Copyright © 2004 Henrietta W. Hay
Mercury moves
August 20, 2004
Moving is a very complicated
operation for humans. It can be even more so for the feline branch of
the family. Mercury the wonder cat, known to his buddy and also my
friend the philosopher as His Honor, was quite in charge of my condo He
had smelled every square inch of it, and had chosen several favorite
spots for resting and met everyone that came in. He sat in the kitchen
window and supervised the gardener as she did her various chores,
including blowing leaves, which was a bit noisier than he liked. And
here I was moving into the Commons without his consent.
Since I acquired him from the Humane Society, I knew that he had been
moved at least once and possibly more since his kittenhood. His last
owners had been very nice people, however, since his manners were
excellent. He was a perfect gentleman. But even so, he might be
afraid of abandonment if he were moved again. And his house mate was
doing things that looked a bit suspicious.
A few months ago I tried to take him to the Vet for his annual exam.
The fight he put up over being loaded into a carrier made me wonder
whether we had a miniature lion king. My very friendly vet ended up
making a house call. Cats do not like not being in control.
As the moving day approached, I decided it would be less stressful for
Merc if I boarded him with the Vet the day itself and that night, but
I dreaded getting him into the carrier. But a friend of mine grabbed
him by the neck as though he were a kitten a stuffed him in.
The next day when the worst of the move was over, I went to get His
Honor and bring him to his new home. When we arrived and I opened the
carrier he jumped out and immediately started exploring and smelling the
place. He hasn't quite finished yet, but he's working on it. He told
me that he approves.
My favorite room is my new office. Merc spends a great deal of time
watching me work on the columns. Of course I understand that.
Robertson Davies, a Canadian author and journalist explains it.
"Authors like cats because they are such quiet, lovable, wise creatures,
and cats like authors for the same reasons." So far he has not learned
to type.
So now His Honor and I are peacefully settled into our new home. He is
an affectionate creature and spends a great deal of time curled up on my
lap. Also, he likes privacy for his morning nap. One morning I
panicked a little. I could not find him. I searched everywhere
several times, and there aren't that many places to search. Casually I
glanced at my bed which had not been made yet. The light weight blanket
was mussed and bumpy. Suddenly I realized that one bump was bigger than
the others and sure enough, when I felt it, it was warm. He was
sleeping peacefully completely under the covers. I'm not sure what he
was breathing.
Mercury is a wonderful companion. If I could only teach him to type.
Mark Twain wrote, "Of all God's creatures there is only one that cannot
be made the slave of the lash. That one is the cat. If man could be
crossed with a cat it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the
cat."