Cats Are People Too...

What having a cat has taught me.

Sometimes Bob and I look at each other and our hearts burst for this little cat. A cat that we both are convinced was the one to be ours. The right cat that was waiting for us. We had a few other chances to be cat parents, but somehow only our Maus was the one to adopt.

I've always had a love for dogs and cats but more so dogs. It never worked out to have one, because if you do have a pet, it is for life. For the last few months we've morphed into cat peeps. In fact, at the moment our whole household revolves around our little bundle of joy and I am well aware that she might be a bit spoilt...by both of us.

But here is the thing: Each day we are with her, another facet of her character emerges and often, she is as human as you and I. She is so intelligent and it doesn't take her very long to learn new things, tricks to play on us and who to wrap around her little paw...Bob, of course!!

She sticks to a routine that you could set your clock to. Daytime is usually sleep time, early morning is serious cuddle time and night time is her time to wake us up with her incessant use of squeaky toys. A parental torture of note.

As for the early morning cuddle, even for this she has a set routine. She firstly manoeuvres her little body around my neck almost like a necklace and I have learned to be quick to avoid a possible bottom in my face...after a few minutes of this, she changes her perch to cuddle into the crook of my arm. Her face is close to mine and while I stroke her back, we both watch TV.

As I am of the early bird crowd, Maus and I are awake from about 5 bells.
( Well, actually I fib as she starts the cuddling procedure at about 3 am ). Bob gets up about an hour later and from the day he met Maus, I made him take over the feeding. Extra bonding as he was away the first three weeks when I got her.

It used to be 7 am for the first feed, but slowly he has moved it forward to 6.15 am. Honestly, not so much Bob but a cutely meowing kitten ( We do keep dry food available for her at all times ). From six o'clock, it starts. Bob and her have a running conversation.

" Maus, another ten minutes and I will get you your food. "

" Meeeeeooow, meeeoooow, meeeeeeeow, M.E.O.W.O.W "

and when this bit of vocal objection doesn't do the trick, she smartly runs up to Bob, either jumping on his lap to show she loves him, or throwing her favourite little blue ball in front of his feet. Kind of like a challenge of either you feed me or you play with me.

As for that little blue ball, she loves to kick or nudge it under the kitchen cupboard where only the long arm of the broom handle can dislodge it. Oh yes, she does it daily and will sit meaowing in front of it until either Bob or I use the broom.

The other day she even started to become a picky eater. We had bought some high quality food for her which she turned her nose up to...Her concerned father rushed out to buy her some ordinary food and she gulped it down.

" I told you she wouldn't eat that. Look how she loves this cheap food. "

" Bob, you gulp down chips too while you ignore the vegetables on the plate. "

Biggi

... Maus, pretending to be invisible...