Reading with Cats

I love my cats, really I do.  They’re warm, they’re furry, and most of the time, they’re very, very sweet.

And then I decide I want a little downtime.  For some reason, the second I pick up a book or my e-reader, they flock to my lap.  I’m not sure how they know or what sort of radar they have, but I think it’s somehow connected to the ‘it’s five seconds past the time you fed me yesterday’ gene they all seem to have built into their bodies.  Pesky little animals.

 

Most of the time, they don’t interfere with what I’m doing, but sometimes, the needy little brats feel like they need every ounce of my attention RIGHT THAT SECOND.  This is where my relaxation time gets dicey.  I mean, I think she’s mad that I want to do something other than pet her for an hour straight.  The nerve I have, am I right, guys?  She’s nicknamed Princess Nayla for a reason ya know.

 

At other times, having a cat on your lap can be a bonus.  Those days when my wrist hurts or I can’t be bothered to hold my e-reader.  This is one of the upsides of having a ginormous kitty – they make great book props.  Well, right up until the moment they decide that they’re done with you and your crap and hop off your lap, taking the e-reader with them.  All while giving you that, ‘you thought you were going to read, eh?’ look.

 

It’s not just Nayla who does this to me.  Sunny, despite not liking to be held or touched in any way, also loves to get into the ‘let’s not let mom read’ act.  Did I also mention that she can be rather hypercritical of my choice in reading material?  As you can see by this photo, she’s not all that impressed with my manga.  Maybe she doesn’t like vampires, who knows?  Maybe she just needs to broaden her kitty horizons.

 

And then we have Violet.  Now, she only just turned a year old last week, so she’s pretty much into everything.  She’s also an attention hound so anytime you’re paying attention to anyone or anything but her, she’s got to be all up in your business.  But heaven forbid you even think to try and show her any kind of affection any other time.  You might leave with your fingers intact.  Might.  Good thing she’s a cute little sucker, eh?

Anyway, I figured we could all use a bit of levity right now with everything that’s going on in the world.  They officially closed the schools here yesterday afternoon.  Which, in and of itself isn’t a big deal because my kids are 18 and 20 and can take care of themselves.  But it also sucks because my younger girl is slated to graduate in May.  Her senior trip has already been cancelled and now I’m worried that her commencement will be, too.  This kid has always gotten the short end of the stick due to her sister being overly demanding.  I hate that she might miss out on this, too, and I have no way of fixing it for her.

So, all that said, I hope you enjoyed a tour through my kitties and all the chaos they like to create in my life.  But you know what?  They’re worth every frustration because they bring me so much happiness.  Do your animals try and impede on your reading time?

Happy Monday everyone, I hope this week is better than the last.