With Mikey's Help

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We all love our pets, and they love us. They try to fit into our human lives as best they can. And they try to help us as best they can. Following are some of the ways my cat Mikey has been helpful to me over the years:

Cleaning: It usually takes me about 30 minutes to dust. With Mikey's help, maybe 40. Or maybe I don't finish. He likes to wrestle with paper towel rolls. I don't like to interfere with the match.

Cooking: I have a small, New York kitchen and a large cat. He doesn't so much try to help me cook. But he does like to kibbitz. Added time with Mikey's help--about 10 minutes a meal.

Eating: This may be Mikey's favorite way to help me. Can't finish? I'll help. If I have to interrupt my meal for any reason, I have to put the food in a drawer because Mikey might help me more than I want or need helping.

Typing: When I'm at my computer, Mikey likes to be right by my side. He stands on his hind legs and bats at the keyboard. With Mikey's help, I do lots of backspacing and deleting.

Showering: Psycho with a feline. Twisted Evil

As I take my shower, Mikey plants himself between the shower curtain and the shower curtain liner. He bats at me as I pass by. The first time, it was a shock. Now, his help does not affect the outcome.

Working: I'm an editor/proofreader. Mikey likes to help by serving as a paperweight, not that there are any strong breezes wafting through my apartment. With Mikey's help, I can't get any work done at all. I can't even see the work. (Note: If he's not serving as a paperweight, he likes to nibble on some of my projects. I don't view this as help.)

Sleeping: I should have labeled this, Waking Up. He doesn't do anything to help me sleep. But he has made a fine art of waking me up. Method 1: Sniff my eyelids. Is she still in there? Method 2: Breathe on my face. Method 3: Make little whiney noises. Method 4: Shriek at the top of his lungs and hurl himself on the bed. All effective.

So what does your pet do to help you get through your day-to-day existence?

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A-Yup... Nisse can help us with waking up/staying wake half the night with them whimpy noises, and the screaming too. Glad to see we're not the only ones being terrorized by our cats!!

Roberta, I think you forgot one really helpful cat-task... Additives in your food! No meal is ever complete without cathair in it!!!

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You're right, Bigdice. An excellent source of protein.

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Terribly annoying when you have guests...

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Reading the newspaper is another favorite. Here you also need a paperweight, no doubt! One cat in the middle of the paper.

Folding clothes - I do this sitting on the floor. Well, I guess it's my own fault then... Fold a pair of jeans, put it to the side and presto - there is a cat on it.

Keeping my hair clean. This is Nisse's task. He has to lick and chew my hair to keep it clean. To stimulate the growth - little bites into my scalp.

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Barney and Nermal take turns helping me keep my teeth brushed by taking turns curling up in the basin. Eventually, they leave after turning on the water, but not as quickly as I would have expected. This is not the only way they are helpful in the bathroom. There is virtually no activity that cannot be enhanced by having an audiance.

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urs. Yes, helping us with our grooming. Nisse grooms your hair and scalp. How thoughtful. Smile

And what is it about cats and freshly washed clothes. They MUST help. Sitting on the folded clothes. Rolling around in the laundry bag when everything is just out of the dryer and nice and warm. And reading a newspaper. Can't do it without help from Mikey.

Roger, I'm glad you're getting help with your dental hygiene. I once find Mikey "cleaning" my toothbrush. I guess he thought I hadn't done a good enough job. I was so pleased with his concern for my welfare that I let him keep the brush. :wink:

In my opening message I neglected to mention interior decorating assistance. Any comments?

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M'dog Pacco apparently likes the look of furry angora sweaters and mink coats. And I don't own either. Thus he maintains an effort to furrize my wardrobe, with particular attention to single colored blazers. Proudly I wear my burgundy blazer with gold and white hairs distributed finely in the front. Why the front? I dunno, proximity during hugs or something. I take these additions for what they are worth, spot trimmings. Other people curb themselves from reaching out with roller tape devices, or I think they do. Little frowns appear just as I do in a room...

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Interior decorating, huh? My previous cat was really helpful in modifying the drapes, but only the ones covering the glass door he liked to look out of. They were delightfully positioned directly above the heating/air conditioning duct. They were also delightfully frilly on the bottom - after modification.

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A cat where I live helps me stay up all night whenever I need to wake up early the next day by walking along the window sill and making a ruckus with the blinds.

