The first cat in my life was a black cat named Inky. It was fun to watch him bat a ball around the floor with his front paws. He was a great "soccer" player but he got sick and died. (That was before the veterinarians knew about feline leukemia so there was no vaccine for it, yet.) Then we got two orange tiger kitties named Buffer and Ginger. Buffer liked me and Ginger liked my younger sister Marcia. Funny how cats choose their “people”.
My younger sister Marcia and I spent many hours training Buffer and Ginger how to sit pretty and shake paws. We had lots of cat treats and they learned readily. Of course, it’s debatable who trained whom.
The best part of having a cat is playing with them. The worst part is scooping their litter box. But it must be done every day. Cats like a clean place to do their "business".
My earliest cat memory is of me playing with my grandmother’s cat at her house. Grammie Forbes had a house that went “round and round”. All the downstairs rooms—dining room, kitchen, and living room connected around a central staircase.
Somebody, I think it was Grammie, tied a piece of newspaper to a length of yarn. The newspaper looked like a grey butterfly. I dragged it behind me as I trotted from room to room with the cat chasing me. It was a great game. I think I was around three or four years old and the game was probably more to amuse me than the cat.
I’ve had my current cat Rocky for about thirteen years. (His brother, Romeo, got sick and had to be euthanized.) Rocky likes to play with his new laser pointer. He got it for Christmas and he actually “asks” to play with it. He goes to where I left it last and paces around.
My earliest cat memory is of me playing with my grandmother’s cat at her house. Grammie Forbes had a house that went “round and round”. All the downstairs rooms—dining room, kitchen, and living room connected around a central staircase.
Somebody, I think it was Grammie, tied a piece of newspaper to a length of yarn. The newspaper looked like a grey butterfly. I dragged it behind me as I trotted from room to room with the cat chasing me. It was a great game. I think I was around three or four years old and the game was probably more to amuse me than the cat.
I’ve had my current cat Rocky for about thirteen years. (His brother, Romeo, got sick and had to be euthanized.) Rocky likes to play with his new laser pointer. He got it for Christmas and he actually “asks” to play with it. He goes to where I left it last and paces around.
When I pick up the laser pointer, the key chain part of it makes a clinking sound and Rocky’s eyes actually dilate with excitement. When I click the button to turn it on his eyes look to the floor for his favorite red spot. It’s fun to swirl the dot on the floor as he chases it. I sometimes let him “catch” it.
Right now it is time to feed him. He is sitting next to me on the futon and staring at me. Every now and then he reaches out his paw and taps me as if to say, “Hey, remember me?” He just got down and started walking towards his food dish, looking back at me to see if I’m following him. Uh, oh! He’s starting to meow! I’d better stop typing and go feed him.
Do you have a pet? Do you help care for your pet? Leave me a comment. I’d love to hear from you!
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