The People Behind My Eyes

The Best Thing About Animals
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
2:26 AMThe best thing about four-legged creatures is that they are happy with the simplest things. This was the first thing I thought when I woke up from my third nap of the day. Gracie put her head on my cheek and purred her heart out. It was like, oh, hey, mom’s awake this is a cause for celebration.

She can make a toy out of anything but it seems her favorite toy is the long black tail hanging from the back of her big K-9 brother Captain Crunch. When he’s happy she’s happy because her best toy wags in overtime. I could buy expensive toys from expensive shops but Gracie seems to appreciate left over straws more. She plays with milk jug caps more than store bought toys. Her appreciation of the simple things in life is an example for human beings. Now, if I put generic food in her bowl she might have a bit of a problem with it. If I give her canned salmon instead of fresh salmon she won’t turn it down but she will give a bit of attitude. In general, she appreciates and finds a way to enjoy cheap discarded household items.

I'm not old enough to remember but I hear people use to make toys for their kids. They didn’t go to Toys R Us and buy up the store during holiday time. They carved out a horse or car and evidently the child was happy with it. I wonder if they ever handmade toys for dogs and cats back then? My handmade toys for her are just tops that fell out of my hand that I didn’t move fast enough to pick back up. Don’t drop the toothpaste cap because she’ll run up and snatch it. By the time you get it back it’ll have touched every corner of the house and collected every form of germ known to man. Once it hits the floor and she has it it’s hers. I don’t want it.

I enjoy having her here. Her personality is so gentle and warm. She is very playful and affectionate. I can’t imagine having a different kitten right now. She makes me smile just thinking of her. When I sit and type at the PC she’s is usually sitting on my chest. I have to breathe through her thick fur and peak over her back to see the screen. Sometimes her purring is louder than the key strokes. For someone with such a strong purr box she sure does have a tiny, almost silent meow.

Gracie is not a mouser. A mouse ran across the room the other day and she just looked at it like, oh, hum, wonder what that was. It’s a good thing we don’t have a huge mouse problem because she would be useless. Though she is no mouser she excels at being my welcoming crew. When I wake up from a nap she welcomes me back with a purr and a soft paw. She reminds me that someone on this earth, though short and furry, finds it a reason to celebrate when I open my eyes.

Austin