Cat lover?

Selfie with Pixel. I'm on her chair, obviously.

My sister assured me her cat wouldn’t be a bother:

·      She doesn’t like people.
·       She will only tolerate petting with one hand.
·       She will only let you pet her on her terms.
·       She is picky about her food.

Only the last is true.

I think it’s because Pixelfur misses her human. When my sister is home now, she has the dog with her. And Pixie hates the dog. CQ thinks the cat secretly is plotting to get rid of the dog.

Well, it’s a puppy, and Teddy demands a lot of attention. (And oh my golly, is he cute. Still haven’t met him in real life, but he’ll be here soon.) Both Teddy and Pixelfur have their own Instagram accounts.

https://www.instagram.com/pixelfur/

https://www.instagram.com/teddie_bear_kidstime/

Pixel is actually pretty sweet. I can tell she’s used to her routine, and I’m throwing her off a bit. She follows me around, meowing when she wants something. She will nap, but it’s usually near me.

I know I’m on “her” chair. I’m in “her” house. She hates being locked out of one of “her” bedrooms. If she had opposable thumbs, she’d have been in my room last night. She kept banging on the door.

Oh, did I mention I’m highly allergic to cats?

My first pet was a black cat named Spooky. I got her at Halloween. I think she lasted about two days, before it became obvious I couldn’t breathe with her around.

Then, I had a puppy my uncle found in the woods. Pupper was an outdoor dog for a number of years. Again, allergies played a part.

When I was in high school, we got Lucky, and I developed a tolerance for dogs.

During the years, I’ve become less allergic to everything. Where seasonal allergies used to wreak havoc, I’m not bothered at all now. Dogs aren’t a problem. So far, even Pixel isn’t a big deal. Although, I’ve been on Sudafed and Claritin. I think she’s the final hurdle. If I can develop a tolerance to her, I should be OK with most “normal” pets. (Of course, my son’s chinchilla covered in dust is another matter, but I don’t need to live with Oscar Chinchilla anymore.)

So far, Pixel has plunked herself on my lap, on my laptop, on my chair, in front of my door, at my feet, on the table, on the puzzle, on my chest. She sat on my lap today and kneaded by bare knees with her sharp claws. She purrs as she circles my feet. She tries to climb me to rub under my chin with her head. I know cats have glands on their heads that they like to rub on what they claim as theirs. So, yeah, I belong to the cat now.

Comfy cat. She wants to be the center of attention.

But she lets me pet her with both hands at the same time. I can rub her chest a little without her biting. She lets me scratch above her tail and run her tail through my hands. She sniffs treats I offer her with my hand. She eats the food I mash up for her. And just like the dog, I mash it with my hands so she smells me as she eats. That’s one way to show dominance to dogs – you put your scent all over their food before they eat it. So, I’m doing that with Pixie. Mashing her food with my hands.

Maybe it’s working. Maybe she just has me trained already.