Bedtime Cat Tales: Bones, The Neighbourhood Cat

Let your body relax and your thoughts quiet while you settle in for sleep with this peaceful bedtime story. Following along on the tale of Bones, a resourceful cat who is loved by all.

When it comes time to sleep time, all too often our minds become busy - it's a troublesome habit that prevents many from drifting off to dreamland peacefully. Bedtimes stories are helpful because they give the mind something else to focus on. This Cat Tale will begin with information just like that, then guide a deep breathing practice while weaving in the tale of Bones - who, actually is my pet cat :)

Music credit to: Liborio Conti

Transcript

Hey there,

Welcome to this sleepy time cat tale.

My name is Susan Cuttridge and tonight I'll be reading the story of Bones the Neighborhood Cat.

I'm so pleased to have you here.

When the evening rolls around and it's time to climb into bed,

For so many of us,

That's exactly when our minds start to get very busy,

Thinking about all the things we have to do or should have done or said or said differently.

It can certainly be useful to be introspective,

To kind of review how we showed up and how we felt our day went,

But bedtime isn't the time for that.

This kind of worried thinking doesn't serve us when we want to go to sleep,

So we need a way to interrupt that habit.

That's why bedtime stories are so helpful.

They give us something else to focus on so that our mind can relax,

And as the mind relaxes,

The body relaxes,

And before you know it,

You'll be sleeping.

Tonight's story stars my pet cat named Bones.

You might think that to be an odd name for a cat,

So let me start out by introducing him.

Ten years ago,

On a crisp spring morning,

My family and I found a little orange cat.

He had been hiding underneath a bush,

But so curious was he that he crept out,

Tentative and shy at first,

But then he'd relaxed into being pet.

He headbutt his tiny face into our hands and mewed as if to be chatting with us.

He was also very filthy,

As though he'd been spending his days wandering in his nights,

Sleeping under bushes and cars.

And on that same sentiment,

He was so tiny and skinny,

Just skin and bones,

I remember saying sadly.

We hadn't brought him home immediately,

Just in case his owner lived nearby,

But we did keep going out and checking on him,

And after two days,

When he was still hanging around the bush,

We took him home and cleaned him up.

At first,

We did what all responsible humans do when they find a cat.

We contacted our local animal shelter and radio station,

Describing him so that he might be reunited with his owner.

But no one ever came forward,

And because we had grown to love him in that short span of time,

He just stayed.

All those years ago,

When we first found him,

He was so scrawny,

So skinny,

And so his name came to be Bones,

And sometimes Bonesy,

And Mr.

Bones,

And on some days,

Billy Bob Bones.

I must say,

In no time,

He did outgrow the name.

What with regular mealtimes,

A cozy bed and constant love,

Bones filled out and grew to be a healthy,

Strong cat.

Now that you know who this story is about,

Let's get you comfy cozy in your bed.

Give your body a stretch.

Settling ever more deeply into your bed.

Shift as you need to get into a position that feels just right for you.

Notice the weight of your head resting on your soft pillow.

Relaxed.

Breathing out any tension that may have been there in your neck and your shoulders.

Feeling the weight of your body comfortably snuggled on your mattress.

Pull your sheets or blankets up so that you feel just warm enough.

Noticing the blankets softly cuddling around you like a gentle reassuring hug.

Let's take a few deep breaths together.

I always find that a few deep breaths as I settle in for a story helps me relax just a bit more.

Letting go of the previous moment to just be here,

Present and listening.

Take a deep breath in through your nose,

Feeling your belly rise on the inhale and exhaling out through your mouth.

As you breathe in through your nose,

Filling your lungs with calm energy and exhaling out through your mouth,

Allowing any worries or busy thoughts to float away like bubbles from a bubble wand.

Do a few more breaths just like that at your own pace.

With each breath,

Feel yourself settling in.

Sinking deeper into relaxation,

Safe and comfortable in this moment.

Good,

Just like that.

Now that you're all snuggled in and ready for sleep,

You're breathing slow and deep and you've met the star of our story.

I'll share another interesting fact about Bones.

As much as we had tried to keep him inside when we first found him,

He just wasn't having it.

A perfect day for Mr.

Bones was waking up in his cozy bed,

Eating a delicious meal of kibble,

Sipping some fresh water,

And then heading outside as I went off to work.

Each evening,

If he wasn't already home by dinner time,

I'd step out onto the porch,

Shake a bag of cat treats and call his name,

And up the driveway he would come running,

Moving in close for some affection,

And then coming into the house for a rest.

