Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Cats

Last week, I wrote a post about the peculiar habits of our canine friends. Since we here at The Bookkitten are equal opportunity bloggers, it's only fair that I compose a little something about our feline companions.

When I returned home from housesitting last Saturday night, I was welcomed with open arms--er, paws. I unloaded the car, poured a glass of wine, and settled in to watch some DVR shows. No sooner did I sit on the couch than Maggie jumped into my lap and settled in. A minute later, Gabby settled right next to us. And so the three of us stayed, for a solid hour. I wanted to get up and move around occasionally, but I couldn't; I didn't want to disturb my babies, especially since I hadn't been home in so long.

Say what you will about cats and how they can be stuck-up and blow certain people off, but when they love their human friends, they adore them. My gals have been my little shadows ever since I returned home. Every night, when I go to bed, they plaster themselves against my body and won't leave. It makes it difficult to toss and turn at night, especially if you're a blanket hog, like me, who also likes the sheets so tightly tucked in the bed is practically short-sheeted.

Which leads to my next point...how do cats instinctively know when you're making the bed? Mine don't even have to see me take the sheets out of the linen closet; they just show up whenever I make the bed. One gets on the mattress pad and refuses to leave. Rather than shoo her off, I just make the bed over her. I put the fitted sheet on, then the flat sheet. By the time I tuck the sheets in, the other cat decides to join the fun. When it gets to the point where I spread the blanket over the sheets, they engage in a turf war. By the time I put the duvet cover on, both cats have escaped from the sheets, and now I have to tuck everything back in.

And how do cats instinctively know when you're on vacation? Or when it's the weekend? Or when your alarm goes off? Mine seem to know whenever I set the clocks ahead for Daylight Savings or backwards when it's over. They always wake me up about fifteen minutes before my alarm goes off, just to make sure I don't sleep in. And when it's the weekend, they leave me alone and let me sleep in. Weird.

But when cats are hungry...watch. Out.

Cats will let you know when they want food, and when they want food, they want it yesterday. Mine have chewed holes in the bags of dry food on quite a few occasions whenever I've come home from the grocery store. It's especially dangerous when I eat tuna or salmon; they are in my face, begging, begging, begging, for just a wee little taste of fishy goodness.

However, I have animals who will eat anything. And I do mean, everything.

I don't deliberately feed her this, but Gabs loves tortellini. She's taken a little nugget out of the bowl before and eats just a little bit of it at a time before deciding she doesn't want any more. She also loves pizza crust. Mags is partial to broccoli florets, and will jump on the counter and steal one whenever I cut up the crown. She also likes to drink the leftover sludge at the bottom of a coffee cup. I stop her immediately when I catch her doing this, since caffeine isn't good for cats.

Which reminds me...I have to make dinner. And ironically enough, tortellini was on sale at Stop and Shop this week.

Excuse me, I have to go feed myself...and the Gabster.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've never seen a cat be a snob so far :-) I don't know where that stereotype came from because my Pumpkin loves being around us!

Bud Weiser, WTIT said...

But have the cats done chinese? :)

L. Diane Wolfe said...

My cats get invovled in the bed-making process as well! It usually ends with the one underneath the sheet getting attacked. But you're right, they do always KNOW when I'm going to make the bed.

Cats are definitely not aloof! Rocko & Spunky tag-team me all day long, begging for a lap or attention, and Calvin & Hobbes always followed me from room to room.

RunninL8 said...

A crowbar. As I sit here reading with one of the cats meowing 2.5 inches from my face, I realize I need to purchase a crowbar with which to pry these 2 felines from my a** every morning. Sorry kitties, morning is coffee/computer time. Evenings are sitting on the couch/chatting with hubby with wine/watching a movie/ kitties on the lap time. One kitty loves to stand on my lap and "make muffins" on my belly. She'll sit there a massage for about 30 min. Since my belly looks and feels like a Shar-Pei's ass (Yay PREGNACY!)I think she finds extra comfort in this nightly ritual. Whoever is lucky enough to have one or both kitties on their lap(me!), doesn't have to be the one to get up and put a dvd in or fetch the wine or ice cream, or answer the phone. Ha! "But....I've got a kitty on my lap."
And the bed thing! Yup! Just make it over them! Nice tight sheets and a lump or two. Thanks for your fun post! Kitties are a neverending form of entertainment.

drollgirl said...

bahhaahah!!! your cats are nuts!!! so are mine! they are all rather freaky, and so entertaining! hahahahha

BROCCOLI?!?!? TORTELLINI?!?!??! ah haha ha! i have heard it all now!

Serena said...

Those cats love you.

Jenners said...

I know people often say cats are standoffish but I've never found that to be true. They love to be with you when they love you ... and I so remember how hard it is to make a bed when cats are around. And I had a cat who LOVED pizza. One day, I got a pizza for dinner, opened the box and the cat jumped right in the middle of it -- right in the cheese. It was so funny. (And yes ... I still ate the pizza ... just cut around where he had landed.)

Liz Mays said...

My daughter's cats are sweet to her too. If she's feeling upset, they seem to really sense that and are extra cuddly.

Missy B. said...

I had a cat who used to open the cabinet under my sink, where I kept her canned food, and roll a can out into the middle of the kitchen floor. I should have taught her how to use a can opener....
I had another one who ALWAYS without fail, would chew a hole in her bag of dry food if I left it out. She always chewed the hole on the side of the bag I didn't see, so when I picked it up....you guessed it. She would be looking up at me with her sweet little face saying "what? What did I do?"