The Dovey Inn Cat

The Dovey Inn is the principle pub in the picturesque port town of Aberdyfi. Aberdyfi itself is probably one of the most well-known seaside resorts in the UK, so it is no wonder that English holiday makers flock to The Dovey Inn as cats would to catnip. 

The Dovey Inn

In addition to being a highly frequented drinking hole, it is a restaurant, a hotel, the perfect vantage point for views over the estuary, and also home to... 

... a very old, fat and rather weatherworn cat. 

No one really knows when the cat came to live at the Dovey Inn, but he has been there for years, making his presence known by habitually dozing smack dab in the middle of the small intersection behind the inn, one of the only routes in Aberdyfi that people can use to drive up to their hillside bungalows. 

I ownz this interaction, people!

He pays no heed to cars, however, so more often than not, people have to carefully drive around him, or find another way of reaching their destination. 

As Sarah Thompson rightly said, "A cat sees no good reason why it should obey another animal, even if it does stand on two legs." Or on four wheels, in this case. 

The Dovey Cat meets Heather the Cat Lady

If you ever visit Aberdyfi, do try and spot this legendary local feline. He is the epitome of the unmoving obstinacy of which we cats are downright proud! 

Side note: The Dovey Inn is where Heather's parents met for the first time! The legend goes that it was love at first sight. =^..^=

Thankful Thursday - Having im-paw-tant neighbours!

Well, Heather and I found out that we have three very im-paw-tant neighbours today! And that is always something to be thankful for, isn't it?

The first, I'm just going to get over and done with real quick as I don't think he's all that significant. Some guy named Robert Plant, says Heather, of the group Zed Leppelin? (Or was that Led Zeppelin?) Now, if this neighbour were the kind of plant I could chew on, or perhaps even a bean who sold eatable plants, I might be a little more enthused. However, Heather insists that we make note of the fact that she and her family saw this Plant guy walking along the coastline of Aberdyfi, and that they noticed that he was walking with someone who looked a lot like Alison Krauss. Sadly, they failed to get both autograph and photograph. Typical beans!

I think he needs a cat on his shoulder.

The second and third neighbourly encounter I found much more interesting! I finally met up with some new furry friends!

Meet Tibbles, this exceedingly friendly silver tabby who lives just a minute's walk from the Tywyn shorefront. He is so sociable that he would gladly follow you all the way back to your house, if he knew that the promise of an eventual head scratch was certain!

Loooovee meeee!

Wait, why'd the head scratching stop?

Ahh, that's more like it!

On to neighbour number three! This young whipper snapper was playing games with us. He would walk towards us, then walk away, with his tail invitingly waving back in forth in the air. Then, as soon as we'd try to get closer, he'd repeat the pattern. This continued for a good five minutes until we finally decided to move on down the road. At that very moment, he flopped down and asked for a belly rub. Shall we call him the King of Coy?

Ack! Spotted by beans!

Will make a stealthy escape.

Hmm...on second thought...what if they give me luv and food?

Do I dare to ask...?

Are they still following me?

Just act nonchalant... 

What?! They left?! How rude!

I'll put the vote out to all of my humanoid and feline friends out there. Honestly, who is more exciting to have as a neighbour - some dude named Plant or these two magnificent moggies? You be the judge!

Trip to Chester in Cheshire

The Cheshire Cat is to us felines as what Elvis is to beans. As such, a trip to the town of Chester in the Cheshire county could not be passed up during our two month stay here in the UK. 

The Chester town centre

While Heather's mum and dad went off to marvel at the Roman ruins, Heather and I went on the hunt for a photo of a real life Cheshire cat. Being the county of the famous Alice in Wonderland character, we were convinced that a cat encounter was inevitable...that is, until we realized that Chester is far from your average hokey pokey town. It is a hustling bustling metropolis, packed with boutiques, cafes and restaurants - hardly the right place to meet and photograph furry friends. 

The Chester Roman Amphitheatre

However, all was not lost! We decided to settle for second best by searching for some interesting cat related products. And of these, we found quite a few. 

