March 16, 2015 7 Things cats do to show us their love…that we wish they wouldn’t

Lots of folks have blogged about the things our furry friends do to show their love which make us saw “awwwwww”, but what about the things they do out of affection that make us say “ugghhh!”?

Yes, I’m a crazy cat lady, and I’ll be the first to admit it, but I felt that it was about time to give equal blog space to the things our cats might mean affectionately but which even the most crazy of us cat people still have trouble finding quite so adorable.

Number One on my list has to be their ability to find the most sensitive spot on our bodies to place all of their weight on. And I don’t mean they lay on you. No, that would be too discreet. Instead, they put all of their weight on one tiny paw before applying said paw to your delicate parts (I’m trying to keep this non gender specific). In my house, the worst perpetrator is my baby boy, Toby, who weighs in at just under 20 pounds. This behavior has earned him the nickname, “Mamo-cat”.

The Number Two spot belongs (coincidentally of course. No pun intended.) to the post sandbox sniff in which they offer us first whiff of their business prior to cleaning up the evidence. This usually occurs as I am preparing myself for that first, life giving scent of coffee to waft towards my bedroom, so they’re sure I’m taking a really big sniff!

Number Three is my little girl, Munchkin’s specialty. She likes to sit on my shoulder, on the pillow, or the sofa behind my head and flail her tail like a weapon as it smacks me in the head and face. She started her career when she was a sweet little kitten, not much bigger than the palm of my hand, but though she’s never been more than seven pounds soaking wet, she has a knack for throwing her weight around, as all of my significantly larger boys can tell you.

Number Four is again most commonly executed by Toby and is more typical of the long haired cats. This is when they insinuate themselves between your face and whatever else it is you might be doing; reading, eating, working on the computer, answering the call of nature; and requiring a reaffirmation of your love and devotion by stroking and skritching them with both hands. The reason I attribute this most often to the long haired cats is due to the amount of fur which must, of necessity fly everywhere in order to fully appreciate the love they have for you. This practice is especially prevalent during the summer when I keep the ceiling fans running as it causes said fur ejection to be spread more thoroughly around the room. And the more fur, the more they love you, right?

Number Five has become more, shall I say, artistic, since Scrappy Doo joined the family, though the actual origination of the practice belongs to Dylan. This involves getting into the sand box and vigorously digging to China until sand is scattered throughout the bathroom, necessitating a two or three time daily sweeping, unless, of course, you like crunching cat sand under your bare feet. Scrappy Doo has taken it a step further and has been known to scatter sand across the greater part of a 10 x 10 bedroom. (He clearly has the younger brother syndrome!)

Number Six is the kitty version of “Mommy get up” with which I roused my own parents as a child. This one takes various forms from Toby digging at my pajamas until I am in the proper position for him to execute Number Four, thus preventing further sleep, to what has been passed down from cat to cat for a number of years now; a little ditty I like to call “Cantata in D Sharp Major for Cat and Mini Blinds”. The latter has become so popular that they have even added a second part so that two cats can participate, sort of like two children pounding Chopsticks out on the piano over and over, but more annoying.

Which brings us to Number Seven, when they bring their playtime into whatever room you’re in, making sure that they perform their acrobatics on whatever surface will cause the most disturbance and the greatest amount of destruction. If I’m sleeping, this would be the bed, despite multiple admonitions that fighting does not occur on my bed, especially when I’m in it! If I’m trying to work, the venue becomes my desk, and I believe, their personal favorite as it means flinging anything not nailed down onto the floor. Think of the game where your young child repeatedly throws toys out of her crib or playpen but with papers, pens and anything else you thought you put on your desk for a reason other than to give your cats something to fling.

So ends my personal version of the Seven Ways Cats Show Their Love

I hope you enjoyed a visit to my humble home and that you’ll feel free to share stories of your own. I’m sure my brood hasn’t cornered the market in creativity! I must add a side note here: despite what seems to be constant annoyance, they spend a lot of their time just hanging around close to me and showing their love in far more pleasant and endearing ways. I would venture to say that, for the most part, I enjoy their company more than that of humans as, unlike with humans, I don’t need to be in the mood to enjoy their company. They just know how to give it. It’s not the fault of the humans, per se. I’m just an introvert and take awhile to get comfortable with anything resembling a human.

My gratitudes tonight are:
1. I am grateful that my muse is starting to send me more messages.
2. I am grateful for inspiration from both likely and unlikely sources
3. I am grateful for quiet but productive days.
4. I am grateful for the opportunity to live the life of my dreams.
5. I am grateful for abundance: inspiration, love, sharing, caring, kindness, motivation, health, happiness, peace, harmony and prosperity.

Blessed Be.