More cats

You thought the posts had stopped about cats? No, just a little pause while I waited for more cats to come into my life. I have now accumulated a few funny stories about cats sleeping or lying on me.

One day I was lying asleep on a couch and Romeo was asleep lying on top of me with his head on my shoulder. I was so deeply asleep that I forgot he was there at all, feeling like it was a cushion or similar. Anyway suddenly he hits me in the face with his paw. I started awake and thought "That was odd" and went back to sleep again. He hit me about twice more before I realized he was trying to get a fly.

One night Wednesday was in my room and wanted out but I could not be bothered opening the door at that time. She tried giving subtle hints and then came and lay on me. I was lying on my side watching TV (which is why I didn't get up) she came and lay balanced on my arm with her bottom at my elbow and her nose in my ear and proceeded to purr as loudly as possible. There was limited on my tv at the time so it was really hard to hear. Happily she went to sleep after a few minutes, nose still in my ear, and proceeded to dribble gently down my ear canal. Even so I eventually forgot she was there and got a huge fright when she suddenly moved her head.

Today I was lying on my bed and Pickles was lying on my tummy. After much stomping around and checking that it feels the same as it did five minutes ago, she lay down. Her head was at the top of my leg and her tail was in my mouth. I have not yet decided if cats can control there own tails. It felt like Pickles and I were playing a reflex game, she tries to flick my face with her tail and I try to catch it before she does.

I lay there giggling to myself and recalling some of the other odd cats I have been around and thought I might share my recollections.

Pet sitting

I am Currently needing to baby sit two cats and a dog. This involves the usual remembering to feed and water them, cleaning up the back yard and taking the dog for ideally 2 walks a day. This started of famously with one of the cats vomiting all over the floor when I got home the first day. The dog routine has been going well though I have had to get creative about the afternoon walk since I work in the afternoon and any time before 5 is too hot for her to enjoy a walk. We have been going to the beach a bit and the kids have joined in the exercising of the dog. 

I say it is too hot before 5pm however current weather is making a lie of this. It has been horrible weather today and yesterday, cold, windy and sporadically heavy rain. Today I went to the beach with the dog to throw the ball. We had the whole beach to ourselves for a very good reason, nobody else was mental enough to be out in such revolting weather. The wind was so strong it shoved you along like a hired goon, then on the way back into it you had to lean forward and shove into it. Throwing the ball with the wind was a good plan, it traveled twice the distance of a normal throw and the dog had difficulty finding it. I didn't throw the ball into the wind because I suspected it may end up hitting me in the face. So this is November and 2 more days till summer.

Last night I went to bible study (like I do) and got home (as expected) to find a lovely gift (not wanted or expected) all over the floor from a cat. Somebody had returned dinner all over the floor in a revolting puddle. Surprisingly I was not thrilled about cleaning it all up. 

I got them back today though by brushing them while they were eating their minuscule serving of dinner tonight. They were lucky to get any but they were hovering so hopefully. 

Also one of the cats has developed a habit of coming in to my room in the wee small hours to rearrange my things (she seems to think they work better all over the floor) and then to lie on my back/tummy/side and go to sleep before launching suddenly out the door with a tremendous kick just when I have forgotten she is there.

Perspectives

There are two perspectives (at least) in every event, issue, process and story. One of these I had not considered the other side of is the job hunting scene. I am obviously more experienced with the looking for employment side of it, as most of us are, but what about the other half... the potential employers.

Since moving to work for the boss of a company I have heard a lot about the frustrations of finding staff for their business and, more so, of finding nannies. Specifically nanny role applications (which I hear more about) the first frustration is the applicants not actually reading the ad properly and when they are contacted saying they actually don't want the job because of xyz. The second irritating thing is people applying who don't even remotely meet the requirements, for example never having spent time alone with any children of any age (seems a frivolous requirement I know). The third frustration is when people agree to come and then pull out before leaving home for whatever reason. The fourth frustration is people coming and then leaving 2 weeks later because they only accepted the job so they could get a working visa into the country.

One of the other weird things I found out is that when you put down referees on your resume or similar, the potential employer is meant to only call them with your knowledge and permission and then your referee's are not actually allowed to tell them anything useful. This strikes me as pointless, why put down referee's if you don't expect somebody to give them a call. Why call a referee if they are not allowed to give any useful information. Easier to work with integrity and have nothing to hide and then they can ask and tell what ever they like (as long as it is true).

Just out of interest I wrote that entire post while Romeo the cat was asleep on my lap with his paw across the keyboard so I had to keep shifting it to get to the letters.

Also some of this information may be wrong, this is just what I have gathered and as a result I actually read ads now and only apply for jobs I actually want (assuming I get asked of course)

Cats and Kids

Cats like regular, one on one attention, children like one on one attention.

Cats usually ask when you are busy, children usually ask when you are busy.

Cats like attention on their own terms, times and varieties, children like attention at times and in ways they want.

Cats give up trying if you keep saying no, children give up if you keep putting it off.

Cats know when they have had enough time and attention and leave to do something else, children know when they have had enough and are more willing to play by themselves.

With both cats and children there is no need to give in instantly every time, but if you say to a child "in 5 minutes we can play" then in 5 minutes you need to go and play. Cats are a lot less verbal but I can read Romeo's body language pretty well when he wants a snuggle, like with children you can put it off until you have finished what you need to do but if you put it off forever, your cat will become a traitor and sit on anybody else's lap for preference. Children may also go to others for the love and attention they need and this can be dangerous.

Words of dubious wisdom from a person who does not particularly like cats and who does not have her own children.

Cat Communication

Those of you who have been in the vicinity of cats for any length of time will know that cats train their humans and they have a number of commands which we obey usually unhesitatingly. The most common three are

1) FEEEEEEED MEEEEEEEE, I am STAAAAAARVING. This is both a vocal command and, if the response is not instant, rubbing against legs and generally making a nuisance of themselves.

2) Up now, let me in/out this instant! This is mainly vocal but usually includes the death stare if one does not respond quickly.

3) This is one that I did not realize even existed but it is "go and sit down or lie down somewhere so I can sleep on you." This is the most tricky to work out, it sounds and looks the same as the first commandexcept that when you go and look there is already food there. Romeo has given up the verbal bit and just falls over in front of where I am walking as seen here.

Rub foot and roll

Lay still for a moment, confident in the irritating nature of his position

Look up and say "come on, what are you waiting for?

After a hard days sleeping on a chair, he is ready for a nap on my stomach.

Lap Sharing

I have noticed that my lap is very popular among small children. I can fit two children comfortably and 3 very uncomfortably if they are under four years old. Recently I have noticed that it is popular for the cats that live here to sit on. Romeo thinks I am here merely as a pre-warmed sleeping place and will often fall over in front of where I am walking to get my attention and indicate it is time for me to go into cat couch mode.

Tonight, the tem year old was sitting on my lap to do her reading and I was reading too for company and Romeo came and glared for a minute then jumped up. I told him I already had one beautiful person on my lap and there wasn't room for two, he apparently disagreed. He tried to curl up on my chest, which was all that was available to him, but there wasn't really room and you could see it wasn't working for him. After a few minutes of trying and glaring at me and the child, he got down and stalked away in disgust at not being treated like the royalty he obviously is.