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Thursday, May 30, 2013

When a cat takes over your house.


(Newkie and Brian, @ 2003)


Rain puts me to sleep. Sunshine wakes me up.

Newkie, here in bed with my son Brian, her dad since she left her mother, has her own sleeping patterns, and rain or shine, she likes to get up and about at four in the morning by jumping on my bed, lying next to my face for a few minutes or so, then, lick my hands and begin to call me up with gentle meows.

If I tap my hand on the bed I encourage her to lie down and rest by me for a while longer, and sometimes I succeed for a few extra winks. Just a few winks.

She enjoys the opportunity to go out even if there is a storm. If I open a window, I can then return to bed and fall back to sleep for a while. Soon, she'll be back, and will wake me again with more licks and more meows until I'm up and about with my morning routine, while the world is still asleep.

She waits for me at each station in anticipation.
She calls me from the hallway if I spend too much time in the bathroom, or in the laundry room. If I settle down in the living room instead of at my computer in the office, for instance, she stands by the office door and calls me until I get back to that room. She then hovers in the background, coming in and out of the room the entire time.

When she wakes in the middle of a nap she comes down by my feet and stretches all out, calling for a brushing. Yes, she has a special call for that brush, and rolls on the carpet, positioning herself and rolling from side to side just perfectly so all of her long fur is brushed and brushed and brushed.  

When we eat fish, she anticipates her own portion. (I prepare hers "tartare", and serve it on a special plate).
When we eat anything else, she leaves the room and eats from her self-feeding dish in the kitchen.

With visitors, she checks them out when they enter the house by remaining at the end of the hall, and if she approves of them, she might drop in for a very short visit;  if not, she hides for the entire time.

If I call, she comes.
If I motion for her to climb up, she does.
If I go for a walk around the property, she waits until I invite her to come along.
I wonder how I can train her to sleep late into the morning.


20 comments:

erin said...

i love this photograph, the intimacy, the vulnerability, the evidence of love!)))

how is it that even simple animals are imbued with precise characters? it is astounding to me. and yet my cat, meow meow, is so distinctively meow meow.

the other night my son and i had a conversation. he said, dad is so dad. i agreed and said enthusiastically, ya, and i am so me and james is so james. and he added, and his sister is so his sister, and his father's new wife is so herself!!!

while it all seems logical it is so much more mysterious than that. we are talking about the nature of existence.

xo
erin

Dr. Kathy McCoy said...

If you ever manage that feat, Rosaria, please share the secret with me!

It's wonderful that Newkie has become such a part of your life, that you could comfort and entertain each other. They really do take over. My husband and I have modified our house to avoid hazards to our four cats and eight years ago, when we had just two light-colored cats Timmy and Gus (the latter we still have), we chose a couch color based on what would show their sheddings least!

They have a way of becoming so much a part of the family! I'm so glad that Newkie is a part of yours.

Brian Miller said...

ha. we gave up on that training...most nights domino (our cat) goes out...returns in the morning for a touch of milk and then passes out to sleep while we are at work...meets us at the door in the eve and likes to hang with us til he goes out at night again...on the rare occassion he stays in...we are guaranteed to be woke up about 4 with him wanting to go out...

Kerry said...

Aww, she sounds adorable. We lock our kitties in the downstairs at night so they don't bother us, which I'm sure they would love to do. I'm already a light sleeper & don't need help waking up too early:)

Elaine said...

Aw, what a sweetie! She certainly is attentive to you.

My cats are indoor cats but they jump on me far too early in the morning. And they follow me from room to room like dogs.

They also hide until they figure out if they like the person who is visiting.

Patricia said...

Delightful post!

Patricia said...

Delightful post!

Rob-bear said...

What you have described so beautifully is the life of a cat person. Remember: dogs have owners; cats have staff. And you have certainly learned to follow Newkie's instructions.

Blessings and Bear hugs!
Bears Noting
Life in the Urban Forest (poetry)

Diana said...

Oh my! Our younger cat, Luna, hunts this time of year, and will often wake us up in the wee hours to "come share the fresh meat," she has procured, with that particular, mouth full of something meow.

Our older girl, Sauntee, likes to wedge in between us at random times, usually walking over someone to do so, somewhat clumsily, as she is nearly 20.

I sometimes wonder if I will survive my cats and mothering a teething toddler in my forties... :-)

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Rosaria .. they are a law until themselves! Love cats and mine, when I was a kid, used to sleep with my feet - how he breathed I 've no idea!!

Love the little things - and they are very faithful .. and lovely souls - great photo - cheers Hilary

UIFPW08 said...

Ciaooo Rosaria.,. un saluto dalla Sicilia
Maurizio

Helen said...

She sounds like the perfect cat, the purrfect pet ... additional training not necessary. I love how cats have individual personalities, little quirks. Newkie is awesome.

dianefaith said...

I need you to train my Lucy. She just does whatever she wants to do. Primarily, she hides under the bed the very minute she hears a vehicle with young grandchildren coming up the driveway. She always knows, even if it's been a month since they were last here.
Newkie sounds like a good companion, except for that bit about getting you up at 4 in the morning.

Hilary said...

Newkie is a love. She knows what she wants and how to convince you lovingly. She sounds wonderful. And the photo of her with Brian is very tender.

yaya said...

Such a sweet picture of Newkie with your son...She's a lucky girl to have a home with you now and I think she has you almost trained to perfection! (as most cats do!)

Amanda Summer said...

I love that foto of Newkie and Brian - as Erin said, the vulnerability, the intimacy, the love....I smiled at the portioning out of Newkie's 'tartare' on a special plate. It seems wherever she goes, there is a little of Brian's presence and love as well.

Soumyendu said...

How delightfully you write, Rosaria!

the walking man said...

well there is always the pellet gun method but that just seems to aggravate them...try making her turn herself into a dog they like to sleep---except mine which acts just like your cat at 2AM.

Maggie May said...

What a lovely post about a lovely cat!
Maggie x

Nuts in May

Anonymous said...

I love to hear cat tales (excuse the pun) we cannot have one as my daughter is allergic to them but they are such characters. Yours no exception by the sound of it!