photo courtesy of Dhaya Eddine Bentaleb
Prince Cashmere, Duke of Marmalade is the name of our cat who has considered us staff for the last 4½ years. We are honored to have him in our home for he has been a source of humor, love and fascination. Rick says he is my cat for he comes to me more often, allows me to hold him and sleeps by my side.
He is a tall, thin cat with an angular face. Our vet thinks he has an oriental blood line, sort of like a Siamese tabby.
Wherever there is a sun spot that is where you will find Cashmere. Some mornings he sleeps on a dining room chair draped with my alpaca throw, or on our bed sprawled out on my chenille sweater, or on the hamper which is below a small window that is flooded with afternoon light.
Cashmere has a daily routine. He has breakfast with us and then naps from 7:30 a.m. until around 2 p.m. Bathing often follows. And then he finds his way to my computer keyboard until he is fed again followed by a bit more napping. During the late afternoon into the evening he follows me around the house watching my every move. Rick calls it “Mimi TV”.
I love Cashmere’s pink nose and paw pads . . . his white bib and tummy. He has golden eyes and a long tail that is stripped like a raccoon’s tail. I’m amazed by the fine white hair in his ears, the length of his whiskers and the size of his canine teeth.
Cashmere has a language we have come to understand. He has a sharp meow when we return home, like “Where in the hell have you been?” A specific meow when he wants to be fed that sounds more like a command. He has a softer meow when he wants to be held. And a distinct meow before he throws up.
Cashmere insists on a variety of moist cat food. In fact, if he had turkey for breakfast he will not eat turkey for lunch. And if he has turkey for lunch he will only eat salmon for dinner. Some times when I put food down for him, he initially is not interested. But when he wanders into another room, I’ll move the dish to another place in the kitchen. He then will re-consider eating it and often will.
With anything new in the house his reaction is, “What’s this?” Or when someone comes to visit, its “Who’s this?” It is fun to see him explore.
When I hold Cashmere, I have figured out he takes about two breaths for every breath I take. He loves to be caressed along his jaw bone. And he likes to smell my breath.
He climbs to the top of the kitchen cabinets so he can look down on his fiefdom. He can turn completely around on the mantel which is 5” wide. Cashmere is an indoor cat. I’m thankful he is not a bolter when we open an outside door. Because we are so attached to him, we’d hate for something to happen to him out in the wilds of the neighborhood.
As COVID-19 is on the rise around the country, Cashmere has become a bit like a service animal. Being with him makes me present to the moment helping me cope with the uncertainty during these times.
Mindful Tip:
I’m sure you are as crazy about your pet as I am with Cashmere. Just for fun, take some time to mindfully write down all of the characteristics of your pet. And then when you are with them, you will have a greater level of awareness of just how unique they are.
