Cat midlife

[resonant]

The Ladycat is nearly eleven years old. When the kidlet got a new room this summer, the Ladycat claimed one pillow of the bed, and now she hardly ever leaves that spot except for food, water, the litter box, and the occasional tussle with the Boosh, who outweighs her by 50%.

I have a constant undertone of guilt because I don't really like the Ladycat very much. I'm crazy about the Boosh because he's a cat without dignity; he's happy and dumb and loves everybody. The Ladycat is Siamese, and like many of your highborn noblecats, she's difficult. Things are not as she would wish them to be. She is dissatisfied with the world. When you try to pet her, she ducks her head away from your big filthy peasant hands.

Today I said to the kidlet, "Do you think she's happy living in your room all the time? Do you think she likes the warmth and the peace and quiet and knowing that nobody but you is going to touch her? Or does she feel like the Boosh has trapped her in that little room and won't let her out?"

The kidlet sighed at my obtuseness. "It's her retirement."

Comments

[celli]

awwwwwwwwwwwww.

[resonant]

She's a sweetheart. I rely on her to cozy up to this difficult cat.

[mecurtin]

So kidlet's hands are worthy of touching Her Majesty? Then Her Majesty is just *particular* and devoted to one human.

[resonant]

Yes, that's it. I used to be her particular human, but I have to admit that I'm not sorry to hand the job over -- she's so particular that she won't sit in your lap, just stand in it, as if she's waiting for it to be some different, better sort of lap.

[firesprite1105]

Your kidlet is wise beyond her years. :D

[quinfirefrorefiddle]

This.

[resonant]

Hee - at least she's wise to the ways of the cats.

[ecaterin]

This is the child who invented a folk tradition out of whole cloth with the awesome name 'nutmeggins' - are you surprised? :D Old soul probably doesn't begin to cover the Kidlet :)

[resonant]

I can't believe you remembered that! We were looking back through our "kidlet tales" journal the other day and found that story.

[ecaterin]

That was the very first Res post I ever read, and I knew instantly I adored your writing and your perspective on/relationship with your kidlet & family :D Maryavatar recced The Familiar to someone somewhere else and I had to come read how some crazy woman had successfully written H/S. Came for the fic, stayed for the crazy woman :D

I'll have you know I just put Transfigurations (the DVD track) on my Kindle - I still read it! I got an ebook reader primarily to put novel-length fanfic on, cause I can't read so much on a screen without suffering eye strain :D I am undertaking the massive project of putting yours, Sam's, helenish's and mistful's fanfics I love most into .txt documents so that I can have them on the Kindle wherever I may be. Mwa ha ha ha - teh best smut on the internets, at my command in eInk!

[mergatrude]

Awww! My ladycat was a Siamese and exactly like that.

[resonant]

Good -- then it's not just us!

[wesleysgirl]

The kidlet is smart!

I prefer cats like your description of the Boosh, too. In fact, I prefer boy cats in general (so don't ask why we have two girls).

[resonant]

The last time I was at the vet, they were looking for a home for a four-month-old male marmalade tabby who was so friendly that he purred when I spoke to him. But he was a longhair, so even if I were in the market for another cat, I'd have thought three times.

[pauraque]

Ah, cats. It's not always a breed thing either -- my friend had two Siamese that acted just like dogs, while my cat, who was a mutt tabby from a shelter, acted like a princess.

[resonant]

Huh. There's no telling with cats.

[springwoof]

your kidlet is wise...

[resonant]

And her reward is to be the only one the Ladycat tolerates.

[ancientsavvy]

I love that story! :-) Kids are so smart sometimes!

[resonant]

It's true!