The Little Pack

1. He greets me each and every morning. And if I sleep in too long, he cries… and if I still sleep in too long he begins to knock things over. And if I still sleep too long he races sideways through the house making a “greowl” sound: half growl, half meow. OK, so most of this behavior is actually kind of obnoxious. But all of these actions are rooted in his love for me and so I just find them all the more endearing.
2. His purr-coos.
3. His soft, soft fur.
4. The way he waits for me at the screen door every single time I take the dogs out. Awww. Sweet.
5. That he likes his belly rubbed.
6. The way he sleeps on his back with all four paws in the air.
7. His little games: whether he has a mouse toy, a bottle cap, or a paper clip, we are talking about hours of endless entertainment.
8. The way he plays in the running water in the sink and the fact that he only likes the way I turn it on. He literally snubs the faucet when my husband attempts to turn on the water for him.
9. That he comes when I call him and follows me around the house like a dog.
10. His big, round eyes and his absolutely meek innocence. He embodies a sweetness that is impossible to describe.

Since his haircut, we have started calling Archie “Boots” and this picture illustrates why. At 17 pounds now, he has come a long way since the early days. As a baby, Archie personified sweetness in a little ball of fur. So tiny, with baby fine fur and the tiniest paws. He slept on my neck, and would put his little paw on my nose. Perhaps I was snoring, I don’t really understand it. The fur on his paw would tickle my nose and wake me up. This was the beginning of his “purr-coos”: purrs so loud and content, it sounds as though he is cooing.

Last night, just after I had fallen asleep, I awoke to the sound of crying: sad, strange, quiet, constant cries. Archie was crying repeatedly, and it was not his usual cry. I was concerned, so I got up to check on him. Sigh. He was just lonely. He was at the door to the bedroom and began purring as soon as he saw me. Its important to note that the other door to the bedroom is always open… I reached down to pick him up and he quickly headed down the hallway to the kitchen, looking over his shoulder to ensure I was still following him and trotting just out of my grasp. I should explain that he loooves to get attention in the kitchen for reasons I have never understood. Anyway, he soon galloped into the kitchen, threw himself on the floor and rolled over with all fours in the air. What else would I be doing at 1:30 in the morning? So, I sat down next him and petted him and sweet-talked him while he purr-cooed. Poor thing felt absolutely attention deprived. I carried him into the bedroom to be us so he wouldn’t be alone. Silly me, why would he want to be with us in there just because he’s lonely? I should have realized it clearly made more sense for me to sleep on the kitchen floor. He left. And a mere few hours later, he woke me up because he was crying again. Some people have babies that wake them in the night needing comfort… I have a cat. It’s almost the same, right?

Talk about inappropriate nicknames! Archie became the Little Guy when he was just a kitten and was truly a little guy. It stuck with him, even after he clearly outgrew its meaning. Archie greets me every morning. I get up first and the dogs stay in the bedroom with my husband. This is our time together. When he first sees me, he purr-coos and will often meow (actually it is more of a cry) to tell me how he missed me. (I will leave out the part that this seperation is self-induced. He could sleep in the bedroom too if he so desired.) He rubs against me and follows me everywhere I go. I turn the facet on for him and often spend several minutes holding him as I try to make my breakfast. He clearly cherishes this time. As a general rule, I hate mornings, but I do look forward to these special moments everyday.

After a day like today at work,  I am even more grateful for my zany little pack and the laughter and love they give so freely and unconditionally. Highlights of my day include:

1. Archie “helping” me make my lunch this morning. He was exasperating me by trying to get in the middle of everything so I gave him a piece of lettuce to occupy him and he began to purr super-loud (we call this purr-cooing) and rub his face on me. He was very excited for this exquisite “treasure.”
2. Dixie stealing my socks as soon as I took them off. The hamper is taller than her and she stood on her hind legs sniffing and circling the hamper trying to reach the exact pair I wore today. Although she could reach the pair I wore yesterday, those were not appealing enough. She began to woof. When I ignored her, she figured out to tug on the clothes that were underneath the socks so the socks fell down, enabling her to carry one around in her mouth and thereby inspiring me to chase her.
3. IO grabbing my wrist with her mouth so gently. So weird and sweet. She does this periodically after really missing you. It is like she is holding your hand in the only way she can.
4. Cheyenne deciding she wanted to play with toys tonight, even though she doesn’t really know how.
5. Seeing Jackson’s face in the window watching for me when I came home tonight.