Tabby (left) and Mr. Meow (right)
I woke up to Tabby-lovin’ snuggle hugs even before I knew it was Hug Your Cat Day. (For Tabby, every day is Hug Your Human Day. We start the festivities bright and early every morning.)
Then (I still didn’t know at this point what today was), I bestowed huge hugs and love on Mr. Meow when I got up because I found him halfway up the stairs as I stumbled out of the bedroom. (This is very significant. Tabby and Mr. Meow have been making huge strides lately in what I like to call “The Great Cat Rehabilitation Project.” Mr. Meow needs to do two more things before I know the project is complete and one of them involves coming upstairs again.)
So, when I found him on the steps, a place I haven’t seen him dare venture in months, I followed him to his leather chair and immediately went into positive reinforcement mode: I hugged and kissed him and told him how proud I was of him for being such a brave, good cat.
Let me just back up a sec. I usually hug Mr. Meow at some point in the morning. It’s just that I usually feed him first, then dispense the hugs. (Because he’s usually impatiently waiting by his empty food bowl and giving me one of his “you’re not tending to my needs fast enough” looks.)
So once everyone was finally fed, walked, showered and dressed (just me for the last two; I don’t bathe and clothe my pets everyday for heaven’s sake –okay, never!), I settled behind the computer and set to work. That’s when I discovered what today was.
Of course work halted and I got up to go spend a special moment with each cat to hug them, tell them how much I love them, and thank them for coming into my life and gracing it with such goodness.
Tabby let me love her for a millisecond, but I’d interrupted her during a very important mouse-swatting session. She was anxious to resume the action.
Mr. Meow let me pet him for two strokes before he grabbed on, bit my hand and started kicking me with his back legs like he does. (It looks and sounds more fierce than it is, but it’s his way of playing –and to some extent hugging.)
Well, they are cats after all. Sometimes affectionate, sometimes mysterious, sometimes ornery, sometimes aloof. I may not have realized the significance of them this morning, but at least I got my hugs in first thing!