Friday's Cat

Ah, look at you, being so cute!

I have a terrible confession to make.

I did not miss DJ while I was on vacation. The house was sans kitten three days before I hit the road, and one day after I returned, and I kept counting things I didn't have to worry about.

• Don't have to worry about the kitten getting into my closet
• Don't have to worry about the kitten getting into stuff in my study
• Don't have to close the door when I use the restroom (she's fascinated by the sound of running water)
• Don't have to empty the litter box, or fill the food bowl

I care for her, and she amuses me, but sometimes she can be a true pest.

You don't compromise with a kitten. Talking to it is even less effective than trying to reason with a two year-old. You can't say "DJ, you may come into my study only if you don't chew on my computer cords." At best, the words are a foreign language to her that she doesn't understand. So, I alter my routine to make way for this little creature. Sometimes, that's uncomfortable.

She does offer companionship. I have no idea whether she "loves me", as humans understand the phrase, or if she only sees me as oversize cat with poor hunting skills. If it amuses me to believe she loves me, then it does no one harm, and it puts me in the same boat as most other pet owners. We project human emotions on these animal companions with no idea of whether they are capable of such feelings. A case might be made for dogs, who are pack animals, but cats are rather dicey. They are (compared to canines and anthropods) relatively independent.

In other words, DJ may be coming to my lap only because it's a nice warm place to take a nap.