My Cat Bennie
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 11:39AM My sister lives in a small town in Northern California. She has living with her, 3 dogs, 3 cats and a turtle. She moved and she finally realized that 7 animals was just too much and she asked me if I would like to take Bennie home. Now Bennie is a Manx cat, which means he has no tail and his hind legs are longer than his front and he acts like a dog. No kidding, that's one of their characteristics. And he's very big and really liked me, for whatever reason cats use to decide who and what to like. Whenever I came for a visit, he was the one who would curl up on my lap or behind my head. So I agreed. I was concerned that Bennie would miss the dogs and cats that have been in his family for years but my sister assured me that he wouldn't. "Are you kidding??" I forgot to mention that Bennie is a dead ringer for Morris, the stuck-up- pitch-cat for 9 lives, in looks and attitude. You get the picture. So we left his home that in all likelihood he'll never see again, buried under a foot of fresh snow and 23 degree temps for sunny Southern California.
Of course the first thing he commenced to do was shed his winter coat, and continues to shed his winter coat, much like the tree in my front yard that starts dropping leaves in September and doesn't quit until February.
I love this cat. He's regal. His paws are huge, almost over-sized, and with his tawny coat and large head and body, somehow he reminds me of a lion. And he's so affectionate. Yes, he is like Morris, in the sense that he'll sit Sphinx-like staring at the wall, TV, or out the window and ignore you. But he is affectionate. I don't think I'v ever seen a cat that is so much like a dog. He follows me everywhere, and not just when he wants to be fed. He loves to be stroked and petted and won't tear my hand off when he's tired of it. He just walks away. When he does grab my hand, its not to rip and capture, although he does pin it down with claws extended, its so he can LICK it! Strange cat this Bennie.
He comes to me when I call him. By his name, no 'here kitty kitty' around here. Its 'come here Bennie'. End of story. He'll come and tuck me in when I finally go to bed at night, nuzzle my face and then go curl up at the end of the bed. But only for a little while. I'll hear him hit the floor, though I can't feel him get up, he's very stealthy. He goes off somewhere else to sleep. In the morning, the second I wake up-I'm not making a sound-he somehow hears me. Or feels me. I don't know. But anyway, up jumps Bennie onto the bed and he'll sit there patiently waiting for me to get up. Or if he gets a bit impatient, he'll nudge my hand with his paw. Once I wake up its on until I pad into the kitchen and feed him.
He's a great cat, a real noble animal, with a real sixth sense and I suppose 9 lives although I never want that myth/truth to be tested in his case. He used to hunt rabbits, birds, mice and rats and run from coyotes, cougars and bears in the snow, rain and sun, but now he lives the gentleman's life. Eats boiled chicken breast, pacific salmon, and friskies cat food (doesn't like science diet??), sleep, eat some more, sleep, and wait for me to pet, brush and love him. A city cats life no?
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Pets impact human lives on a face-to-face basis by being our companions, whether it's a cat or a dog . Having a pet is a great way to teach a child caretaking skills.