Dances with Light

10/12/2026

I used to think I was patient… until I started hiking with a cat. 😂🐾

I quickly learned that cat hiking is a lot of stop-and-go. Mostly stop.🛑

Stop to sniff. Stop to sniff something else. Stop to chew some grass. Stop to investigate a mysterious scent. Stop again.🐾🐾🐾

And that’s just the first 10 minutes on the trail.

To be fair, it’s not always like that. There are plenty of days when he’s effortlessly racing across rocks and I’m the one struggling to keep up.

But no matter the trail, it always comes back to his backpack.

When he’s tired, hot, or simply done adventuring, he knows it’s his safe place.

And when we need to pick up the pace to avoid crowds, dogs, or an incoming storm, he’s happy to ride along.

After five years and hundreds of trails together, we’ve found our rhythm. ❤️

How do you rate your patience?🐾🐆

Happy new week!🫶✨✨✨✨

Merlin is wearing the Outdoor Bengal bungee leash.😻

10/11/2026

Exploring is exciting but on Instagram you don’t really see the hours, days, weeks, months it takes to train an adventure cat.⌛️⏳

It’s a slow process and not glorified like you may see on some reels. Let’s face it: Cats have to p*e, they get moody and spooked when you least expect it.

The goal isn’t to push cats past their comfort zone. It’s to give them enough support that they build confidence traveling in uncharted territory.

It’s Merlin’s choice to jump out of the backpack if he wants — or —stay zippered in, throw stinkeyes and be on alert for the weirdos outdoors.

Up to this point, Merlin’s only traveled in my car.

So - - how do you think he’d do on a plane trip❓✈️
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Merlin’s backpack: Travel Cat’s Navigator Convertible Backpack
Shop it in my Linktree with a 10% discount.✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

catmomlife😻

09/17/2026

What will you miss about summer most?😻☀️🌲🌳🐾🐾🐆

natureismytherapy

09/13/2026

09/10/2026

09/10/2026

Furriends, don’t let anyone or anything dim your light.✨✨✨

Merlin sensed a kindred spirit finding its place among the giants and no longer felt shy. He believed in the magic of the light. 🌳🌳🌳🐆✨✨✨💛💛

Share with anyone who needs a little bit of love and
light✨✨✨!😸😻💕🐾🐾

09/03/2026

Did you guess right?🌲🌳🌴

1️⃣ Cats are tiny neighborhood security guards.🪾

Up high, they can monitor birds, dogs, hoomans and that one leaf acting suspiciously.🍃

2️⃣ Cats are natural observers. A higher perch lets them watch their entire surroundings, and keep safe from any riff raff below. 😻They can feel the tree’s healing energy emanating from the branches.💚

3️⃣To Explore and Play😹
Climbing satisfies a cat’s curiosity and trees are like natural jungle gyms for adventurous cats.🐾🐾
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Indoor or outdoor, what’s the craziest thing your cat has climbed?
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Mahina isn’t a tree climber but her thing is to stand watch on the roof of my car.🚗

08/30/2026

The reason your cat always seems one step ahead? They are constantly studying you. Cats learn by watching us. Every reaction, every routine, every subtle cue.
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When your cat wakes you up at 3 AM and you respond, they’re learning. When they see you react to a loud noise, they’re learning that too. Whether we realize it or not, we’re constantly reinforcing behaviors.

The good news? While cats may train us, we can influence them too by being intentional with our own behavior.

For me, it was fireworks. 🎇🎆Every year on Independence Day, my neighborhood turns into a fireworks battlefield. No exaggeration.

Between the legal displays and the not so legal fire crackers, exploding in the park behind my house, it can sound like a war zone. All these alarming booms create vibrations that affect cats.

At first, my cats were wary. Their ears swivel like antennas, their pupils dilated. 🙀But I made a conscious effort to stay calm.

Instead of reacting to every explosion, I remained calm as if it was just another ordinary day amidst the chaos outside.

Now, when fireworks light at the sky, they often sit by the window with me, while the crackles and booms echo outside.

As much as that amazes me, there’s one test I’m not sure I’d pass…

If Merlin and I ever come face-to-face with a snake on a hike, staying calm and nonchalant might be my greatest challenge yet.🐍😱 Tips? 😂