Raymond is a sweet cat, but I have never had a feral cat, and his stealing food, scratching my furniture, not listening to anything is hard on me because I'm OCD about my home. I didn't experience this type behavior with my previous cats, but they weren't feral.
Help!!
Does anyone else's cat like getting in the sink, or liking it?
I was watering my plants so of course Raymond had to get involved.
First he climbed into the kitchen sink and apparently thought, “She definitely can’t see me in here.”** **😹
Then he realized I had put up barriers around the plants, so he moved to the counter to inspect my security system and figure out his next move.
Look at that face. That is not an innocent kitten. That is a tiny criminal actively planning a break-in. 😂🐈⬛
I give the barriers about 10 minutes.
I have a short manuscript that I’ve already written, and I’m looking for someone to help edit and clean it up. I mainly need help with grammar, punctuation, wording, sentence flow, and making sure everything reads clearly and naturally. I’m not looking for someone to rewrite the story or change my voice — just polish what I already have.
As I was cleaning the windows, wiping down the blinds, and taking the curtains down to wash them again, Raymond climbed up to inspect my work.
Apparently I can’t be trusted to clean unsupervised. He sat there studying every inch like a tiny OSHA inspector, making sure I didn’t miss a spot.
No help whatsoever, of course. Just judgment. Lots and lots of judgment.
I’m still waiting to find out if I passed inspection. 😹🐈⬛
I finally received my Bebe’s portrait, but for several days I couldn’t even bring myself to open the package. I knew what was inside, and I knew seeing her beautiful face would make everything feel real all over again.
Today I finally opened it, and I broke down.
For a moment, there she was again. My beautiful girl. Her eyes, her face, the little expression I knew so well. I wanted so badly to reach into the portrait and touch her, hold her, kiss her, and tell her how much Mommy misses her.
I’m having it framed today and hanging it next to her brother Mish. I’m also having the two of them painted together on a 12x12 Santorini stone. I need them together. I need to see them side by side, because in my heart they are still my babies, still my family, still a part of my home.
I miss Bebe in ways I can’t explain. I miss the little things most—the things I never imagined I would someday give anything to have back. Her presence. Her routines. The sound of her. The way she looked at me. Just knowing she was there.
Sometimes I still can’t believe she is gone.
There are moments when I look around my home and expect to see her, and then that awful realization hits me again. I would give anything for one more ordinary day with her. One more night. One more chance to hold her and tell her how loved she is.
My sweet Bebe, I hope somehow you know that you took a piece of my heart with you. Mommy misses you every single day.
And Mish, please stay close to your sister for me until the day I can hold you both again. 💔🐾
Raymond went to the vet for the first time today and got his first vaccine. He was such a good boy, although judging by that second picture, I don’t think he was too impressed. 😂
He also had to ride in Bebe’s pink carrier because that’s the carrier I had. Let’s just say Raymond wore pink very well. 💗😂
I also had them check his ears for mites. He’s had loose stools ever since I adopted him, so I brought a stool sample with me. They sent it to the lab, and I should know the results in the next couple of days. I’m worried and wondering what could be causing it.
This wasn’t my regular veterinarian. If something comes back abnormal or the diarrhea continues, I’m taking him to the vet I normally use, where he can see a cat specialist.
Has anyone had a kitten with loose stools for several weeks? What did it turn out to be? 🐾
I painted this rock and it’s one of my favorites. 🧚🌿🐞 I had so much fun adding all the tiny details—the fairy, butterflies, bees, birds, flowers, and little embellishments. I love how it turned out and wanted to share it with you. ✨
I nearly had a heart attack today thanks to Raymond. 😂
I opened the front door for TWO SECONDS to grab an Amazon box. I’m always very careful not to let him anywhere near the door, but apparently Raymond has been studying my routine and waiting for his moment.
And today was the day.
HE ESCAPED. 🐈💨
Thank God for that bright yellow collar I bought him! 💛 I could see the little fugitive moving from bush to bush like he was on some top-secret mission.
Meanwhile, I’m outside trying not to panic while Raymond is apparently thinking, “So THIS is the outside world. Interesting.” 😂
He didn’t get far. I finally scared him enough that he took off running…
RIGHT BACK INTO THE HOUSE AND STRAIGHT TO MY BED. 🤣
And now look at this picture.
Does this look like the face of a cat who just escaped, hid in the bushes and took ten years off his mother’s life?
Absolutely not.
That is the face of an innocent man who has been falsely accused.
“Escape? I don’t even know what a door is.” 😇
Nice try, Raymond.
The yellow collar snitched on you. 💛😂
It seems to be growing more upward than outward. Should I trim it back to encourage it to become fuller and bushier, or is it better to just let it keep growing?
If I should trim it, where would be the best place to cut it? I’d love for it to fill out a little more. 🌱
Thanks for any advice!
