I'm not a crazy person, but I play one on teevee

Marilyn has been mad at me for a couple of days now, with good reason. I took her in for a dental exam on Monday and she left minus three teeth. Neither of us expected that, but what are you going to do?

So I've been giving her Clavamox, an antibiotic, in a liquid form. She's supposed to take it for five days. On one hand, she's the easiest cat to medicate, but she seriously hates it, and she's spent a lot of time hiding because she now associates me with yucky tasting medicine.

I can empathize. I mean, I always knew who the blood suckers were, the ones who were there just to wake me up and stick me with needles. Last night, I wanted a little bit of feline company, and I was able to pick her up and carry her into the living room with me. She sat with me and seemed very happy, especially for a cat who's supposed to be mad at me at the time. She sat on my lap and purred loudly.

Now, if you have cats, I'm sure you know what I mean when I say that she was purring happily. Purring, you see, is not a one-dimensional thing. Cats use it to express a number of feelings, and some cats have a wide variety of purrs. My Lola was like that. Last night, Marilyn was rumbling like Lola used to.

And then she made a noise that sounded so much like Lola's cooing, that I could not stop myself from crying. Lola actually cooed when she was particularly happy. I called it "the love noise." I have never heard another cat make that noise, but Marilyn certainly did.

So I sat on the couch with her, feeling her thick fur in my fingers, and I thought of Lola. I wondered if she might be taking an opportunity to visit. Maybe that's absurd, but if anybody could do it, a cat could.

I love Marilyn a little more than I love my other girls, both of whom I have deep affection for. Marilyn is special, because sometimes I forget and call her Lola. Miss Fluffernutter is larger by about four pounds, and she's usually quieter, but there are times when I wonder.

And the wondering is good.

before - after