How do you think cats spend their days?

I've often wondered that myself,

And seeing as how right now I can look out my window and see my cat Bones sleeping on my neighbor's upstairs balcony,

It makes me wonder how many people in my neighborhood know Bones,

Who stop to give him a friendly pet or who welcome him into their homes.

This story is about that curiosity.

It's my guess of how Mr.

Bones might spend his days when he's not at my house.

Let's begin.

Sometimes when I look out the window,

I can see Bones sitting atop a large rock in my yard.

Often when children walk by,

They stop to pet him.

Sometimes Bones walks right out onto the sidewalk to solicit their affection.

It always warms my heart to see how happy people are to see him,

To see how happy people are to see him,

And to see their lips moving,

Engaging Bones in a conversation where they are likely supplying both question and answer.

On this bright spring morning,

I awoke to find Bones sleeping at the end of my bed.

As I got up and went to the bathroom to wash my face,

He followed me in,

Weaving himself between my legs and purring a greeting.

I switched the water from warm to cold,

And he jumped onto the counter to drink from the tap as though it were an elegant fountain.

This was our morning routine.

As I made my morning coffee,

I could hear Bones nibbling his breakfast,

And when I was ready to head out the door for work,

Bones followed me out,

Pausing on the porch to sniff the air,

His tail swishing back and forth,

Curiously and contentedly taking in the day.

As I placed my work bag into my jeep,

Bones jumped off the porch step.

He took a few steps toward me,

And then began rolling on the grass for a belly rub,

Almost to say,

Don't you want to stay?

Look how peaceful we can be.

I did turn back and rub his belly,

And I secretly wished that my superpower was to be able to communicate with animals.

I think Bones would have some very interesting things to say.

As I drove away,

I could see Bones from my rearview mirror,

Lounging in the yard,

The sun shining through the lush green tree branches,

Creating many rays of sunshine that danced all around him.

His body stretched out,

Relaxed fully in the moment.

After a while of lounging and rolling back and forth on the grass,

Bones slowly got to his feet and wandered out of the yard.

Pausing here and there for a sniff,

He walked along the sidewalk,

Across the street,

And into a yard,

Where he scampered up a wooden staircase that led to a balcony.

Once up,

Bones walked to a window and looked in.

There,

A kind lady named Mrs.

Banks was making her morning coffee.

She glanced up to spot an orange cat looking in her window,

And immediately,

Her eyes lit up.

She stopped what she was doing,

Greeting the cat with a soft,

Melodious voice.

Good morning,

Sunny.

Look at you,

You must be so hungry.

Ready for your breakfast?

Opening the door for Sunny to walk into her kitchen,

Mrs.

Banks' gaze followed after him as he sauntered in.

His tail slowly swishing back and forth,

A demonstration of his relaxed curiosity.

Mrs.

Banks went to her cupboard,

Where she proceeded to take out a tin of cat food.

Opening it,

She scooped a few spoonfuls into a dish.

At the sound of the tin opening,

Sunny's ears perked up.

Sunny's ears perked,

And he walked over to where she was standing at the counter,

His rhythmic purr loud and rumbly.

Mrs.

Banks placed the bowl of food down for Sunny,

Who happily began nibbling.

Even as he ate,

His purr remained steady,

Vibrations of contentment spreading throughout his body.

Mrs.

Banks pet him one more time,

A gentle touch to his soft fur,

And with a look of adoration,

She then turned away to get herself ready for her day,

No doubt.

With his second breakfast complete,

Bones,

Also known as Sunny,

Curled up in front of a window for a nap.

I once read that cats can sleep for about 15 to 20 hours a day,

And that some cats even snore.

While this cat didn't snore as far as I know,

He certainly did enjoy his naps,

And true to his feline nature,

He was always only partially asleep,

Relaxed and restful,

But alert enough to be aware of his surroundings.

The sun shining through the window cast a shadow as a cloud passed in the sky.

With this shift in lighting,

Bones,

Also known as Sunny,

Awoke,

Stretched and yawned,

And with his rough pink tongue cleaned a small patch of fur on his belly,

Then stood.

He wandered through the house until he found his friend,

Mrs.

Banks,

Who bent to pet him as she put on her shoes.

She said,

See you later,

Sunny,

Be a good cat today,

And as she headed out of the house,

Bones,

Also known as Sunny,

Followed her out.

Back in the fresh air,

He felt a bit playful.

He chased a leaf that had been caught by the breeze,

Then abruptly changed directions,

Scampering across the yard to follow a butterfly that seemed to just be always one flutter faster than him.

Bones,

Also known as Sunny,

Chased after the butterfly,

Stopping every now and then to notice a scent on a fence post or in the air,

Acting so cool,

Calm and casual,

As though playing with the butterfly wasn't actually the highlight of his morning.

Along his playful mid-morning walk,

He passed the park entrance,

Wandering in for a look around and then out again.

He dug his claws into the familiar oak tree in the yard where his friend Rizzo lived.

Rizzo was a fluffy gray cat.

At just two years old,

Rizzo looked to Bones like a wise mentor,

Following him around,

Copying his movements.

They could often be spotted sitting together on a driveway or a few stones apart in a garden.

But Rizzo wasn't out on this day,

And so Bones dug his claws into the tree trunk,

Pressing his right and then left,

Leaving his scent so his friend would know he had stopped by.

The leaves in the tree were rustling ever so lightly in the wind.

The movement sparked another burst of playful energy in Bones,

Also known as Sunny,

And he raced up the tree trunk,

Jumping onto a branch,

Then jumping to another branch,

Then back to the trunk and scampering down again.

He was back on the grass so fast if you blinked you would have missed it all.

With the sun moving slightly westerly in the sky,

Bones,

Also known as Sunny,

Wandered a little ways up the street to a house with gray siding and concrete steps.

With the heat of the sun,

The concrete was warm,

Inviting him to stretch out for a moment of sunbathing.

Of course,

He couldn't resist the invitation,

So he laid down,

Enjoying the warmth of the sun as the rays caressed his fur,

Each beam like a gentle,

Loving touch.

As he rested,

He heard the sound of a car engine approach,

The familiar crunch of gravel as the car drove into the driveway,

And then silence as the ignition was turned off.

A door opened and clicked closed.

A door opened and clicked closed.

Bones then counted the footsteps crunching on the gravel,

Starting at one sounding so far away,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Listening and counting as the footsteps approached,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

Eight,

Nine,

And the tenth step right beside him.

Bones,

Also known as Sunny,

Then opened his eyes,

And there,

Smiling down at him,

Stood his friend Sarah,

A grocery bag slung over her shoulder.

Well,

Hello there,

Pumpkin,

It's good to see you today,

She said as she bent to give him a scratch behind his ear and down his neck.

Pumpkin sat up,

Purring happily at Sarah,

And head-butting her hand to ensure she continued the massage.

When Sarah stood,

So did Pumpkin.

He took one more deep breath in,

He took one more deep breath in,

Absorbing the peace of the garden,

And as he exhaled out,

He followed Sarah into her home.

Pumpkin enjoyed Sarah's home.

Each window had a large sill,

Which made for many perches a curious cat could sit upon.

He wandered room to room,

Exploring to see who was home.

Alas,

He found each room empty,

As Sarah's children weren't yet home from school.

Giving up on the quest for affection,

And instead choosing to enjoy the silence,

Pumpkin scampered up the staircase to his favorite windowsill and settled in.

From this second-floor window,

Pumpkin could look out and see the whole street,

Overseeing the comings and goings of the neighbors,

Many of which were his friends.

He watched the door-to-door trek of Miss Kim,

The postal worker.

He couldn't help but smirk at the small brown dog that snuck out of its yard again,

Running down the street with its owner in pursuit.

Pumpkin watched with interest until the dog was safely back in his yard,

And then his eyes drifted shut.

Even with his eyes closed,

Pumpkin could still see the street,

So was it etched in his memory.

He knew every house that allowed him to wander in,

Where the coziest sleeping spots were,

And the tastiest morsels of food.

As he napped,

So peaceful were his thoughts of the kind gestures of his friends,

He began to purr,

The gentle vibration lulling his body into a deeper relaxation.

Eventually,

He heard the front door click,

And the sound of footsteps and happy voices.

With one agile leap,

Pumpkin left the windowsill to greet the children arriving home from school.

He snuggled on the couch with them as they watched TV and did their homework.

He inhaled deeply,

Enjoying the delicious smell coming from the kitchen.

Dinner was cooking.

After dinner,

As Sarah and her family settled down for a quiet evening,

Pumpkin noticed the sky growing dark.

He wandered over to the front door,

Pawing at it,

And giving an informative meow,

As if to say,

Will someone let me out?

