@jeanne-mayell, @lovendures, @bluebelle
Thank you all for your observations on Mr. Merlin. I deliberately waited about 24 hours to come back and comment as I wanted to give folks a chance to read without my input. There's so much to process from your readings.
I adopted Mr. Merlin when he was about 6 months old. He had been a rescue kitten. He and two siblings had been found with no mother when they were only 3-4 days old. A family known to someone at my job had nursed and taken care of them until they were ready to adopt out. I was looking to adopt a cat and my co-worker set me up with his caretakers. I had him fixed not long after adopting him, but I sometimes wonder if it took as he definitely wants to be the alpha male of the house and neighborhood (and yes, he doesn't always seem to realize he's smaller than the people around). He's very strong willed, curious, and adventurous. He's definitely a character. He has lots of energy, but can also be found napping. He tends to nap in different places - sometimes my bed, sometimes the couch, sometimes a closet, and sometimes on the top of many bookshelves I have around the house. Sometimes he'll even sleep at the foot of my bed in the overnight hours when I'm sleeping.
He especially likes high places - the clothesline in my laundry room (as seen in the photo), on top of tall shelves, and since I've started letting him outside I'll sometimes find him in a tree and I've even had to get him off the roof of my detached shed a few times. He does seem able to get down himself, though early on I felt I had to help him. He really didn't want any help either.
I don't have any mice, but he has caught bugs in the house, and unfortunately a few very small birds since I've started letting him outside. He is prone to stomach upset including semi-regular vomiting. Sometimes it's furballs and other times he's eaten too much or too fast. He's very quick and I'm convinced he can teleport. There have been a number of times when I've seen him going one direction and I'll turn around and he's in the totally opposite direction laying down like he's been there the whole time. I'm not sure of his other magical powers.
As for the man with the round face and red beard, that is probably me. I actually have dark blond hair and no beard, but my stubble does have some red in it. I pay a lot of attention to him and he mostly seems to like the affection, though he'll sometimes let me know that enough is enough. He is very independent, but also wants to be around me - just across the room. When I'm laying on the couch, sometimes he will come lay on my chest (but he'll jump up and pretend he wasn't being affectionate if anyone walks into the room). He's not overly nurturing or affectionate, but he has his moments. He does like being petted and rubbed under the chin. He's not normally a lap sitter, but sometimes he will.
Now that he's outdoors sometimes, he almost always comes running whenever I call him - except sometimes he'll act like he doesn't hear me and sometimes I think he's out of hearing range. He tends to stay more or less along my block of the neighborhood and is especially prone to visiting the yards that have other cats. He really likes being outside and will also plop down and roll on his back to let me know he doesn't want to come inside yet. I tried to keep him as an indoor cat, but his adventurous spirit wanting to go outside finally wore me down (last fall). He's actually taken well to going outside, though it is hard to get him to come in at night before I go to bed.
He does swipe at my legs and will actually grab on to one as I walk down the hall. Mostly I think he's playing, but sometimes he does this when he's mad at me for not getting his way. We sometimes play hide and seek and he's not often fooled when I hide behind a curtain or door. He also likes hiding and doing sneak attacks on my feet. I pretend that I didn't see him either. He has some fascination with the fish tank and I had to build a wooden frame around it with a top to keep him out. He doesn't pay much attention to it anymore unless he sees me feeding the fish.
He wants to be around people, but doesn't want to be too obvious about it. When he was younger, he was a bit clingy and I do wonder if it's because he lost is mother when he was so young. I actually spoil him with affection and mostly he gets his way (except not always getting to stay outside as long as he wants). He's a Virgo like me, so he does like his routines which often revolve around my schedule. I rent a room out in my house and have had different people living there since I adopted him. The last two housemates have said that he actually waits by the window for me to come home as he knows my schedule. He also likes drinking water out of the sink or tub faucet.
I'm not sure he's ever seen a horse. I can't place a turquoise necklace, but I do have a few "magic" necklaces around. Usually I keep them out of site, but last week he was batting around one that had a spiral design.
@melmystery wow thank you for such a detailed rendition of Merlin’s life! I see now why it is a good idea to wait for more people to post. I love this guy.
Loving all the posts on this thread!
I would love to get a take on our rescue cat, Cricket. We got her when she was 3 years old and she's now 9. I haven't found a way to post her picture. There is no option for me to choose or attach a file as shown in Jeanne's earlier post.
