Frivolous Friday – Your Cat Rituals

Admit it, you and your cat have rituals you follow, right? And I’ll bet that at least some of them were the cat’s idea. Here in our household of two cats, we have customs and routines we follow quite ceremonial at times. Non-cat people would not understand, would they? Yeah, I still have a few friends who haven’t embraced cats yet. But that isn’t necessarily a permanent condition is it? I’m sure you know people who thought they didn’t like cats until they allowed themselves to know a cat. And do you know what this person almost always says; “This cat’s different. It’s not like all the other cats.” And that person stays in their comfort zone as someone who doesn’t like cats because the cat they have fallen in love with is not like other cats. Yeah—baloney!!!! They’re a confirmed cat person now—they wear cat hair on their clothes like the rest of us.

So what are some of your sweet, fun, silly, crazy, and comforting rituals with your cats? Katy, my beautiful Himalayan who crossed the rainbow bridge in 2004 (I still miss her so), she used to put me to bed at night. If she wasn’t curled up next to me on the couch at bedtime, she’d come get me and follow me through my bedtime ritual, jump up on my pillow and lay with one paw on my shoulder. After a few minutes, off she’d go to do her own thing, which I never found out what that was. I imagine many of you are tucked in at night by a beloved cat.

I use a straw to drink my morning coffee. When Lily hears me pull a straw out of the holder, she quickly joins me in my office and waits excitedly as I clip the tip of the straw off (so it will fit into my coffee cup). The straw tip flies through the air and she jumps for it. She loves chasing that piece of straw. I’ll pick it up numerous times and flick it again and again for her until she tires of leaping, and frolicking after it. I love that ritual (and so does she).

Max and I used to play catch with his squishy ball. At bedtime, he’d jump up on the cat tree and wait for me to pitch that ball to him. He’d swat at it, so it almost always came back to me. We probably could have entered a ping pong tournament we got so good at this game.

Winfield was our beautiful white odd-eye cat. So sweet and friendly and social. Lovely boy. He loved his water. And no, he didn’t have diabetes or kidney disease. He died of cancer. Sad day. Well, he drank with his paw—always did. Dip the paw, lick the water from it, dip his paw again. And before going to bed, he’d make sure he had plenty of kibbles and water to last him through the night.

No kidding. He’d see us getting ready to close up the house and head for bed and he’d go in and look at his bowls. If they were filled to his satisfaction, he’d join us for bed. If not, he’d sit there, wait until we walked by, and let us know we needed to fill his bowls.

Many cat people have treat rituals—the cats let their owners know when it’s treat time (ours do). Some do tricks for treats.

Who has a cat that will check out all of the guests at a gathering and immediately bee-line it to the one who’s either allergic to cats or who doesn’t like cats? The black cats will greet those wearing light colors and rub sweetly against them. The light-colored cats will gleefully welcome those wearing black.

And then there’s Lily who brings me my cozy socks almost every morning. I love hearing that little chirp she makes upon delivery.

I’d love to hear about your cat rituals—and tell us who initiated them—you or the cat? Leave your comments here.