We have already established I have several...maybe even many. And every morning, I have an ever growing cat parade that accompanies me to the bathroom. I am not sure if they do not think I am competent to do what needs to be done in there, or if they just believe that I really should not ever be left alone, like anywhere.
Either way, every day my morning starts like this:
I wake up, buried beneath a cat blanket.
I must extricate myself from said blanket, sometimes there is biting involved (them, not me).
I stumble to the bathroom followed by no less than, well, all of them.
I am required to pet each of them, and if I don’t they jump on my lap while I am sitting there.
I am then ushered, and I do mean ushered, to the kitchen where I get the distinct pleasure of preparing their breakfast.
There is no deviation to this morning routine...ever.
I do not have the kind of cats that hide under the bed or run when company comes. They are more the kind of cats that are like, “hey, you have opposable thumbs, welcome to our home, we would like you to figure out where she keeps the food then use those amazing hands of yours to help us out!”
When that doesn’t work, they are quite content allowing to use those same hands to pet them or play with them. One of my cats will bring you a hair tie, and expect that you will throw it for him immediately and for hours. This is his most sincere and humble request...and it isn’t really optional, or a request.
I do not know why I need a cat parade to the john every morning...but I do. I depend on it. It makes my day literally. They all come in their various stages of neediness and purriness. And it just makes me laugh and smile and remember that love does walk around on tiny little fur riddled feet.
And I am so much the better for their existence.
Sure, yeah, they are annoying as fuck sometimes. I have three that bite me when they don’t get their way, two of them stop at love bites, the third is quite content to maim you if you are dumb enough to stand there for his onslaught. And if you are quick on your feet and move, he sometimes will chase you. He is kind of a dick. But somehow he is a favorite.
I like the naughty in my cats (well there are some other parallels here...). It makes life interesting and also rids my home of many small trinkets that are breakable. There is nothing that they will not break. Yesterday’s casualty was a small pot. Who knows what it will be today. I assure you though they will knock something off a shelf, in short order and without fail.
I am so very grateful to them and for them. And my strong and independent streak is detoured only by my love for them and their complete adoration for me. Just this morning I woke up with paws on my face, and two intertwined cats purring contentedly as I overslept my alarm.
I respect their independence and their “you are lucky to love me” cattitude. I guess my own strong independent tendencies respects their similar way of being. They act like they don’t care or need me at all, but then morning happens, and I am suddenly indispensable. And I can relate to that. I am all too often aloof and withdrawn, but give me a good reason (mine are not just waking and going to the bathroom - I have opposable thumbs after all), any good reason shall do and I find reason to celebrate and enjoy almost anyone.
I also, if I am honest, like the fact that having so many cats is a barrier to men and dating. I do not think I know of any man that would find my morning bathroom parade all that endearing. And I don’t really have time for a guy right now because the cats and I are very busy with our morning routines. And so far, anyway, it is far better than any routine I have ever had with a man...well, almost.
Life with cats is good. And I am grateful for their subtle insistence that I need a chaperone when moving from one room in the house to another. So yes, this strong, independent and somewhat feral woman has many a feline backing her up and following her to the head. And I see absolutely nothing wrong with that!
May a life with cats bless your world...and wreck it similarly. This is the nature of cats, they bring the love and then they bite you. And together we find balance at long last.
