Archimedes
(warning: gush post)
I really love our cat. He’s probably the most perfect cat ever known to man. He has an interesting combination of cat and dog personality. He comes when called, is excited to see me when I come home from work, wants to jump up in my lap whenever I sit down, wants to lay on my stomach whenever I lay down, and he purrs constantly whenever someone even touches him. (sometimes so loud, that it gets hard to sleep and then we have to kick him out of the room).
He wants to be near wherever Nancy and I are. He’ll sit at our feet, or if possible, on us whenever we sit down.
A funny thing happened tonight. We let Archie outside (after being grounded to the indoors for a couple of days after taking a ride down to the corner on the top of the Johnson’s car. Our plan was to let him back inside before we went to bed. (It’s a cold and scary world out there after all). He wasn’t around immediately when I went to look for him. No biggie, he rarely is. I discovered that if I wait a few minutes after the first time I call him, he usually comes to the back door. Well, this time, nothing. I was going to give up and just go to bed and let him spend the night outside, so I closed and locked the doors for the night, and shut all the lights off, went upstairs, and started worrying about him. Yes, I know, I’m silly. 
But it was cold out, and our crazy Kerry supporting neighboors** were having a wild “democrat church” party (yes, I heard them actually say that was what they were doing) next door. So I went out one more time. He came running to me. I picked him up and went inside. All is now well.
** note: their Kerry supporting status does not necessarily indicate a relation to their crazy status, or visa versa…
Man, if that cat was a dog, he’d be perfect.
Hey, that reminds me of this summer when he spent the night out. Archie, at 6am, sat on the Johnson’s window sill and meowed at me until I got up took him home.
He is a great cat except for his penchant for riding on top of cars.
But if you really loved your cat, he would have an amazon.com wishlisht too, :-)
Heather - except he doesn’t really meow, he kinda croak/squeaks.
Paul - any ideas as to how we can train him to not do that?
Kirsten - I was seriously considering it.
Ahhhhh. I do that with Benjamin every night. He’s only six months old, and I just can’t bring myself to leave him out there all night yet.
And yeah, 6am must be the cat curfew or something, cuz that’s exactly when all my cats want in every morning too!
Matt:
I copied this from an Evergreen email I just received and thought you and Nancy might enjoy it.
Some people have the misconception that cats never have to be bathed - that somehow they “lick” themselves clean. Well, contrary to this popular belief, cats do NOT have some enzyme in their saliva that resembles Tide (with or without bleach).Cats, like their nemesis, the dog …. do get dirty and have a variety of odors… from smelling like the outhouse where you camped last year to the same odor as your dog’s breath. (Remember… your dog will try to eat anything.)Now we all know that cats HATE water. And we know that giving the cat a sedative to ease this process of a bath is out of the question. So, the best approach is both sneaky and direct. Remember now, this is not the dumb dog who can be led to tub with lies and a trail of Kibbles and Bits. Although your cat has the advantage of smarts, quickness and total lack of concern for you …. you have the advantage of size, strength, and the ability to wear protective garments.
1. First …. dress for the occasion. A 4-ply rubber wet suit is suggested, along with a helmet, face mask and welders gloves.
2. A bathtub with a glass enclosure is preferred to the one with a shower curtain. A frenzied cat can shred one of these in about 3.5 seconds.
3. Have the Kitty Bubbles and towel in the enclosed bathtub area before hand. No … blow-drying the cat after the bath is not suggested.
4. Draw the water, making it a little warmer than needed as you still need to find the cat. Position everything strategically in the shower, so you can reach it even if you are face down or prone in the tub.
5. Find your cat. Use the element of surprise. Pick the cat up, nonchalantly as if you were simply carrying him/her to the supper dish. No need to worry about the cat noticing your strange attire… the cat barely notices you anyway.
6. Once you and the cat are inside the bathroom …. speed is essential. In one single liquid motion, shut the door to the bathroom, step into the shower, close the sliding doors, and drop the cat into the water. While the cat is still in a state of shock, locate the Kitty Bubbles and squirt whatever part of him/her is above the water line. You have just begun the wildest 45 seconds of your life. Remember that cats have no handles and add the fact that he now has soapy fur. His state of shock has worn off and he’s madder than a wet hornet.
7. As best you can, wearing welder’s gloves, try to field his body as he catapults through the air toward the ceiling. If possible, give another squirt of Kitty Bubbles with his body now fully exposed.
8. During the 5 seconds you are able to hold onto him/her, rub vigorously. No need to worry about rinsing. As he slides down the glass enclosure into the tub, he will fall back into the water, rinsing him/herself in the process.
9. Only attempt the lather and rinse process about 3 times. The cat will realize the lack of traction on the glass by then and will use the next attempt on the first available part of you.
10. Next, the cat must be dried. No…this is NOT the easiest part. By this stage, you are worn out and the cat has just become semi-permanently affixed to your right leg. We suggest here that you drain the tub and in full view of your cat, reach for the bottle of Kitty Bubbles.
11. If you have done step 10 correctly, the cat will be off your leg and hanging precariously from your helmet. Although this view of the cat is most disgusting, he will be in a much better position for wrapping the towel around him/her.
12. Be sure the cat is firmly wrapped in towel before opening tub enclosure. Open bathroom door …. put towel wrapped cat on floor and step back quickly into tub, if possible, and do not open enclosure until all you can see is the shredded towel.
13. In about 2 hours …. it will be safe to exit the bathroom. Your cat will be sitting out there somewhere looking like a small hedgehog, while plotting revenge.