Getting used to the cat

Takayuki wrote:

Maybe that's it - it's that I haven't had a cat before. I remember
when I first got Betty, I immediately loved her, but it also felt
distinctly weird having a little beastie following me around all the
time. At least I'm used to that part now. Maybe that's as far as it
goes as far as getting used to having a cat.

Well, there are two ways to interpret the phrase "used to". One is that
you have become accustomed to something, and you expect it to be there.
You've adapted to it, and your life would seem weird *without* it. Sounds
like you've gotten to that point with Betty. A few of the people who
responded to your original post seemed to take it that way, too - I heard
people saying they were accustomed to having their cats, and would find it
weird or even unimaginable not to have them.

The other way to use that phrase, which is how I think you meant it, is
to *take something for granted*. To stop noticing it and stop appreciating
it conciously. You'd stop feeling that daily awe and amazement, that such
creatures are sharing your home and your life, stop paying attention to
all the fascinating and beautiful details of your cats. Not that you'd
stop caring about them, or caring *for* them, just that you'd lose touch
with the concious acknowledgement and appreciation of what a wonderful thing
you have. And that's what I think you were saying you still had, and weren't
sure you'd ever lose. I hope you don't! It's a great gift.

I don't think I wrote anything particularly good. I mean, the cat is
catlike? Her nose is moist? Not very keen observations.

What can I say - I liked it!

Joyce

Takayuki wrote:

Maybe that's it - it's that I haven't had a cat before. I remember
when I first got Betty, I immediately loved her, but it also felt
distinctly weird having a little beastie following me around all the
time. At least I'm used to that part now. Maybe that's as far as it
goes as far as getting used to having a cat.

Well, there are two ways to interpret the phrase "used to". One is that
you have become accustomed to something, and you expect it to be there.
You've adapted to it, and your life would seem weird *without* it. Sounds
like you've gotten to that point with Betty. A few of the people who
responded to your original post seemed to take it that way, too - I heard
people saying they were accustomed to having their cats, and would find it
weird or even unimaginable not to have them.

The other way to use that phrase, which is how I think you meant it, is
to *take something for granted*. To stop noticing it and stop appreciating
it conciously. You'd stop feeling that daily awe and amazement, that such
creatures are sharing your home and your life, stop paying attention to
all the fascinating and beautiful details of your cats. Not that you'd
stop caring about them, or caring *for* them, just that you'd lose touch
with the concious acknowledgement and appreciation of what a wonderful thing
you have. And that's what I think you were saying you still had, and weren't
sure you'd ever lose. I hope you don't! It's a great gift.

I don't think I wrote anything particularly good. I mean, the cat is
catlike? Her nose is moist? Not very keen observations.

What can I say - I liked it!

Joyce

Takayuki wrote:

Maybe that's it - it's that I haven't had a cat before. I remember
when I first got Betty, I immediately loved her, but it also felt
distinctly weird having a little beastie following me around all the
time. At least I'm used to that part now. Maybe that's as far as it
goes as far as getting used to having a cat.

Well, there are two ways to interpret the phrase "used to". One is that
you have become accustomed to something, and you expect it to be there.
You've adapted to it, and your life would seem weird *without* it. Sounds
like you've gotten to that point with Betty. A few of the people who
responded to your original post seemed to take it that way, too - I heard
people saying they were accustomed to having their cats, and would find it
weird or even unimaginable not to have them.

The other way to use that phrase, which is how I think you meant it, is
to *take something for granted*. To stop noticing it and stop appreciating
it conciously. You'd stop feeling that daily awe and amazement, that such
creatures are sharing your home and your life, stop paying attention to
all the fascinating and beautiful details of your cats. Not that you'd
stop caring about them, or caring *for* them, just that you'd lose touch
with the concious acknowledgement and appreciation of what a wonderful thing
you have. And that's what I think you were saying you still had, and weren't
sure you'd ever lose. I hope you don't! It's a great gift.

I don't think I wrote anything particularly good. I mean, the cat is
catlike? Her nose is moist? Not very keen observations.

What can I say - I liked it!

