Fluff and stuff

In September, I will have had my cat Cole for seven years. That's the longest relationship I've ever had with a pet, and although we've been together long enough to know each other pretty well, he still surprises me. Cole's a petite little thing (7.5 pounds), solid gray, extremely furry with the fluffiest tail you've ever seen. But to be so delicate, he is one fierce fucker. He used to take out his aggressions on me; I'd walk through a room, and he'd come flying out of the corner, throwing himself at my legs. These were not happy times. When I moved in with my sister and her two cats, he learned to play-fight them, not me, and since then he's never attacked me.

But Saturday, that all changed. He was sitting on the back of the couch, I was petting his head, telling him what a pretty and good kitty he is, yes he is, when *bam*! He reaches out and claws my right hand, leaving three ugly red scratches across my knuckles. I immediately called him an asshole and we kept our distance for awhile. I don't know what caused that sort of behavior, but I do not appreciate it.

I hate it when cats get a bad rap for not being loyal, however. Cole is usually sitting outside my door when I wake up in the morning (and it's not because he's waiting on food--we have an automatic food dispenser). When I'm home, he lays on the bed with me, follows me around the house, and likes to curl up with me on the couch. He knows when I'm upset and crying and will come to comfort me. He will always come when I call him. He's smart, attentive, and sweet, and he's the best cat I've ever had.

Cole is an indoor cat, which is why I've had him longer than any other cat. All my other cats have been outdoors, and have either disappeared or been hit by cars. With Cole, he's going to live for many years to come. This is a good thing, of course, except for the fact that I don't know how to deal with an old and dying cat. It will break my heart to eventually have to say goodbye to him. In just seven years, we've lived in two houses and two apartments, made the move from living with my parents, to just my mom, to my sister and brother-in-law and my nephew. Who knows what else we'll go through together in the coming years. Whatever happens, I know I'll have my gray fuzzball companion at my side.