Sometimes, I’ll admit, I come in to work a little late. Who doesn’t? And there are many reasons for it: trains running late; traffic; long lines at Dunkin’ Donuts…
I’d be lying if I tried to use any of those excuses.
At the risk of getting in trouble with my bosses, I’m going to explain why, on some mornings, I am late to work.
This is why:
My tuxedo cats, Sal and Dean, do not seem to understand that I have to get up and go to work every morning. Or maybe they do understand, because they do everything in their power to make it hard for me to resist pressing snooze and cuddling with them for another 10 minutes.
Who can resist that?
Sal and Dean are very attached to my husband and me. When we stay home from work on a weekday or during the weekends, they are never more than a few feet away, ready to jump into our laps, or nose their way into whatever we are doing.
I usually feel terrible leaving them. My poor babies will be so lonely all day! They almost always walk me to the door on my way out in the mornings, and I always take one last look at their earnest little faces.
But recently, I’ve started to realize that I’ve been misunderstanding my kitties.
Cats are, by nature solitary, animals. They’re more at home doing their own thing than seeking out company. Humans are exactly the opposite. We crave the company of loved ones! If cats are paying attention to you at all, it is because they want to, not because they necessarily need to.
Maybe instead of me comforting them in the morning, they’re comforting me? Perhaps they’re trying to remind me that I always have a loving home and loving paws to return to at the end of the day. They want me to know that they’re always on hand to make me smile even when I’ve had the roughest of days.
So even though I’ll be a little late for work (sorry Boss!), I’m always willing to halt my morning routine to give them a good cuddle or scratch behind the ears—to show that I’d do the same for them.
—Jessica Bloustein
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