Bear the Cat

Wednesday the 1st of February 2022

Well for a school cat I don't really write a lot do I!  It has been about 10 months since I last put my paws to work to fill in my blog...  I do have a pretty good reason though!  I am only just starting to feel myself again.

Life was clicking along nicely last year.  After the COVID lockdowns had all finished and school was getting back to normal I was allowed to explore much more at night.  I was always off on big adventures in the evenings, chasing mice and helping to keep the stoats away from the school.  There was one evening in early August that I was just relaxing on the nice warm tarmac of the road and along came a giant mechanical beast and hit me!  I had to crawl back along the ground to school so someone could find me and make me feel better - everything was hurting and I was just cold and feeling like rubbish.

Thankfully some of the students found me where I had nested in the garden amongst the straw and the next thing I knew I was whisked away into town to the dreaded vets...  They knocked me out and I woke up - but to my horror I had one less leg... my back leg was gone!  I also had this annoying large lump of plaster on my front leg and some weird cone thing around my neck.

I felt a lot better though and after about 4 months of recovery I was just starting to feel myself again and then it was Christmas holidays.

We even celebrated my first birthday last year - you can see some pictures of me with my special treats above.

I have gotten used to only having 3 legs now and can race around with the best of them, climbing wherever I like and I can still give a decent chase to a stoat.  I'm not allowed out at night so much anymore but I am free to roam where I choose doing the day.

So I am still here, being my adorable self and loved by all.

Yours until next time

Bear XOX

Tuesday the 5th of April 2022

Well, I am sorry for being a little lazy and not writing in my blog for a while!  I was just so excited to be back at school and having FREEDOM after that lockdown experience of 2021 that I totally forgot to fill in my blog.  

I now find myself with some time on my hands and thought I would give you a wee update on what I have been doing.  More on why I have some time later in this blog.

So after lockdown I gained a little weight (a wee bit embarrassing) and started working out quite hard to lose it.  I was climbing trees, running across roads, playing in the Jones' hedge, catching mice (and leaving little surprises for everyone at school).  Life was pretty grand really!  That's really why I had no time to write back then.  I was just having fun and exploring like all good cats do.  Every day I needed to try to get in my 18 hours or so sleep in my wee cocoon on the office desk.  This was my chance to be adored and petted by all of my wonderful friends here at Seddon School.

Then this strange time called Christmas happened.  Firstly they dressed me in the most absurd costumes you can imagine - I have photographic evidence of my absolute distaste for this!  I guess I looked quite cute and all of the children did want to give me cuddles as a Christmas Elf so that was good.  I got spoilt with extra treats as my Christmas Present but then I was put into my cat carrier - I know what that meant!  Either the vet or going somewhere.

Turns out both of those things happened to me!  Firstly I went to the vet for a wee abcess in my tail that was causing me a bit of pain - that was all cleared up and then I went off to meet a lovely lady called Georgie and her wee cat palace at Padz n Paws.  It turned out everyone from school went on holiday over Christmas which meant I had to go on a special holiday too.  It was nice at Georgie's and I made a few friends.  There were a couple of young fellows that I was pretty chummy with!

Finally after a long 25 days I was picked up and brought back to Seddon School!  Oh it was so lovely to be back amongst the trees and the flowers and my friends!  I started playing chase games in the morning when the children came to school and spent most of my days lazing around in the sun in whichever classroom I felt was fit for the day!  The 5 year olds were reading to me all the time and I thoroughly enjoyed it - I was hearing stories about gardening, dinosaurs and all sorts of weird and wonderful things!  My exploring never really stopped though!  One day I was picked up almost 1km down Marama Road after I had been missing all day.  There was just so much to see and enjoy!  I must admit I was a little flustered when they found me!

The last 2 weeks are where my life got quite interesting again though!  Firstly the principal got COVID (some strange disease) and I had to go home with her and live in my temporary accomodation again for a week while she recovered.  This was all well and good but I missed running around outside.

