Thursday, April 03, 2008

cats

As if you couldn’t tell, I adore my cats. My cats are a big part of my life. I can’t imagine life without them. But it’s not just my cats it’s cats in general. Just today I was running late for an appointment and hurried out the door, coming up the walk was a fluffy ginger kitty with his/her tail up to greet me. This cat walked right up to me and I had to stop to pet him or her. S/he had a blue collar and bell on and was very friendly. I wanted to spend more time but I was running even later and had to run to catch the bus.

I haven’t seen my sister’s cats in over a year and I miss them so much. Sis sends me pictures and when we talk we can go on for an indefinite amount of time about our cats.

Ever since I can remember there has always been a cat living with me. There was a brief time when I was a teen that we didn’t have a cat because they initially didn’t come with us in the parental divorce. Later my mom did go back for the cats and they lived the rest of their lives with my mom. Even in that time though there was my grandmother’s cat Victoria. She was a small gray tabby with a gentle manner and a bit aloof when it came to attention. She had a large yard that she spent much time surveying and at night she would only sleep on my grandmother’s bed.

After high school I moved out on my own and it wasn’t long before I rescued a kitten from a dodgy home. Not that it was a scary place, but I think the kitten might have gotten ignored or possibly lost or some other scenario that wouldn’t end well for the kitten. The mom, who was sort of a friend and someone I babysat for, was going to take the kitten to the SPCA because she didn’t want it. Her son showed up at my apartment one day and asked me if I could take the kitten because he couldn’t bear to not know where it would end up. I probably wasn’t ready for the responsibility of a cat but I did it anyway. When I think about it now it’s amazing to think of that kid walking all the way to my place with a frightened kitten in his arms. Catherine I named her and she lived with me for sixteen years in four different provinces. She was quite the character and we had quite a bond.

As I write this Prima is seated next to the computer screen with one paw resting on the edge of the keyboard. She is fascinated with the small movements of the cursor as it slides across the page. I think she would like nothing better than to lie on the computer because of the warmth it gives off, but she knows I stop her when she attempts to walk or lie on the keyboard and so she sits with one paw perched on the edge. Eventually she will walk on the keyboard causing it to delete, lock the caps, add spaces and repeat the same letter over and over again. And I’ll just have to gently guide her to the desk and do some more editing.

Gigi makes a trip into the fridge to do some inspecting of db's sourdough starter.

A rare sighting of these two on the same window ledge at the same time. It's a great spot because we get all kinds of little birds and squirrels around that tree.

4 comments:

Red said...

Like you, I am irresistibly drawn to cats... I just can't help it -- they have a power over me.

I lost my dad six years ago, and my mum has taken in two cats since. You wouldn't believe how affectionate they both are: they are constantly seeking body contact with her, it's like they know she needs them and they are 100% there for her. I can never quite believe it when I go visit... they are the two most loyal, most loving cats I have ever, ever seen. It makes me think of that James Herbert book "Fluke", you know...

Anonymous said...

I always love your cat posts.

Our little one likes to sit, nay, drape herself across my lap with her chin resting on my forearm every morning as I drink my coffee and take a first stab at the email. I've become a pretty proficient one-handed typer. :)

sp said...

red: I don't know the James Herbert book "Fluke." Is this something I should read?

I'm sorry to hear about your father. Cats are wonderful companions and can be very comforting. They clearly adore your mum.

vra: thanks.
It's always good to learn new skills as in one-handed typing.

Karen said...

Despite thinking of myself as a "dog person" for a number of years, I've turned out to actually be a cat person. Not that i'm complaining. I love my two boys. Like vegan run amok's furry friend, my cats seem to enjoy using me as their pillow. And anytime I get sick of am confined to bed with unbearable pain...there they are. No annoying meowing, no clawing, just plenty of purr-filled snuggles to help me feel better. They even go without being fed if I'm sick and don't make a fuss. God, cats are great...

And I love your cat posts too SP (oh heck, I love all your posts).