I haven't thought about this until the last couple of days but me and the feline community have a set pattern in the morning. I pull in the driveway from work around 5:00AM each morning and the terrible two are on the couch looking out the window. I open the door and Reina is right there smelling me to make sure I'm not an interloper. Tabby waits back until the door shuts then meows his greetings from afar. I walk down the hallway (being careful not to step and the tuxedo'ed Reina) and into the kitchen. More meo-greetings from both as I switch on the light and set my lunch box/thermos down. I kneel beside their food bowls and they happily munch away, looking back every so often to see that I'm still there. After changing clothes, I go into the bathroom where Reina is usually doing her business in the litter box. Tabby follows me, jumps up on the sink, and happily laps water from the faucet that I've turned on for him. Reina does the ceremonial scratching of the litter and exits the box. After Tabby has had his fill, he jumps down and into the box. He does his business, scratches, and then leaves. They both wait inside the bathroom door and as soon as I start to leave, both push the door open and meow at me--beckoning me back to their bowls. I stand 'guard' there for a few minutes then head off to bed.

And as I was thinking about our little routine, I recalled that I've hardly ever seen them doing their business at any other time. I have to be in the bathroom before they'll go pottie so I guess it sounds like I've got a pair of 'social eaters and poopers.' I often wonder what's going through their little minds... 'Hey... the human's home! Time to eat and take a crap!' Talk about putting it in as fast as you put it out....

Copyright © Roger Hooker
May 31, 2002