Which leads me to my story about why I have time on my hands.

I'm not entirely sure what happened but I was off and about exploring my kingdom and suddely saw some bright lights, heard a loud noise and then a whole world of pain!  I managed to drag myself off the road and over the school garden to lay in wait for one of my friends to come back and make feel all better!

My friend Maisie found and raced to get help from the teachers!  I have now been taken to the vets and put through some strange machine called and X-ray machine.  Now people are talking about a broken pelvis and fractured leg.  Thankfully it sounds like I get to go home in a couple of days but I did hear mention of cage rest for a month - I don't know what this is but it doesn't sound like something I am going to enjoy anyway!  Still I did hear someone say something about maybe losing my leg - so I don't quite know how I feel about that!  At least I still get to hang out with my friends and be with the people I love though, what's a leg when you have that in your life!

I promise I will do my best to update you more regularly as I heal myself anyway.  I hope you enjoy my photos - please don't laugh too hard at me in that ridiculous elf suit they put me in, not one of my proudest moments.

Yours lovingly and purringly and all things cat like

Bear 

Monday the 23rd of August 2021

Boy have I got some news to tell you... where should I start! 

Well lets see, life was ticking along nicely at school.  Everyone was busy busy busy with Tussock Run.  Then on Tuesday there was a special meeting at school and suddenly all the teachers turned up.  They took away the pot plants and then finally in they came to my little Bear Cave and took me and all my toys away too...  

Off we went in a little green car with Mrs Phillips to her house.  I genuinely have no idea why I am here - they keep talking about Lockdown, but I don't know what that means.  I do know I have a nice comfortable bed to sleep on - its a lot bigger than my cat bed and I can stretch out all over the place!

I have been here a few days now.  I did get myself in a little bit of trouble when apparently I massacred Mrs Phillips' favourite maidenhair fern.  Hey, the thing was blowing around in the breeze and looked like a lot of fun to play.  I also got dirt all over me when it fell out of the pot, but she didn't come racing in to clean me!  Just growled at me and used that awful vacuum cleaner on the carpet while I sat waiting for pats and loves!  Apparently the fern did not survive my play and now she has to buy a new one.  I have been forgiven though because I've had lots of hugs and cuddles.  All of the other plants have been taken out of the room though, which is a shame because they looked like they would be fun to play with too!

One Sunday Mrs Phillips took me back down to school in little carrier.  She was getting books ready to deliver to all the children and I got to hang out in the library.  I was pretty tired though so I just slept on the seat in the sun.  I thought maybe I was staying there at school but no, in my carrier I went and back to Mrs Phillips' house.  I'm not entirely sure what is going on, but I am pretty comfortable, I have all my toys and gets lots of cuddles every day, so I can't complain really.

I have met another new person Allie - Mrs Phillips' daughter.  I don't like her too much and run away under the bed and try to scratch her ankles from under the covers.  Maybe I will let her pat me one day, we will see.

This morning Mrs Phillips came in all excited with a little envelope addressed to me!  Yes, I Bear, got mail!  Inside my mail was some special things called notes, money apparently that pays for things.  Mrs Phillips was excited and said some kind person had donated $500 to me!  That makes me a rich cat who will be having a lovely holiday over Christmas at Padz n Paws with Georgie!  A holiday sounds quite nice

Something else exciting happened - I spotted my friend Kynan today - he was out for a walk and I was just sitting in the windowsill watching the world go by and then like magic there he was!  I was meowing to say hello but I don't think he could hear me...

Any how I will head off and find a nice comfy spot on the bed to stretch out and sleep.  I'll update you about my living situation soon!

Until next time...

Yours

Bear

Thursday the 12th of August

Well... I have a lot to tell you!

This strange thing happened called School Holidays and all my friends just vanished!  I couldn't believe it, the place was so quiet.  I was forced to spend time with Mrs Phillips every day doing jobs!  Oh and Kynan came to visit me and play a couple of times.  

