HRH

Most people who do not like cats do so because of some stereotypes associated with owning a cat, including ones that they are snobby, nasty, boring, and have really no interest in being around people except when they want food and water. Cats are often seen as aloof animals who only do what they want to do when they want to do it. The above generalizations actually apply to very few cats. Of course cats like to have some “alone time” every now and then (Who doesn’t?), but just like people, cats have their own unique personalities, so their temperament and socialization depend quite a lot on simply “how they are.”

HRH is my faithful companion. By the way, the above picture is an actual picture of her. Over the years we have become very attached to one another. Though she may have a bit of attitude at times, especially around people she’s not familiar with, she’s often a very gentle cat, as long as she is treated well. She’s a bit finicky at times. She will only eat dry cat food, she wants her bowls to be full, and she refuses to eat crumbles. She also has a fairly strict routine each day. She’s up around 6 am each day, no later than 7 am, and she is ready for bed at 10 pm. She nearly always sleeps through the night, often beside me in the bed. During the day, it’s all about eating and catnapping.

Whatever anyone may say about HRH, she’s and empathetic and intelligent cat. She has learned how to manipulate humans into getting what she wants. And the part that makes her such a wonderful companion is her empathy. She knows when I am sad or when I’m sick. When I have a headache, she seems to able to sense it. She will come up to me and gently pat my head with her paw or rubs her head against mine in an attempt to comfort me. If she notices me tossing and turning at night have a hard time falling asleep, then she will often crawl up on top of me and lay down, so that I will stay still and fall asleep. Now she probably only does this because my tossing and turning disturbs her, but she’s learned how to calm me down.

Overall, she’s a wonderful companion. The picture above is from when I had my headache. She was sleeping quietly beside me making sure that I was alright. Occasionally, she’d even get up and pat my head with her paw, as a way of saying, “Get well, my friend.”