“One cat just leads to another.” – Ernest Hemingway

Bloganuary writing prompt
What is your favorite animal?

Where shall I start??? I love animals. Especially the warm-blooded kind. Cold-blooded animals…I am impartial, too. So what’s my favourite animal. I think our feral cat family would scratch me if I didn’t say cats.

Let me introduce you to them :

Russell

Russell

Meet Russell. He is from the first litter of 5 that his mum brought to my door. He is two years old. He is a very vocal somebody who is unsure if he is a big baby or a big gib. He tends to arrive 30 minutes before dinner time and makes a racket for at least 10 mins in the hope of being fed early. It never happens but he tries his luck every day without fail. He drives me insane but I love him anyway.

Meow Meow

Meow Meow

This gorgeous young gib is called Meow Meow because he was a very vocal kitten. He is from the second litter that his mum brought to my door. He will be two years old next month. He has grown up to be a quiet, independent soul. Russell torments him sometimes, so I think that is why he prefers to keep to himself, yet if Russell comes to call him, he dutifully rouses himself from his sleep and goes off with him. They have a weird relationship. I could always count on Meow Meow to let me know if a kitten had messed up in the house. It disturbed him when they did. He is super smart; if I ask him to tell me when a cat is at the door, he will do so. He hates being touched, which breaks my heart because he has the most beautiful, thick, soft fur coat. 

Socks and Shoes

Socks and Shoes

These are from the last batch of kittens that were brought to my door. Socks is the only female that their mum gave birth to. (Well, that I noticed anyway.) She is the cutie pie on the left. She is a very, very independent soul and prefers to be outside. Shoes, on the other hand, prefers to be inside and I sometimes have to chase him around the house when it is time for him to go. He is absolutely adorable. These two will be a year old next month. 

Bob

Bob and Socks

Bob is from the 3rd litter. Here is with Socks. These two are almost inseparable. Strangely enough, when their mother kicked Socks and Shoes “out of the nest”, big brother Bob took them under his wing and let them “suckle” on him for comfort. It was sweet of him at the time but it is just weird now because he still lets Socks do it. Poor Shoes tries his luck every time but Bob will have none of it. Meow Meow is also quite attached to the kittens and still plays with them when they need a playmate.

I have managed to sterilise the whole lot, including their mum, so thankfully, Socks and Shoes are the last kittens. Before the arrival of this lot, I was a dog person. I still am, but these guys (and doll) have taught me that cats are adorable too. They have taken over my home (at meal times) and my heart (at all times)

Thanks for stopping by. Be blessed!

“One who takes the road less traveled earns the rewards most missed.”― Matshona Dhliwayo

Daily writing prompt
What could you do differently?

Phew! Where does one start…lol! There is so much I could do differently and should, but for this post, I will focus on one. 

Image: Canva

I could make better use of the loyalty programmes I belong to!

It probably seems odd, but the reality is that those loyalty benefits can extend your salary if you use them as intended. There are two loyalty programmes that I could be making the best use of.

My Banking Loyalty Programme

I love my bank. It is digitally savvy. I earn loyalty points every time I swipe my card. I will shop anyway, so why not earn points just for shopping? I earn extra points for filling up at the specified Petrol (Gas) station brand, shopping at specified stores, and, of course, having certain banking products. So earning them is relatively easy, although every year they make it a little more difficult :(. How does this stretch my salary? Well, I can

  • Pay for petrol
  • Shop at a popular Health and Beauty Store that is in every mall
  • Pay for my online shopping at the most popular online stores
  • Pay my monthly banking fees.
  • Pay for flights and car hire
  • Pay a fraction of the cost for certain courses on Udemy

The list of benefits is pretty long, and I usually allow the points to accumulate so that I have a backup for those months when I need to make an unexpected trip that knocks my petrol budget off. If I need to free up extra cash, I pay for my banking fees using points that month. I also use it for emergency pharmacy purchases.

My Medical Aid Loyalty Programme

The thing i like about the this loyalty programme is that is designed to encourage you to live a healthy lifestyle. 

  • Exercising and meeting your fitness goals earns points
  • Buying healthy food earns points, although I disagree with a few items on their list. The vast majority are fruits, veggies, complex carbs, proteins, and healthy fats.
  • having Health numbers checked and staying with health guidelines
  • getting your preventative check-ups done like mammograms and pap smears etc

And, of course, I get to use them for most of the same things as my banking loyalty programme.  I can convert the points to cash to pay my linked credit card. I also get excellent discounts on sportswear and equipment. 

I guess that’s what I will be doing tomorrow. I will be going through the programmes and playing how I will be maximising my points this year.

Do you belong to loyalty programmes? Do you make good use of them?

Thanks for popping by. Be blessed!

Quotes To Live By: James Clear

“The habits you repeat every day largely determine your health, wealth, and happiness.”

James Clear
Image: Canva