Thankfully, today is an uneventful Sunday - no major dramas or crises, no maestro or diva temperaments and above all no attention-grabbing crying, howling, pacing, poking and prodding from either my little man or my sweetheart of a girl.
Sometimes Buddy surprises me with his antics, reminding me that somewhere inside this 16+ year old stray is still some of the young cat we took in. He kept calling me Saturday; generally he's on my kitchen counter when he does this but yesterday he wasn't. I went looking and found him perched king-of-the-hill style on top of the lid of his old litter box which he no longer uses but we keep around for old times' sake. It was a pretty funny and heartwarming sight. No secret agenda there, he was just letting me know what he was doing.
Lately, Buddy's taken to breaking into a run for no reason at all. This was something he did frequently before his diagnosis. It's certainly funny to see him at it again lately - almost like he's got a new lease on life.
But of all the quirky things Buddy does my two favorites and the surest way to melt my heart are:
- When I hold Buddy he will place his front paws (claws in) on either side of my face pulling us together then he licks my nose. Turns me to mush every time!
- When he plays "Tip Your Head". My brother taught him this one. We tell him "tip your head" and he will bow his head for a kiss from you on top. Then we tell him "Give me a kiss" and he will lean in and lick your nose. We repeat it; he repeats it and the game can go on for quite awhile. It's so adorable!
Being part Maine Coon, Buddy is very verbal. He will sit on my kitchen counter or climb onto the recliner arm and talk incessantly to me. Although cute, it can become very annoying and I frequently catch myself saying "Shut up, Buddy." to which he answers with more meows.
Our best-buddy time is when I'm on the computer. Frequently when I'm emailing friends or writing this blog, Buddy will sit on the edge of my mouse-pad, not speaking just keeping me company.
I love it when he grunts. That sounds absolutely crazy but he does intersperse his meows with grunts. Mostly he'll cuddle in your lap or on your chest and grunt for a bit before he starts purring.
The single most quirky thing he does that endears him to me is when he's looking to snuggle up to sleep. After lights out, he will come on my bed and start talking. I'll pull him next to me then cover him with his blanket. After a few minutes, I'll feel him relax his body as he gets comfortable for the night.
Unconditional love and friendship. This is what Buddy brings to our pet/human interactions (Annie, too). I wouldn't miss it for the world. It's why I do what I do for him - for them, both.
