Cat Days of Summer

Have I told you about my kitty, Maeby?

If you have to ask where her name came from, then there's probably no sense in explaining it because the show was cancelled anyway. Steve and I adopted her from the Cat Adoption Team a year ago last November, and she will be two in July. We knew she would make our lives interesting from the first time I held her, and she chewed on my coat. Her cage was in the back room, so I found myself "stuck" holding her for quite a while, and after I finally gave her back none of the other cats and kittens I saw measured up. We had bonded.

At almost two years old, she is still quite small, and her four little white paws give her a dainty appearance. But do not be fooled: she is ferocious. She loves to play and pounce, and she still has not outgrown her love of biting me. Frequently she will bite the side of my hand (never too hard) and if I don't pull away, she'll gnaw on me for a second and then start licking me. It's one of her favorite games.

We call her "princess" because, well, she really is. Everything has to be done on her terms, or boy, do we hear about it. She doesn't so much meow as squeak. Hence her other nicknames, "El Squeakadente," "Squeaky Catface," "Princess Squeaks-a-Lot." Sometimes in the evening we'll pick her up and try to cuddle with her on the couch - but she will squeak and wrestle her way out of our grip. Only to return five minutes later and plop down on my lap - on HER terms. She does NOT appreciate being carried down the stairs, and she does NOT trust the vaccuum cleaner. She fully expects to be given a treat every time we open the kitchen drawer that contains the can opener. She expects to be fed as soon as we turn off the shower. She is basically the head of our household.

As the weather gets nicer, Steve has taken to letting her out on the balcony of our condo. This has become one of her favorite things - bugs to chase (she is really quite an effective huntress), sunbeams to nap in, birds to squeak at, and more recently a catnip plant to chew on. Basically, kitty heaven.

So lately, every time we come home she squeaks wildly and dances around underfoot until we finally get the hint and let her out on the balcony. Not that she wants to be left out there all day - oh, no. She wants the door left open so she has the OPTION of being inside or outside, depending on her current whim.

What a princess.