Saturday, February 21, 2009

PRINCESS MEADOW

Meadow
Rob’s cat, Meadow, was just a few months old when we started dating, but their unique bond had already been well established, he adored her, and he was her whole world.
I always felt in those first couple years of dating that Meadow never really liked me, she tolerated me. She always seemed a bit relieved to see me go home, as she enjoyed having Rob all to herself.
As Rob's and mine relationship grew more serious, and I spent more time at the house, I started to develop a relationship with Meadow myself. I played with her a little differently then Rob did, and she seemed to enjoy this. I also introduced her to something she had never had before, and that has become her vice, Fancy Feast cat food.
After the introduction of this new food, that only I gave her, she started to see me in a whole new light, and was happy to see me walk through the door. Feeding her Fancy Feast on the weekends became our thing, and she even learned to recognize a few phrases that I would say before feeding her.
After almost five years of dating, Rob asked me to move in, and I think Meadow and I had more of an adjustment phase then Rob and I. Those first months of living together I swear Meadow looked at me with a ”Your still here?” look regularly.
After a while I think she came to realize the benefits of having two humans to live with; she was rarely alone, she got Fancy Feast daily, and twice the love.
I knew when Meadow finally accepted me the day she jumped up on my chest while I was lying down on the couch watching TV. Rob was at work, and this was the first time she sought me out for some attention. I patted her as she purred and I felt like I had won the lottery.
Just this past week Meadow and I had another first, she came to bed with me, without Rob. Another proud moment for me, having Meadow accept me a little more, and making me feel like she’s mine too, or I’m hers.
I love having Meadow meet me at the door at the end of the working day and am proud of the special bond we’ve created on our own over the years. I’m quite content to be her number two favorite human.

4 comments:

Rob said...

Yep, it's a great thing for you two to get along so nicely.

Now I can go get another tarantula!

Anonymous said...

This makes me teary. My old cat, Spade, and Joel had a strange relationship. The first time Joel came to visit, Spade opened the bathroom door on him! Then when I moved here, Spade would jump on Joel's stomach when he was laying down. This would make Joel jump & Spade was almost saying, "hands off my mom!"

Then when Joel & I got married and moved in this house, the relationship changed. Spade was very much my baby, and Joel knew that. But when we went to bed, Joel would just say "off", and Spade would exit the bedroom. Almost to say, okay, you win.

I miss my baby a lot. He had a personality and loved to talk. We have a new cat now, Carma. It's taken her a while for her to get used to Joel, but now we have a shared pet. He loves her as much as she loves him. I love watching her brush up against Joel in the morning as he gets his socks on.

Congrats, Angie. Having a stubborn cat love you on equal grounds is the best feeling. They say that cats make you relaxed since they make you stop, pet them and enjoy their purrs. I completely agree!

Teena in Toronto said...

KC used to be like that too. She came with Gord and was his dog. But because I've been home a lot the last year or so, she's gotten close to me. Now when Gord goes to bed, she's go to bed with him ... but then get up a few minutes later to hang with me. And she usually goes to bed when I go to bed.

And yes, her name is KC Dawson (check with the vet!).

Pam Scott said...

What a lovely reminder of how these cats come to accept us. I enjoyed reading the blog and then reading about our cat, Spade, and Carma. They are gone too, unfortunately, but never forgotten.