Late At Night, In A New England Parsonage
12:00 AM
Cat asleep in the crook of woman's arm.
1:00 AM
Woman: What are you doing? Are you grooming yourself? How's your breathing? Are you breathing okay?
Cat: (lick, lick)
2:00 AM
Woman: What are you doing? Are you still grooming? Come here. Let me listen to you breathe.
Cat: (purr)
Woman: Sweetie, don't lick me on my mouth. Yuck.
4:00 AM
Woman: I just had a nightmare. How's your breathing? Are you breathing okay?
Cat: (purr)
Woman: Stop purring so I can listen to you breathe for a second. Why are you grooming all night? Is it the steroids? Do you have 'roid rage? I'm sure you're very clean by now.
Cat: (purr)
Woman: Stop purring for a second.
5:25 AM
Woman: Sweetie, are you still grooming? Are you alright? Come here and let me listen to you breathe for a second. ... Don't lick me on my mouth. Yuck.
Cat: (purr)
6:30 AM
Woman: You look very beautiful and clean. I think you should go to church and preach this morning.
Cat: (purr)
Woman: Don't lick me on the mouth, honey. Yuck.
Cat asleep in the crook of woman's arm.
1:00 AM
Woman: What are you doing? Are you grooming yourself? How's your breathing? Are you breathing okay?
Cat: (lick, lick)
2:00 AM
Woman: What are you doing? Are you still grooming? Come here. Let me listen to you breathe.
Cat: (purr)
Woman: Sweetie, don't lick me on my mouth. Yuck.
4:00 AM
Woman: I just had a nightmare. How's your breathing? Are you breathing okay?
Cat: (purr)
Woman: Stop purring so I can listen to you breathe for a second. Why are you grooming all night? Is it the steroids? Do you have 'roid rage? I'm sure you're very clean by now.
Cat: (purr)
Woman: Stop purring for a second.
5:25 AM
Woman: Sweetie, are you still grooming? Are you alright? Come here and let me listen to you breathe for a second. ... Don't lick me on my mouth. Yuck.
Cat: (purr)
6:30 AM
Woman: You look very beautiful and clean. I think you should go to church and preach this morning.
Cat: (purr)
Woman: Don't lick me on the mouth, honey. Yuck.
posted by PeaceBang at 7:29 AM
7 Comments:
Ah, love. There's nothing like it.
I'm so glad your sweet kitty is back home with you again.
Mmm...kitty kisses! Rosie will give them on command, and Jenny will occasionally try to give them on the mouth (but not on command).
I've heard it said that one early sign of a sick cat is when it stops grooming itself. If this is true, it sounds as if Ermengarde at least FEELS much better.
Oh, 'scuse me. I have to go break up a feline sibling scuffle. This generally happens when "mom" is either on the phone or online. They've trained me well!
Prayers and blessings to you both.
PB,
I am so happy for you and the beauteous E. I have a close friend whose large black dog was diagnosed with cancer 2 years ago. She cannot afford the cost of treatment and the dog becomes very distressed at the vets. She found a new home with a back yard, bought him a great large bed and after two years he is thriving. Cats and dogs do respond to the love of their humans.
Bonnie
(one of your California readers)
Been following Ermengarde's travails. Hope you are all well and were able to get a good night's sleep. We filled our house with two kittens this summer, right after GA and I can't get over how fast they both just saturated my heart. But now Tiger (aka Bubba, Bubbi, Big-Boy and now and for no discernible reason "Pickles") has learned he likes to chew on my laptop when I'm working. Those little notches that lock the thing closed seem to be as wonderful as catnip.
All this, of course, to say that as I read through about Erm, I held the fat boy close (because he will let me) and petted the petite girl as she would allow. Thanks for sharing this part of your life, as horrendous as it was for you to go through, the story has touched more people than you will ever know.
Blessings
So glad Erm is doing much better!
I think this is what she's wanting to say when you ask her about the grooming--Shug and Roxy have translated for me:
"But, Mom, being on steroids is kind of like being on speed. I feel really nervous and wound up,and I have all this energy that I can't get rid of, and I'm HUNGRY. So, to distract myself from the nervousness and the energy, I need to calm myself--and that means grooming, oh, wonderful, soothing, self-calming grooming! Feeling wound-up is much better than not being able to breathe, so I'm not complaining--just explaining. But since I am doing all this grooming, you might want to give me more hairball remedy than usual....Love you. Big kiss!!"--Erm
:)
I'm so glad she's home.
I hope she'll be off the steroids soon. They have always made my dogs spooky, ravenous, and incontinent. I hope you're spared the incontinent part.
P.S. One of Amie's nicknames is the Kissing Bandit, because she's not satisfied until she's managed to land one right on your mouth...
Post a Comment
<< Home