…and by men, I mean “my husband.”
My husband is not particularly fond of cats. So while I’m in Granbury, Texas for my creative residency, Larry will have a chance to bond with Ms. Kalliope – or, at least, that is what I’m hoping for!
[This post is part of a series of daily updates as the 2016 Writer-in-Residence for the Langdon Review. If you missed a day, or this is your first time here, click here to see the other posts.]
Clueless about cats
My hubby is a smart guy, and a jack-of-all-trades, but when it comes to cats, he’s clueless. Every time Kalliope meows, he hopefully suggests, “Maybe she wants out!” Sometimes, of course, she actually does want to go out, but as most cat owners know, a meow can mean all sorts of things. Unlike Larry, when Ms. K meows, I can tell if she wants to play, is just saying hello, doesn’t feel good, doesn’t like the food I put out, and so on.
He also blames the cat for everything – and I do mean everything! One time, some kids rang our doorbell in the middle of the night, and Larry’s immediate sleepy response was, “It’s probably just the cat.” I am not kidding, nor was he!
She likes her people (or me, at least.)
When we are home, Ms. Kalliope follows me around like a little shadow. We are both avid bird-watchers, although I’m sure our motivations differ. Even so, my home office is arranged so we can both stare out the window while I work. I have a little cat bed next to me so I can pet her and she can nuzzle me. I love it!
People often claim that cats are so independent that they don’t miss you when you’re gone. That’s not the case with Miss Kalliope! She enjoys people and is much happier when she gets some love and affection in our absence. When we’ve had housesitters who stroked and played with her, Kalliope was fine after a trip. When we’ve had housesitters who simply fed her, but didn’t pet or play with her, she has been a nervous wreck when we return.
A chance to bond?
So I’ve told Larry that he needs to pet our Ms. Kalliope every day – gently, not like he is roughhousing with a dog! He also needs to talk to her. I even told him a few of my favorite nicknames for the cat: chib chub, cat pot pie, itty bitty pretty kitty keeb, keeblero, catypus, mewby doo, and so forth. I drew the line at asking him to sing silly cat songs to her, but I know she’d love that. I kinda wish I had a hidden camera so I can see what Larry ends up doing! The proof, of course, will be in how angsty or relaxed Ms. Kalliope is when I return home in mid-September.
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Tui Snider is an author, speaker, and photographer who specializes in North Texas travel, cemetery symbols, and haunted lore. As she puts it, “I used to write fiction – but then, I moved to Texas!”
Snider’s best-selling books include Paranormal Texas , Understanding Cemetery Symbols, and 100 Things to Do in Dallas - Fort Worth Before You Die.
Snider has several more books in progress, and enjoys connecting with writers and readers all over the globe through social media, her newsletter and her website: TuiSnider.com.
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