I have decided I really like to play in the library - I can squeeze up between the shelves and look around like a little meerkat.  It's also kind of fun to try and climb up the walls digging my claws into the nice carpet covering them!  I seem to get told off when I do that though!

I have been sitting around looking out of the windows for weeks and a couple of weeks ago a miracle happened - they just opened the door and didn't try to stop me from going out.  I raced off out into the big world and had the time of my life exploring under the school buildings.  When I finally had enough and went looking for food everyone starting laughing at me - apparently I was coated in something called cobwebs... all I wanted was something to eat and a bed to curl up in!

So I've had a big few weeks and that's why I haven't written for a while.  I've been exploring the outside, the trees over at Starborough were lots of fun too - but I lost my purple collar there and now they have brought me a new hi vis one!  

I keep looking at all of those fat little sparrows that hang around the area where all the children have their lunches...  I really don't have the energy to chase them but it's fun to growl at them and make them fly away - that way I can sneak onto the deck and eat all the lunch leftovers!

Oh and here is the really exciting news!  I am a CELEBRITY!  I made it into the newspaper.  If you want to have a read of the article that talks all about me and my friends click HERE.  I must say I posed quite nicely for the lovely photographer and had a great afternoon showing off my skills of chasing toys, swiping at things and most importantly cuddling my best friends!  Brya took some beautiful photo's of me - I mean I am a drop dead gorgeous cat but she really made me look like a star!

Things are a little crazy around here at the moment and the postie keeps bringing in packages everyday... They keep talking about something called a Tussock Run...  It's happening on the 22nd of August.  I'll fill you in on what that is after the day!  It sounds like it is going to be lots of fun, if I knew how to use a computer I would go to www.tussockrun.co.nz and have a look!

Until next time...

Yours

Bear

Friday the 2nd of July

Today was a special day at school today - we celebrated Matariki together.  Lots of people were sick so we didn't get to do any shared kai, which upset me because I was looking forward to all the yummy leftovers!  

So I'm here at my scratching post and feeling bored...

Oh look.... it's my lovely owners, Mrs Phillips!

"Meow, hi Mrs Phillips - can you play with me?"

We of course she doesn't understand me and she has already gone out the door!

Look... her comes Manaia and Kynan to play with me.  "Meow, meow, Purr, Purr...."  Ahhh they are patting me.

"Come here bear" said Manaia.  So I go getting picked up and patted and cuddled with kisses.

Time for a nap now in my favourite bed... Rawr off you go and leave me to sleep!

Thanks to Emma and Tui for this week's entry to Bear's blog.

Monday the 21st of June

Well... I survived the week here!  The weekend was a little boring but I had some company and playtime over the two days.  I got to explore the library and check out all the books as well.

This morning I made everyone know just how much I missed them by stomping around and swiping at them to say hello!  I'm not sure why they didn't want to give me High 5's back!

Today I learnt to use an app on a phone - I had a bit of fun playing some cat games.  I have also discovered that jumping around really high in my special room means I can pull things off the noticeboard - it's a lot of fun and then I get to chase everything around the floor.

My favourite toys right now would be my little yellow ball and a big sheet of corrugated cardboard I can rip up into little shreds.  I'm also really enjoying chasing away any cockroaches that come anywhere near me - disgusting little creatures that they are!

Until next week everyone.

Purringly yours

Bear

Monday the 14th of June

Today was my first day at my new home!  I am really enjoying Seddon School.  I have my cat tower, food trays, toys and sleeping places all set up for me in the school meeting room so I can get used to the place.  I have been for a special trip to the staff room today to meet all of the teachers and I have had lots of kids come and visit me in the meeting room.  

I think I am going to like it here!  It was a long journey out to Seddon in the car today from Springland Vets but I was pretty cruisy and just laid back and enjoyed the ride.  I had a special friend with me which made it all much easier.

The office lady seems to like me!  She had lots of cuddles with me and I showed off by giving her my loudest and best purrs that I could.  

I think I have landed on my feet out here!

Love Bear the Cat XOX