It”s almost 5 a.m. and my alarm just went off. My alarm is multi-faceted. It does not come with a snooze-button, though it has a purr-feature; many purr features.
The alarm is smart. It begins with a plaintive meow,courtesy of Cole. “Cat King Cole” is back with thegroup, after his adoptive parents decided this blacknbeauty was to painful a reminder of the black cat they recently lost, so they brought him back. He cries to me from the floor, “Mom are you awake?” Then his furry blackness engulfs me as he jumps for my pillow and wraps himself about my head purring in my ear.
This signals Rocky in all his fluffiness to follow suit, only he aims for my face. Soon, I am blessed with Maine Coon fur tickling my nose. Unable to sit-up an regain my breath due to the fact that Sierra is lying on my neck, Cole still claims my head and now Oliver is on my chest, Matuese on my legs and Chappy on my feet.
I lie there covered in cats, wondering if I died, would they find cat hair in my lungs and hair balls in my stomach when I passed away? I finally manage to wiggle free, and cats go tumbling to the floor. They sit in a semi circle under my feet as I swing my legs out of bed, trying hard not to wake up Mike. Tails gently swishing back and forth, they wait. This routine is well-honed. Perfected over the months/years they have lived with us. Knowing full well that once I get the first pot of coffee brewing, my next steps will be to the pantry where their food waits. Predatory eyes follow me as I shuffle off the the bathroom to wash my face and prepare for the day.
Even shutting the door won’t keep them out of the bathroom. I learned that long ago, so the cat door was installed in the bathroom door. It can be locked from the inside if the occupant so chooses to catch a few moments of privacy, but for the most part, the door is quite active as the cats pass in and out reminding me that they are present.
After they have been fed and the “floor quits moving ” which is Mike’s pet phrase he uses as the cats gather around their feeding stations, I sit back and look at the contented crew. How did it come to this? How did we acquire so many cats? Becuase of the recent scare with Prowler, and now the contaminated food issue, our vet debt is severe. It has put a strain on both of us. For the first time in years, we bicker about little things, forgetting at times we are grounded in love.
I look at the crew and know that both of us wouldn’t have it any other way. Many of these cats would be dead if they weren’t here. Some would be worse than dead. I learned years ago, that there are worse things then death lurking in the world.
I survey the crew, all of them eating from their own food plate. Matuse, Oliver, Squirrel, Cole, Chappy, Tipster,Dash, Riley, Prowler, McKinley, Sierra, Taylor, Everest, Buzzby, Mercedes, Guinevere eating in the other room, a solitide she seems to prefer. Outside on the porch, Cleo, Cyclone and MayaII are chowing down. Ghost still lurks under the porch. She is also enjoying a meal.
It’s an early morning start to another stressful day. But for now, the stress dissapates. The room is full of purrs as the cats eat their fill. I know we are in a rough patch right now. I can only hope it smooths out soon. All these recent emergencies, Prowlers unexplained illness, my injury and emergency visit to Urgent Care, the two dogs becoming sick in what looked like poisoning, being rushed to the vet on a Sunday…all these events grouped so close together sucking us dry at the moment. I hope my finger heals soon. Typing is still so difficult for me. I see many typos.
I look at the clowder of cats, hear the horses banging the gate in the background and I know that it is all worth it. What I have learned from these wonderful animals fills my book in progress. They are my life, they are my soul.
