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.

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.

Don’t tell the others, but these two may be the sweetest of the bunch.

And, yes, Archie really is that big.