It's a cat's life

Our cats really have it made. Being home for several days during the holidays you get to see the extraordinary activity level of the typical domestic cat first hand. Yes, if ever one of those cat-cams were afixed to our kitty-girls, the resulting video would only be slightly more exciting than one obtained from a 3-toed sloth. First, be it noted that both cats sleep on our bed, mostly, confining the smaller of us to much less than half the bed, and on occasion actually claiming the entire half for themselves. Now breakfast is certainly the most important meal of the day, and it must be served no later than 7:30 am because by 8 a cat could starve to death. Therefore as the critical must-feed time approaches greater and greater efforts must be employed to roust one of the two slugs whose primary function in life is to feed the cats. On regular work days this is no problem, but the concept of sleeping in, even on New Year's Day, is lost on cats, and a paw in the face is hard to ignore. Rousting the feeders is a duty undertaken by the senior member of our duo while the other waits serenely. The cats do perform a nice singing and dancing duet while you prepare their breakfasts, and then they and their breakfast both disappear even before you get your first cup of coffee. Both will be found back up on their bed, or some other piece of cat furniture, for their uninterrupted morning nap. It's a rough job, but someone has to do it. Later on there will be some long sessions of wildlife watching. And then when the feeders are at home, two or three hours of regularly reminding anyone in the kitchen that dinner time is rapidly approaching, or actually their grave concern that the clocks are in error and it is much later than you think. After dinner is the younger cat's chief period of activity, while the older cat wedges herself between TPP's let and the arm of his chair until eventually it's bedtime.  What a tough life these cats have. 

Does a pet share your bed?

A rather shallow study concludes that you get a better nights' sleep if you don't let a pet sleep on your bed.  You must be kidding?  Like it's your decision!  Like it's your bed!  Yes, the kitty-girls do sleep with the Phactors, mostly in the winter, and usually one at a time; most non-sibling cats won't tolerate a second cat on the bed. Tuesday night the cat who is scared of thunder slept with us for comfort as storms rolled through the area.  Last night was very cool, so the cat who likes the warmth of snuggling slept with us. Yes, one of our cats, a big lug of a Maine coon cat used to take up a lion's share of the bed at times and he snored or at least breathed very heavy, and he could push you out of bed too. And one likes to check to see if you are really asleep my poking your nose with her paw.  And you might think that banning such activity would allow you to sleep better, but what planet are you from?  How many times do you think you'd have to throw a cat off the bed only to have them return the second you drift back off to sleep?  Well, cat tossing will keep you busy instead of sleeping.  OK you say, just close the bedroom door.  Sure, if you like sleeping without air flow in an ACed isolation chamber of a bedroom, maybe, but if the Phactors closed their bedroom door, which probably doesn't latch anyways, there would be two cats working very hard, and noisily, trying to open the door, and whining and crying when they can't.  One of our cats is surprisingly persistent and quite confident of her ability to open doors. If pulling doesn't work, try pushing, especially using both front feet.  Jump up and grab the door knob. Pull the door against the jam over and over: bump, bump, bump...  Stand up and use your front paws to scratch at the door vigorously. Try sleeping though some of that. The only thing that TPP can conclude is that this "pets off the bed" advice is from a pet-less nimrod whose knowledge of the real world is so limited that taking their advice on anything is not advised.  Yes, and make sure a soft blanket remains on the foot of the bed because we's likes it there.  Did TPP cover everything?  (A cat is looking over my shoulder, and if this isn't written right, TPP won't be getting a decent night's sleep.)

Strange animal

You have no idea sometimes what strange beasts roam your domain. This one has yet to be identified what with 4 eyes in the middle and an undetermined number of appendages; 3 ears maybe; black with little while splotches here and there. And people wonder why they can't figure out what they're looking at with purported photos of big foot. This critter was shot at close range and the quarry was dead still, nearly lifeless, typical enough just after breakfast, performing a primary duty of guarding the furniture. Oh, no, it just divided! If this beast is capable of continued binary fission there won't be enough kibble, or couches, to go around.

A sad goodbye

With profound sadness the Phactor must report that our magnificent little lion had to be put to sleep. Although only part of our family for eight years, this Maine coon cat enriched our lives immeasurably with his wonderful temperament and sweet disposition. He was maybe the best pet ever, a huge lummox of feline love, a gentle giant, a helpful and sensitive soul, a truly good boy cat without a mean bone in his body, but life dealt him a poor genetic hand, the cruel outcome of selective breeding, so his life ended in middle age, and abruptly. We grieve and feel great loss because we could not say goodbye properly or in time or in a manner he would be able to understand. Each night he would want his belly rubbed before going to sleep and starting his heavy breathing snores; and each morning he would snuggle with his owner and soul mate before she got up to face the day while he galloped down stairs for that most wonderful time of day, breakfast. Who will unroll the TP now? Who will fish the ice cubes out of your drink? Who will dab his furry paw in his water and lick it off to get a drink making a wet mess in the process? Who wouldn't love such a beast? Our bed will certainly feel larger and emptier.