I currently live with two cats. Each has a distinct personality. One is smarter than the other, but both have a unique set of talents that compliment each other. Sometimes they actually learn from each other, but other times the smarter cat seems to disdain the company of the other. I will endeavor to put down some of their perspectives on life starting with the smart cat’s daily activity.

• Nila’s Agenda
• wake human
• demand to be fed
• eat
• wash fur
• sleep
• use litter box
• stare out widow
• sleep
• chase bug
• sleep
• leave gift on carpet
• sleep
• beat up other cat
• sleep
• glare at everything as if it wasn’t good enough (and it isn’t by her standards)
• sleep
• chirp for food
• play with water in water dish
• eat
• sleep
• think of ways to be naughty
• sleep
• use human as heated pillow
• rattle window blinds while human is trying to sleep

Cats and ownership

Can one say that one owns a cat? Whenever someone asks if I own a cat, I cringe slightly. To me it is that I’ve been given the privilege of their company. This is in spite of the fact that I pay for their food, shelter and veterinarian expenses. The cats would say that it was my choice and that they don’t owe me anything. They could live out in the wild, hunt their own food and going to the vet makes no sense to them. So if anyone asks if I own a pet, I calmly remark that two cats have agreed to share their space with me.

Escapology

An open door is after all an open door. To a cat that spends his days inside the opportunity to make a run for it and see the world is very inviting. Not even the warmth of the indoors is enough to keep a determined cat from seeking a way outside to boldly sniff where other animals have been. Of course if there is a bird to watch and wag a tail at that’s fine too. I have one cat that goes outside and eats grass. She does this to help her hack up a hair ball. She always waits until she is inside and on the carpet to do it.

Napping

Cats spend most of their time sleeping. I envy them. My cats each have their favorite spots. The female takes over my bed when I’m out of the house, and the male plops himself on the sofa. I haven’t caught him with the remote, yet. I, myself have been used as a heated pillow by both cats, but the female often will be the one that I find perched on my hip in the morning. For some reason my lap becomes more desirable when I’m trying to read a book or write in my journal. It’s hard to ignore a purring cat that insists on head rubs and petting before settling down for a snooze. My kitchen table for some reason has been a choice spot for a nap. It could be the view or maybe it’s the best place to catch the sun’s heat. There also is the deep dark of my closet, which at this time is festooned with cat hair. Yes, I always know their favorite spots by the amount of fur left behind.

Toys and Treasures

Two years ago I bought my cats a bag of toys for Christmas. I still have it. It is a sad fact of cat nature that the best toys are free and they usually are something the cat isn’t suppose to play with. One October, I had a display of Halloween items on my baker’s rack. There was a small plush Jack-o-Lantern that always ended up on the floor. It turns out that the female cat was nabbing it off a shelf and batting it around. She had a favorite toy that originally came from a Happy Meal. She would carry it around as if she had caught a mouse. It finally became so disgusting with cat slobber that I had to throw it away. To give an idea of how much she liked this thing, I once observed her climb around the TV and over the VCR to find it.

The Slobbery Cat

I've always been disgusted with dog drool, but cats can be just as gross. Both of my cats drool when they get themselves into the state of catly bliss from a session of lap sitting and petting. The male is the worst. There are puddles when he gets started, but the female has her share of slobber fests too. When I have a cat (or sometimes both) sit in my lap, I can count on not only a coating of cat hair, but also a dowsing of drool.

My miniature cat colony

The wild ancestor of the house cat is believed to have lived in colonies. So much for the solitary hunter. The female was the only pet in my home until one day I saw a woman giving away free kittens at a local grocery store. The kittens had markings very much like my own cat and since two cats can keep each other company, I decided to adopt one of the kittens. The woman said they were six weeks old, but they may have been only four weeks. When I brought the male home, I set him on the ground to get acquainted with the female. They circled each other. The male, being only a little kitten, wobbled as he checked out the other cat. The female was not happy with him at all. She hissed and growled at the tiny ball of fluff as if he were a dog. I had my doubts as to whether or not the kitten could stay with us. I was afraid the older cat would kill him. However, in three days time the female cat figured out how much fun he was. His company was much more satisfying than what the humans could offer. He had a skinny rat like tail to chase and he knew how to play kitty peek-a -boo. They get along pretty well now. They only fight for the fun of it. The female accepted the male as a member of her colony. As for the male, he came from a large litter and has never been without the company of other cats. What would they do without each other?

Words

There is an old joke that cats don't understand human language. My cats do understand a few words. If I say the word "food", they know what that means. I wish though that they knew what "no" and "get back in the house" meant.

Arboreal species

It is well known that the ancestor of the house cat lived in trees. The modern house cat thinks it still does. The trees have been replaced by things like furniture, windowsills, and cupboards. The male cat has a fondness for my son’s top bunk, a place high up and close to the ceiling where he can absorb all the heat that gets trapped there. The female cat can put on quite a show as she navigates the narrow windowsill. She can even walk backward.