The Ritual or
Why Am I So Tired So Soon in the AM?
By Caroline S. Taylor
Brandy, my Maine Coon cat is very alert, much more
alert than I am in the mornings. He doesn’t even
need that first cup of coffee to be able to navigate.
Upon the ringing alarm, if he hasn’t been already
jumping on and off the bed, or onto the dresser pushing
things off onto the floor with a big bang because he
knows that will certainly get my attention, he’s in
the bathroom sitting beside the commode. And, why is he
sitting beside the commode? No, he isn’t that smart
yet, he doesn’t know how to use it, but any day now!!
He’s waiting for me to sit down on it because he
knows that’s the first thing I do every morning.
Yes, we have a definite ritual. I sit on the pot, he
jumps up on my lap and I rub him, love him, talk to him,
and he purrs and preens like a big rooster.
Then, I get off and he jumps on and I really have to
be fast or he will beat me to it and I won’t have
the lid down yet. This has only happened once and I mean
there was some fast grabbing going on, I had him by the
scruff of his neck so quick that his feet didn’t
even have time to hit the water. And squall, you would
have thought I was killing him. Oh well, Brandy that was
better than floating around in the commode water. Then he
sits on top of the commode seat and watches me dress and
lets me know how hungry he is. What a comedian!
So, next down the stairs we go. He walks in front of
me, very slowly, his huge tail straight up in the air as
if to say, follow me, I’ll take you where you need
to go. He leads me to the front door because he knows my
second move of the morning is to go outside and get the
newspaper. Upon coming back into the house, there he is,
waiting inside the door and then he leads me down the
stairs into the kitchen.
So, I quickly open a can of cat food (with him begging
the whole time), give him half a can and Lil’ Bit (my
Calico Persian) the other half and then I look around for
Lil’ Bit, but no Lil’ Bit. So, I go to the
litter box in the utility room and sure enough, as
always, there she is, sitting on top of the washing
machine, waiting for me to scoop it. Now, she doesn’t
need or want to use her litter box, she just wants it
scooped because as soon as she sees me go towards it with
the scoop in my hand, off she goes to eat. (What a weirdo).
Now, I scoop both litter boxes, give them clean water,
and dry food in their "Fancy Feast" glass
goblet; they won’t eat their wet food from it but
love their dry food out of it.
Now I am attempting to get myself that first cup of
coffee when I see Brandy, back at the front door again.
Now, he wants his grass. So, I go outside again and pick
him the choicest blades of grass. As I come back in the
door there he is, standing on his hind feet waiting to
grab the grass out of my hand. So, why do I wonder why I
am so tired even before I have that first cup of coffee.
Oh, by the way, Brandy is now finally satisfied and sound
asleep on his Kitty Condo at the window but I feel like I’ve
already done a days work. What A Life, For A Cat That Is!
©Copyright 2002 Caroline S. Taylor
|