For the uninitiated, Sadie is the complicated cat and therefore my favorite. Regal, aloof, intelligent, particular about everything and violently opposed to being picked up or held.
While the other two have molded themselves into the household routine, Sadie has spent six years patiently trying to train me.
I'm working hard on her new routine for the new apartment and furniture placement... and think I almost have it down.
A couple hours before the alarm, I always get up to check business emails and deal online with the things that have been gnawing at my sleep. That time is to be interupted by a dark, silent lap visit. If I continue to type with one hand while I pet her with the other in the glow of the computer screen, we're both acknowleging she's there, but not making too big a deal about it.
She has other things to do for the breakfast and paper reading portion of the morning. I understand that. She's very busy.
But she'll position herself in wait on the floor, front paws crossed in front of her, for our second morning session as I'm in the shower. Once I have come out AND dried my hands ( an essential second step), she jumps up on the tub tile next to me for a more aggressive back and face rub before I can finish towelling myself. I've almost got it right and she will sometimes purr in recognition of my progress.
Step three is still giving me a lot of trouble. I'm usually running late for work by then and she has made it clear my lack of time management skills are not her problem. She waits on my dresser knowing I will need to extract certain items and she will need her final rubdown of the morning. She has recently become quite insistent and vocal in my inability to dedicate a reasonable interval to the task. Her reasonable intervals seem to be getting a lot longer.
But once this is accomplished, I may leave.
In fact, she encourages it.
She has so much else she needs to get done.

Copyright 2005 Judi Griggs