Monday, November 8, 2010

The Culinary Cat

I have a very odd cat. I know that. Joey has anxiety issues and takes daily doses of valium. He has a jelly belly that swings from side-to-side when he runs.

And he loves a spatula.

That’s right. My cat’s new favorite toy is a spatula.

I discovered this one morning when I rolled over and discovered a spatula in bed next to me. Just a simple, flat spatula. How did it get in my bed from the canister it usually lives in beside my stove? Unless I had taken up sleepwalking (and it is true that I love to cook) the only culprit could be my cat.

I washed the spatula, replaced it in its canister...then forgot all about it. Until it happened again two days later.

I’m a light sleeper. I’ve always been an insomniac. It amazed me that I didn’t HEAR this happen. I was especially astounded when one morning I rolled over on the whisk instead of the spatula. What the heck? He really took the whisk from the canister, got it from the counter top to the kitchen floor, then all the way into the bedroom without me hearing a sound?

He only chose the whisk once, though. And one time only he brought the carrot grater (which he must have taken from the dish drainer). Every other time—about nine times that I've counted—it’s been the spatula.

I’ve never yet seen him do it, but I’ll come home and find the spatula on the couch...or in the bathtub...or under the table.

I finally decided—why not let him have it? I drew a little cat face on the spatula with Sharpie. This would be his, and I’d use another one for actual cooking. He carries the spatula from room to room. He doesn’t actually play with it, but he seems to like it near him—he naps with it, sometimes even holding it like a doll while he sleeps.

I figure, who am I to judge? I’m all about tolerance.

But I documented all of this on Facebook. One morning my FB status was “Katrina Kittle finally gave up and is letting the cat keep the spatula as a toy,” and later that day I attended the fun and rowdy No Name Book Club. As a thank you gift, they gave me a lovely bottle of wine...and a new spatula.

That, my friends, is social media at its finest!


5 comments:

  1. Finding a spatula in bed is much nicer than finding a dead mouse! A carrot grater might not be so pleasant to roll over onto though.

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  2. My now 14 year old cat has a favorite 'baby' too. When she was a kitten I brought home a very small stuffed lion. She would carry it in her mouth, crying for attention in the middle of the night. She wouldn't stop until she heard "I see Patches, put your baby to bed." We've moved 2 times and that baby is still in her favorite sleeping spot, but does seem to move around to new places.

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  3. Awww...I love that your cat has a jelly belly (as does one of mine!) and he likes to play with a spatula. What could be cuter?!

    P.S. I am a new reader of your blog and a new follower on Twitter. I just finished Blessings of the Annimals and I cannot tell you how much your book touched me. Every single animal! Muriel the goat was my favorite, but they were all precious. I am going to read your other books now!

    Happy to have found a new favorite writer!

    Your fan in Minneapolis!

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