The Kitties

I don't care who you are and what you say; cats are smart. At least mine are. They always have been. First, we've had Ginger who would know when we'd have to get up, go to bed and come home from school. Things changed when we went to junior high school because we started coming home at different times due to after school activities, staying up late, sleeping in, etc. But she always knew when you were sick and would lie down with you the whole time. And she knew when there was going to be grated cheese in the kitchen.

Now we have Bob. He's also smart but...he can be a little slow. For example, he knows ways to sneak outside, like hiding in the laundry basket. However, he doesn't realize that we can SEE him in the laundry basket. He also knows that cameras take pictures and he usually watches the camera, posing, waiting for the flash.

Bella is one of the smartest cats I've ever met. In fact, she talks with us. She understands what we're saying and attempts to communicate with us. Her meows even have different intonations and we can tell her mood. We know when she's happy, mad, sad, and even has matching facial expressions. While most cats can be "tricked" with treats, she can't. She knows we want something and is wary about getting treats for no particularly reasons. Last year, I used to let her out when I came home from work at 4pm. She continued looking to get out at 4pm during my days off and for a short while after I left for England. Like Ginger, she knows when bedtime is and will tell us so if we're up late.

She's also very skittish. In fact, she has a new hiding spot in the house somewhere so that we can't find her.

They also know that I've been depressed lately. They won't let me sleep without one of them. One of them will cuddle with me when I go to bed and usually leave while I drift off. When I wake up, one of them (sometimes the same one, sometimes the other one) will come and cuddle for a few minutes before I get up.

It's like they know I need hugs.