Rain, Rain... Go Away.... The Cats Have Cabin Fever Today

It is about 7:00 in the morning as I type this. I've been awake, off and on, since 3 a.m. Why is that? Because I have cats. A cat-loving person will understand. I will explain for the rest of you.

It has been raining steadily since yesterday afternoon. In this house, a rainy day means that my two older cats (Rusty and AngelBoy) don't have their usual afternoon and evening time in the backyard. AngelBoy doesn't like to get his paws wet, and Rusty is just getting too old and lazy to dodge the raindrops.

So that means that both cats stayed in the house and the screen-porch for practically all of yesterday afternoon and evening. Last night, as usual, I put Rusty and AngelBoy out on the screen-porch when I went to bed. Rusty woke me up around 3:00 this morning by pounding his paw on the bedroom window, which overlooks the porch. He did this because neither he nor AngelBoy likes being out on the porch when it's pouring down rain. I don't think they like the sound of the rain on the porch roof.

There I was, snug in the bed, with one cat pounding on the bedroom window and one cat crying pitifully out on the porch. Gracie started to growl, my baby cat (who sleeps on my bed) woke up and thought it was time to begin a new day. Of course, I was wide awake by that time. Who wouldn't be, with a paw-pounding cat playing "Wipeout!" on the window. (My husband is still out of town, otherwise I would've heard him say: "This is why we don't need any more cats.")

As usual with my cats, I gave in. I got out of bed and let Rusty and AngelBoy inside. They both munched on a little bit of food, then both found cozy spots to sleep. Rusty went to his blanket on top of the washing machine in the laundry room, AngelBoy went into my bedroom and curled up on Gracie's blanket. That poor dog wasn't too happy about that, but Gracie curled up on the other corner of her leopard blanket and went back to sleep.

And so, eventually, did I-- after checking eMails, having a small glass of orange juice, and reading a few pages of a book I bought for a quarter at the library's book sale.

My sleep didn't last too long. Gracie decided she didn't want AngelBoy on her blanket and she growled until AngelBoy took the hint. AngelBoy then jumped up on my bed. Which prompted ShadowBaby (the baby cat) to take offense. He dove into AngelBoy's neck, head first. Which made AngelBoy meow as if he had been struck by lightning. And there I was, at 4:55 this morning, telling ShadowBaby that a king-sized bed should be large enough for the two of them to find separate corners.

Apparently, it wasn't. ShadowBaby went after AngelBoy again, but only after AngelBoy started to play with the baby cat's tail. ("Mommmmm... he started it!") This time, AngelBoy jumped off the bed and curled up on the fainting sofa by the windows. Back to sleep I went. For about 40 minutes. That's when AngelBoy decided he didn't like the accessory arrangement on my dresser and he set about to redecorate... which made ShadowBaby jump off the bed and onto my dresser as well so he could add his own artistic touch... which made Gracie start to growl again.

I looked at the little red numbers on the clock radio. Nearly 6:00. I usually get up around 7. Close enough.

The cats have all had their breakfast. I've let Gracie out on the front lawn for a mini-mini-walk while I rescued The Chronicle from the spider plants. I have eaten a banana and had some juice. I read the headlines-- the Astros lost last night's game to the Cardinals, the debates between Bush and Kerry were just about a tie, the first four albums by The Beatles are being re-released in a 4-CD set, and the Galveston millionaire who killed his neighbor had thought of committing suicide (no great loss there).

It is still raining. Before I started typing here, AngelBoy did his Art-Carney-as-Ed-Norton routine to position himself in front of his water dish. He put his little cat-nose down to the dish and backed away. He looked up at me with those deep blue eyes of his. ("That water has been in this dish since last night.") -- This from the same prissy little cat who will drink three-day old water out of the backyard birdbath. Only if the sun is shining and the grass isn't wet.

It's going to be a long day.