Letting the cat out of the bag

I clicked off the conference call and got up from the desk. I was beat. It was one of those days when it was one meeting after another. I opened the office door and was surprised to see my newfound friend waiting for me in the hall. My daughter’s cat greeted me with a meow and a grimace that said “Yo, yo, mean person standing in front of me, get your act together! You’re supposed to be feeding me an endless stream of snacks and keep me busy.”

When I tried to apologize for failing to spend anytime with him, Henry meowed back a few more times and then turned his back on me and ran to the kitchen. He didn’t have time for me. How dare I sit in on my meeting?

“So you’re holding a grudge now,” I called after him. He didn’t care, he was already into the other room and didn’t have time for slackers like me.

Like herding cats

Oh, it was an interesting experience cat-sitting. Growing up my family was clearly a dog family. When our Collie, Shep, died, there was never any question that if we ever got another pet, it would be another dog. Forget about a cat. And when I got older and married, I learned that my wife is allergic to cats. The writing was on the wall, cats in our home were a no-no.

The only cats I’ve ever come into contact with lived on farms near my house when I was a kid. Those cats were the equivalent of street thugs who belonged to a gang. They would pull a switchblade on you if they caught you alone in a dark alley. You felt bad for them, but they’d steal your lunch or scratch your arm with the talons on their paws if you weren’t careful.

Smiling like a Cheshire cat

Now Henry made it easy on me. I’m convinced he thinks he’s a dog. He begged for food almost as much as Nittany, our 15-year-old Lapsa Apsa – Bichon Frise dog. Henry loved food. He knew precisely when bits of kibble would come out of his timed automatic cat feeder. He would get himself into position and ready to pounce on the first sight of food.

At first I thought it was just wishful thinking. I thought maybe I had slighted him his meal the night before. Nope, no can do. I watched him every day. He would make sure to situate himself near his feeder by noon and wouldn’t leave that spot until the feeder dropped a few morsels of heaven at 12:58 p.m. Hallelujah!

Like Nittany, Henry let you know when he wasn’t happy with you. He meowed constantly when I didn’t follow the rules, meaning giving him a treat every damn time he wanted one. He’s as tiny as they come, but his meow would roar through the apartment when he wanted more food. And like Nittany, he loved to sleep.

Man’s best friend

When people refer to “Man’s Best Friend,” they’re usually referring to dogs. However, after my little stint cat sitting, I think I need to add a little 2-year-old cat to that list. Oh, I’m a sucker. I gotta be losing my mind, but how could I not be? On my last day, I picked Henry up for a good head scratch and this time he didn’t try to squeeze out of my arms. He didn’t arch his back. He just nuzzled up next to me and let out a soft purr.

Oh, it didn’t last long, but it was long enough to touch my heart.

Oh, yes, goodbye friend and see you again soon.

. . . . .

“You cannot share your life with a dog … or a cat, and not know perfectly well that animals have personalities and minds and feelings.” —Jane Goodall

“I love the way a dog looks up to me and a cat condescends to me.” —Gladys Taber 

“Dogs only want love, but cats demand worship.” —Lucy Maud Montgomery

“Dogs come when they’re called; cats take a message and get back to you later.” —Mary Bly

“Throw a stick, and the servile dog wheezes and pants and shambles to bring it to you. Do the same before a cat, and he will eye you with coolly polite and somewhat bored amusement.” – H.P. Lovecraft