Caturday 23: Routines

Has it really been three months since the last Caturday?

Of course, nothing much changes in life with a cat. There is a routine, especially with this cat, that doesn't vary too much. That is what this Caturday is about — Routines. It's a post that I want to get in the record book that, I'm afraid, will be very banal for readers. It is what it is.

Stage 1: in the previous Caturday here, I did describe some of Lacey's morning routine which goes something like this.

• Get down from her cat tree perch as soon as I get up.
• Hover while I make my coffee. It doesn't take long.
• Lick and bite my bare summer legs while I sit in my computer chair and ask her about her night as the computer comes to life. Winter and long pants are coming.
• Devour kibble which I drop on the floor two or three pieces at a time.

At that point she will hang about waiting for stage 2 which I will get to shortly. As she does this, she will most likely wander into the bedroom a few times to see whether Sue is stirring. She doesn't jump on the bed at this point like she does about twice a night which is also getting pretty routine.

Stage 2: after an hour or two, I take pity on her and take her downstairs for her breakfast, even if I don't feel ready for mine yet.

I put the tuna down which she begins to eat while I change her water. I then go halfway downstairs to the basement where her littler abides on the landing. After that chore, I wash my hands very thoroughly in the downstairs bathroom.

Stage 3: by now, she waits at the door, likely meowing at me to get a move on.

She goes to this ↓ spot where the window is slightly open and gazes out for a short or long time, depending on her mood. She gets a little discombobulated when it is too hot to open up. It may be a long winter for her, for I don't know if I will let her out for a few minutes and shut the door behind her or just keep it closed. Will she want out anyway, or is she too smart?

Stage 4 lasts a very long time. She will come upstairs where she stays for  most of the day. She will rotate between three spots: (1) on my bureau in the back window; (2) in her tree in the front window; or (3) on the floor right in the doorway to my den.

Back Window: Oops no. This is my chair.

Den Window

Guarding the Door

During the day, she might or might not come downstairs when we have lunch and watch tv. She also is somewhat likely to visit Sue when she has her afternoon siesta. But those sessions don't usually last too long until she is back upstairs until suppertime or after when we watch more tv.

She has her evening routines too.

Stage 5: when we head back upstairs, say around 8, Lacey will race us up the stairs to get there first. I then must add kibble to her dish, even if there's plenty in it, after which I must hand feed her again in my den just like I do in the morning.

Stage 6: closer to bedtime there will be the tossing of several treats, and then she gets a few more treats when I go to bed, usually I bring them to her in her cat tree.

Finally, I leave a few treats on her blanket by the bedroom window for her to find during the night. She is getting too smart though and now comes in to get them within about five minutes.

The cycle begins again with night time visits usually around 2:30 and 4:30, give or take.

Now, if you will excuse me, it is time for Stage 2.

Addendum: One recent day, just as I was contemplating writing this post, I found her in a spot that she hadn't yet visited in all of her time here. But it is not her routine, so she didn't stay long. It's on my old, little computer desk, which is beside my newer, bigger computer desk.