It's been an unseasonably cold winter here in the South, although we've escaped the misery experienced in other parts of the country.
Every night I snuggle deeper under the blanket, enjoying the cosy warmth of the flannel sheets I splurged on a few years ago.
Around 2am, I'm awakened by a cold nose and whiskers tickling my face -- Mozart needs some cuddling. There are tile floors in several rooms of our house, and her feet are freezing. She pushes against the covers with her head, the signal for me to raise them, giving her access to the warm cocoon beneath.
She rubs against my side, repositioning herself several times before finding The Perfect Spot. Then she stretches out her paws... and the kneading begins. I absolutely love it when my cats do this because it shows they're content and happy with their lives. Bliss. Her soft purrs soon lull me back to sleep.
Annabelle's buzz saw purrs usually awaken me around 5am when she jumps on the bed. She has a thick coat of long white fur, so she's not looking for a cuddle beneath the covers. She wants her morning treats and has decided it's TIME. If I ignore her and pretend I'm still asleep, she walks around my head, stepping on my hair and licking my face with her very rough sandpaper tongue. Sometimes she'll leave and allow me a little more slumber, but if the food bowl is nearly empty, she's relentless.
When the bottom of the bowl is visible, she goes into full "Starvation Is Imminent mode" and there's no resting until that bowl is overflowing with tasty cat food morsels. I'm also reminded that the "stale" water from the day before needs to be replaced.
My cats are training me well.
-- Bobbi Hahn <bobbi at bobbihahn.com>
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Annabelle and Mozart are patiently continuing Bobbi's training, with mixed results. Areas still needing improvement are: returning home from work at the normal time, and serving Fancy Feast Seabass and Shrimp Appetizer more often than once a week. They are encouraged by the efforts that Bobbi is making and are optimistic that she will get better with time.
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This lovely vignette of life with Annabelle and Mozart was first published in PetWarmers. Bobbi kindly gave me permission to put it on The Daily Mews website.
"Cats make one of the most satisfying sounds in the world: they purr ...
A purring cat is a form of high praise, like a gold star on a test paper. It is reinforcement of something we would all like to believe about ourselves - that we are nice."
Roger A Caras