May 20th “The Cat and the Hat”

Travels with my cat

If you have known me for any length of time you will have heard about “Eric” the cat who lives with us. A female feline who graciously allows Judi and I to look after her and has done for a number of years. Not exactly sure how many years but in the 12 to 14 years I think. I have never been good with dates so within 2 two years is pretty good for me. 

Now of course Eric does not know the name is actually a man’s and the reason she has it was is due to the fact that originally we were supposed to get 2 cats and call them Eric & Ernie after an English comedy duo. However as we only got one then it stuck and she to her credit has never commented on it. In fact as you would expect she does not even respond to it. As any self respecting cat understands they deem to live with us not the other way around. She is still in the “we used to be worshipped in Egypt” frame of mind and acts like it all the time. Eric has travelled with us where ever we have gone and has 2 Passports to prove it. I have not broached the subject of Moscow yet. I am biding my time
 
She wakes me up at around 6:30 in the morning (weekends included) and it’s my fault of course. Not understanding the context of weekends it’s just something she does out of habit every single day. Normally staying out of reach but making enough of a racket to rouse the dead she will watch carefully as I stumble across the bedroom making sure I am not heading back to bed. Something I have never ever done so maybe she just does not trust me.

If I take too long in the bathroom she will come and hurry me along making just enough noise to get my attention.
She races down stairs in front of me but not until I cross the threshold of the bedroom door (still no trust).
 
The following sequence is the same every morning. Eric goes over to her bowl and takes a few sniffs. I put the kettle on and try and work out exactly what day it is. Ok the kettle boils and the next step is to fill the coffee cup and if Judi is home a cup of tea. (Judi drink’s Tea I drink coffee and we never cross over). By now Eric is under my feet I open the fridge and get the milk pour into the cups and wander over to Eric’s feeding station. There will be a saucer which I use to put a tiny amount of milk in. “I” know you are not supposed to give cats milk but Eric does not. Eric by now is actually getting the way and on more than one occasion I have dripped it onto her head. The key to this little dance is that as soon as I got to move the carton away she whacks it with her paw. She has always done this not sure why but it is almost Pavlovian and it does not matter how fast I can move she can move faster. It may be a reflex reaction to the time I took but she has never explained.

What makes matters worse is that most of the time she takes look at the milk and decides not to have it looking at me with one of those “You expect me to eat this ?” expressions. She then wanders off presumably back to sleep secure in the knowledge she has got my day started. For which I am of course greatful.

I have many many stories about Eric which I will recount on slow days,
How she escaped at Heathrow Airport and Judi having to fly back to try and find her
How Judi was convinced she had been shot when it was a Rose thorn
The number of animals she has brought for our attention, worms, frogs, mice, pigeons, chipmunks, squirrels and the odd roach
Getting lost in Brussels for 4 days, with me walking the streets shaking a treats box shouting “Eric” at the top of my voice
How much fun she has in her carrier (not)
Moving to the US when I was not sure who to give the tranquilizer to Eric or Judi or both.
How the cat sitter told us she was giving it up because of the stress (not caused by Eric I may add)
Getting vertgo on a high wall.

So to the “Cat and the Hat”
One of the gifts waiting for me what I got back home to Atlanta was a “Fur Hat” donated by some of my work colleagues.
Not sure Eric appreciated the new friend when introduced but will possibly get used to it in time.


Next time “putting structure into your day” (Given I am going to be up at 6:30 every day I need a plan)