Bob the cat
Is this normal for a cat???? He actually does this a lot as in sleeps on his back with his legs at odd positions… but so does Karl and so did my beloved Gus and also Zack. I need to write about Gus and Zack at some point… but back to Bob. I suppose funnier as he is such a big cat and kind of spreads out.
The story of Bob as I know it is this – Bob came to me from Rob, a past love. As Rob told it, he was doing some carpentry work for a women who had 3 older cats. She had a cat door in her home. One night she wakes up and there is an extra cat in bed with her – Bob – wearing a pink harness. He appears in good health, has been neutered, and the harness – well, obviously someone’s dear pet who lost his way. However, there are no responses to her flyers or newspaper ads for the “found” cat. Rob is working away on her kitchen cabinets – he has disclosed that he recently lost his dog to illness. Bob the cat has taken a liking to Rob. Bob is much younger than the resident’s cats and not fitting very well into the household…. Bob goes home with Rob. About a year later, Rob and I meet, etc. and when Rob moves in with me so does Bob. A year later, Rob moves out and asks if Bob can stay until he (Rob) gets settled. It is now about 4 1/2 years later – Rob and I stayed friends for a couple of years and it was eventually mutually agreed that Bob was happy in my home and that’s where he should stay.
I don’t know at what point in the story that Bob came on his name, but it fits and although people laugh, I never thought to try and change it and he is Bob.
At the time Bob came to live in my home, I had a tuxedo (black and white) cat, Gus – an extremely dear to me, angel cat, hunter extraordinare – but this is not Gus’ story… Bob was “low man on the totem pole”. When Gus disappeared and Bob became “only” cat – he decided that he REALLY liked being only cat. I truly believe that he would like being “only” pet but he hasn’t quite figured out how to do away with Karl.
When I got the motorhome and introduced Bob to harness and leash for travel, I did get a bit worried. Since his original “flight” was “in-harness”, I wondered if another harness/leash experience would send him looking for a different home. So far not – fine with me as I’ve become attached to the darn cat. He is very affectionate and although he hunts it is not with the passion for hunting that Gus had – he is more of a homebody. He is all for being in at night, although would go out earlier in the morning than I let him. He has an extremely expressive face and “talks” – he tolerates and even is sometimes affectionate with Karl. He even comes (mostly) when called – all in all a “good” cat.
