Oh Those Silly Feline Rituals!!
Cats need ritual and familiar routines to stay happy. If you have a cat or have had cats then you know this is a feline fact of life.
My morning feeding and attention routine for my 3 cats Elsa, Charlotte and Wilbur is like the movie Groundhog Day. Twice a day we do the ritual and everybody stays happy!
After eating, first it's Wilbur's turn. He prances back and forth on the floor as I lay back on the couch. After he sees I am ready, he jumps up on my legs and lays across them for about 10 minutes. He purrs, kneads his paws and after a little bit he changes positions and lays between my legs and takes a light snooze. This is a jeans only affair, if I have shorts on or lounge pants, then the magic is gone for him and he would just jump down right away.
Each cat knows the order of things and would not dream of seeking their attention out of order. Next it's Elsa's turn, my only white cat. She also waits for me to lay back on the couch and keeps looking up from the floor to see if everything is just right. After a minute or so, she jumps up on the arm of the couch just above my head. She surveys the situation for a minute or so and then cautiously walks down onto my chest. After being sure all is well she will then lay down on my legs and knead. Again, only jeans are acceptable. Shorts or lounge pants just won't do and she would just jump right down quickly in disgust. It's as if she tells me that I should know the proper clothing to wear by now and to get with the program!
Charlotte will have been watching all of this from afar, not getting involved in any way. After Elsa jumps down after about 10 minutes she knows it's her turn and turns on like a switch. She requires me to sit up on the couch and jumps up and walks back and forth and rubs against me. She then will get on my lap and stand only to get her daily attention. Lots of head butting and purring which goes on longer than I normally have time left for. I put her down and give her a few more pats. As I head for the stairs, she follows me and expects me to sit on the stairs and then climbs on my lap and stands for some more attention.
These simple rituals with our felines is what makes life good for them. It gives balance for us in our lives to other things that are unknown and can sometimes spin out of control. You know you can count on at least that part of your life to be happy and you and your cat know what to expect. If you have cats of your own, I am sure you are smiling right now in recognition of your own rituals with your own cats.
If you would like to start your own happy times with a great feline of your own, stop by Kingdom Animal Shelter's new facility sometime soon and pick out a new furry friend to have your own pleasant rituals with!
- Rod Lauman, Board Member
My morning feeding and attention routine for my 3 cats Elsa, Charlotte and Wilbur is like the movie Groundhog Day. Twice a day we do the ritual and everybody stays happy!
After eating, first it's Wilbur's turn. He prances back and forth on the floor as I lay back on the couch. After he sees I am ready, he jumps up on my legs and lays across them for about 10 minutes. He purrs, kneads his paws and after a little bit he changes positions and lays between my legs and takes a light snooze. This is a jeans only affair, if I have shorts on or lounge pants, then the magic is gone for him and he would just jump down right away.
Each cat knows the order of things and would not dream of seeking their attention out of order. Next it's Elsa's turn, my only white cat. She also waits for me to lay back on the couch and keeps looking up from the floor to see if everything is just right. After a minute or so, she jumps up on the arm of the couch just above my head. She surveys the situation for a minute or so and then cautiously walks down onto my chest. After being sure all is well she will then lay down on my legs and knead. Again, only jeans are acceptable. Shorts or lounge pants just won't do and she would just jump right down quickly in disgust. It's as if she tells me that I should know the proper clothing to wear by now and to get with the program!
Charlotte will have been watching all of this from afar, not getting involved in any way. After Elsa jumps down after about 10 minutes she knows it's her turn and turns on like a switch. She requires me to sit up on the couch and jumps up and walks back and forth and rubs against me. She then will get on my lap and stand only to get her daily attention. Lots of head butting and purring which goes on longer than I normally have time left for. I put her down and give her a few more pats. As I head for the stairs, she follows me and expects me to sit on the stairs and then climbs on my lap and stands for some more attention.
These simple rituals with our felines is what makes life good for them. It gives balance for us in our lives to other things that are unknown and can sometimes spin out of control. You know you can count on at least that part of your life to be happy and you and your cat know what to expect. If you have cats of your own, I am sure you are smiling right now in recognition of your own rituals with your own cats.
If you would like to start your own happy times with a great feline of your own, stop by Kingdom Animal Shelter's new facility sometime soon and pick out a new furry friend to have your own pleasant rituals with!
- Rod Lauman, Board Member