C is for cats

There is NO taking Midnight to the vet.

Midnight.blanket
160205_184010
I’m having a conversation with a woman in my church choir. Somehow, the nature of pets came up. At one point, she said, “But you don’t HAVE cats.”

Oh yes, I do. Two of them, in fact, both for over two years. The Daughter knows their birthdays – one’s in January, the other in June – but I’m a BAD cat papa.

Midnight is the elder cat. He’s the one most likely to sleep in our bed, or fall asleep in the chair behind me in the office. Sometimes, I think he has nightmares. We got him from the animal shelter, which treated him well, but I wonder about his time before that.

Most people can’t pick him up, as won’t allow it. But usually, I can. I’ll scratch him under his chin.

He’s a little less hostile to (some) strangers than he had been. We still stick him in the basement when my mother-in-law comes over, or there’s a large crowd of people, for they make him nervous.
IMG_20151228_184906 (1)

IMG_20160301_211757_kindlephoto-8950702Stormy does tend to hang out with the females of the household. She’ll come to sit on one of their laps while we’re watching TV.

She NEVER sits on my lap. But she DOES like to rub my feet with her body, which is rather pleasant, actually.

She doesn’t like strangers either, but instead of “protecting” the household, she’ll generally just run away.

She tolerates me because I had been feeding them. Recently, though, my spousal person, having taken her to the vet – there is NO taking HIM to the vet – decided they needed to put them on a diet. So instead of splitting a can in the morning and another in the evening, she feeds them a third and a third, putting the remainder in the refrigerator.

The cats HATE this. they don’t like leftovers. They still do the ritual: He gets fed in one part of the kitchen, she in another. They both nibble a bit. Then, just to be annoying, he’ll come over and eat HER food, and she’ll run off. Later, she’ll sneak over and eat his.

They also HATE the vacuum cleaner. If I want them to stop doing something, such as him scratching the furniture, I will wheel over the vacuum. I don’t even need to turn it on. Usually, they’ll run away.

He usually sleeps in our bed, though occasionally both of them will sleep at our feet. And by “at our feet,: I mean I have to move them from my sleeping position.

The Daughter, who has contributed a few hundred dollars to the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society in the past three years, is the photographer. She has all these fancy filters on the camera function of her device, which she uses a LOT.

ABC Wednesday – Round 19

Author: Roger

I'm a librarian. I hear music, even when it's not being played. I used to work at a comic book store, and it still informs my life. I won once on JEOPARDY! - ditto.

16 thoughts on “C is for cats”

  1. When my tortie, Ursie, was alive, the people who came to feed her when we were away never saw her. She was a master at hiding and taught her craft to Squeaky, the baby kitten found when Ursie was ten. Squeaky is a chubby taby who weighs abut 11 pounds and it’s very amusing to watch her squeeze her bulk out from under the sofa after the danger of visitors has passed,

  2. Our Molly the Cat doesn’t like canned leftovers much either. She has gotten better about eating them lately because we’ve restricted how much and when her dried food bowl gets filled. Cats are amazing individuals. I’m glad one of them lives with us.

  3. I’m not a cat person, either, but daughter #2 used to have two. Now only one as Ollie had to be put down a few months ago. D#2 and her hubby were absolutely crushed, both sobbing as they held him while, I, who was waiting in reception asked how much the bill would be and ended up paying it for them. (almost $1,000.00!!!) Needless to say, as repayment D#2 lived at my place while I was away for the month to doggie sit Tegan and her hubby had visiting privileges. LOL Their other cat, Luna, doesn’t like Tegan very much because T always wants to play with her. Luna just hisses! And I hate it when Luna sits on my tables and good furniture, worrying that she’s ruin the fabric. Why do they always choose your favourite chair to pick at??? *Sigh*

    Leslie
    abcw team

  4. Cats are such curious creatures. We have a cat that my youngest daughter rescued as a kitten from the middle of a 5-way intersection in town. She shares our home “a la kitty way” with our 4 dogs – 2 of them were also rescued from the streets here in Del Rio. She is affectionate with us, when she’s in the right mood, but hides when we have company. Blessings!

  5. My parents were cat people and two of my kids are cat people. I do tire of sweeping up kitty litter trailed through my house, but both my cats are good company for me. They are both rescued cats. Jax is quite nervous around most people. I’ve had him so long that is not apt to change. Ting, the Siamese, likes attention but prefers not to be picked up. She will sit on my lap finally. Jax seems to prefer females, probably a male mistreated him.

  6. Ha! Most cats really love my daughter, even the shy ones. I like the names of your cats…or your daughter’s cats.

  7. I have a cat (Callie) and a dog, Bruce – total opposites, – Callie is timid and a little overweight,- she hides under the quilt on the bed when it storms. Bruce is exuberant and friendly to a fault. She is a nibbler, – his breakfast and dinner disappear almost as it reaches the dish, – I have had to find a spot he cannot reach as he would finish his portion and then go and empty the cat’s dish as well. They are company, and I love them, and the little routines we have set up….

  8. I knew that you have two cats, but I didn’t know that they were black ! I love black cats, my very first one was black.

Leave a Reply

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

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial