Do you know how hard it is to disturb a cat who is sleeping on you? I felt the same way about my children so I guess I am not as weird as I think I am.
Every morning, I wake up to at least two cats, sometimes more, sleeping on me. As I rouse myself, they begin to purr and it is almost impossible for me to extricate myself from their spell. Sometimes we lie there for a very long time, them purring contentedly, and me, I guess kind of doing the human equivalent...if there is one.
I stroke their fur and listen to their deep abiding contentment seep out of them as if they were plugged in to some electrical outlet, I mean that seems almost required to get the resonance and the volume they put out sometimes.
I check in on my codependency some mornings, because I know that my not wanting to disturb them really causes me to lie there longer than is probably good for me. In fact, sometimes it makes me downright late. This might happen more than I am willing to admit...
There is something so comforting about sleeping with cats, their adorable curled positions, their sleepy faces if you wake them, their complete arrogance that their comfort is paramount to yours. They care not at all that you are twisted into a contortionist’s pose beneath them...their only real concern is that they maximize surface area for warmth, your comfort is really quite secondary, if it matters at all.
I love their independence, while also needing you quite desperately. If you have never noticed this about a cat, then you haven’t really known a cat. Sure they give off a vibe of “couldn’t care less” but in my house, make a lap and find out just how very much you are loved, adored and wanted.
Perhaps that is why I love them so...unlike many humans I have dated and known, I never have to guess where I stand with the cats. They make sure I know they love me, because they show me in a myriad of little ways. They come to me when I call for them, they use me as a high end cat mattress and they provide me contented purrs that make it awfully hard to get out of bed everyday.
I remember having this same feeling when my children were little and sleeping next to me. They would nestle and snuggle in and I can remember languishing in bed next to them, feeling, knowing that all was ok in my world.
The kids have grown up and moved on and rarely snuggle anymore, replaced I guess in some degree and manner with cats. Not really the same but better different for sure.
So I allow myself to be late, covered in my living, breathing cat blanket of pure furry love. I mean, who doesn’t want to start the day like that? Probably a lot of you. And that’s cool. Me? I will call in late with a cat blanketing excuse any day. Snuggling down into the warmth and all the cat love, allowing life and all its demands to wait for me to rise just a little longer.
I am pretty sure this is one fairly basic and simple life event that makes it all worthwhile. Living fully present each morning, waking to the new day and the contended and hard to leave love of a few too many cats.
This is my daughter buried beneath the cat pile...turns out it is very hard to get a photo of yourself covered in this manner...