One day last year, after getting home from work, Watchcat Collette rubbed her face against my feet contentedly--and then bit each foot once.
That, in a nutshell, is her duality. She'll show you happy she is that you've returned and how cross she is that you went away in the first place.
When dancing a cat around, it's wise to respect her limitations. After 15 seconds of moving Watchcat Collette around in time to music, I know that's when the fidgeting--and possibly biting--will start, so all cat dances must be abbreviated ones. It's only right.
I've been under the weather for several days, and when feeling sluggish, it's comforting to slumber on the couch with Watchcat Collette nearby, slumbering away and purring.
After hours of this, I start to envy Watchcat Collette, as I remember that sleeping peacefully for hours is customary for cats.
What a pleasant life Collette has--and, by attempting to rest, I can capture some of that blissful life for myself.
I've had a recurring dream in which I'm sitting on a park bench, grousing about the state of the world to Watchcat Lily and Watchcat Collette. I ask them, "Well, what are you going to do, though, Lily? Whar are you going to do, though, Collette?"
Watchcat Lily then launches into a monologue in which her meowing, when translated to English, is, "Oh, I have problems myself. Did I tell you about the time recently when my guardian went downstairs to get the mail and left me alone for all of two minutes?"
Then, Watchcat Collette suggests a solution to life's irritants. Her meows-to-English translation is, "Bite your enemies. Bite them--or let me bite them!"
It amuses me that even in a dream, both cats stay true to their personalities.
Those who listen to records while their cat snuggles with them will likely relate to this: One side of an album ends. You'd like to flip it over and listen to the other side, or you'd like to put on another LP. Your cat, however, has taken the time to knead you thoroughly, settle in on you, and sleep blissfully. You don't want to risk disturbing her, especially considering that she has claws and tends to bite you.
How do you react? If you're like me, and your cat is like Watchcat Collette, you stay where you are, longer--sometimes hours longer--than you intended in silence.
Sometimes, it's just pragmatic to keep the peace.
For a while this afternoon, I thought I'd lost my cell phone. I pounded on counters and swore as I tried to find it. (Sidebar: If it's true that adversity reveals character, I'm not sure I like what this says about me. Actually, I think a more accurate expression would be, "Adversity reveals character during a person's most irritated state.")
As I ran around in a frenzy, Watchcat Collette noticed my angst and ran alongside me. I appreciated her respecting my ire and picking up on the situation's urgency. I'm sure that if she'd been allowed outside, she would have spotted the phone where I eventually found it--under the driver's side car seat.
At least, I'm sure she would have applauded.
Recently, I tried to reason with Watchcat Collette. When she kept meowing and leading me over to the room where I keep the cat food, I told her, "Look, you just had a full meal. I know that because I gave it to you. You'll get another meal and a snack later, but it isn't time for that yet."
For some reason, that didn't deter Collette from making her case more insistently. Eventually, I gave in and let her have a small snack.
So much for irrefutable logic.