I have enjoyed writing poetry since childhood and I am hoping to find a wider audience on my blog, sharing the hope that I have and connecting with others.
What a busy start to the school year- I had already returned to work the week prior to when my son returned. My daughter has been super clingy and my son has been struggling to fall asleep till late- so much in his mind. I have had a tendency to brush off their neediness, so drained of mental energy myself. Many times I had wished for some silence to process my thoughts but stress rose in the constant clamour. Then came a bit of a dollar-dropping moment.
This intense mum season will get quieter, but so will the requests to play with me or for me to listen to another story about Mr B’s Minecraft hobby or to decipher some cutey phrase that Miss A is trying to compose. The time is now! My agenda needs to move over so that my kids feel loved. I need to take time out for myself, but I need to shower my kids with a whole lot of love also. I needn’t be half present- if I’m there, I need to be all in. They know when I’m not really connected. They also learn what I do, more than what I say or write in a birthday card.
Are you fully present with your loved ones when you visit them or have meals with them? Do you count down the hours to solitude or are you grateful that somebody needs you? It takes work sometimes, but it is a worthy investment of time.
When I was just a few years old, I had something big weighing on my mind. I was feeling extremely guilty – not for something I had done as a once-off, but for a repeated offence. What was worse, Tommy seemed to be affected in the long-term from what I had done only a handful of times. It was innocent at first – placing clothes pegs on the ears of the family cat seemed a logical place to me. But then I got hooked. I kept doing it, because it was such a comical thing to see the cat’s ears drooping with the weight of the plastic clothes pegs! It was no longer laughable when I was aged five and a half. Not long before Christmas, Dad was backing the car into the driveway and tragically ran over Tommy, who died on the way to the vet.
I was shunted inside pretty quickly after running outside to
investigate, but I remember the spattering of blood on the path. For quite
sometime later, I blamed myself. You see, Tommy was deaf. I mistakenly
thought that it was because I
had placed pegs on his ears, when I was just a pre-schooler.
It wasn’t until perhaps a year or two down the track, when we
were discussing the matter at the dinner table, that I blurted out my
confession. I couldn’t understand why the family was in stitches – to me this
was very serious; I had indirectly caused the death of the family cat, or so I
thought. Mum and Dad set the record straight, and I can’t tell you how relieved
I was.
Isn’t it funny how one tiny thought can turn into an unnecessary burden, if left unchecked!
My son and I had a long-awaited visit to Melbourne’s only Cat Cafe on Saturday. It is situated in Guildford lane, only a few minutes walk from Melbourne Central Station. We travelled to Flinders Street station, catching a 59 (Airport West) tram from Elizabeth Street up to Melbourne Central. We could have taken a train from platforms 1, 2 or 3 to stations in the City Loop instead.
I booked online a couple of months in advance, securing an 11am session. You pay for entry and if you would like basic food (such as a muffin) or a drink, this is extra or included in a package deal. Whilst they accept walk-ins during quiet periods on weekdays, it is advisable to book to avoid disappointment. We confirmed our food order (it is brought out at a certain time so that the cats don’t find it first!) and had it upstairs halfway through the one hour session. There are 2 hour and 3 hour sessions available too, but it is best to try one hour first to see if you like it there.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by a young lady of gentle temperament and spotted three spoilt felines “on duty”. Arnold (half Maine Coon) guarded the little containers of cat biscuits which can be purchased for $2, knocking a few off unapologetically as he made himself comfortable on the reception desk. Ruby looked like she was constantly winking at me, but it turned out that she had only one eye! We perused the little souvenir shop and waited until it was time to enter, making sure that no kitties escaped when we did go through.
The bottom level had low chairs to sit in as well as some regular sized ones, all positioned around the edge of the room, enabling the cats to move about freely. I was struck by the ambience in the room; the quiet meditative music and the soft lighting including Christmas tree lights. There was no shortage of cat trees for the cats to play in or sleep on top of. A number of cat toys were available to entice the cats and kittens to play and it was relaxing patting them and seeing them move about freely. Visitors are asked not to pick up the cats but can gently pat them if the cats don’t mind.
On our way to the top level, we came out to the reception desk and had the option of washing our hands at the little wash basin there before eating or there was alchohol cleaner in pump packs on the desk. We walked up the stairs and there were a couple of cats sitting on the stairs, much to my son’s amusement. One strode along the top of the stair landing, very much in ownership of the place!
The cats could move between the two levels through a little hole at the top of the stairs (little shelves built into the wall which they could climb on). Up the top level were more cats (some were sleeping and others walking around). Daylight streamed in through a number of windows and the cats could even sit on a balcony protected by strong chicken wire if they desired. There was a bridge across the roof enabling the cats to move from the steps on the wall to the cat trees on the other side. There was also a wooden tree in the middle with cosy cat beds at the bottom. It was fun to read the profiles of the resident cats on the wall and to sit in multiple places on that level, taking it all in.
The hour went too quickly but it was just enough to slow down and enjoy the simple pleasure of patting and playing with beautiful rescued cats. It was a well run establishment and the cats are so fortunate to have had a new start in life. The cats did not clamber onto me (apart from when I deliberately put a couple of cat biscuits on my lap!) and it was a non-threatening environment for my son to observe and befriend some cats. He wanted to go back as soon as possible and at least once a year!
I recommend this place to every cat lover one the age of eight. It is a hidden gem in a tiny pedestrian lane, but well worth the visit.
Several years ago I planned to go the Cat Cafe in Guildford Lane, Melbourne, but never got around to it. Knowing that my son had to be old enough to go, I have waited till then, and also wanted to make sure he would enjoy going as much as I would. We love our little public transport adventures; over the years we have caught buses, trains and trams, all in the name of discovering something fun to do. With some major public transport works, it will be a little more difficult, but that won’t deter us. Check it out, if you should be in Melbourne and you love cats. If you a taking a child, they need to be 8+ . You also need to book ahead of time. Stay tuned for my review this week!
Picture from the Cat Cafe Melbourne website Nov 2019
You must be logged in to post a comment.