I want to hang a few of my plants from the ceiling, but some of them are pretty heavy, especially after watering. I definitely don’t want one crashing down! 😂🪴
What type of hooks or anchors do you recommend? Do they need to be screwed directly into a ceiling joist, or have you had good luck with heavy-duty toggle bolts in drywall?
Pictures or links to what you use would be greatly appreciated! ❤️
Even though I live in Las Vegas, I have the hardest time growing succulents. They always seem to die on me!
I was given these two Christmas cactuses last year when they were blooming, and I’d really love to get them to bloom again.
My neighbor told me they need 12 hours of complete darkness every night to produce buds. Is that true? If so, when should I start doing this, and for how many weeks?
They’re under grow lights right now. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I really don’t want to kill these two! 😂🌵❤️
I started this spider plant from a tiny baby in a little plastic cup just like this one. Look at it now! 🌱💚
It has grown so much and is already sending out runners and making babies of its own. I love watching something I started so tiny turn into this beautiful plant.
Plant propagation is so rewarding. ❤️
love painting these little ladybugs by hand. 🐞❤️ Each one is a little different, and that’s part of what makes them special. I leave them around for people to find, hoping they bring a smile, a little bit of luck, and maybe brighten someone’s day.
It’s such a simple thing, but knowing that a tiny ladybug I painted might make a stranger happy makes me happy too. 🐞🎨❤️
I'm looking to purchase a front pet carrier for Raymond. He's so little that I'd like it to be see through? Any recommendations?
I’ve posted here before about the deep pain and grief I’ve been going through since losing my precious kitty, Bebe. ❤️🩹
A few nights ago, I got a call from a rescue I donate to. They asked if I could foster a 3-month-old little black kitten.
I had MANY reservations. My heart still hurts terribly for Bebe, and I wasn’t looking for another cat. But I finally said okay — just for a few days.
When he arrived, I picked him up in my arms, and he immediately started kissing me and purring. I actually told him, “Don’t get too attached to me because I’m not your mom.” 😂
Well… apparently he didn’t listen.
This little guy is absolutely adorable. He’s loving, sweet, doesn’t bother my plants or get into anything he shouldn’t. All he really wants is to be near me. He follows me around and just wants love.
After only 24 hours, I asked my husband if we should keep him. I told him it had to be a mutual decision, and we both agreed that this little boy had found his home.
Then came the name.
My husband’s last name is Burr, so I told him he could name the kitten. Without missing a beat, he announced that his legal name would be Raymond Burr. 😂😂😂
I laughed so hard.
So here I am — the mother of a kitten I absolutely did NOT want and was only going to foster for a few days.
And now?
Nobody is taking Raymond Burr away from me. ❤️🐈⬛
He will never replace Bebe. No kitty ever could. But somehow, when my heart was hurting so badly, this tiny black kitten showed up asking me to love him.
Life works in so many unexpected ways. 🙏❤️
It has been a week and one day since I lost my precious Bebe, and I still can’t stop calling for her.
She was the most loving kitty I’ve ever had. She was my little girl, my angel, my everything. I miss holding her in my arms more than I can put into words.
The guilt is one of the hardest parts. I keep wondering if there was one more thing I could have done to save her. My vet told me there wasn’t, but my heart keeps asking, What if I had gone one step further? What if I had tried one more thing?
Sometimes when I get out of bed, I swear I hear her meow, and without thinking I call her name. Then I remember she’s not here, and it breaks my heart all over again.
Since she’s been gone, I feel like I’ve changed as a person. I’m polite to people who say hello or talk to me, but the truth is I really don’t want to be around people right now. I’m lonely, yet at the same time I don’t want company. I’m angry. I just want Bebe back in my arms.
Sometimes I think about adopting another cat because the house feels so empty, but then I feel guilty even thinking about it. Bebe and her brother Mish were the loves of my life. I would have given my life for them, and a part of me feels like bringing another cat home would somehow be betraying them or trying to replace them. I know logically no cat could ever replace either of them, but grief doesn’t always listen to logic.
I cry. I call for her. I’m angry. I want to be alone, and then I’m painfully lonely when I am alone. Sometimes I genuinely wonder if grief is making me lose my mind.
Has anyone else felt this way after losing their soul cat? Did you ever feel guilty for even thinking about adopting again? And how did you get through those moments when you would give absolutely anything just to hold them one more time?
I painted this large ladybug with flowers, and kitties as embellishments.
I can’t bring myself to give away any of BeBe’s things—her food, scratching posts, toys, little stairs, blankets, or any of the other things that were hers.
I know there are rescues and other cats that could use them, and maybe someday I’ll be able to donate some of it. But right now, I just can’t.
I finally washed my bedding, but when I made the bed, I put BeBe’s little bed right back in its usual spot, almost as if she’s still here and will come curl up in it again.
I lost her last week, and I think part of me needs her things to stay exactly where they were. The thought of removing them makes the house feel even emptier and makes her being gone feel too final.
Has anyone else left their pet’s things untouched after losing them? How long did it take before you were ready to move or give anything away? 💔