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What Do You Think of Cat?
I've never been a pet person. In one of my earlier lives my wife loved cats and we housed one, but you would never catch me talking to it or playing games with it, even though her cats had great names like Popcorn and Macaroni.
The only thing I recall about one of those cats is that one of them scratched a 1953 Bowman Stan Musial baseball card, taking a claw-size nick out of Stan the Man's face, rendering the card almost worthless instead of its $300 book value.
For many many years my Mom has had a cat named Camille. A quiet cat with a pure white coat and deep blue eyes. She has made a great companion for my Mom, and, according to all Mom's accounts, Camille communicates quite well with her. I've never witnessed it myself, but my Mom says that Camille knows when it's time to eat, when it's time for bed, and when it's time to just stare into space.
What I find incredible, though, is that during the fifteen years since Camille moved into Mom's Johnson Avenue home, my Mom has become increasingly like Camille. Mom's hair in the last fifteen years has turned beautifully white, much the way Camille's has always been.
In the last two years Mom has become a very finicky eater, often pushing food around on her dinner plate, picking and choosing what she likes and what she doesn't like. Put a plate of tuna in front of Camille and Camille is in the mood for chicken. Give her chicken and Camille is in the mood for beef in gravy. That's Mom now, often complaining that the food doesn't taste good and not really enjoying her meals.
In addition, Camille is a housecat, content to lay around on her favorite chair in Mom's living room and content to listen to WIRY Radio all day. Her favorite spot might be right in front of the picture window, watching who passes by on Johnson Avenue.
Same as Mom. Mom enjoys her mornings at the kitchen counter working on the Press-Republican crossword puzzle while sipping a cup of decaf. Mom enjoys sitting in her living room chair, listening to WIRY Radio or watching television or, better yet, watching who passes by her window. In the past few years, Mom has become a house person, not wanting to venture out because it's too cold, too windy, too rainy, too sunny, too hot. Content to just be at home.
Is it true that the more a person and their pet hang out, the more the person becomes like the pet? I heard that on the Animal Planet channel. Never having been a pet person myself, it surprised my family when I surrendered to the coaxing from a certain someone two years ago and forked over $15 for a kitten that I named Lily.
As I have watched Lily grow in size and in independence, I find myself becoming more and more like her. It kind of rattles me a bit to even ask this, but is it possible I am becoming more and more like my cat?
She's a long-haired tiger cat and, since she moved in, I somehow made the decision to stop getting regular haircuts and to let my hair grow longer. If you know about cats, then you know that long-haired cats shed. Lily is real good at that. And anyone who has noticed my bald head knows that I've been shedding for years. Take a look at my hairbrush, if you have any doubts.
Lily's main hobby seems to be curling up on the couch for a daytime nap. She will sleep there for hours, no matter what sounds can be heard out on Saratoga Court. Same for me. I never used to do this, but lately I've been curling up on my cushioned couch and dozing off in mid-afternoon. No matter what sounds are out there on Saratoga Court.
One thing that gets Lily moving, though, is a nice snack treat. Need I say more? If I wake up to a Taco Bell commercial or Orville Redenbacher's commercial on tv, I can't help but scamper into the kitchen and fix up a nice batch of nachos or bowl of popcorn.
Life seems pretty good in this cat world. I am independent, a bit stubborn, just like Lily. I never knew that life could be this good. If only I could figure out about those nine lives that cats have!
Comments
Give it up, Foxy ...
Dogs have masters ...
Cats have staff.
Besides that, everything is going crazy here in Nevada with the January 19 caucus ... cauci(?) .... Give me the good old primaries back in New York with the mechanical voting booths!
Say "Hi" to Vi and Erin for me!
Lynda
Posted by: Lynda (Bouyea) Bevins | November 16, 2007 1:47 AM
Foxy,
It could always be worse. You could have a gold fish for a pet.
Posted by: Kathy | November 13, 2007 4:38 PM