"For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry."
Christopher Smart, confined in a madhouse from 1759-1763 for his overecstatic and public prayers which annoyed the entire city of London, wrote a long poetic adoration (Jubilate Agno) over the course of his isolation. He dedicates a portion of this adoration to the contemplation of his cat, his only companion during these years. In it he writes, "For I am possessed of a cat, surpassing in beauty, from whom I take occasion to bless Almighty God."
And I will consider my cat Simon.
This exceedingly gorgeous animal has kept me company since he came to live with me seven months ago. Even when he's grumpy and aloof (and during such times my nickname for him is "Poophead"), he's never mean or vicious.
While I wash dishes he will come to stand next to me, and wrap his long tail around one of my calves, and leave it there for a few minutes. Every time I come home, he's waiting at the door greeting me with yowls and tumbling about my feet in his happiness to see me. He writhes around and stretches to his full three-foot length and bends backwards so that he looks like, as I call him, a noodle kitty. He loves to be kissed, and will tip his head up toward my face to invite it. He likes to sit on one of my bookshelves looking inscrutable, with his black coat and owlish yellow eyes.
He's learned not to wake me up in the morning, but waits patiently for me to open my eyes and roll on my back, signifying that I'm really awake (I'm a stomach-sleeper). Then he jumps up on the bed and climbs all over me and purrs and rubs against any exposed portion of my person. Sometimes he reaches to pat my face with his paw.
He used to sleep on my bed, until my nightmares got bad. I think I thrashed around too much for his taste. But last night I realized where he's been sleeping: under my bed. As Smart writes, "For when his day's work is done his business more properly begins. / For he keeps the Lord's watch in the night against the adversary. / For he counteracts the powers of darkness by his electrical skin & glaring eyes."
And lately, having nothing to demand my time in the morning, I drag myself out of bed, feed Simon, and crawl back under the covers. When he's finished with breakfast he jumps up on my bed and settles down for a nap. Yesterday morning when I woke up he was lying sphinx-style at my feet with one paw stretched full length in front of him. When I started to scratch his head and talk to him, he curled his paw around my wrist and held it there as I petted him.
We've been known to sit on the couch watching movies with one of his paws settled in the palm of my hand (which makes up for his not being a lap kitty). If I sit at the computer too long and he wants attention, he comes up behind me and stretches up and pats my shoulders. He's doing it right now.
And he's ridiculously funny. He whirls around like a mad dervish in pursuit of his tail. He'll chase me around the house (we love playing hide and seek) or ambush my ankles when I walk past the couch. His favorite toy is the plastic ring you peel off a milk jug. He carries it in his mouth for hours. (When I move out of my apartment, whenever that may be, I will find a graveyard of blue plastic behind all the furniture.) I'll be sitting in any given room and hear something clattering, at which he'll appear looking all innocent and I'll ask his second favorite question (the first being "Would you like your supper?"): "What are you DOING?"
And he's gentle. I had to trim his back claws the other night, which he hates, but even as he tried to get away and miaowed unhappily, he never tried to bite.
I often call him "my one true love." And he is. It's funny, I've always liked him tremendously, and we've gotten on well together, but lately, as I've been reeling from my job uncertainties and loneliness and he's been so deeply content and happy to have me around more and following me everywhere and just being so damn sweet, I've been absolutely falling in love with my little guy.
Laura has a cat too, and we have been calling each other several times a day to report on our cats' various cutenesses. I told her we're turning into new mothers who can't stop talking about their babies and comparing and contrasting and rejoicing together.
He's the best companion ever, "For I perceived God's light about him both wax and fire."
2 comments:
Aw, your kitty sounds just like one of mine. Mine likes the milk jug rings too. In fact, we know she has one when we hear victory yowls coming from the living room. She's also 16 pounds... it's the only thing she can catch.
Awwww, your consideration of your cat Simon makes him sound so wonderful. It makes me miss my cat Fritz very, very much. I was crushed when I finally lost him. There is indeed something to be said for feline compaionship when human companionship is lacking.
I haven't heard directly from you, so I don't know exactly what going on with your job transition and such. It sounds like things are tough. But I believe that between God's precense, your strength and a little help from Simon,things will be okay.
And if you don't get a job right away, think about grad school. From what I have seen, you would kick butt in a graduate class. Heck, you should come to some of my classes and verbally decimate the ones who need it. It'll all work out in the end. And if it doens't, let us just ackowledge that cats can make life much better.
Remember, sbp, you rule and nothing life can do can stop you.
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