Time passes....
11/23/09 10:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wobblerlorriThis post by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
scarybaldguy prompted me to update my current place on the Road From Grief...
I don't think any of the other cats particularly miss Brownie, mostly because she just didn't interact with them at all. She was purely a People Cat, and spent literally all her time in my lap when it was available, or curled on my end of the couch if it wasn't. If enough time had passed that she thought it was time for me to down tools and return to my job as Her Lap, she would come find me and baow at me until I gave in. If I was outside she would go to the nearest window, glare out at me, and baow loudly until I said "Okay, Brownie, I can take a hint." If I was in the garage, she'd come sit on the dryer and baow until Mike came out and told me that Brownie said it was time to quit.
She never slept with any of the other cats -- I don't know how much of it was she just didn't like other cats, and how much was she was intimidated by them. They were never mean or aggressive to her, everyone just wanted to play with her, but she wasn't having any of it. Poor little girl, I think she was originally raised in a caged cattery, she didn't seem to ever have a concept of how to play like a cat -- she'd occasionally chase a ball, but usually just to follow it to where it ended up, then she'd baow for one of us to pick it up and throw it again. She'd chase a piece of dental floss or a string, but then it was like she'd remember her dignity and stop.
This isn't to low-rate her as a cat, but to show that she wasn't a cat in her opinion, and so didn't have a particular cat friend. I was her Special Friend, and apparently I was all she needed...
Maggie is the Official Bedroom Buddy. She grabs my lap as soon as I sit down at the computer, and doesn't get up unless she has Business To Attend To. Then she's back as soon as possible. She's finally figured out there's no Brownie under the covers in my arms anymore, so she's slowly inched her way up into the arm cradle. She hasn't crawled under the covers yet, but she probably will as winter closes in. Today she hollered for me to stay in the bedroom, then cautiously ventured out to the door to the living room, then quickly scamper-waddled back into my room. I'm hoping one day she'll make it out into the living room and can be my couch buddy too.
Crystal and Jack take turns being my couch buddy in the evenings and periodically during the day. Crystal likes for me to lie down, then she lies on the couch with her front feet on my left shoulder and drowses. Jack will suddenly LEAP up onto my lap, roop around a little (she says "roop roop"), then flop down for a quick nap. She does this pretty frequently during the day and the evening. It's comforting -- I most miss having a warm cat in my lap.
Bill maintains his usual system of checking in, lounging across my upper chest under my chin, and demanding to be brushed. I brush him once a day, but he'd like to be brushed all the time, so he goes over to the basket with the brush in it and tries to pick it up with his paw-hands.
Bill and Jack will sleep in the bedroom with me, Bill at the foot of the bed, Jack in my computer chair. Maggie of course has pride of place right up next to me, although Bill will curl up on the opposite side if he's cold -- against my belly if Maggie against my back, and against my back or behind my knees if Maggie has the belly spot.
I'm healing, with the help of these sweet kitties, but I still miss my Boo horribly. I've put in an application to the VA Siamese Cat Rescue, in case the perfect Siamese comes along needing a new home, and I've put out some feelers to a few reputable breeders. One offered me an 18 month old spayed breeder, beautiful sealpoint female named Murasaki (she's the first one on the page if you scroll down), but I don't want to stress Crystal by bringing in an adult cat, and I'm not ready for another meezer yet. Next spring at the earliest...
But life goes on, and hearts heal. They're probably the most resilient part of us.
scarybaldguy prompted me to update my current place on the Road From Grief...I don't think any of the other cats particularly miss Brownie, mostly because she just didn't interact with them at all. She was purely a People Cat, and spent literally all her time in my lap when it was available, or curled on my end of the couch if it wasn't. If enough time had passed that she thought it was time for me to down tools and return to my job as Her Lap, she would come find me and baow at me until I gave in. If I was outside she would go to the nearest window, glare out at me, and baow loudly until I said "Okay, Brownie, I can take a hint." If I was in the garage, she'd come sit on the dryer and baow until Mike came out and told me that Brownie said it was time to quit.
She never slept with any of the other cats -- I don't know how much of it was she just didn't like other cats, and how much was she was intimidated by them. They were never mean or aggressive to her, everyone just wanted to play with her, but she wasn't having any of it. Poor little girl, I think she was originally raised in a caged cattery, she didn't seem to ever have a concept of how to play like a cat -- she'd occasionally chase a ball, but usually just to follow it to where it ended up, then she'd baow for one of us to pick it up and throw it again. She'd chase a piece of dental floss or a string, but then it was like she'd remember her dignity and stop.
This isn't to low-rate her as a cat, but to show that she wasn't a cat in her opinion, and so didn't have a particular cat friend. I was her Special Friend, and apparently I was all she needed...
Maggie is the Official Bedroom Buddy. She grabs my lap as soon as I sit down at the computer, and doesn't get up unless she has Business To Attend To. Then she's back as soon as possible. She's finally figured out there's no Brownie under the covers in my arms anymore, so she's slowly inched her way up into the arm cradle. She hasn't crawled under the covers yet, but she probably will as winter closes in. Today she hollered for me to stay in the bedroom, then cautiously ventured out to the door to the living room, then quickly scamper-waddled back into my room. I'm hoping one day she'll make it out into the living room and can be my couch buddy too.
Crystal and Jack take turns being my couch buddy in the evenings and periodically during the day. Crystal likes for me to lie down, then she lies on the couch with her front feet on my left shoulder and drowses. Jack will suddenly LEAP up onto my lap, roop around a little (she says "roop roop"), then flop down for a quick nap. She does this pretty frequently during the day and the evening. It's comforting -- I most miss having a warm cat in my lap.
Bill maintains his usual system of checking in, lounging across my upper chest under my chin, and demanding to be brushed. I brush him once a day, but he'd like to be brushed all the time, so he goes over to the basket with the brush in it and tries to pick it up with his paw-hands.
Bill and Jack will sleep in the bedroom with me, Bill at the foot of the bed, Jack in my computer chair. Maggie of course has pride of place right up next to me, although Bill will curl up on the opposite side if he's cold -- against my belly if Maggie against my back, and against my back or behind my knees if Maggie has the belly spot.
I'm healing, with the help of these sweet kitties, but I still miss my Boo horribly. I've put in an application to the VA Siamese Cat Rescue, in case the perfect Siamese comes along needing a new home, and I've put out some feelers to a few reputable breeders. One offered me an 18 month old spayed breeder, beautiful sealpoint female named Murasaki (she's the first one on the page if you scroll down), but I don't want to stress Crystal by bringing in an adult cat, and I'm not ready for another meezer yet. Next spring at the earliest...
But life goes on, and hearts heal. They're probably the most resilient part of us.
