To set the stage, I need to say here that for the past few months, my cat Minnie, has not come into my bedroom. She was always welcome to sleep on my bed in the daytime but never at night. She is the bed buddy from Hell. The head butting, draping herself across my face making breathing difficult and for some reason, suddenly using her outside voice, made me banish her from the bedroom at night. Callie wasn't allowed in at night either so Minnie understood and all was well.
Then age left its mark on her. She is about 19 years old. Since she came here a full grown cat, her age can be a year or two off. She use to bound up on the bed for daytime naps like an athlete, but those days are gone. For a while I became her vehicle to reach the bed for napping, then she just quit asking to be lifted.
She could access the coffee table on her own and from there could reach the couch which became her place to nap. She just quit attempting to enter the bedroom-- period.
The other day I was in the bedroom typing away on my computer when I heard the sound no pet owner wants to hear. The unmistakable heaving sounds a pet makes right before vomiting. If they are on a piece of furniture it is reason for frantic efforts to get the pet to a cleanable surface. Since I have no carpets, all my floor surfaces are cleanable. Couches and beds not so much.
Around the corner came Minnie with her sides heaving as she came into the bedroom. Then with one final heave, she left a rather slimy hairball on the cleanable floor. After she made her deposit, she turned around and left the room.
I had to laugh as I asked her, "Are you making deliveries now?" I'm never happy about cleanup but I was impressed she found me to make her deposit in an obvious and cleanable area. So much better than stepping in a hidden slimy spot in another part of the house. Not fun, I have been there and it can be slippery and a little dangerous.
Will she do this from now on? Who knows but I was grateful for the delivery.
We know pets make our lives better, but making it easier was new for me. I'll take it.
Ever have a pet unexpectedly go out of their way to make your life easier?
Patti, I feel sorry for poor Minnie (and poor you for having to clean it up) but you have a way of sharing things that really make me laugh! It's been awhile since we've gotten a Minnie post, I'm just glad to hear the old girl is hanging in there. 🙂♥️🐈
ReplyDeleteDoug,
DeleteSo glad you saw the humor also. I am sorry that she has to do that but grateful and amused that she delivers now:)
Precious Minnie!!! That's all that needs to be said.
ReplyDeleteAnni,
DeleteYes she is, thank you for agreeing.
She is so thoughtful! And I'm glad to hear she's still hanging in there. You did make me smile at the "delivery."
ReplyDeleteDjan,
DeleteShe is actually older than I am in cat years so I am impressed with her thoughtfulness and not just assuming I will take care of everything. Her unusual behavior made me smile too.
At 19, Minnie would be 92 in cat years.
DeleteRiver,
DeleteYep, that makes her older than me. She is doing good for 92.
Fascinating what might be going on in the mind of a cat!
ReplyDeleteOlga,
DeleteAmazing. They are not known for their thoughtfulness so I would love to know what prompted her new actions. .
I was a meme once that read if they could make an alarm clock that makes the sound of a pet vomiting we'd all hop out of bed in an instant. At my house Levi seemed to always run off the cleanable floor to find the carpeting before depositing his vomit. If h had time he'd park ii in a corner. So consider of the slip and fall effect of vomit.
ReplyDeleteJean,
DeleteHa ha, that would be the perfect alarm clock. Nothing can get you out of bed faster. At least Levi tried to dump it out of the way. Critters don't often have much time to make decisions.
How nice that Minnie made it easy for you to clean up her slimy hairball. That really was thoughtful of her. I've never had a cat or dog who thoughtfully made things easy about any of their droppings.
ReplyDeleteRobin,
DeleteShe really impressed me as they usually don't have much time to hunt for the right place. Don't know what motivated her but hope it continues.
Glad she made it easier for you. Those things are nasty. :)
ReplyDeleteAnon,
DeleteMe too. She was deliberate for she walked into the forbidden place, barfed and walked out.
Man, that made me chuckle. You sure know how to weave a story. I have had 3 pet chickens (1960s) and 1 dog (1970s) but I don't remember anything unusual about them.
ReplyDeletegigi,
DeleteThank you and so glad you enjoyed. Chickens can make nice pets. I had a friend who took his on vacations with the family.
How nice of Minnie. Faith makes my life easier every day, so no unexpected helpfulness from her. She's just there for me in a way no other pet has been. I guess she just figured she'd landed with an old woman and is making the best of it. She would have had so much more fun with kids and a young family. Since she doesn't know that, all is well and love takes care of everything.
