Healthy temptation

A Healthy Walk While Spotting Cats

The only reason I can bring myself to go outside

I know it’s good for me, but I hate it: going outside for a walk ‘for no reason’ but my health. It should be reason enough, I know. But, I want to read, I want to write, I want to add hours to the day to read and write more. I don’t want to lose hours, not even minutes. I’ll take my bike to fetch some groceries, I’ll be back very quickly. I don’t want to walk. It’s too slow.

But there I found myself, today, walking from the city center to home. I had brought my bike for repair and now I had to walk back. No way out. The weather was lovely, so I didn’t complain and actually loved the sun on my face.

Suddenly I absolutely loved being on foot because there I spotted this sweet fellow (I just think it’s a ‘him’) lying in front of the front door. As if he is stating ‘This house is my house, these plants are my plants’. ❤

I had hardly finished my cautious photographing, I didn’t want him to be scared by me or I heard a lady meowing around the corner. And there she (I just think it’s a lady) was stating: ‘It’s my neighborhood also. I live here too as you can see. This is my place.’

I couldn’t come very close to this lady. I loved spotting this firm, sweet lady. Had I been on my bike I probably had missed her appearance.

Now I even enjoyed my walk and was tempted to walk past my house hoping to see more proud neighborhood cats. But no such luck.

Somewhat disappointed I returned home and opened the porch. Ha! There he was! Me and my neighbor's stray cat.* Stating: I live here (although my caretakers haven’t seen me for two days, but, well that’s not unusual, I am a stray cat, so … ).

This was a perfect ending to my healthy walk. Hello, Gijs, so good to see you here, guarding my house while watching over my garden. Thank you! ❤

It was a surprisingly good experience, today. When the weather is fine and my reading and writing are finished, I might go for a walk again, tomorrow :-)

Bye, smile to you all, cats and cat lovers, Ella

*We take care of him (I just know it’s a ‘him’ :-) ) and when it’s needed the shelter takes medical care of him. We managed to get this stray cat to the shelter, two years ago. He got highly anxious and aggressive while being there. We agreed that my neighbor and me would take care of him and let the shelter know when he needs medical attention. So far, so (very) good. He comes when he wants and goes whenever he wants. We call him Gijs and just love him.

When you liked this story, you’d probably also like my first Catness story: