• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
  • Work With Us
  • Shop

The Grumpy Olive

  • Recipes
    • Drinks
    • Savoury
    • Sweet
    • Seasonal
  • Lifestyle
    • Life Lately
    • Listing
    • Sustainability
    • Watching
    • Seasonal
  • Style
    • Beauty
    • Fashion
    • Interiors
    • DIY
    • Seasonal
  • Books
    • Hot off the Press
    • Unboxing
    • Reviews
  • Coffee
    • How
    • What
    • Where
    • (Un)Popular Opinions
  • Travel
    • UK
    • Europe
    • World
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Introducing TJay – or how I though I was a dog lady

June 24, 2018Lifestyle
+2

Since I was born, all we had around at home, at my grandparents, at relatives, were pets.

Any kind of pet, growing up both my younger sister and I had all you could think of, from dogs to rabbits, tortoises, parrots, hamsters: you name it, we most likely had it.

But one thing my mother always refused to get was a cat, until one day, when we were still living in Sicily, she caved in and decided to give this a go too.

Now, one should possibly start by explaining the situation a bit: mother was born in the late sixties, first of three. We are in the early seventies when she used to carry her aunt’s cats in her very cute dolls’ pram. Or maybe one should say force the cats and kittens in the toy pram, which would ideally clarify the situation slightly better. She was dreaded so much by them, that they used to run away as soon as they could see the car approach, and go tell me they were not clever kitties.

Fast forward to the late nineties when younger sister and I are both under 10, have been begging for a kitty for ages and we get one. This cute little red-haired kitten, with blue eyes and super long whiskers. He was a kitten out of those fancy pictures, cute and ‘sweet’ little thing, and we agreed on a name pretty fast, Mitzi – don’t ask, I have no clue how we even got there.

Let’s just say my poor mother did not last for more than 24 hours with it, being the fact he could maybe sense there was something about her and her disliking of cats, but we had to hand it back to a relative the next day. Of course, both daughters heartbroken for not more than 5 minutes, it was easy to forget back then.

I possibly had more of a chance at cats since moving to London 10 years ago, and I finally got to meet this baby boy more or less 3 1/2 years ago. I was scared of cats, did not trust them and maybe I still do at times, when TJay plays the bully. But do I love him to bits!

He’s been such a central part since day one of moving in the flat I currently live at, that I would not be able to think about a cat the same way I do about him: he’s a cuddle bug at times, and just brings joy and laughs all around the house when I am maybe down or upset about something. Nighttime is when he turns into a charming cat, head to head cuddles in bed before bedtime are just the best.

He lives for Fred – Not A Skilful Sailor here – and so does she for him. She mothers him all the way around the house, and in return, he corners her at the best times to bite here and there on her legs for a fun 3 minutes of pure fear for Fred, but pure laughs for Cristina – found her blog, 1967, here – and myself. His actual mom/owner is also a mom to us most days, so hey Ve! Loads of love to you if you are going to read this!

Now that I stop blabbing about how cute and perfect and annoying and wonderful this dude is, find yourself in love by scrolling the gallery of pictures I have taken of him through the years.

You can also find him on Instagram as #Tjthekittycat mainly, but through the years the names – and hashtags – were waaaay too many, so good luck!

TJay the cat
TJ
CAT
TJay the cat
TJay the cat

This bebe is now almost 11 years old, he is a Sacred Birman and loves paper, snacking on our plants when Dreamies are not available, eating all the duck, pretending to hunt on the pigeons out here in our yard. He is also very friendly to the guys from the Council who come on a weekly basis, dislikes the kids playing in the summer afternoons, likes to jump into our Indian neighbours house for some reason and seems very fond of all the blankets Fred buys every time. Has a cute dog friend named Titou, a super sweet Maltese, but does slap him from time to time for no reason whatsoever. He’s the picture of a grumpy old man, only he is the best grumpy old man anyone has had the chance to meet ever.

+2
Share the love

About Simona

Simona is the self-appointed editor-in-chief and has a background in food & drink, currently working as a consultant for smaller brands in London, UK. She is an introvert who loves staying in, cooking and baking. Has just started learning how to knit, watches silly things on Netflix, and plays Animal Crossing a lot more than it's worth mentioning.

Previous Post: « A roundup of my favorite Birchbox finds
Next Post: Chicken & Pork Pot Pie »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Sisters & Friends

We live in a land of sarcasm, bad dad jokes, the tastiest food, all washed away with coffee and books. Currently based in London, UK.

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Newsletter

    Subscribe to hear the latest from us!

    Privacy Policy

    FOLLOW US

    Follow The Grumpy Olive on WordPress.com

    MOST READ

    • The Most Delicious Peach Curd Recipe
    • Berlin – Weekend of Coffee, Food & Sisterhood
    • My Autumn Makeup Picks

    Featured – Inspired

    Coffee 101: How To Brew An Aeropress

    March Hot Off The Press – what to read in March

    My YUMI Journey & Review

    Footer

    YOU CAN FIND US HERE:

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    GO BACK TO…

    • Home
    • About
    • Contact
      • Privacy Policy
      • Cookie Policy
    • Work With Us
    • Shop

    STAY IN TOUCH

    We promise, no spam emails from us!

    Privacy Policy

    @thegrumpyolive

    📚📚TODAY ON THE BLOG 📚📚⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Cristina is talking about the books she’s looking forward to reading this coming March. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
No spoilers here. Link in bio to read the article 👆🏻👆🏻⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#hotoffthepress #bookstoreadthismarch #readmorebooks #marchhotoffthepress #marchbooks #thegrumpyolive #thegrumpyoliveblog #thegrumpyolivedoes #thegrumpyolivereads
    “ Spring is nature’s way of saying ‘Let’s “ Spring is nature’s way of saying ‘Let’s Party’” 🌸🌸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And we couldn’t agree more! I mean, not that we are the party kind of people, but we definitely can’t wait to be able to sit in a park all day with a nice cold drink. 🍹 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
In the meantime, we are enjoying seeing flowers blossom and we are popping some in one or two vases around the house. 🌸🌸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
What’s your favorite flower? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#spring #flowers #sunshine #cantwaitforsunnydays #sunnydays #sunny #thegrumpyolive #thegrumpyolivedoes #thegrumpyoliveblog
    AD|GIFTED ~ Simona has been in the search for the AD|GIFTED ~ Simona has been in the search for the right vitamins for her for quite a while. Last year she bumped into @yuminutrition and loved them instantly! ✨✨⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It was only natural that a year after, and us sharing our experiences with you, we decided to partner with @yuminutrition .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
They have kindly given us a discount code for all of you to try their vitamins. Type in “GRUMPYOLIVE20” to receive 20% off your first order! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Pop on the link in bio to read Simona’s full journey. 👆🏻👆🏻⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#yuminutrition #ad #gifted #yumivitamins #selfcare #takeyourvitamins #healthboost #thegrumpyoliveblog #thegrumpyolive #thegrumpyolivedoes
    HAPPY MONDAY  GUYS✨✨⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Who was out in the warmth and sunshine yesterday?? 🙋🏼‍♀️🙋🏼‍♀️🙋🏼‍♀️🙋🏼‍♀️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We took a longer stroll for breakfast yesterday morning and spend a couple of hours soaking in that Vitamin D! ☀️☀️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
How was your weekend? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#mondaymorning #happymondays #hampstead #hampsteadheath #hampsteadwalks #londonparks #royalparks #thegrumpyolive #thegrumpyoliveblog #thegrumpyolivewalks
    We all have that one item of skincare that we love We all have that one item of skincare that we love. ✨✨⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
One of the items @simonarosano cannot survive without right now? This @beautypie eye moisture serum of course!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
She brings it with her anywhere and loves the feel of freshness and  revitalised skin around her eyes! 💆🏼‍♀️💆🏼‍♀️💆🏼‍♀️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Do you have an item like that?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#sundaypamperday #sundays #skincareroutine #beautypieproducts #loveyourself #thegrumpyolive #thegrumpyoliveblog #thegrumpyolivedoes #thegrumpyolivebeauty
    Ah, finally we have some sun shining and the weath Ah, finally we have some sun shining and the weather is perfect for walks! ☀️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
But it’s also perfect for some comfortable sun bathing, and Tj loves some of that! 🙆🏼‍♀️🙆🏼‍♀️🙆🏼‍♀️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Have a lovely weekend you all! ✨✨⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#walks #park #springiscoming #finallysunny #london #sunnylondon #tjthecat #tjthekittycat #thegrumpyolive #thegrumpyoliveblog #thegrumpyolivedoes
    Did we already said that we are in absolute love w Did we already said that we are in absolute love with Rome? ❤️❤️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I know probably a million times. But look at the architecture! And the history behind Rome and it’s greatness. What can we say? It always surprises us more and more! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Have you ever been to Rome? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#Rome #visitrome #romanhistory #romanempire #italianhistory #italy #storyofitaly #visititaly #thegrumpyolive #thegrumpyoliveblog #thegrumpyolivedoes #thegrumpyolivetravels
    Happy Friday peeps! ✨✨⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Happy Friday peeps! ✨✨⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
How’s your week been? We have been busy at work and at home, as we started our spring cleaning! 🙆🏼‍♀️🙆🏼‍♀️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Today we are sharing our love for Rome not only on here but also on the blog! 🏛🏛🏺🏺⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
She is sharing her part 1 of what beauties to visit in this beautiful city of ours. Link in bio to read 👆🏻👆🏻⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#rome #visitrome #romeitaly #romewasntbuiltinaday #loverome #romanempire #thegrumpyolive #thegrumpyoliveblog #thegrumpyolivetravels #thegrumpyoliveadventures
    Ahh take me back to the sun aging and warm days pl Ahh take me back to the sun aging and warm days please! ☀️☀️☀️  I know March will be heavy on rain, like every year, but anyone else is already tired of it and wants some sunshine? We surely do.  So here is a throwback to our walks to Hampstead Heath, on a warm sunny day.  Gosh, how many times can one say sun? 😂 😂 
.
.
.
.
#tbt #throwbackthursday #hamspteadheath #hampstead #walks #walkinguk #walksinthepark #sunshine #happydays #thegrumpyolive #thegrumpyoliveblog #thegrumpyolivewalks
    Copyright © 2021 · The Grumpy Olive · Hearten Made ⟡