Tango

            Cozy scenes of my new kitten lit up my imagination:  Tango sleeping on my lap, enjoying the fleece blanket nest I created in the end table storage, sitting in the office windowsill spot cleared specially for her.  That was before I brought her home.

            True, Tango does sleep on my lap on occasion, but I never thought about the frustration that could cause me.  She likes to come between me and my Kindle or book.  She wants to share any snack I hope to nibble on as I read.  And she gets especially persistent if I have a glass of milk.  My imagination neglected other typical cat behavior, too:  kitty sneezes and kitty farts in my face, kitty claws contentedly kneading my good blouse or my bare arm, kitty tongue licking the straw of my covered water container. 

            Tango has been mine for three weeks now, and she finally tried out the cozy fleece blanket nest for a few minutes last night.  She prefers sleeping behind the couch, on the hardwood floor, under the dining room table, and on the cupholder fold-down of the living room couch.  Of course, she also loves to nap on my recliner end of the couch.  Often I find her offerings of one or more of her catnip mice in the morning.  Like a good dog, she lies down near my feet when I sit at the dining table or computer desk.  (When I’m eating, she jumps up on the table and I deposit her in the office.)

            Now she happens to be on the office windowsill space gazing out at the front yard.  Good cat.  A few minutes ago she made a deposit in her litter box, which caused me to promptly jump up from this writing to scoop, add scented litter beads, and start the diffuser with the hopes I could keep writing without gagging.  You see, she has the stinkiest poop of any cat I have ever known.  Diet adjustments have done nothing to make a difference. 

            Which brings me to the last thing I never imagined:  my sensitivity to litter dust.  Lightweight clumping litter is out.  I’m using the regular-weight stuff which promises to kill odors.  Hah!  At least it is slightly less dusty.  It didn’t occur to me that sharing my office space with litter box would be a problem.  With the air purifier running at high speed and the diffuser sending out a lavender scent, I may be able to survive the dust and stink.  Uh-oh.  She just got in the box again.

            But Tango does have the softest, silkiest fur imaginable.  She purrs loudly with contentment.  Her meowing voice is very soft.  She allows all petting:  back, head, under the chin, belly, paws, and tail.  She entertains with her mad dashing around the house, expert soccer playing with a bottle cap, and focused hunting of crickets. She’s a keeper for sure.