The Queen

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The queen of the castle, settling in and claiming her spots. I’m not sure why I thought she needed a soft blanket to sleep on, as if the couch itself wasn’t soft enough for her, but she jumped right on and looked so cozy and warm.

Cats have a way of quietly taking up big spaces in both our homes and our lives.

I had the gals over for Mahjong, limiting them to my main floor so as not to disturb my basement cat’s peaceful zone… oh, the crazy things we do for our animals! I did, however, invite my mom downstairs to sit quietly and chat with me, just to see if the cat would emerge with a stranger in the mix. Sure enough, she came right out, ignoring my mother completely but eagerly getting pets from me and carrying on as if she felt perfectly safe.

I’m still amazed each day by her progress.

With the weather warming up, I thought I was giving her a treat by opening the windows to let the fresh air in while I was out. Tim arrived home and reported that the outside noises seemed to scare her, and she had retreated back to her hiding spot, spooked by the sounds from the street. He promptly turned on Yacht Rock radio to calm her down, telling me she’s apparently a fan of Cat Stevens and Christopher Cross so she settled right in once her tunes were on.

Isn’t it great that Tim is just as crazy as I am?

Someday my friends might meet her. It may be a few months before that happens, but they’re eager. Of course, cats can sense that kind of enthusiasm and usually want no part of it. Maybe that’s why she came out for my mom, my mother has no interest in petting a cat. I’m sure the cat picked up on her vibe and was perfectly fine with her being there.

So far she hasn’t claimed spaces in the rest of the house, but I imagine she will soon enough. After all, every queen eventually expands her kingdom.