Who Dat Cat?

“The naming of cats is a difficult matter. It isn't just one of your holiday games. You may think at first I'm mad as a hatter. When I tell you a cat must have three different names...”

I stumbled on this quote from T. S. Eliot, and at first I didn’t know what he was talking about. Three names! How silly. But then I started thinking about what I call my cats.

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Cattitude

One evening, I stepped into my closet to toss socks into the hamper.

As I leaned down in the darkness, I felt a pat pat pat on my head.

Bats? Mice? The boogeyman? I shrieked, yanked the chain on the light—and saw a little black cat head poking out between the sweaters on the top shelf.

“Harley,” I screamed, heart pounding. “You scared me.”

He blinked down at me, not upset in the least. “What?” his look seemed to say.

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Love at First Meow

I was lying on the couch the other night when Sal assumed her usual position, nestling in the crook of my bent knees.

Dean curled up a few feet away, establishing her independence, yet still relishing the warmth of our closeness on the couch.

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Caught Red-Pawed

I have two cats. They’re jerks.

Don’t get me wrong. I love them to pieces. Some might even say it borders on obsession.

But I also recognize them for what they are: fuzzy little creatures determined to make my life difficult.

For instance, they LOVE to do things they’re not supposed to do.

Exhibit A:

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Purrfectly Relaxed

I wish I could relax like my cats. Wherever they are, when they want to bed down and take their cat naps, every muscle, every fiber of their being hits the snooze button. I’m jealous.

I watch as Lubya settles into the arm of the sofa. He positions his legs on either side, tucks his paws under his chin, sighs and lets go. Complete and total abandon to the tufted padding of the sofa’s arm. Not a care in the world, not a tense muscle, sheer unconscious bliss.

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Weird Kitties

Are your cats weird? Yeah, so are mine. I'm pretty sure that's why we love them.

Cats sit for hours in paper bags and cardboard boxes, and sleep in the sink, and plop down on your newspaper when you're trying to read it. Those are pretty common cat quirks, though. I'm talking about the truly weird, stuff that while the cat is doing it, you're going, “Honey? Do you see what your cat is doing? Where's the camera?”

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A Trip to the Vet

Last week, Sal gave me a bit of a scare.

She started having recurring sneezing fits that would wrack her entire little body. Tzzz tzz tzz tzz! Her head would shake and her rump would fly up in the air! She woke me up at night with her sneezing, it was so bad. After almost 48 hours straight of this sneezing, I decided I should take her to a veterinarian.

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Alone Together

Cats have a lot to teach us about how to get along with each other. 

They intuitively know that solitude has to be balanced with close snuggly time!

Each of my cats has its own space in the apartment. Mimi frequents the top of the TV cabinet and the small table in the foyer. If Lubya is ever chasing her, she heads for these two home-free zones where she's untouchable.

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Meet Tiger, the Dog-like Cat

I’ll never forget the day I came face-to-face with a Tiger. Well…sort of. 

The first time I walked into my boyfriend Chip’s house I ran straight to his Chihuahua mix, Hunter, and rubbed his belly. After all, I was a dog person. When I was young we had a German Shepherd and a miniature poodle, and now there’s my Pit Bull, Sonny (how’s that for variety?). 

My friends, even our neighbors, had dogs too. I thought cats were cute, but I had no idea what to make of them.

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The "Grandkitties"

My parents have changed.

For one thing, in December they became grandparents—my nephew Caleb was born December 1.

In November, they became cat owners, having adopted my brother's two cats, Mason and Madison, right before the baby came.

Both baby and kitties are spoiled, the way only grandparents can spoil.

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