My Days With Ivy & Charlie

My days with Ivy and Charlie consist much of the time of me watching Charlie watching Ivy. He just can’t figure her out.

Charlie on couch

This is Ivy’s favorite toy right now. It is the zipped package her rabies tag came in. She took the rabies tag out, which I eventually found, but has punished this poor bag since last weekend.

Ivy’s Strange Ways:

She carries it around like a prize. She tosses it into the air. She falls to the floor and kicks it with her back feet.

Ivy playing on the floor in my days with Charlie and Ivy

Cats find the oddest things to play with. And usually they aren’t actually cat toys.

Ivy with paper in her mouth

This morning I put her toys in this red container. She immediately jumped in it.

Ivy in toy box in my days with charlie and ivy

Ivy tends to like to sleep on her back. I find her here and there, feet pushed against a surface, with her front paws crossed on her chest, sound asleep.

Here she is holding a toy and is staring at who knows what.

Ivy on her back asleep on the couch

Ivy is a funny bunny. Pulling down quilts. Testing me and almost every surface in this apartment.

Yesterday when I got home from my appointment I found little cat feet imprints on my bathroom vanity.

Ivy woke me up early this morning. She gets under the covers and pats at my face so I’ll pet her. She does this off and on during the night also.

Sometimes when I’m awake I’ll see her come up under the quilt from the floor. She looks like a mole shifting forward beneath the dirt.

Ivy Likes To Look Outdoors:

Ivy stares outside a lot. I’ll see her tense and know she sees a bird or bug or something moving. She’s doing that right now and Charlie has caught on and is right there next to her, their heads inches apart, staring at whatever it is they see.

I wonder why some people live alone and choose not to have a pet. They are missing so, so much. Daily entertainment and lots of love.

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40 Comments

  1. I love seeing the pics of Ivy and she is so fun! I agree – I would rather live with pets than ppl any day! I have been pet-sitting last week. best week of my life in years!

  2. I look forward everyday to reading about Charlie and Ivy. Your pictures are adorable. My Hayley sleeps on her back all the time. When I get home from work, she will greet me at the door then roll over and wants her belly rubbed.
    When we had cats they would love to play in paper sacks or small boxes and chase paper balls.
    Have a peaceful night
    Marilynn and Hayley

  3. Air conditioner cover and all the other stuff mentioned like the roping will help on your utility bills so much !
    Give Ivy a empty toilet tissue holder my cat plays with them for hours he loves them ,can roll them on the floor gives them hours of enjoyment .
    Ivy is a doll full of energy !So happy you got her .
    Keep us posted on MRI results .
    Love your posts !

  4. AMEN! to your reflection on why people who live alone won’t adopt a pet. I’ve known these types over the years…whine, whine, whine…”I’m soooo lonely!” So you suggest they adopt a cat and they look horrified! “OMG! It’ll shed all over my furniture!” And I think (but someday I may actually say) “Well then go ahead and enjoy your loneliness you selfish old fuss budget!”
    LOL I am SO enjoying the antics of Ivy and Charlie! That little plastic bag – omg – how cute can you get? Mine have done the same with elastic hair ties, bread loaf twisties, and milk bottle caps. An occasional sweep beneath furniture and appliances will yield a treasure trove of cat saliva saturated toys and miscellaneous household gee gaws! You’ll be AMAZED!
    I love you, Brenda!

  5. If you don’t want Ivy jumping on your vanity, then just close the bathroom door. I think that would be the best solution for you. It’s fun watching them from your pictures!

  6. Patrice had a lot of great ideas for you to stop leaks. I would use them all. That spray she mentions is like magic; it comes out looking like a squeeze of toothpaste, then very QUICKLY! it starts to spread to fill the cracks and air-leaking spaces. Please try a little of it first for a test so you will know how a LITTLE spreads into a LOT so quickly….

    1. yes I agree! I put some around a window last year and i guess i over did it because it expanded and now the window is difficult to open and close. I would suggested the putty type rope caulking which i did to my other windows.

  7. Brenda,

    I wonder if Ivy will ever let you sleep through the night :). She is too cute and you know how precious I think Charlie is.

    Susan

  8. Cut a hole in the corner of the paper sack, Ivy will love putting her paw out of it from inside. She will stay entertained for hours.

  9. Putting wide masking tape turned sticky side up works for my cats. They hate when their paws get stuck. I’ve even had to put it across a planter that had a plant in it with room enough for them to get in it ~ to pee on the dirt. Lost a large majesty fern before I figured that one out. (Now I use planters just big enough for the plant.)
    This works even when you remove the tape, in my experience. I’ve had many cats, & they get the hint really quick. They don’t return to the scene of the sticky.
    Walmart sells a line of weather stuff by “Duck”, the tape company. I’ve used a lot of theirs. Now I need to get a window a/c unit cover. I waited too long last year & they sold out. Just stopped running the a/c a week ago. That’s normal in N. Texas. Had to use a space heater in my room last night. Today a thin blanket will go on the bed. That’s also normal here. From hot to cold. Then hot some more. Can’t be predicted when to switch seasons in my small closets.

