Purr-fect Day

Currently sitting at my feet, purring so loudly that I swear she's gonna hurt herself, is the cat that I've inherited. She is the second cat in my life that I've inherited, actually. The first one noticed that I had a happy, healthy, extremely well-fed indoors only cat and thought "hmmm ... that cat has a staff member who looks like a soft touch. I'll be extra nice to her" and *bam* suddenly I found myself with an indoor cat and an indoor/outdoor cat. (In fairness, I dunno that she ACTUALLY thought that ... or thought anything at all, really. If she did think something, I'd guess it was in that kind of neighborhood, 'tho.)

This cat now at my feet wasn't asked if she wanted to live with me. In fact, she wasn't consulted. She was moved and now here she is. Often, in the quiet evening hours, the Awesome Boyfriend and I will muse aloud as we try to guess what she's thinking. Most times my guess has something to do with cat food or treats. I guess I think she's often hungry. This is based upon the vigor with which she attacks her cat-food crunchy bits and meows so impatiently whenever either of us approach the kitchen.

She has a routine, this cat at my feet. She hops onto the bed as the Awesome Boyfriend goes off to work and settles in while I let her attack my feet for about 20 minutes or so. She then follows me around the house while I get ready for the day and, by the time I'm leaving for coffee, she's settled in nicely for her morning nap on the bed. This is where I'll find her when I return from coffee. I check in on her, give her a couple of pats on her belly and ask her if she needs anything. I'll leave quietly and close the door midway so she can rest in comfort.

(If you haven't yet figured out that she's pretty spoiled, just know that dogs have "caretakers" but cats have "staff".)

Without fail, she will emerge from her nap and come see me between 12:30pm and 12:45pm. She has a few bites of crunchies ("lunch") and will then hop onto the back of the couch where the mid-lunch nap will begin. She will tire of this location and will wind up in her kitty bed in the living room and she MAY stay there. If I'm watching TV or making too much noise typing away, she'll return to the bedroom while I'll do my best to keep the peace while attending to housework.

When the Awesome Boyfriend returns from his day, she will emerge - fresh as a daisy - and will spend a few minutes meowing, sometimes urgently, at him. She will spend the evening either sleeping on the couch, or in her bed in the living room, or sometimes under our bed in the bedroom. She'll come out for kitty dinner and will still muster enough energy to sleep later that evening.

Honestly, I don't know how she manages to do it all but she sure makes it look easy. This routine she has changes at times, tho' never by all that much. All in all, it seems that she manages to spend a 24-hour period either napping, awaking from a nap, preparing for a nap, or eating in-between naps.

No wonder cats have staff. They need someone awake enough to get the daily chores done.