It’s a Lappy morning. This doesn’t happen often, and so therefore a treasured milestone.
Lappy, or Lapsong Suchong, is my tiger cat and my ‘middle’ cat. And like many a middle child, she has her issues.
Early mornings for me are normally my get work done times. A time before the world of animals and people makes its demands.
Gigi Starts the Day
Well, not completely true as the day starts with Gigi (my ginger cat) standing by the side of the bed staring at me until I wake up. Then she announces with her meow that she is hungry. Time to feed her. And so my day normally begins. Normally.
But every now and then there are differences. Like this morning. I overslept and therefore did not succumb to Gigi’s stares. It was already light out so everything was reversed.
A mad dash to the garden to feed the ducks (amidst much telling off. What do I mean not getting up with the dawn!?!). Then Gigi was fed and coffee machine turned on. And I went back to bed to start my work. A total reversal.
Cuddling with Lappy
So maybe Lappy saw her opportunity. For she is now curled up on my lap. She can be quite timid about cuddles. And so I am prolonging my time in bed to make the most of it. We are now well into the morning, nudging towards mid-day. But one mustn’t rush milestones. They are to be treasured I think.
Lappy has never been a cuddly ‘pet me please’ cat. She was a typical kitten, playful and snuggly. And then somewhere along the way, a switch was switched. It was so subtle I didn’t see the signs until they were well entrenched.
A Little History
Lapsong was a young kitten, nearing 8 weeks old and supposed to go to a new home. But I fell in love with her singular beige coloured toe and she made it known she loved me. So I decided to keep her.
However, at a time when Lappy should have had her mum Gigi to teach her what it is to be a cat, it all went pear shaped instead. Unbeknownst to me at the time, Gigi was pregnant. Again*. In fact she was already 3 weeks pregnant. She became hormonal. And she turned on her kitten.
Gigi has always been a great communicator. There is her ‘I am hungry meow’. I want attention, now(!) meow. And, when she is not happy about something, she hisses or growls. I take it in stride. Sadly Lappy did not. She withdrew, became more isolated. She gained weight and decided to live with the chickens.
New Home, New Voice
Fast forward past the move to my new home and no chickens later. Lappy has been working on finding her niche. I think we are about there, this mornings cuddle is definitely a good sign. I have been taking much more time to give her extra loving and attention, and she has been blossoming. She will always be a shy cat, but she has been slowly coming out of her shell.
Like her Mum she has a voice. It may be a quiet one, but it is persistent. And if that doesn’t work, claws in to my backside whilst I work at my desk will generally get my attention. She’s good that way.
Gifts of Kindness
Lappy (and I) finally got up about 11am. A morning truly well spent. And, I even managed to get some work done. Win, win. Now in the office and Lappy has very kindly come in to present me with a small lizard. She has batted it a little with her paw to show me what to do with it. She’s good that way, too.
Diverting her with food is not my preferred method. However, in this case I feel justified as I scoop up the lizard whilst her attention is focused on her crunchies. He has been put outside to recover on a stone ledge. And Lappy has been praised hugely for her very kind gift.
And …
*For those who worry, Gigi was sterlised after her second lot of kittens. It was actually scheduled after the first litter, but she was too quick for me.
If you are a fan of cats, you can read more cat stories here. If you need to assist your cat in learning French, do read my book review of French for Cats.
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