It’s a gloomy, gray day and my outside cats are inside, providing me with my daily dose of Cat Follies.
The old lady cat has somehow gotten an elastic band onto her paw, sort of like a bracelet, and appears to think that whirling around like an electric mixer will remove the offending adornment.
Watching her performance are two brother cats – one totally black and long-haired, the other all white and short-haired. These are the two leftovers from last summer’s batch of kittens. For some reason, dozens of people wanted free kittens, but everyone wanted females. Go figure. The two “lads” were left behind and now feel as though they’re quite special.
These two brothers travel together, exploring the hallway, bathroom fixtures, area under the sink, tabletops and swooping all in their path onto the floor. They have been practicing galloping lately. This has resulted in some slightly dazed, angry looks, when they run into a wall.
The fourth member of the feline part of the household, a money cat, is curled up in a box (some cats are box cats) getting in a much needed nap, after several hours of prowling the neighborhood seeking male companionship. Unlike human friends, she never shares tales of her nightly adventures. Soon enough, she presents us with the results.
During these winter days, the lads spend a good deal of time watching the birds and planning on how to capture them. When they’re let outdoors, though, they have forgotten their plans and just sit (in a snowbank) and stare at all the fluttering. Eventually, the cold seat penetrates their daydreaming and they get up, shake, give me a look designed to make me feel as though I’m neglecting them, and they saunter off keeping their thoughts to themselves.
I can’t think of a time when I didn’t have at least one cat. Once when I came home from Boston or somewhere on a weekend visit, I transported a kitten back with me. That particular cat was the most unique, and made the fourth floor walk-up apartment her own little world. She was nearly all white and required frequent bathing – and you know how allergic cats are to water! She took particular delight in watching the pigeons land on the window sill, and one day she took flight herself, and somehow landed on a fire escape. Rescue and a good lecture ensued. Also, I got a screen for that window.
Last week during our prolonged January thaw, the outdoor cats at my house almost got to sample some wildlife. As we were walking around the yard we came upon some tiny fieldmice or moles – they moved back to their underground tunnel in such a hurry, I couldn’t determine what exactly they were. The Great Hunters spent a lot of time pounding and scratching in the mud, but no trophy to show. They reluctantly returned to the house, and deliberated a long time before even considering their dish of dry food, shaped like tiny fish. As if that made a difference.
Time to get back to work. See you next week.
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