Charlie & Squeakie

I know, I know. It’s like the new parent who just has to show everyone pictures, telling them he’s got the most beautiful, smartest, cleverest child ever born in this world, and the pics come out in an endless stream like photos from a very large steamer trunk. I guess in this age of instant video, it would more likely be cell phone videos of this oh so bright and wonderful child. Well, Charlie is, he really is, the most astounding, clever, different, wonderful cat ever born in this world. He really is. Just look at all my pictures. From what I’ve read about Cornish Rexes, he’s probably not a pure-bred Rex, ears too small, coat not quite as rippled. But like any bastard offshoot, he’s probably better than the puries—tougher, less effete. He has all the other characteristics, though. He’s a born gymnast and should be going to Rio in 2016. And he could probably make the US soccer team from the way he can foot-bat his stuffed mice around. He seems to sleep less than other cats I’ve known, spending much of his time underfoot or watching to see that we don’t go anywhere without him. And he’s decided he most loves our screened-in back patio where he can lounge around or sit on one of his various perches to watch the backyard critters perform for him.

And earlier and earlier, he now wants someone—me—to get up and open the back door so he can go enjoy the patio in the dark of night. At first, it was 6:00 a.m., then 5:00, then 4:30. Last night it was 2:00. I held out for fifteen minutes, fifteen minutes of his leaping onto the bed, landing stiff-legged on my stomach or back to let me know it was time. But one can only take so much of that. So I got up and opened the door for him. At 4:30 he returned to his leaping to tell me he wanted some company on the patio, to tell me to get up and join him. I didn’t. He gave up.

Enough of Charlie. What about the elder stateswoman of the house, our 14-year-old Squeakie? Do we totally ignore her? Certainly not. She’s still our darling, just not as eager to run and play as Charlie is. But she had her moments in the past. See, see, you wanna see some pictures?