The Quiz Broadcast, part 2. REMAIN INDOORS » « Second depression, same as the first, a bit more tech, and possibly worse?

Cat Contemplating Quarantine

I thought that for this Saturday I’d share some pictures of my cat engaging in his third favorite activity. Then I couldn’t figure out how to upload the images, so you’re getting it today instead.

His Holiness Saint Ray the Cat had a troubled childhood. We think he lived under the house our apartment was in, back in Somerville, because whenever Tegan came home from work, there was this tiny, noisy kitten demanding attention.  In time, we ended up taking him in. He had Giardia, worms, and other such things. After taking him to the vet, we realized that as it was late autumn at that point, he was probably a couple weeks away from death. For the first couple weeks, all he did was eat, sleep, and poop. If you’re ever wondering what Giardia is like, I’m pretty sure this tiny little kitten pooped his own weight every day.

He was not a well cat.

The perkiness he had shown in demanding attention vanished as soon as he got inside. I think he decided that he was now safe, and being fed, and could focus on healing, and on his one true passion: sleep.

Once he got out of Giardia/flea quarantine in the bathroom,  he began exploring the apartment. He would toddle slowly for about 5-10 feet, then curl up on the floor wherever he had gotten and sleep for a while. Then he’d get up, get another few feet, and sleep again. It took him a few days to actually get a feel for the place.

One thing is certain – he decided that he was done with being outdoors. I’ve never had a cat that was so uninterested in leaving the apartment. He’ll look at the door if you leave it open. He even managed to get outside once, but he ran right back in. I think he was traumatized by his childhood. He’d been there, he’d done that, and he was committed to living the rest of his days as a very, very lazy indoor cat, a career he has pursued to this very day.

So for him, the only difference from the quarantine is that Tegan’s around more. Like me, he seems to like that.

And what is his third favorite activity? Well, after sleeping and eating (we have to regulate his diet, because his not-so-secret ambition is to become spherical), he likes sitting on the sill of our living-room window and gazing out at the wildlife of Scotland. By this I mean the rather pleasant alley between our apartment building and the one next to it, and the people, dogs, and magpies that frequent it:

The picture shows my cat, St. Ray, looking out the window. He is a cat of solid build, with dark gray and black striped fur on his back, tail, and head. His muzzle, chest, legs, belly, and a collar on his shoulders are snowy white and very, very soft to the touch.He is at the bottom of a door-sized window, seated on the sill, with his tail hanging down in a neat curl. He's looking out at people who cannot be seen in the street below. Outside, parts of a tree are visible, buds still just barely starting to open for the spring. The building across the way has shuttered windows, below stone arches carved with leaves and flowers - I believe they are thistles.

His Holiness gazes upon the unwashed masses

The picture shows my cat, St. Ray, looking out the window at a different angle. He is a cat of solid build, with dark gray and black striped fur on his back, tail, and head. His muzzle, chest, legs, belly, and a collar on his shoulders are snowy white and very, very soft to the touch. He is at the bottom of a door-sized window, seated on the sill, with his tail hanging down in a neat curl. He's looking out at people who cannot be seen in the street below. Outside, parts of a tree are visible, buds still just barely starting to open for the spring. The building across the way has shuttered windows, below stone arches carved with leaves and flowers - I believe they are thistles.

THOSE unwashed masses are BIRDS. St. Ray finds birds to be fascinating.

The picture shows my cat, St. Ray, looking out the window. He is a cat of solid build, with dark gray and black striped fur on his back, tail, and head. His muzzle, chest, legs, belly, and a collar on his shoulders are snowy white and very, very soft to the touch.He is at the bottom of a door-sized window, seated on the sill, with his tail hanging down in a neat curl. He's looking out at people who cannot be seen in the street below. Outside, parts of a tree are visible, buds still just barely starting to open for the spring. The building across the way has shuttered windows, below stone arches carved with leaves and flowers - I believe they are thistles.

In which His Holiness contemplates the deeper secrets of the universe. How long has it been since he last ate? Is it time for food once again? Will we ever know?

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The Quiz Broadcast, part 2. REMAIN INDOORS » « Second depression, same as the first, a bit more tech, and possibly worse?

Comments

  1. StevoR says

    Awww! 🙂

    In which His Holiness contemplates the deeper secrets of the universe. How long has it been since he last ate? Is it time for food once again? Will we ever know?

    I’m sure you will when it comes to those last two questions – I’m sure he’ll let you know! 😉

    Another cat-owned human here currently by a striped tabby that is an involuntary indoor cat after being caught poaching neighbours fish and another Felis catus that seemingly intends on attaining a spherical shape!

  2. chigau (違う) says

    You are all very fortunate to have each other.
    and I like the view from His Holiness’s window.

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