Call of the Wild

I just had to show you this picture of Sheldon's cat, Sassy.
You know how some cats simply love people, greet visitors at the door, hang out with them and make them feel welcome? Well, that's not Sassy.

Cats, like dogs and people, have unique personalities. Sassy's clearly says "Feed me or go away." She will allow me to give her a couple of strokes, and then she moves a few feet closer to her food bowl. If I pet her too much, she starts breathing heavily - huffing, in other words - and this means that she's getting ready to break into a full-blown hiss.

I'm a frequent guest at Sheldon's place, so Sassy has grown to tolerate me. Sometimes, if she isn't napping, she will greet me at the door and let me pet her for a few moments. I think she actually likes me in her own peculiar way. Nana (Sheldon's mom) and I seem to be within Sassy's Periphery of Tolerable Things, but I suspect because we are both viewed as Possible Food Sources. I have taken care of Sassy when Sheldon's been out of town, and as soon as we've exchanged pleasantries and I've filled her food bowl, Sassy gives me that "Don't let the door hit you on your way out" look.

I asked Sheldon if, when the two of them are there alone, Sassy shows her tender side and curls up on his lap. Sheldon says that doesn't happen, but she will sometimes sit on the arm of his chair while he's watching television. She won't even curl up next to him in bed, although she will lay at his feet if there are enough sheets & blankets separating his bare skin from her fur. This makes me feel like less of a pariah.

Sassy has a flawed sense of spatial relationships. It's fun to watch her try to stuff her fat self into an empty cereal box. She's mad about empty cereal boxes and paper bags. She also likes the little catnip-filled pillow that she got for Christmas. Lately, when I've visited Sheldon, this catnip toy can be found somewhere on the dining room floor, soggy from a round of vigorous chewing. Sassy also got a fancy new food bowl for Christmas; stainless steel with fashionable orange bands around the perimeter.

Sheldon loves Sassy, and I have to admit that I do, too. She's true to her self.