Joyce

"Takayuki" wrote in message
...
"badwilson" wrote:

Hmmm, I'd say that I'm *used* to having Vino. I'm damn happy to have
him,
he's my bestest buddy. But I still have to stop and comment on every
cute
pose I find him in and scritch his cute little cheeks and rub his fuzzy
belly many times every day. Even though he has been in those cute poses
hundreds of times, each time is cuter than the last and I have to
comment.
When Dennis isn't around, I just talk to Vino himself to myself about how
adorable he is. Then I send Dennis descriptive emails about the cuteness
of
Vino. When Dennis is home, probably 50% of our conversation revolves
around
some cute thing that one of us has seen Vino do. It is rather pathetic,
really. But we just can't help it if we have the cutest cat in the world
;-)

You're so enslaved! 50% is really a lot.

Heh, what can I say. We don't have much else to talk about? LOL!

I'm hoping that I'll eventually get used to Betty, too. I figure that
when I'm finally used to her, Betty and I will just be pals. Instead
of having a cat-goddess/worshipful servant relationship, we can be
equals.

Equals? With a cat? Don't count on it!!! You'll always be her servant. I
know I'm Vino's servant. I try not to let him boss me around too much but
he always gets back at me. Today, he wanted his dinner an hour early and I
just kept putting him off. So he started chewing on this really nice wicker
basket I have. I pushed him off the coffee table and he hissed at me!
Geez! I guess I should have expected it ;-)
--
Britta
Sandpaper kisses, a cuddle and a purr. I have an alarm clock that's covered
in fur!
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album

"Takayuki" wrote in message
...
"badwilson" wrote:

Hmmm, I'd say that I'm *used* to having Vino. I'm damn happy to have
him,
he's my bestest buddy. But I still have to stop and comment on every
cute
pose I find him in and scritch his cute little cheeks and rub his fuzzy
belly many times every day. Even though he has been in those cute poses
hundreds of times, each time is cuter than the last and I have to
comment.
When Dennis isn't around, I just talk to Vino himself to myself about how
adorable he is. Then I send Dennis descriptive emails about the cuteness
of
Vino. When Dennis is home, probably 50% of our conversation revolves
around
some cute thing that one of us has seen Vino do. It is rather pathetic,
really. But we just can't help it if we have the cutest cat in the world
;-)

You're so enslaved! 50% is really a lot.

Heh, what can I say. We don't have much else to talk about? LOL!

I'm hoping that I'll eventually get used to Betty, too. I figure that
when I'm finally used to her, Betty and I will just be pals. Instead
of having a cat-goddess/worshipful servant relationship, we can be
equals.

Equals? With a cat? Don't count on it!!! You'll always be her servant. I
know I'm Vino's servant. I try not to let him boss me around too much but
he always gets back at me. Today, he wanted his dinner an hour early and I
just kept putting him off. So he started chewing on this really nice wicker
basket I have. I pushed him off the coffee table and he hissed at me!
Geez! I guess I should have expected it ;-)
--
Britta
Sandpaper kisses, a cuddle and a purr. I have an alarm clock that's covered
in fur!
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album

"Takayuki" wrote in message
...
"badwilson" wrote:

Hmmm, I'd say that I'm *used* to having Vino. I'm damn happy to have
him,
he's my bestest buddy. But I still have to stop and comment on every
cute
pose I find him in and scritch his cute little cheeks and rub his fuzzy
belly many times every day. Even though he has been in those cute poses
hundreds of times, each time is cuter than the last and I have to
comment.
When Dennis isn't around, I just talk to Vino himself to myself about how
adorable he is. Then I send Dennis descriptive emails about the cuteness
of
Vino. When Dennis is home, probably 50% of our conversation revolves
around
some cute thing that one of us has seen Vino do. It is rather pathetic,
really. But we just can't help it if we have the cutest cat in the world
;-)

You're so enslaved! 50% is really a lot.

Heh, what can I say. We don't have much else to talk about? LOL!

I'm hoping that I'll eventually get used to Betty, too. I figure that
when I'm finally used to her, Betty and I will just be pals. Instead
of having a cat-goddess/worshipful servant relationship, we can be
equals.

Equals? With a cat? Don't count on it!!! You'll always be her servant. I
know I'm Vino's servant. I try not to let him boss me around too much but
he always gets back at me. Today, he wanted his dinner an hour early and I
just kept putting him off. So he started chewing on this really nice wicker
basket I have. I pushed him off the coffee table and he hissed at me!
Geez! I guess I should have expected it ;-)
--
Britta
Sandpaper kisses, a cuddle and a purr. I have an alarm clock that's covered
in fur!
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album

"Marina" wrote in message
...

"Takayuki" wrote
Is there ever a point when you finally get used to your cat? I've had
Betty for over a year now, and I haven't gotten used to it.

