Suki

Suki lying on my newly bought shirts like she owned them!

The basic premise of this blog has been to discuss transitions in my middle-aged life.  Certainly, during the past few years, I have experienced thoughts and feelings I have never felt before, and have come to hold as truth beliefs I never supposed to have espoused.  Another transition has occurred, an unexpected one to be sure.

Other than a couple of canaries in my home growing up and some occasional little beasties like a rat that our kids had briefly, my homes have been devoid of four-legged creatures for my entire married life.  We decided that our lives might be enriched by having a pet around to keep us company.  Because we're gone Monday through Thursday for about 10 hours a day, and part of the day on Fridays, that schedule seemed more conducive to a cat's temperament than to a dog's (I guess).

To be fair, when we were remodeling our kitchen last year and were meeting with the owner of the company that would eventually produce our custom-made breakfast nook booth, there was a warehouse cat who jumped right up on our laps and commenced purring, sitting there like it belonged to us. The fellows in the warehouse didn't want to give up their cat, so it didn't work out for us.  It was probably only a matter of time before our family of two would become three.

We went to visit the Pasadena SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) a few Saturdays ago to see what we would find. There was a pretty black cat in one of the cages who we later came to find out had been there as a kitten and had been returned there not many days before we got there.  When we put our hands or fingers near the cage, this cat, who had been called "Ozzy," reached out its paw and touched us.  That was all it took.  There was another cat there who had long hair and was a bit younger (this one was about seven months whereas "Ozzy" was about 2 1/2 years old), but hearts had already been won.  Approximately an hour later, we walked out of the place, having spent money for the cat, plus cat food (she can't eat it, it turns out), contraptions to remove loose hair and trim nails, and a laser and a mouse toy (both of which he loves!).

After negotiating between us as to logistical issues, and having renamed this new member of the Davis Family "Suki," we have settled into the accommodation of this black cat who scampers and races around the house and jumps on and off our bed.  He loves looking out of windows. "Suki" is always waiting at our bedroom doors when we wake up in the morning, part "I've been alone and I need a human," and part "you may be able to wait to eat breakfast, but I'm going to meow until you feed me!" 

"Suki" jumps onto my wife's lap routinely, purring like none other, and seems quite enamored of her. On the other hand, similar to an aspect of my fatherly role, I am the designated parent to "play" with the "child," and I don't get much purring.  These days when I try to pet "Suki," he often nips at me, as if to say "you are always pulling that mouse away from me to tease me, and moving that laser out of my reach, so no loves for you, buck-o."  I've tried to convince myself that "Suki" just wants to play, but then I see that look in its eyes....

So "Suki" is the newest Davis.  Our kids, and particularly, Emily, were incredibly surprised by this seemingly random event because our kids never had a "real" pet, but they'll get used to the idea.  I guess that I am getting used as well to this black cat with beautiful eyes.  Maybe some day I will be granted the privilege of petting him.