Our first encounter was with these lovely Moggies, an adorable series of paperweights produced by Caithness Glass! 

Far from a real Cheshire cat, but a start nonetheless!

Farther down the road, we happened upon these useful and equally adorable moggie doorstops. Wouldn't it be nice to come home to one of these little guys sitting by your front door?

Near the end of our walk around the town, we spied this splendid German-made Rollie in the window of a fashionable furniture boutique. The perfect guard for your shelf of knickknacks!

And finally, on our way home, we were tickled pink to see this Cat Crossing sign. We definitely need more of these on our streets to keep us kitties safe from those mean machines on wheels!

Located between Aberdyfi and Tywyn

So, while we didn't meet up with an actual Cheshire cat, we did pool together quite a bit of moggie material! Perhaps we'll have some better luck over the next couple of weeks!

Happy World Cat Day!

A very Happy World Cat Day to all my readers, both biped and furry! If you are participating in World Cat Day and have a cat-themed blog, have a look at the following instructions provided by Cat Blogosphere and join in on the fun!

WHEN: Monday, August 8, 2011

WHY: To Celebrate ~ Honor ~ Remember our CAT(S)

HOW: On Monday, August 8 ~ simply publish and post to your own blog any or all of the following:

• A special photo of your cat(s), your favorite photo(s) ~ old or new
• A favorite poem about cat(s) ~ written by you, or authored by others
• A post ~ a new one, or an old one ~ a favorite one purrhaps
• A cat story ~ telling why you LOVE your CAT(S)
• Artwork, cartoons, music ~ whatever your IMAGINATION and yourHEART can create that celebrates, honors and remembers why we all LOVE our Cat(s)

WHERE: And please be sure to add your blog link to The Cat Blogosphere on 8/8/11 so all can visit you on World Cat Day

LINK IS: http://www.blog.catblogosphere.com

-----------------------------------------------

As our contribution, Heather and I have decided to post a few classic photos of my dear sisters, Tchai and Bee Gee, who passed away just a few years ago. We miss them both and cherish their memory in our hearts. 

Bee Gee after being woken from a dozy sleep

Tchai resting on her favourite couch

Bee Gee enjoying her first taste of freedom after travelling from Canada to Wales

Tchai taking in the sea air

"So this is where mummy went every summer for the last ten years!"

"I'm free and flubby!"

Walk Around Aberdyfi

Today is the day that Heather's brother and his girlfriend arrive in Wales for their summer break.

 In preparation for their arrival, we spent all of yesterday getting the Aberdyfi cottage ready, tucking in fresh, clean bedsheets (oooh how I love jumping on them!), vacuuming (I did my part by hiding under the chair), and stocking the fridge with food (I hope they don't mind if they find a fillet of salmon missing! Nom nom.)

We also took a long walk during which this normally rather solitary cat made a number of friends!

Furry Friend Number One!

We encountered this coy kitty as we were descending towards the Dyfi. He came bounding towards us in a friendly manner, but just as I was about to say "meow" in greeting, he scampered off! The cheek! We decided to follow him and see if he would stick around for a picture, and eventually he gave in, and even let Heather tickle his tummy! (Location: Aberdovey hillside) 

Furry Friend Number Two!

Heather went batty for this handsome, yet rather mousy mog. (Personally, I'm not into toms, but I can admit that he is quite a stud muffin!) We were very lucky to get this picture - he bolted behind a shed just as we clicked the shutter button. (Location: Ynysymaengwyn, Tywyn)

Furry Friend Number Three!

It was love at first sight when I saw this pretty puss! She looks to be a silver tabby. Can anyone confirm this? I asked her out on a date, but you can see the look she gave me. Ah well, on to greener pastures! (Location: Aberdyfi, Wales)

Not -So-Furry Friend Number Four

The instinct within was telling me to pounce on this exquisite specimen, but logic took over, thank goodness. He was almost twice my size! (Location: the Aberdyfi shorefront in Wales)

Hmm, come to think it of, I guess I didn't make many friends per se. Perhaps I'll have more luck over the next few days, as we should be touring around the countryside quite a bit with Heather's brother!