Willow, the Amazing Cat Who Stayed Over, is fourteen years old today. She is celebrating her big day by lying like a lump and sleeping -- two things she does very well.
In her much younger days ar Christina's house, she spent much of her time hiding behind the ceiling tiles in the basement, although she would deign to come out and to sleep in Erin's bed with her. When Walt was working late at night, she would often appear to keep him company. Shy she may have been, but she was always a sweet cat.
A few years ago, she started to becoming stressed. Christina's house ha always been active, what with dogs, cats, and various reptiles, not to mention a very active Jack (far more active than Mark and Erin ever were). She was nervous and unhappy and perhaps just a little bit cranky with age. She seemed to forget what a litter box was used for. Christina thought a quieter environment might help her. So Willow came to visit us. And stayed.
She's very happy here. Not stressed at all -- not even when we have to dog-sit Jessie's pugs for the occasional weekend. She is not a lap cat, but loves to snuggle up against either Kitty or me and often rests on the top of the sofa just behind Kitty's head. Willow is not a fierce cat but is semi-protective. When the occasional frog enters the house, she follows it (at a reasonable distance) to be sure the little amphibian does not make away with the family silver or whatever. She guards the house from the front window whenever a neighboring cat happens to pass by. Exercise and activity are anathema to her. She is somewhat fat.
Her favorite (and only hobby) is eating. Well, that and throwing up what she's just eaten. We now feed her very little at a time, probably fifteen to twenty times a day. She lets us know she wants more by sitting by her bowl and glaring at us. In cases of dire emergency, She comes up and yowls in our faces.
Although she boards at our house, she is still Christina's cat. Christina and Erin give her her due attention whenever they are over. Christina is happy that Willow is happy here. We are happy that Willow is happy here. She has become a major (and good) part of our lives.
Because Willow is a cat I often call be "Cat." She doesn't mind; she just ignores me because she is cat.
So, happy birthday to a lump of fur who has become so much more to us!
Yay. Our gluttonous 14yo tomcat Domino is trying to badger me (cat badgers) into letting him have a fourth meal (if we count a light-kibble snack after eating the remnants of the girl-cat's last-night's supper when I wasn't looking, and his actual breakfast) a bit more than two hours before his suppertime. How they caper.
ReplyDeleteClicking noises usually gather the attention of our cats, since that is my feeding call.
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