Ever feel like you’re being watched going to the bathroom?
If you have pets, you know the feeling.
My kitties like to play just outside the door, sticking a paw underneath. Socks will let it hang in the air, and invitation to pet his toe beans.
But it’s a clever trap.
What he really wants is to latch his claws into your skin and clothing and try to pull what he can under the door. Elsa’s only slightly more gentle.
My counterattack is holding their paws so they can’t pull them back; I can almost hear their confused thoughts about why they are stuck. Elsa never struggles and just sits like a loafer; Socks will tug so you have to let go.
But my husband has the ultimate paparazzi move. When the kitties monitor his bathroom movements, he slides his phone under the door with the camera on. Elsa and Socks get fascinated by this black creature emerging from underneath the frame and come to investigate. My husband gets random shots of kitty ears and eyes before they get bored and move along. I’ve made art out of some of these shots so far.
You gotta appreciate when pets and people care enough to notice you, to be in your life. Not everyone stays forever, so it’s nice to hang on to the contacts that keep you, old and new. It’s so easy to drift away and lose contact, but the ones that care will still be there for you. There are friends and family that have stayed with me, and some that I don’t associate with anymore. Through it all I’ve built connections, made my paths, and have not gotten lost in the darkness.
My husband and I recently buried a pet cat, Rambo. He was a tuxedo kitty that came soon after our other now long-deceased companion, Tiger. Rambo was a shy kitty but gave out nose boops. He used to sit on the back of my office chair before that became Socks’ spot. He was not always with us, but he came back to us, and I am glad we could bring him home where he grew up. So now both Rambo and Tiger, fast feline friends, rest in peace on our property.
Rambo when he was a kitten
Now the next generation of kitties, Socks and Elsa, keep us entertained along with my husband’s dogs, Sammy and Emma. We shall live with never being alone again when going to the bathroom, and may we always be able to remember to keep the toilet paper out of reach.
Here’s to the relationships we cultivate, both human and animal, and may they help you in your pursuits as you move forward.