House of the Discarded: Pillow Talk

I was sitting here tonight trying to figure out the last time I slept alone. I mean....REALLY alone. Even when my husband is out of town, there are still 4-5 cats on the bed with me.

I had the luxury of taking a nap this afternoon. It was a dark dreary day and nobody was in the house to remind me that I was being a slacker. So I took off my shoes and snuggled under the warm covers and made kissing noises to entice the cats to climb aboard. Pella, my fat black cat was the first to jump up. She's a confident girl and strode over - across my bladder - and sat on my chest. Phoebe, my little dilute calico came running too. She managed to jump across my left boob and left a big ol' scratch. (That's ok...I'm used to the abuse) Bob, my "Grandpa cat", climbed up on my pillow above my head, and Newman found a spot on my legs.

I felt like a mummy. I couldn't move. If I tried to move I got glares and nails that dug in to hold on. There was something very comforting about my babies surrounding me. I think people who don't have cats that snuggle up with them at night are really missing out on being part of "the litter". I woke myself up snoring because I was on my back. More glares from the felines.

One foster Mom told me yesterday how her foster kitten sleeps under her neck at night and purrs and purrs and purrs. She said she can't sleep with noise, so she puts in ear plugs. What a trooper!!

The other night I decided to fill up my jacuzzi tub and take a nice long hot bath. Before I even climbed in, the cats were positioned around the edges of the tub and batting at the bubbles. I wanted to light candles, but was worried I'd set a tail on fire or something. My husband came in, saw me surrounded in luxurious bubbles and gave me a sleazy smile and a "woo woo". I glared.

The poor guy. I shouldn't have glared. Afterall, I found a "cat butt stain" on his pillowcase the other day. Rather than changing the pillow case, I turned the pillow over and hoped he wouldn't notice. I know. I suck.

I received an e-mail this afternoon from a foster Mom who just brought home her new foster cat, Danny. She told me that Danny slept on the bed with her husband and watched a movie with him. It was like he had always been there.

So yes....I love my littermates and am happy I've been accepted as part of "the litter". I wouldn't change a thing.

I do feel pretty bad about the pillowcase though.