Put a Lid on It

My parents called me last night before their latest trip abroad. Phone calls from them are generally hilarious especially when they put me on the speaker phone in their kitchen. The acoustics are terrible and they tend to shout at the phone on the wall. For whatever reason, I begin to shout back. Conversation is usually restricted to a few topics, but the family pets seem to come up fairly often. My parents have two black and white tuxedo cats that they dote on. Interestingly enough, Mom and Dad never thought much of doting on their children, but the cats they’re all over. Over the years there have been some great stories like when the cats had a wrestling match in a paper bag and fell, bag and all, down the basement stairs. “Any injuries?” I asked Mom. “Well, Boots got the worst of it, but it looks like it’s just a sprained paw.” During some construction on their house, Boots also managed to get trapped in the wall of their kitchen, which led to frantic calls to the contractor who can now list cat rescue among the services he provides.

Well, last night Mom reminded me of an on-going problem she’s been having with Boots the cat. Cats have all sorts of strange marking and grooming behaviors. If you’ve ever had a cat rub up against your leg or knead your lap for fifteen minutes, you’ll know what I mean. Several months ago, I mentioned some habit of my own cat that I found annoying, and Mom chimed in:

“Well, Boots likes to chew on my hair during the night.”

“Chews on your hair? How bizarre,” I replied.

“Well, I’ve got it under control.” Hearing this I assumed that Mom would throw the late-night hair-chewer off her bed, but it’s never that simple. “I keep a shower cap on my bed post. When she starts eating my hair, I put on the shower cap and that stops her.”

Thinking of Mom sleeping away in her shower cap with a disappointed, frustrated cat sitting next to her makes me smile. Now, what to do with the other cat, who hasn’t quite gotten the hang of the litter box after 14 years …. I guess the shower cap doesn't cure all ills.