One of the children skipped over to the door,

Gave Pumpkin a pet,

And said,

Ah,

Pumpkin,

Are you sure you want to go outside now?

Pumpkin responded by pawing at the door once more,

And so,

He was let out.

Bones,

Also known as Sunny,

Also known as Pumpkin,

Strolled away down the sidewalk.

His head held high,

His tail upright and straight,

As if to tell the world how content he felt.

He jumped up to walk along a wooden fence framing a yard,

Then paused to sit atop a fence post.

From this perch,

He took in the cool evening breeze,

Listened to the sound of crickets chirping,

Looking at the twinkling of stars dotting the night sky,

The sliver of a moon glowing brightly in the sky.

What a good day this one has been,

He thought.

Looking over the street and the houses laid out in front of him.

In the not-too-far-off distance,

He heard a wooden door open and the squeak of a screen door's hinges,

And then a voice called out with a slightly musical intonation,

Hey Bones!

Bonesy!

He waited for it,

And there it was,

The crinkling sound of a bag of cat treats gently shaking.

In one smooth leap,

Bones was off the fence post and bounding down the sidewalk,

Past the park,

And to his nighttime home.

I smiled as I saw his cute orange face round the corner and gallop down the driveway toward me.

I bent down to offer him a few treats from the bag,

Which he noisily gobbled up.

You've been out all day,

Bonesy.

You must be so hungry,

I said,

His tail wrapped around my leg as I gave him a little head scratch.

As we went into the house together,

The rest of his family welcomed Bones home with bright eyes,

Excited greetings,

And open arms.

Enjoying his fill of dinner and affection,

He then found his fluffy blue cat pillow,

Gave it a sniff to make sure nothing had changed since he was there last.

He yawned and stretched,

And then stepped into his cozy bed,

Curling up,

A low rumbling purr vibrating throughout his body,

The sound of complete contentment.

As he drifted off to sleep,

His dreams were filled with the memories of his relaxing day and adventures yet to be had.

Images of the kind neighbors floated through his mind,

And of his food dish that was never empty.

He dreamed of exploring his neighborhood,

Meeting with friends new and old.

In every corner visited on his journey,

He found warmth,

And safety,

And love.

And with each new discovery,

Bones felt a sense of peace and belonging,

Knowing that he was loved and wanted in not just one,

But many homes.

For a cat that began with no home,

He sure did a good job of finding three.

As the night deepened,

Asleep in his little blue bed by the front window,

Bones twitched and purred in his sleep,

Dreaming of the love that surrounded him.

And as we leave Bones now to his dreams,

Connect with the warmth and safety and love that you feel.

Breathing in,

Drawing in the coziness of the moment,

And breathe out,

Feeling as snug and safe as Bones.

Take one more deep breath in with me,

Filling your heart with the love and safety that surrounds you.

And as you breathe out,

Let yourself drift into a peaceful sleep,

Just like Bones,

Also known as Sunny,

Also known as Pumpkin,

Knowing that you are cherished just as you are.

Good night,

And sweet dreams.

Reviews

We love the Bones stories so much! Such great adventures and beautifully narrated. We can’t wait for the next one!

I fell asleep before I you even started talking the story, but I still enjoyed it.

I love Bones. Cats are resourceful little love thieves and I love them for it! What a cute story. I appreciate you for sharing your, obviously, amazing cat with us(and the neighbors)! I hope you’ll share more stories about Bones!

What a clever kitty! I bet there are many a cat 🐈 who live multiple identities, spreading love and joy as they go! Good story. Thank you!

TY for this lovely story and your beautiful soothing voice❣️ 🐈Oh, how I'd love to meet Bones...also known as Sunny... also known as Pumpkin❤️😸😽

My 8 year old granddaughter fell asleep, half way through the story!

I’ve taken care of a few”Bones” myself! I enjoyed hearing about him. I’ve always wanted a orange tabby that’s really cuddly and maybe a few extra toes 🤭🐈🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Absolutely amazing! I love cats so much🐈, and when I searched up cat sleep stories in Insight Timer, it wasn’t one of the first stories to come up but it was the first one I picked, and that choice 💯%paid off. I LOVED IT!!! 🩷My cat Zoro died last week, and the sleep story reminded me how cute and amazing cats are. I can’t wait to listen to the second one tonight.😊- Ellie

I liked it and I also like cats too so I tried it out and I really really liked it so yeah tomorrow I’m going to listen to the next one 🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