  11. What a little entertainer!!!!! And such interesting markings on her back. She has brought delight to all of us, Brenda.
    Thanks for sharing.

    2. Yes, she has! Looking up the latest Charlie and Ivy photos and stories has become my newest hobby. Thanks so much for sharing! ?

  12. Love the antics of Ivy! I have a 7 year old Siamese (along with 2 dogs) and they are so much fun. Mine sleeps by me on my pillow and when he hears my alarm, he nudges my face to wake me up. He only drinks out of the faucets too. I can’t imagine life without my fur babies. I’m glad you and Charlie have a new companion. I know she doesn’t take the place of your sweet Abi.

  13. What a personality little Ivy has. Love that picture of her in her back. I know how much fun you are having with her as our kitten is pretty rambunctious too. He likes to stalk and follow us.

  14. Get a brown paper sack for Ivy. One that is big enough for her to get inside. Lay it on the floor and sit back and watch her antics.

  15. I’m with the other reader, please be careful with the plastic as you don’t want Ivy to swallow it and have emergency surgery. Fall and Spring are my favorite seasons as well; I just love the colors of both seasons. It’s to be in the high 40’s tonight, I love it. I’m with you on having a four legged in your home, they make us laugh and entertain us beyond words. I will always have a fur baby in my home. I’m on vacation tomorrow doing some yard work as it is suppose to be a beautiful, autumn day, so enjoy your weekend. Have fun with Charlie and Ivy!
    Carol and Molly
    xoxoxo

  16. Brenda there is also a product called “rope caulk” that you can apply yourself easily in all the gaps around your windows. It is a pliable putty-like material and easy to use; I use it in my home here in the Midwest to keep out drafts from my older windows.
    Fall is definitely here today, with temps in the 30s and frost expected tonight!
    I live alone too and don’t know what I would do without the companionship of my pets. My two dogs “rule” but I also have an older cat. I am happy you found Ivy to keep you and Charlie entertained!

  17. I love the pictures of Ivy and Charlie! What wonderful companion ship they have for one another. When pets sleep on their back, like Ivy, that is the most vulnerable position for them. It means they are very comfortable with their surroundings. Ivy has already bonded with you and affectionately keeps letting you know. you are her person.
    So happy for you. 🙂

    1. Thanks for letting me know that. I kind of thought that when I’d see her sleep like that. She’s so funny. She wants to play with Charlie now, but he’s having none of it. He’s kind of grumpy now, might be his ear hurting him where they took off the cyst.

  18. Brenda, I would not agree with you more a pet or two always adds endless entertainment and adventure not to mention companionship to the house!

    Ivy looks like a sweetheart.

    Have a great day!

  19. Brenda
    There are several different insulation things to put around windows and not to expensive.
    I guess I would try one of them with a high rating. You have used your quilts at times and that
    idea has helped me. Thank You! I just love Ivy. I think with her paws crossed she is praying
    giving thanks for a good mama. My daughter has 4 cats and a dog and we play with them and
    enjoy watching them play each evening. You are right some really miss out. Our pets bring us
    so much joy! I am praying for your eyes and all results are the best.

  20. Brenda: You can purchase spray foam like insulation in cans and have a maintenance man or your son in law use it to plug holes around the electrical cord coming through the wall to the heaters. Also under your kitchen and bath sinks where the pipes come from outside. And they make foam cutouts to place behind all your wall plugs. You can also get plastic film at Home Depot or Lowes for the windows to help seal out the cold during the winter. IIt is amazing how much these little fixes can help. Most likely your floors are not insulated either, but I do not know what you could possibly do about that yourself.
    Also, cats love bathroom and kitchen faucets. They like you to keep the water dripping so they can drink out of it. They prefer this to a bowl any day.
    I laughed out loud when I saw the picture of Ivy in Charlie’s bed and he in hers, too funny. Charlie will learn, cats rule the home, not dogs. Haha.

    1. Yes yes, Ivy is so funny & fun! Easy to laugh out loud seeing the various pictures you take. Love them. Well, many folks do not want to be bothered re pets. Sad. So many need loving homes. I feel blessed every day for poochies.Missy & Gidget. Thanks for entertaining us Brenda!

    2. She’s worn herself out and is asleep on the pet bed. Instead of her feet pushing against the couch, now it’s her front paws.

  23. Was your window mounted A/C unit still in the window when the energy audit was done? That could account for the level of air leak being high if it was. Maybe Ivy is attacking that plastic bag because it smells like the veterinarians office. A word of caution about that bag. My cat swallowed some plastic and it became trapped in his stomach. After expensive surgery for me and horrible illness for him, he did recover and continued to chew on anything plastic he cane across, such as packing tape, gift wrapping ribbon, plastic bags and thread! The thread I found wound around his tongue and had to have vet remove it. Was a never ending act of vigilance on my part to keep him safe. My other cat didn’t bother with anything but his food and toys.

    1. She’s asleep now. A good time to throw it in the trash. And yes, the window unit is still in because I’ve needed it. It’s drilled into my window, so don’t think I can take it out.

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