Just as I hit my writing timer this morning my mind went blank. My cat streaked into the den and started clawing at the arm of my chair. This is a constant battle we have. He has scratching posts and pads and a cat try but keeps running to the arm of my chair. I’ve yelled at him, pushed him off, thrown things at him, and politely told him it isn’t his. Yet every time he runs in here it is right to my chair to scratch at the arm.
The chair is entering a state of dilapidation. It is rapidly deteriorating from the overabundance of cat claws poking into it. It has also been peed on by three kids and a dog. And there he goes again. My timer is nearly 33% done and I am on the second paragraph. This cat thinks he owns this place. At least he isn’t sitting on the desk staring into my face. He reserves that for meal time.
Yesterday the cat tried to drink some Pappa John’s garlic butter. There are moments when I am eating and I find a cat laying on my arm. He comes to us in the morning on his little cat feet and sticks his butt directly into our face to wake us up. He is a little monster, but we love him.
He has also developed the bad habit of jumping in front of the TV. He always picks the most intense action scenes or important parts of movies to do so. It is like he can’t fathom why he isn’t always the center of attention. He is in our face when taking meals, waking us up in the morning, laying on our arms when we try and work, and massacring my poor innocent chair.
There is a reason cats are the guardians on the underworld and witches familiars. They are devilish little creatures that take what they deem to be theirs. They come on silent paws to scratch and claw the most comfortable of chairs. A chair that is going to need to be replaced in the coming years, but with what and when. It is a good chair. It has served me well and continues to do so. It has pen stains and scratch marks and other designs added by pets and kids. It remains my favorite place to read a book or just sit for a spell.
Pets and children disrupt the timing of things. Without them the chair wouldn’t need replacing, but with them the timing of the replacement is difficult. Too soon and they get a new one to destroy. Too late and the current chair is degraded beyond the means of use. It is a difficult balancing act, but one that can be solved.
David Huzzard Writes 