I’ve now been in my new home for almost three months. It’s actually pretty decent (although I haven’t yet admitted that to Mom, in case she gets a big head) and I think I’ll stay. The grub is good and in constant supply, I have other cats and two dogs to knock about, and I have quite a big, secure yard to explore at my leisure. The constant attempts by the humans to cuddle and stroke me do get a bit tiresome sometimes, but you have to take the good with the bad, you know?
I seem to have got into Mom’s good books without even trying… I’ve become quite good at hunting and dismembering African king crickets. Mom can’t stand the sight of them. They are colossal insects and look quite menacing. But I do wonder where she was educated and what they taught her at that so-called school. She calls these insects ‘Parktown prawns’. Hai shêm né, she can’t help it that she doesn’t know any better. But a bit of logic would go a long way – firstly, prawns live in the sea and, secondly, we don’t even live in Parktown.
In my time here so far, I’m proud to say I have already tried out all the pet (and human) beds scattered throughout the house. Some are more comfortable than others, but at least I have options.
What was it that James Herriot famously said? “Cats are connoisseurs of comfort.” That’s it! So, I have a reputation to uphold. One of my favourite spots to nap is in Mom’s clothes cupboard, on a pile of nice soft jerseys.
On one occasion, when I was still quite new here, I followed Elvis (the tuxedo cat my human brother affectionately calls ‘The Don’ sometimes) into the cupboard when that awful vacuum cleaner was droning on… again. When I realised how peaceful and comfy it was in there, I curled up and went to sleep, as did The Don – on the pile next to mine. Only to wake up a few hours later to hear Mom frantically calling out my name, thinking I’d run away, because she couldn’t find me anywhere. Elvis and I nearly killed ourselves laughing. We were still giggling when she eventually opened the cupboard to get something and found us both there. She was so relieved and went straight in for a cuddle. I allowed it, since I felt quite sorry for her when I saw how worried she’d been. In a moment of weakness, I even purred a bit.
Anyway, I must be off. Time waits for no cat. I have Park… er… I mean African king crickets to hunt, and places to be!
