Today is our Sophie’s 13th birthday. And we probably won’t celebrate, except to give her extra petting, spew endearing words about what a good girl she is, and make sure she gets all the attention she wants. Sophie is a formerly feral tortie who still carries some of her feral roots. Although, she’s come a long way, there are still things she won’t tolerate, being picked up is one of them. She’ll cuddle in our lap, allow endless petting (from us only), but you can’t pick her up.
She doesn’t bite or scratch when you try to pick her up. She just turns to Jello and squirms from your grip like a glob of slime. She also becomes invisible when company arrives. So there’s no point in having guests in to help her celebrate her birthday. Sophie wear a birthday hat? Not in this lifetime. And there’s no particular food treat she likes. She’s a minimalist with few desires and needs and probably gets overlooked because of our more demanding and clingy tabby, Lily.
So Sophie’s birthday will come and go with little fanfare and no hullabaloo, just the way 
Sophie wants to spend this and every other day of her life.
Do you celebrate your cats’ birthdays? We used to have the neighborhood kids over for cake and ice cream for Lily’s birthday. She loves the attention and the tiny lap of ice cream we’d allow her. And it’s fun for the kids.
Of course, pet birthdays are really for us, aren’t they? We like to celebrate these milestones with our pets, reaffirm our love for them, and remind them and ourselves of our dedication to their health and happiness.
