I currently (since September 1999, when she threw herself into my arms in the middle of the street and screamed "Take me home!") share my home with an ex-stray "love bug" called Lillybit. God love her, it's wonderful to have the devotion of such a sweet cat, but...

I can't ever get *away* from her!

Hers is the last face I see at night, and the first face I see in the morning. Mornings are spent making sure I get up in time, supervising the bathing routine (she sits on the bath mat or on the edge of the tub during my shower), supervising the dressing routine, and making sure that Breakfast Is Served. Then she accompanies me to the door and sees me off for the day.

When I walk in the door each evening, she's right there to greet me, then it's off to the kitchen, tail waving and in full voice, to remind me that it's Time For Dinner. I feed her first so that I can prepare everyone else's dinner in relative peace and quiet while she's eating.

After dinner, there are usually some kind of chores. Dishes? She likes to wind around my ankles while I'm in the kitchen, to see if maybe she can trip me up. Jumping up on the counter is fun, too, even though she is fully aware that this is Not Allowed. Laundry? What better place to "help", than from the middle of the laundry basket? Clean clothes or dirty will do - she's not particular. Checking email? Well, the keyboard and mouse pad are both nice places to sit, or on her human's shoulder, or (if her human isn't paying enough attention to her), then perhaps sitting on top of the printer and shredding paper with her teeth as an Attention-Getting Device works quite nicely.

Then when all chores are complete, her human sits down on the sofa for some TV, or climbs into bed with a book for an hour or two of reading. This is the second-best part of the day (meal time still ranks #1), because then she gets to Use Her Human As Furniture. I can't remember the last time I sat on the sofa without her on my knee or shoulder, or the last time I climbed into bed without her taking up her post right in the center of my chest, directly between me and my book. Relocating her to my lap so I can read in peace Will Not Do - she just climbs right back up again and Assumes The Position. Sleep time is generally spent with her lying on top of some portion of my anatomy - usually my back but my legs and arms will also do in a pinch. One time I woke up to find her happily curled up *on my head*, with her tail draped across my nose and mouth.

Don't get me wrong - I adore her and I treasure her companionship, and 99% of the time I really enjoy having her attached to me at the hip. But there have been times (particularly when I'm having a Bad Hair Day, or am PMS-ing) when I wish I could lounge for ten minutes on my sofa or on my bed without having a cat parked on my chest with her face two inches from mine.

Copyright © Beth Harvey
February 22, 2001