay, but my sister and I were not allowed outside by ourselves because of all the traffic in our neighbourhood, and the danger to us that it entailed. So when we moved to the country, imagine our delight to be free to explore the great outdoors!

We can now come and go as we please, chase birds, butterflies and rodents, and savour the lifestyle we had only dreamed about in our former life.

Just last month, Maisie and I celebrated our fifth birthday. Here is what we looked like when we were adopted from the SPCA:

Even though we are sisters, Maisie and I are different in many ways. (Some people don’t know that kittens from the same litter can have different fathers; did you? I think that is what happened with us.) Maisie is smaller, and very much on the quiet side…

…while I am larger, quite vocal and in-your-face.

I am truly a Social Animal who adores human relationships and have been known to be exceedingly dog-like. I’ll follow you, talk to you, keep you company, sleep with you, and never, ever let you get lonely.

In fact, the other day, I went next door to visit our neighbour Ben. I simply walked in, meowed at everyone, ventured upstairs, and enjoyed a nap on his bed. No invitation necessary!

Many people think that a cat is a cat is a cat. But I’m here today to dispel that assumption. I am not aloof. I don’t scratch, bite or hiss at people. I can be very friendly with just about anyone.

And even though I do catch mice, and perhaps meow a little too loudly, I am as loyal and loving as any dog.

Just ask Jennifer.

* This blog post was since selected for publication in BBooks – Blog Books, an online magazine!

In Protest

Published on August 20, 2012June 20, 2018 by J. Kelland Perry11 Comments

I join lemony squeezes in her protest. Animal cruelty cannot be tolerated. ~ Jennifer’s Journal

Are You an “Animal Racist”?

Published on August 10, 2012January 17, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry11 Comments

Disclaimer: the following rant is in no way intended to minimize or satirize the very serious issue of racism in our world today. It was conceived with tongue firmly in cheek and for entertainment purposes only… sort of.

Are you tired of hearing countless dog lovers dissing cats as a matter of course? Have you grown weary, as I have, of people professing to be proud animal owners, and yet they sh*t on the existence of my beloved pets? I swear, if I hear one more dog owner claiming that dogs are the superior pet, I’m going to start the meanest cat-fight you have ever witnessed.

Don’t get me wrong. I love dogs. I adore dogs. I have owned dogs myself in the past, but right now my life is more suited for the feline variety of pets, due in part to their low maintenance, but also because of the compatibility of our personalities. We are quiet, for the most part, and slightly aloof. We are independent. We keep ourselves clean. And we love each other unconditionally, and pine for each other when we’re apart. ( But I’m getting off track here with my cat love. I am head over heels about horses too, but can in no way accommodate one in my life at this time either.)

Even media personalities are hopping on the “dogs and dog-people are best” bandwagon, spouting their prejudices like it’s something to be proud of. But folks, just because your opinion is popular doesn’t make it right. It makes you sound like you have succumbed to a form of speciesism. Besides, you hardly ever hear cat owners/lovers badmouthing dogs, the way so many dog owners/lovers badmouth cats.

Where is the tolerance? What happened to the idea of Live and Let Live? Can we not embrace all animals for their individuality and wonderfulness? I’ll even go out on a limb here and say it is comparable to the ignorance of a person saying he loves mankind, but in no way can he tolerate foreigners. It just doesn’t make any sense, like so many other kinds of prejudice ( and don’t get me started on that).

Can we not all embrace each other for our differences and uniqueness, and just get along?

Cats on Ice: Exploring Spring Thaw in Iceberg Alley

Published on April 18, 2012August 23, 2014 by J. Kelland Perry20 Comments

Here are some scenes I captured a couple of weeks ago when our backyard bay was full of ice and “bergy bits”. Maisie and Vivian, being the naturally curious creatures they are, simply had to take a closer look. On tentative paws and their noses in the air, smelling the invigorating ocean breeze, they took me along…