...across the room to outsmart a cat...

Occasionally I am privileged to look after a friends cat when she is away and this week is a week I get to be so privileged!

That's the culprit, I mean the cat, in the picture, acting, I mean giving me that best friend, pet me kind of look.

I have to admit I do not understand cats.  Dogs are so expressive.  Cats, not so much!  They CAN be.  If they want to.   Not in that waggy tail, tongue hanging out the mouth, licking everything in site kind of way.

This cat goes to the back door when I come in the front and fully expects that I will hurry sufficiently to open the door in a timely manner for him to check out the neighbourhood.  He takes his sweet time getting out the door (apparently I need to learn a little patience!) and then disappears.  When his owner is home it's usually a twenty minute absence but when I'm waiting for him to return it could be twenty minutes or if one hour strikes his fancy then no amount of calling will bring him back sooner.   It doesn't matter that I'm wearing out my shoes running back and forth to see if he's decided to saunter home yet.  He comes when he wants to come.

I don't know why I'm always so glad to see him at the door when I go to check but my heart just sings when I see him there waiting for me to let him in.  It just means he's safe and I can sleep at night!

Once inside, once again, at his own pace,  he looks up at me and I understand instinctively what he is saying.  "There's a space on the couch for you to sit so I can lay down beside me so you can pet me and scratch me for as long as I need you to" and I once again, do exactly as He dictates.  Sometimes I like to take a break which he interprets as reneging on my supposed commitment and that results in some type of bullying tactics.  If getting his head under my hand and butting it into action doesn't work he jumps up beside me and butts my chest!!  He even tries purring sweet nothings in my ear when he gets really touch deprived!   Arching his back, purring, pressing against me and licking my hands are his way of expressing himself and for the most part I think we understand each other.  OK, I understand him.  He does not get my schedule one bit!!

So once again today, he called the shots, came home after an hour or more, I did my duties as his cat masseuse and when he raised his hind leg straight up in the air and started cleaning THAT anatomy I got up, went home and will be back in the morning for some further abuse!

Man do I love that cat!