Coco has some complaints

Does she look fierce or is that just me?

Why does Coco occasionally lick my hand when I’m patting her? I’m afraid that she feels I’m a bedraggled and, possibly, mentally slow thing. Ya know, she’s essentially saying, “Ooof, you are one filthy beast. Take a bath! Here, I’ll start you off.”

Last night she took it all up a notch. While reading and minding my own business, she leaped onto the bed, climbed atop my chest and began sniffing my face. She then zeroed in on my left eye and began serious licking. The left orb’s the one on which I recently had surgery. I have to put goop (ointment) in it at night and hourly drops during the day. I sense the eye meds come off as unclean to our hygienic kitten.

Keeping a constant watchful eye on yurs truly

I found myself explaining "Coco, you know I bathe daily – honest! That's what I'm doing each morning in that same small room where my litter box resides." Dunno if she bought it. After cleaning me up she went to sit on her blanket at the foot of the bed. Then, at periodic intervals, she'd stroll back up, stand on my chest, re-inspect my peepers and get pats before going back to her watcher position.

She's been a constant, wonderful support to me since The Amazing Bob and Rocco’s respective illnesses and deaths. I’m loathe to leave her behind when I go away even on mini-hols BUT I know that, like my TAB, Coco’s a homebody. She likes her castle and sees no need to leave ('cept for brief exploration escapes into the nieghbor's yard). I don’t want her to be uncomfortable or nervous and I know that travel and strange, new places will do that.

Still, I’ve had this idea that she and I will go down to P-town for a month in the off season – maybe December. Why a full month? I’m thinking that’d be enough time for my kitten to get chilled out and adjusted to a new environment. Plus, for my part, I’d like to get a sense of what it’s like to live, paint and work in this small, fabola art community when it’s not inundated with tourists. No, I’m not planning a move. Vacas are an escape from reality and, I suppose, I’d just like a slightly longer one. Coco’s got to be with me though.

I’ve been googling around though and can’t find even one place that’s right in town, available for one month, allows cats AND is within my price range. Merde! I suppose what I can do is this – maybe in October, head down for just a couple nights. I can take the ferry over, talk with some locals and maybe check out a real estate office or two. Yup, it's a plan.

Dogs own space and cats own time.
~ Nicola Griffith, Hild 

When she bought the cats her mother asked her straight out if they were 'baby substitutes'. 'No,' Ruth had answered, straight-faced. 'They're kittens. If I had a baby it would be a cat substitute.'
~ Elly Griffiths, The Crossing Places