You never do. I've lived with cats my whole life, and I still feel the way
you do. It's only when you are without them for one reason or another that
you realise how used you are to having them around.

I'll be taking the cats to the island on Midsummer, when I have a long
weekend off work. Then I will leave them there (in my mother's care) while
I
come back for one more week of work before my holiday starts. This is what
I
do each summer. That one week without the cats is the longest week of the
year. I see them out of the corner of my eyes, I hear them doing things
around the house, I feel them coming up on the bed at night, but there is
no
one there.

Oh, I know how you must feel! I find it's hard enough to be away from Vino
when we travel. But to be at home, in our house, without Vino...that would
be so hard. I am so attached to the little bugger. I can't bear to think
of him dying. In fact, I try to tell myself that in 10 years or so, they
will come up with a magical life extension cure for cats and Vino will live
as long as me!
--
Britta
Sandpaper kisses, a cuddle and a purr. I have an alarm clock that's covered
in fur!
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album

"Marina" wrote in message
...

"Takayuki" wrote
Is there ever a point when you finally get used to your cat? I've had
Betty for over a year now, and I haven't gotten used to it.

You never do. I've lived with cats my whole life, and I still feel the way
you do. It's only when you are without them for one reason or another that
you realise how used you are to having them around.

I'll be taking the cats to the island on Midsummer, when I have a long
weekend off work. Then I will leave them there (in my mother's care) while
I
come back for one more week of work before my holiday starts. This is what
I
do each summer. That one week without the cats is the longest week of the
year. I see them out of the corner of my eyes, I hear them doing things
around the house, I feel them coming up on the bed at night, but there is
no
one there.

Oh, I know how you must feel! I find it's hard enough to be away from Vino
when we travel. But to be at home, in our house, without Vino...that would
be so hard. I am so attached to the little bugger. I can't bear to think
of him dying. In fact, I try to tell myself that in 10 years or so, they
will come up with a magical life extension cure for cats and Vino will live
as long as me!
--
Britta
Sandpaper kisses, a cuddle and a purr. I have an alarm clock that's covered
in fur!
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album

"Marina" wrote in message
...

"Takayuki" wrote
Is there ever a point when you finally get used to your cat? I've had
Betty for over a year now, and I haven't gotten used to it.

You never do. I've lived with cats my whole life, and I still feel the way
you do. It's only when you are without them for one reason or another that
you realise how used you are to having them around.

I'll be taking the cats to the island on Midsummer, when I have a long
weekend off work. Then I will leave them there (in my mother's care) while
I
come back for one more week of work before my holiday starts. This is what
I
do each summer. That one week without the cats is the longest week of the
year. I see them out of the corner of my eyes, I hear them doing things
around the house, I feel them coming up on the bed at night, but there is
no
one there.

Oh, I know how you must feel! I find it's hard enough to be away from Vino
when we travel. But to be at home, in our house, without Vino...that would
be so hard. I am so attached to the little bugger. I can't bear to think
of him dying. In fact, I try to tell myself that in 10 years or so, they
will come up with a magical life extension cure for cats and Vino will live
as long as me!
--
Britta
Sandpaper kisses, a cuddle and a purr. I have an alarm clock that's covered
in fur!
Check out pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album

On Sat, 5 Jun 2004 20:16:20 +0700, "badwilson" yodeled:


"Marina" wrote in message
...

"Takayuki" wrote
Is there ever a point when you finally get used to your cat? I've had
Betty for over a year now, and I haven't gotten used to it.

You never do. I've lived with cats my whole life, and I still feel the way
you do. It's only when you are without them for one reason or another that
you realise how used you are to having them around.

I'll be taking the cats to the island on Midsummer, when I have a long
weekend off work. Then I will leave them there (in my mother's care) while
I
come back for one more week of work before my holiday starts. This is what
I
do each summer. That one week without the cats is the longest week of the
year. I see them out of the corner of my eyes, I hear them doing things
around the house, I feel them coming up on the bed at night, but there is
no
one there.

Oh, I know how you must feel! I find it's hard enough to be away from Vino
when we travel. But to be at home, in our house, without Vino...that would
be so hard. I am so attached to the little bugger. I can't bear to think
of him dying.

(snip)

gulp er, dying?

LALALALALALALA I can't hear you, I can't hear you!


Theresa
My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com
alt.tv.frasier FAQ: http://www.im-listening.net/FAQ/