In his later years, Watchcat Sammy would let out a loud, "Meowwwwwwwww!" before ascending the small staircase to the sofa. I'd ask, "What's it all about, Sammy?" He'd sometimes respond with a loud meow, although not as often when I was recording video of him.
"Well, here we are," I'd tell Sammy. "We're two old men grousing about the state of the world."
In retrospect, I'd like to think we were mostly commenting on things instead of complaining about them.
Now that I think of it, rests during pieces I played on the bass weren't the only times I heard Watchcat Rusty sing. There was at least one other occasion. When I played Herb Ellis and Duke Robillard's version of "Avalon" on the stereo, Rusty started tapping his tail and let out a sung "Meowwwwwwwww!" in conjunction with the guitars.
How can you not respect a watchcat who has the good taste to appreciate a well-played swing guitar cover?
I've learned to be careful about putting books and CDs on the floor where Watchcat Collette can scratch them. One day, she shredded the cover of a paperback.
The book's title, Never A Dull Moment, hit close to home, admittedly.
This was a recurring scenario: Watchcat Sammy would eat from his bowl while Watchcat Rosie looked at me as if to say, "Can you believe this? He's eating while I'm without any food!" I'd remind her gently that she actually had food in her own bowl or had just finished eating her own food.
It's inevitable that if you know enough cats throughout your life, some of them will likely have a martyr complex.
I've heard about quite a few instances of people slipping and falling recently. This morning, I asked Watchcat Collette, "You haven't fallen recently, have you?"
Collette assured me she hadn't fallen. She also reminded me that even if she did fall, she would land on her feet.
What a comforting self-correcting mechanism to have.
Just now, Watchcat Collette rolled around on the floor several times before calling me over with a barely audible meow.
I like that subtle way of telling me, "Psst...I'm happy. Pass it on."
It moves me to know that if I've been asleep longer than usual, Watchcat Collette will check on me by meowing loudly and pawing at the door. If too much time passes after that, I wouldn't put it past her to start sawing the bedroom door down, possibly while wearing welding goggles.