PBS Kids has a new fan. I taught him how to watch TV. That works for about 10 minutes before he goes to sleep. The big excitement was Cat TV. This is a YouTube video with lots of singing birds and animals. I was warned it would provoke a reaction, but I didn’t expect the storm. He jumped on the credenza, put his paws on the screen, and then ran around to the back when he couldn’t find the birds.
We only have one command, and that’s MEOW. It only has one meaning. It says come sit with me while I eat. I won’t explain the conditioning that produced that response. Meals are spread over several short courses, so I need to come back again and again.
He gets bored sitting in the apartment during the day and nods off. That’s because he spends the night prowling. It’s just part of his genes. I was hoping that when I cleaned the screen porch it would provide an opportunity for more daytime entertainment. He can listen to the birds only for so long before they are drowned out by the traffic. He can’t see them because the trees are 80 feet tall.
He likes to be petted but won’t sit on my lap. He has the energy and attention span of a 2-year-old child. I have no idea how old he is, but his energy level says that he is still young. He has started running from one end of the apartment to the other down a long hall. I bought some toys that were totally ignored. His favorite toys are two empty boxes that he loves to climb in and out of. He is fascinated with the computer printer and tries to figure out how that paper comes out of that black hole.
Since he is my first pet in 34 years, I bought a book about cat behavior. The guy is a real nut who says that you feed them raw meat. I keep forgetting what the tail position means as part of his unspoken language. He can read my tone but not my commands, which are ignored. He is free to roam all over the furniture, but not the kitchen table or counter. The furniture is old so he can’t damage it. He pouts when I ignore him too long, and he refuses to have anything to do with me then. He’s OK when I’m gone for a long time and greets me joyfully at the door. That’s because he has been asleep all that time. He is not shy and pesters guests to be petted.
He rushes in the bedroom door shortly after the alarm goes off. He doesn’t sleep with me because he is afraid of the CPAP machine. But he loves to spread out across the bed otherwise as though he is showing who is boss.
The lady who gave him to me told everybody at church that I have a new cat. They all ask me how the cat is doing rather than how I am doing. I posted his photo on Facebook, and it got more response than anything I’ve ever posted.
I’ve joined the cliché of old folks and their animals. I guess that we are all starved for companionship. I had two long-term companions, but he has a more inscrutable personality. At least he keeps me from catting around on Saturday night.
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