American Pie: Cats |In The House
...Much has been said about the therapeutic value of having a pet, and though I was happy for the people who felt they were benefitting, I personally had never experienced it. I guess I was too busy, or plain just not around enough...
John Merchant and his wife are finding that their lives are being profoundly affected by two young cats.
In two previous articles, I wrote about searching for, then bringing home two Siamese kittens. Nikkei and Ling Ling are brothers. One is a seal point, the other a blue point. The color differentiation is exhibited in their extremities – ears, paws and tails, but their body fur is creamy white, though Nikkei, the seal point, is darker and will become darker yet as he grows.
My earlier articles were written in a light-hearted vein, but now I feel drawn to describing the very profound influence they are having on my life and that of my wife. As a childless couple – I have four daughters by previous marriages, but my wife has none, we inevitably have become centered on ourselves over the years.
My children are scattered, and we seldom see them, so our egocentric existence needed relief. The two boys have expertly taken this on. My wife and I have both owned cats before, separately and together, but never two at the same time. This in its self adds a dimension of pleasure and wonder that is more than the sum of the parts.
The two litter mates allow us to make daily comparisons, not possible otherwise. Though they are from the same litter, they differ, not only in coloration but also in build. Ling Ling is slighter, which is typical of blue points. We are constantly making the mistake of thinking that their personalities are established, but discover that these change subtly day by day.
At first Nikkei appeared to be timid and deferential to Ling Ling, but now he has become the rough-houser, ready to play-fight anytime. Ling Ling is the willing partner, but not the initiator. On the other hand, he is the negotiator and experimenter. He is the one who decides it’s time to be fed, and vocalizes the message, while Nikkei looks on hopefully. It’s Ling Ling who ventures to explore something for the first time, and if he survives, Nikkei will give it a try.
Their relationship is fascinating to observe. They are affectionate to the point of homoeroticism, and very protective of each other. They sleep with arms around each other, eat together and visit their tray together, and before each event, check with each other if it is OK.
Much has been said about the therapeutic value of having a pet, and though I was happy for the people who felt they were benefitting, I personally had never experienced it. I guess I was too busy, or plain just not around enough. Also, my previous cats were not confined to the house, as are the current pair, so they’d be gone a good part of the day, returning home only to sleep, eat, and believe it or not, use their litter tray.
Now, with the boys and around me all day, my interaction with them is considerably more intimate, and I can almost feel the endorphins flooding my brain. In a way, having pets in one’s later years is akin to have grandchildren around. There’s time to enjoy them and observe them, and less compunction to discipline them.
A week ago the boys were neutered and had their front paws declawed, a reluctant decision on our part, but better in the long run for their peace and ours. We chose the laser procedure, thinking that they would endure less pain and heal faster, which turned out to be the case. Even so, it was a big adjustment and took about a week for them to return to normal activity.
When I first brought them home from the vet, a day after the surgery, and took them out of the carrying box, it appeared that they were completely recovered. They chased around the house like before, but it must have been the after effects of the anesthetic, because they following day they slept almost all the time. I was reminded of worrying about my kids when they were sick, and how helpless one can feel in the face of someone else’s pain.
My wife and I have reached the point where we feel that we are embarking on the true beginning of our lives with our pets. We’ve gone through the adjustment and bonding period, and taken care of the necessary shots and surgical procedures. We and the cats have a routine and are ready to enjoy each other for as long as we can. Having cats in the house again is the very best decision we have made in a long time.
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For more of John's insightful columns please click on http://www.openwriting.com/cgi-bin/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=1&search=john+merchant
And do visit his Web site
http://home.comcast.net/~jwmerchant/site/