ReplyDeleteInger,
DeleteYou and Faith have a great relationship. I too think Callie would be happier with kids but then she just might be quite happy with our laid back style. Just like Faith.
Could Minnie come and have a talk with Mari? I have a lot of carpet and Mari always throws up there instead of on the hardwood or the kitchen vinyl. :(
ReplyDeleteMargaret,
DeletePretty sure if Minnie had a choice, she would hit the carpet. I pulled them up when I moved in.
Nope, Saku always managed to hork up his hairballs (or undigested food) on the rugs. I try to move fast enough to put him on the laminate flooring but despite the heaving he still manages to get away from me.
ReplyDeleteAnd oh how I know the feeling of stepping on a still wet and cold pile of a cat's offering. Yeuch!
Good girl Minnie!
Eileen,
DeleteOh you have to really move fast don't you? By the time you hear them it is almost too late. I am hoping Minnie was being nice and it wasn't that she was unhappy with me and she dropped the hairball with a haughty "Take that." You never can tell with a cat:)
I don't know about the 'making it easy' part (we too took up all carpet and have only slate and wood floors when we we had the cats). But I do know that even though I don't move so fast these days, when I heard that upchuck sound with the cats sleeping with us, I flew up faster than I ever thought I could and basically dropped the cat off the bed - usually (but not always) before it all came up.
ReplyDeleteRian,
DeleteHa ha, there is nothing can bring you out of a sound sleep quicker:)
I was always pleased with a dog I had before Callie. When he started heaving, he would put himself on the floor.
Our cat used to occasionally give us the gift of a dead mouse. She was very proud of her generosity. We ... not so much. She lasted 19 years, then went to cat heaven.
ReplyDeleteAnon,
DeleteThey sure are proud of their kills.
Cats do have long lifespans. I know Minnie will not be too much longer with me. I'll care for her as long as necessary.
How considerate of dear Minnie! Her way of showing she appreciates all you do for her. I've cleaned up PLENTY of pet barf in my life. No problem. Human variety beyond me. Simply couldn't. I'm lucky with my current cat. After six years, only tossed up a hairball once -- on an easy to clean mat.
ReplyDeleteFlorence,
DeleteMe too. Pet barf not fun but human and good grief, I'm done for. Minnie was good in her younger years but the older she gets, the more hair she sheds. I often why cats don't go bald or need a comb over.
Our last cat was hard on carpets - barf and bloody mice and rabbits. When she went to cat heaven we said no more pets. Just borrowed ones. :-).
ReplyDeleteLinda,
DeleteYou have the best of all cats in Charlie Mewdini. He is there for the loving but his owner gets to clean up the barf and litter box:)
Lola makes my life easier now. Since the last night time episode where I rolled onto her and got scratched a lot and deeply, she has taken to staying under the covers only until I am sound asleep, then she gets out and sleep at the foot of the bed. I haven't had a hairball ever, first Angel and now Lola, get fed a dry food that guarantees "improved digestion and hairball control". It's a grain free dry food by the "Fussy Cat" people. She also gets wet food, but the dry food does the trick, no hairballs here.
ReplyDeleteRiver,
DeleteI fed Minnie a similar kibble but when her teeth went bad, I had to switch to canned food. So far I haven't found a wet hairball formula that she will eat. Still trying.
Never had such a considerate pet, dog or cat. The cat did generously offer a live lizard he brought inside right after we moved to Arizona. Took a while to locate that one which got in a rolled up carpet. We didn't have such creatures in the midwest so I expect the cat thought it was special.
ReplyDeleteJoared,
DeleteInteresting he brought it in alive. My cat before Minnie use to bring in dead things or leave them on the doorstep. Think you are right. They consider it a gift.
Later, I think our cat caught and ate some of the lizards.
DeleteJoared,
DeleteGuess that first one was just to let you know what was out there:)
19 years old? You have obviously given her the best of everything to give her such longevity. I've only had fish and a little hamster for a pet, so I haven't had quite that experience.
ReplyDeleteKay,
DeleteCats just really have long lifespans. I had one make it to 22. Fish and hamsters are great pets and I have yet to see one barf:)
No our 2 cats enjoyed making our lives as difficult as possible, vomit, crap and pee in the most inconvenient places they could. Not to mention a large piece of tinsel hanging from the butt of one of them.
ReplyDeleteOh darn! You suspended your comments on your other post. I like talking to you even though I know you're out of commission for a while. Fingers crossed the technician can totally fix your computer. I'm glued to my computer too.
ReplyDelete