A beautiful tabby cat appeared on the farm during Covid Spring. She was friendly and ready to become part of the family, but our big dog Spot was not a fan. We figured she could be a porch cat as she seemed happy being outside. One memorable night, however, I woke to hear Spot chasing her through the house. She had gotten in through the dog door. We named her Circe after the goddess in The Odyssey. (My first cat was Calypso, also borrowed from Homer.)

After that, it was just a matter of time and as summer turned to fall, we welcomed Circe into the house full time. Spot was wary but eventually they became friends, sometimes snoozing together on the same chaise. Our blind beagle, Major, was mostly scared of her when she tried to make friends.

Now, Circe shares her home with Josie the dog who wants nothing more than to smell her butt and share her treats. At three years old, Josie still has a lot of puppy energy and can be a bit rambunctious for Circe. But she also has a healthy respect for the claws.

Lately, Circe has taken to laying on my desk as I work and is especially fond of sprawling on my journal as I write. Pencils are one of her favorite toys, and she will pick them up in her mouth to carry them away. Not sure what has prompted the change as she has several favorite resting spaces around the house and my office that are much more comfortable. When discouragement didn’t work, I cleared a pathway so she isn’t scattering paper and books as she makes her leap.

Here is the cat tax, as they say on the socials: