“The RoseBouquet”

Time for a bit about Snowflake again. She is becoming a cat of sharp contrasts.

Snowflake is often frisky, racing from one favourite window view to the other at lightening speed as if scared by something. In fact, sometimes she takes some corners too fast, and whimpers as she accidentally skids into some furniture. A few moments later, she’s off and running again. (I’ve begun to wonder if there’s catnip in the new bag of cat food I bought, called Friskies). When she’s in this hyper mood, and I make any sudden move, however innocent, she’s off like a flash, her tail whippin’ tall over her.

I’ve got so when I see her tail dancing with that energetic tick going this way and that, I know she’s up to mischief with a flare!

Then there are times after a long nap when she comes up behind me, stands on her hind legs and taps me on the elbow with her paw, and meows politely for some cuddle time on my lap. She loves to be loved and physically handled and tickled, scratched or rubbed and stroked. I fill her food dishes and she ignores them until I’ve handled her a few minutes. So I tell her she’s a sensuous cat and a glutton for love. When I go to the kitchen she jumps up from a deep sleep and dashes in to join me, and whines like a toddler. Nothing shuts her up but to pick her up and cuddle for a while.

The first few days I had her, Snowflake seemed to have no interest in food or milk or water or anything. I tried various food, including people-food, but she sniffed and turned away. Now all of a sudden she checks the floor wherever I eat and if I’ve dropped a crumb, she wolfs it down. If I put it into one of her dishes, it dries up from neglect, but she wants my crumbs. Go figure that out!

Now for the biggie. I do not sleep well with a bed mate, so from the beginning I have refused to take her to bed with me. I’m very strict about the not-for-you-Snowflake zones in the house. She’s not allowed on my desk, or the kitchen counters or table either. But in the last two weeks she seems to be determined to sneak into bed with me after I’ve fallen asleep. The more devious she gets, the more creative I’ve had to become to discourage this.

I should back up to the first instance maybe a week or two after her arrival. One night I dreamt that a black mouse had leaped onto my blankets over my chest and was staring into my eyes. I freaked out and tossed away the blankets yelling for Snowflake to come get this mouse! Once I got the light on, I took to shaking my quilt and sheets to be sure that wee furry thing was not hiding underneath somewhere. All at once it hit me, mice don’t do such huge flying leaps; it must have been Snowflake! Well, my frantic war scared Snowflake to the other end of the house, and I think she remembered for quite a while that it was not a good idea to sneak up on me like that.

However, in the last two weeks she’s tried it several times. I’ve shooed her off, and chased her all the way to the pantry and slammed the door on her. (Then I opened it just to quickly shove in her litter box). She also crawled under the bed a few times and was scratching away there. So the other Saturday I pulled the bed away and cleaned thoroughly and then stuffed all kinds of foam cushions and boxes that fit tightly under the bed, so there is NO way she can get under there. I also rearranged the stuff at the bottom of my clothes closet right beside the bed, so she could not sneak in there and nest. This morning I discovered that she had found a way over my bed and into my laundry hamper in there!

We do take some short cat naps or Sunday afternoon naps together in the recliner. She’s not allowed there by herself, but when I have my pink fluffy housecoat on, she can curl up on my lap and we nap together. My advantage is that when she stirs I wake and can get back to work.

I realize poor Snowflake is just craving more cuddle time, but with her habit of coming and going through the night… nope, I’m still resolved to sleep alone in my bed. She has her towel on the desk by the window in my bedroom. If that’s not good enough… I will be more resourceful yet!