The Furry Shiatsu Master

I have a black cat; actually two. Both are very clever, both are very beautiful, but one is the Shiatsu Master. Gigi or GG, which stands for Glamour Girl has many names, but her proper name is Pepper Jennifer. Blessed with a beautiful silky black fur coat, yellow eyes and short powerful legs, she has become my Shiatsu Master.

Pep as we like to call her is a bit of an enigma. She desperately wants our love, but is not willing to be picked up or even petted for too long. She hides more often than not. It is almost as if cuddling feels to good to her. My husband found her laying in the middle of the street, apparently abandoned to the fates of the world with an injured hind leg. We fed her with an eye dropper and waited and watched as her leg slowly healed. As little and totally helpless as she was due to her mystery injury, Pep was still enough of a spitfire to hiss at us whenever she was done eating or when we walked into the room. She was so ticked off at her situation, she would stomp out of the bedroom every time my husband would walk in. She has very short legs and she can't help but stomp around. This is where the Shiatsu Massage comes in. Pep just started walking all over us one day when we were sleeping and she has been doing this stomping-massaging action ever since. I think it is her way of feeling close to us, but not too close. I think this massage action comforts her as much as it comforts us.

Finally, three years after gracing us with her presence she has started coming downstairs to explore her extended world. Pepper sometimes pretends to be a ninja warrior and will wrestle with Char (the other black cat) ferociously, and then as suddenly as she appears, she disappears.

She now adores us and gives us the gift of her Shiatsu Massage. Basically, she stands on us and just the pressure of her paws and the warmth of her little furry body eases our much maligned muscles. Maybe she stands on us to proclaim she is the Shiatsu Master! She meows the whole time, and I'm not really sure what she is trying to communicate, but it does feel wonderful. Maybe she is trying to thank us (finally) for saving her!

The pressure this little cat exerts is just right. Her paws go deep into your muscles without hurting them and she never extends her claws. She just stands or kind of stomps around on you, "talking" the whole time. Pepper Annie Dots as she is also called will all of a sudden leave as if the call of the wild has alerted her to something more enticing. When the Shiatsu Master is done, she's done!

Pep is an unique little kitty with some very endearing qualities. One sweet habit is sleeping with her rump higher than her head. She also sleeps with her chin resting on your chin or hand; she plops her chin down just like a worn out kitten would. As physically beautiful as she is, she has kept her street cat mentality and completely disappears into the house when she perceives a threat, only to emerge hours later to give her gift of the shiatsu massage.