I've followed this site almost daily since retiring in late 2016 but have never posted. I have learned so much from every single soul who's posted here! Wonder if being a new poster has anything to do with not being able to attach a picture yet.
Thank you so much for giving feedback on Oliver. him. What a character. I LOVE him! I can totally see him eating that cake too. What a great family dog!! My dog LOVES to smile and this surprises people. HE IS ALWAYS HAPPY AND SMILING. I felt the energy of my dog smiling as I saw your Oliver. It is good to see that this was a match and not me simply thinking of my own dog. I think it was a symbol to see the match of personality.
What a great feedback post. I am so happy you shared so much with us. I think I learned something as well. I noticed I was thinking of the cat I had during my childhood a lot. I had images of him watching the fishbowl and trying to scoop out the fish. Of another cat I knew batting at people. Of my dog attacking bugs. I also had images of my childhood cat sleeping on high shelves inside a large pottery bowl and I a high cupboard. I did not post the last two but realize that would have also been a match.
So what I think I have learned through this exercise and with Dannyboy and @melmystery is I can get images or feelings of what I know from my personal experience and apply it to a reading like this. I know people can get information this way but I didn't know I could do that as well.
Thanks for opening up this pet thread to everyone. I am learning a lot through the process. It is also fun!!
@allthetrees Welcome to the forum. For security, files and links have always been blocked when people are new. People can send a jpeg file to us via the contact menu item, and as long as we don't have to click on it to see the photo, we can take a screen shot and post it here. If that doesn't work, then I apologize but there is a higher need for cyber security right now. But keep posting!
Here is @allthetrees' rescue kitty Cricket. They got her when she was 3 years old and she's now 8. I've followed this site since late 2016 and while I haven't posted, I’ve learned so very much from those who do post here. BTW, she is lovely.
Cricket enjoys her home and is very comfortable there @allthetrees. She feels serene and loved by her humans. Does she like her peace and quiet? Is she unsettled by lots of noises and an unsettled environment as when there is shouting, loud noises or a lot of excitement around her? I feel there was a lot of sadness, even grief at one time in her life perhaps caused by a separation or some sort of loss or trauma but this is now in her past. I feel a gratefulness radiating from her though. She’s a happy kitty and likes to take advantage of her comfort. Does she have a specific human she likes best? She seems to resonate to one voice over all others but there’s a certain hesitancy to appear bias! She tries to spread her purring to everyone equally.
Cricket enjoys the sunshine. She likes to sit by the window and soak up the rays on a sunny day. She likes to look out the window and view the world. She might be a day dreamer. If she does go outside, she doesn't go too far. I get that she is more of an indoor cat and is comfortable on beds, sofas and cozy places. She is a "purr box" and loves to purr. She loves you and is happy with her family, she doesn't need to worry. Her eyes smile.
@allthetrees, welcome to the forum.
@jeanne-mayell Thank you for your reading of Samson. You hit the nail right on the head with everything you said, and your words moved me to tears.
I once read that some pets find us and are meant to be in our lives, much like spouses, children, and others with whom we travel through lives. I believe that to be true for me and Samson.
I came across him in a pet store back in 2005. (In the future, I'll adopt, but this was before I understood such things.) He was 8 weeks old, and it was the first day -- probably even the first hour, since I got there shortly after the store opened -- he was up for sale. I saw him and immediately knew he was mine. My husband (then just my boyfriend) suggested we take some time to consider it and return for him later if we still wanted him. I refused to leave without him. I just knew that, if I didn't get him right then, I would never see him again. I left with him that day and we've been together ever since.
@sistermoon Oh, what a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing how you knew he was meant to be with you on that day. Your experience brings up for me the nature of true intuitive wisdom. In my worldview, I would say that the reason you showed up at the pet store that very day at that very time was because at some level you were following inner guidance to find him. He is part of your soul family and you felt that connection.
This thread has had so many positive impacts on people that I hadn't consciously expected when I moved it from the Student Forum to this open forum. For me, it's improved my ability to read, and I know it has helped others here to find new ways to read. Reading people's pets here is a lite form of reading that is fun and with little negative consequences, as long as we keep it constructive and positive.
It has also given us your heartwarming story about Sampson, and the other fur-babies here.