having pets as roommates.

So technically, I live with three people and two cats. One of the people belongs to me (in a way) and the cats belong to our roommates, though Eric was living with them when they got the last one as a kitten. The other cat could care less about me, and she only likes Eric when he pets her after she's long since been relaxing on the couch, but the younger one, Pablo, he has become very attached to me.

Honestly, I think he likes me because when he's hungry or bored and wants to eat, I sometimes feed him, even though I'm not supposed to. And after I got yelled at for feeding the cats (even when I was just shaking a tin can full of trail mix), I just give him a few of the dental nuggets, which they (the roommates) mix into the mostly diet pellets that Pablo only eats when he's really hungry.

Today when I was making sushi for my brother, Pablo came running when he heard the tin can opener and I drained the salmon juice into a bowl and flaked out a little salmon and he lapped at most of the juice. I know he remembers this from a previous time, because the other day when I opened a can of beets, he came running and did a cursory climb up the lower cabinets to take a gentle peek. He seemed disappointed that there was no fish to sample.

And I can truly say, the best thing about living here for nearly two years now is that I have become one with the Pablo.

In the morning, he's been awake for hours and just wants someone to play with him, or rub him, or usually feed him a little. When he sees me in the morning, he runs to greet me and sometimes makes a dive for the floor right in front of my feet so I am forced to pet him. I have never met a more manipulative cat.

When he wants to eat, he makes this happy noise that's between a purr and a meow and races towards his food bowl with great speed. When he realizes that I'm not following (especially ever since I got bitched at for feeding him), he comes and finds me where I am and sits with me until I move towards the kitchen again.

Today when Alan was having a smoke and we went outside to join him, Pablo ventured forward (even though he's scared of most people) into the kitchen and I saw him peering through the screen door. I opened it wide to let him out and he immediately ran downstairs. Eric went to catch him and I said, "Don't bother, he's just down there rolling around on the cement." I was right, he was.

When he comes into our room, I make sure to put out a flat notebook or folder for him. I don't know what it is about cats but they love sitting on papers; especially important ones. Not too long ago, he was sitting on my computer class folder that I set out for him.

I have also never met a cat that greeted me at the door when I came home. Pablo does this to all of us, actually and its kind of cute. I guess he's the most dog like cat I've ever known.

The good thing about this is I think it gets us used to the idea of having pets, or cats specifically, though it's not the full experience, I mean we get the best of the bargain, we play with them and don't have to clean up their shit, and I think when we move we'll be more likely to get a cat than we would have before.

Oh, but the kitten stage...it'll be payback for all the times we've walked past cat shit on the floor and didn't bother to pick it up.