I've been used.

Ever been used by, let's say.......a C A T?? No, of course you haven't. Me either.......

Anyway, after we have finished repenting of that little "fib", we can go on and talk freely about these most intelligent of creatures.

I adore cats. I could have a kazillion of them....really! I have been in the presence of cats all my life. **Note: I did not say, "I have owned a cat all of my life".

The one that is exceptionally challenging these days is, "Job". He's big. He's orange. He's a ball of.........well, he's a ball (as in huge and round....not as in bouncy). We're guessing on between 15 and 18 pounds. He has me (but not my husband, of course....heh heh heh) wrapped around his ever-so-lithe-and-little paw.

Like us, they are creatures of habit, don't you agree? It's a ritual around our house that every morning at 6:30 Job, the C A T, comes with me into the washroom. It's like clockwork. If he isn't there when my foot hits the floor, I know he hasn't been let in by my husband at some point in the wee hours of the "y-a-a-a-w-w-w-w-w-w-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-nnnnnn" morning.

Up he jumps onto the counter and sits patiently, waiting for the tap to be turned on. Having short hair, I run my head under the tap to get rid of the "bed-head" look. Job sits. Job purrs. Job purrs very loudly when he sees the water dripping from my hair. As the stream of water pours from my head his tongue gets going, lapping up as many drips as he can muster but never touching my hair with his tongue. I guess he gets as grossed out as we do if he has to "touch" his lips on any part of my person. This happens twice. Two times under the tap I go. Immediately after the second rinsing, he turns around and faces the other way. He just knows that's all there will be. Down he goes to the bath mat to wait for the other servant (my husband), who will brush him and groom him until his purr becomes a kind of "squeaking purr".

We often wonder why this occurs every day, without fail. Some say that cats come around us only when they want something - food, petting, grooming, opening doors. I have another theory. I really believe they like being with us.

Yes, I have come to that conclusion about cats. As much as they make us do their bidding, they enjoy their servants immensely.

I shall be speaking of C A Ts a lot on this web site.....so, if you really enjoy hearing about two human adults and their constant humiliation at being used....stay tuned. You'll hear lots more.