A House Cat's Narrative Of Indoor Living

This short story is being told from a cat's perspective. My name is Sugarplum and I cohabit with a wonderful gray haired lady who cares for me. When she calls my name either one of two situations occur. First scenario must be feeding time and second scenario is probably where I rest on her lap and she pets me. I will inform you what it is like living in a carpeted apartment with scratching posts, kitty toys, and a carpeted cat tree.

Sitting on the cat tree I gaze through the window observing the outside where the feral cats roam. my eyes focus on some rather hungry birds scouring the grassy earth, searching for their daily meal. Leaning forward to get better focus, I see chickadees making a verbal fuss over their daily ritual. A primal instinct is triggered within me yet I am confined. Remaining on my carpeted kitty tree, I can only be visually stimulated. A bluejay comes and parks its delicate feet on my windowsill, eating what remains to be leftover bird seed. Doesn't this bird-brain realize he's walking a tight rope and thumbing his beak at danger?

Time's methodical pacing moves on. In the meantime the sun warms my black and white coat. It soothes me as if I were being brushed. I turn my head and cleanse myself in a typical cat fashion. Feeling relaxed I close my amber eyes and nod off.

While being curled up like a cat I would like to add for your amusement that I am a friendly indoor cat who needs time to get used to new people. In my human's apartment I have select areas to hide my medium sized, soft furry body. My hangout is the bedroom. There is a cat blanket upon the queen size bed. This queen size bed which I am referring to is the same queen size bed that my caregiver curls up on. Just to grab her attention, when she is busy blogging (as some humans call it) I jump on the bed behind her and serenade her in many meows. In turn she pets me and says affectionate words in my ears. On occasion she brushes my bunny soft fur.

A mainstay toy of amusement for me is the kitty fishing rod my owner and caregiver constructed using her two skilled hands. Minutes upon minutes of absolute fun can be derived from this activity including cat and caregiver interaction. When my cat friend named Singapore visits along with his human, we share plenty of enthusiastic play when our owners tease us with this cat toy.

Another activity which stirs up the phenomenon "kitty madness", a playful term my human calls it, are the ping pong balls lying around the living room, hidden behind the furniture and under the couches. When the balls roll about in many directions, they remind me of mice scurrying about. Further on down by the kitchen, water and cat food are provided for my well being. Recently I learned to hop on top of the refrigerator. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could master such a feat (is that what you humans call your hind paws?). It's easy. Hop on a chair, then the counter top, then the microwave and presto! You're on the top peering down. It has the feel of walking on a catwalk.

In the olden days it was said that "curiosity killed the cat". I disagree with that phrase. Perhaps in days gone by that may have been partly true. As Father Time moved forth the seconds to minutes, minutes to hours, hours to days, days to weeks, weeks to months and months to years, my instincts inform me that that statement was based on human philosophy and not the survival oriented nature which the feline possesses. For example take the activity of cats exploring paper bags. There is no need to purchase expensive gimmicks to amuse us. We are perfectly content with the paper bags from the grocery store. Speaking about paper bags reminds me of a joke. Here it is: Who let the cat out of the bag?

Mark my words if I can't find a scratching post, your sofa will do. My claws are in dire need to scratch.

Catching up with other matters I would like to add to this discussion that cats are the perfect apartment companions. Take it from the wise old owl (they like mice just like us cats do) cats remove the stress a person's life. Some of us are career motivated and provide therapy for those who need it. I am always willing to lend a helping paw wherever and whenever needed. Last but not least, it is feeding time so I have to leave you with these words: Adopt a shelter pet.