crazy cat lady

I've finally let my true nature come out. Some of my readers know that I have a slight fondness for cats.

For the first time, I have two indoor cats, ones that are full of crazy energy. I mean, they can be sitting quietly, licking unspeakable parts, sit up with a jolt, put their ears back, tear around the house (over and sometimes apparently through furniture) and suddenly be on the other side of the room, looking calm and peaceful.

Or one will be walking through a room and the other will wind up and pounce. More often than not, the "victim," our older kitty, will just step aside and the pouncer will go flying, usually in somersault formation.

I got it into my head to get a cat tree, went surfing, and found one that looked good and was much less expensive than ones I've seen in the stores. Who knew if ordering it would result in a big fight with the credit card company over non-delivery of goods or if it would arrive and be cheap, cheesy, and regrettable? But I went for it.

I ordered it on Friday, it shipped on Monday, and arrived on Tuesday, the busiest day of the year for UPS men. I did not anticipate that our delivery guys would be cheerful, but they were amazingly pleasant. However, even I realize that as they think about their long hours, they feel better imagining that they're putting smiles on the faces of each of the 2.5 children who live in the houses on our street. It did not seem like a good idea to let them know that they were going to make our cats very happy.

We lugged the box inside -- all 50 pounds -- and before I could say "I'd be happy to assemble it," Robert had it mostly put together. We broke for dinner, during which time Theo started to inspect it. We quickly attached the rest of the pieces and put the thing in place. It's huge. There are something like eight levels, eleven sisal scratching posts, and even a little house with a doorway, window, and ceiling.

I expected that the cats would pretty much ignore it, just because I was so excited about it. But no, they explored the whole thing. Koa rubbed her cheek on every corner, scratched satisfyingly on most of the posts, and climbed up, only to encounter Theo, who was waiting for her. There followed a "king of the hill" session where one would climb higher and try to bat at and air bite at the other, preventing that one from ascending. Then the "king" would hop down and the other would climb up. After several rounds, Theo ended up on the couch, and Koa curled up on one of the platforms.

I was terrifically pleased that Koa chose to spend a significant portion of the evening with us, and that she was so relaxed.

I'm delighted with this new piece of furniture. I acknowledge that it is beautiful only to cats and to those who love them -- I'm sure my gay card would be taken away if my more stylish friends saw this monstrosity. But still, it seems like a good addition to the household.