Archive for September 26th, 2010

Sep 26 2010

Reversed

Published by under Cats

audreynap
A post-adventure nap

What’s worse than letting Audrey out at 4:30 in the morning? Bringing her in at 4:30 in the morning.

Last night, our Princess came by at about 7:30 for the second sitting of dinner. She dislikes eating as unfashionably early as those ill-mannered kittens, and tends to nibble part of her dinner then, and come back later for a little more. This delicacy of appetite combined with near-constant exercise outside must be the secret to her sylph-like figure, which certainly rivals her namesake’s.

Usually, when I head up to the sleeping loft to read at night, I call her. She turns up, though not always right away, just to make sure I know who’s really in charge around here. Last night, there was no sign of her, though I called her repeatedly and tried to lure her in with treats.

I thought about leaving the Cat Flap of Death open for her, but now the boys not only know how to run through it, but can skitter down the roof, it seemed unwise to resist a snack pack of kittens being alone in the wilderness as opposed to the full-grown winner of “Survivor: Hooterville”. Also I knew she’d claw on the glass from the outside if she wanted in, just as she claws from in the inside if she wants to go out.

I finally went to sleep, but it was the kind of sleep I used to have when Megan lived with me for the last few years of high school and was out on a date. I never really slept until I heard her come in, at which point I pretended to have been asleep all along, unless she had some really good gossip to tell me.

As you know, my brother, sister, and I are not good sleepers at the best of times. We can generally get to sleep, but fail to stay there, waking up several times a night, not to mention being plagued by bizarre dreams which occasionally make us question our collective sanity.

Every time I woke up last night, I went out into the bright moonlight and called Audrey. I had all the outside lights on, so it was pretty bright out there, and Mark had a party last night, so I reasoned that bobcats, mountain lions, and their buddies were unlikely to crash it looking for some hors d’oeuvres.

At 4:30, I got up and called her for the fifth time. I was just passing by the front door when I saw her standing there, peering in at me as if to ask what all the fuss was about. She tolerated, but did not enjoy, my picking her up and kissing her, and then it was treats all around.

I feel that I’ve made some improvements in my family worrier status. For one thing, I went to sleep (sort of). For another, I didn’t have the insta-doom feeling I had when June went missing (though that ended up being fully justified – for once, I did not enjoy being right). I am trying to believe that lightning has struck once already and is unlikely to do an encore. Surely losing two cats in two months is enough for any girl. Are you listening, family curse? It’s me, Suzy.

4 responses so far