Cats: Hoosegow, midnight mouser, contemplates a sunny future!

Cat Follies, Tuesday Night Edition.

 

Is this why we’re way behind on our sleep this week?

 

It’s definitely a contributing factor, Lily. I’ve also indulged in a late (for me) evening hanging out with a friend who’s in town and stayed up a couple of hours after tap class Monday night just because I felt like spending time with Friday and Hoosegow and reading a bunch.

 

But Tuesday night I was definitely ready to leave my head on my pillow for six-plus hours. I’d already undermined this goal by watching a movie, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying. Not only did I stay up until the shocking hour of 10 PM- –

 

Mom makes me go to bed at eight.

 

I remember that 9, and she had a good idea there! That’s more or less when I go to bed, too, partly because the hard-coded start of my day is 4 AM. Friday Matley is my unfailing alarm.

 

But back to the part that’s entirely my fault. I started watching a long movie well after 7 PM, got completely absorbed in the rat-a-tat dialogue, the novelty songs, the fabulous choreography and the (often totally inappropriate by 2022 standards) corporate world of 1967. There’s one song in particular, “The Company Way,” that extols the virtues of playing it safe and following the rules as dictated from above. At our house, those rules are dictated by cats.

 

I didn’t know what trouble I was setting myself up for when, after the movie, I started singing a reprise of that song, substituting the real lyrics with:

 

I play it the kitty cat way,

Whatever the kitty cats want is A-Okay!

 

Though Hoosegow had announced his disdain for the late hour and stomped off to bed fifteen minutes before the movie ended, he must have been awake enough to absorb the clearly articulated invitation to take advantage of the human.

 

As for Friday, I’ve been feeding him small amounts several times a day while he recuperates from his 2-night stay at the vet’s last weekend. I had failed to serve him anything at all while the movie played. Crushed with guilt, I made up a dish of pâté-style wet food, served it to him in the recliner we’d occupied together, and watched him eat from where I perched on the fireplace hearth, nodding off after a too-long day.

 

At last in bed, I fell immediately to sleep, but woke one hour later to a blood-chilling, warbling series of meows that any cat owner can tell you involves the disposition of prey. Hoosegow’s mouth was full of something- -make that someone. I turned on the light and braced myself, praying it was a rodent instead of a bird.

 

My prayer was answered. There on the bedroom rug lay Hoosegow, rolling around salaciously near a very dead mouse. Singing a chorus of “Good Boy” I grabbed a tissue, picked up the deceased by its tail and catapulted it off the bedroom deck.

 

Asleep once more I dreamed about a new speaker in Fort Walla Walla Museum’s Living History program, someone who was historically significant to Walla Walla but also had a history of hunting Bengal tigers (to my knowledge no such person exits). In the world of my dream it was imperative that he have a real Bengal tiger, preserved and stuffed, as a prop. My friend Susan Monahan, who is a volunteer coordinator for Living History, appeared, ready for the task. She had two options 1. DIY (“First, find tiger; then, stuff tiger) 2. eBay.

 

How did this dream resolve? Darned if I know, but shortly before 4 AM I woke to the dulcet tones of vomiting by Friday, a fortunate composition of mostly grass. Time to serve breakfast to two perky felines and begin a new day.

 

It’s been a long week at our house. My last journal entry yesterday was written at 10:10 PM. I am happy to report that after a four-night stretch of unusually late bedtimes even the cats were tired enough to sleep six hours straight without waking me. Today, another gloriously warm and sunny day dawns in Walla Walla.

 

Let the cat follies begin!

 

* * * *

 

Quick updates on items of interest:

 

Friday the Cat-So far, he’s doing well health-wise. He came home from the vet’s last Saturday. We await results of his GI blood panel. His appetite is good and he is enjoying naps on the sunny deck (maybe I should join him. . .)

 

As Nellie Gilliam Day with James Temple at the camera and Ella Meyers poised as dolly grip. The only thing missing? Cats!

 

Film Screening-An audience of 50 or so enjoyed the premiere of Lettice Reynolds: A Pioneer Woman last night at Fort Walla Walla Museum. Thanks so much to the Walla Walla chapter of AAUW for awarding the grant that made this project possible! You can watch it here:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIuct0sjFvQ&t=2s

 

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