She also helps wake me up early by parting the blinds (she likes to stare at the rising sun) and letting the sun hit my face.

I help her fly.

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BAAAAAAD Craven!

Hmm - my cats are more helpful than I could ever have expected.

They have helped my love-life by:
a. Inserting self between self and beloveds and growling. (leading to Time Out)
b. Sleeping on beloved's legs, giving him nightmares.
c. Sitting outside window when I had left beloved alone twanging the fly-screen melodically to annoy him.
d. Biting beloved's hand attempting to feed cat.
e. Hiding under bed at crucial time and making noises like a dying cat.

They have also helped re-decorate by vomiting, scritching, breaking precious items - I WAS going to collect tea-pots - but now...

They help keep me busy by leaving fur everywhere.

They are good guest greeters, party food eaters, (I once had one who worshipped potato chips and would, if someone held one in their hand for a time, launch herself through the air and grab it from the stunned hand of the tantalising guest! (great conversation starter), aids to floor cleaning - by tripping me up and making me spill stuff - I could go on and on ....

They do not, however, wake me up - they know better!

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My cat is very helpful with naps on the couch. If I decide to take a snooze, he immediately inserts himself between my arms. When I wake up, he tries very hard to NOT let me up, instilling himself on my chest, clinging to my clothing and in general becoming a pest.

One of my dogs informs me whenever the dratted squirrel has appeared in the yard, by yiking at the door, then rushing from one window to another, whining and making deep snuffling noises. The other dog informs me that the first dog needs to investigate outside by running up to me, bumping me with her nose, then looking concerned.

Both the dogs and the cat remind me that food should be made available. They do this by rushing ahead of me into the kitchen and then sitting in the middle of the room looking concerned. When all three are there, like ducks in a row, I know that it is time and past time. Soon they'll be gnawing at my ankles.

All three help me with vacuuming the carpet by providing tufts of hair that clearly show what still needs to be cleaned.

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Hey Deb, Be glad the "help" is under the bed making sounds of a dying cat. I've had a situation--well, anything that moves is a target. :wink: Speaking of moving, I get help with the fax machine and the printer. If the paper is moving, Mikey is there. He once pounced on papers emerging from the printer. The table collapsed. I managed to catch Mikey in one arm and the printer in the other. Then I slowly released both.

Osso, Hair, and such lovely colors. They go with anything. Smile

Piffka, Does having a cat sleeping on your chest cause you to have some strange dreams? And let's face it. You must be made aware of wildlife on your premises. A squirrel! Shocked

Roger, Brave soul that you are. You have drapes? Let's face it. They just scream out for feline assistance. Too long. Does the breeze move them? Fair game. Smile

Craven, Be nice. Evil or Very Mad

The cat is just trying to spare you the sound of the alarm clock. Just trying to be helpful.

Gift wrapping: Question. Is there a pet owner among us who has wrapped a present and not found an animal hair under at least one piece of tape?

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Gift wrapping! Idea

Before wrapping gifts, wad up a really long strip of duct tape and toss it on the floor. This shoud keep them occupied for hours.

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Roberta, what a delightful thread!
I think you already know of most of my 3 critters antics ... err, helpfulness, I mean. There have been no recent new developments in this area. They just keep helping in the same ol' ways! But on a grim day like today they are just about the only things that have made me smile. Maybe I should have 20 of these critters, as a buffer against the horrors of the world?

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Roberta, how delightful Mikey must be. Smile

My SO is allergic to cats, but he to manage to co-exist with mine for a few years. She helped him by sleeping on his chest on a regular basis. Her helpfulness in this area extended to waking him by bumping her nose on his nose. He never gave her flying lessons for this, but I bet he was tempted.

My dogs are a never ending source of assistance.

A routine is a routine, weekends, late nights, sickness be damned! We must rise at about the same hour and commence our day! The dogs are a great help in this area. My Papillon has taken to digging at the covers, which eventually she manages to peel off me, trying to get me out of bed. They know what time it is, even if I don't know or don't want to know.

In the kitchen, they are a great help. Drop something? We'll get it! Leftovers? No problem, they are always willing to help.

Visitors are never unannounced. If there is a knock or a doorbell, the dogs make a great show out of running about the house barking. I'm not sure what the significance of this behavior is, but despite my best efforts, they continue to make me aware, in grand fashion, that someone is outside.

And perhaps my favorite, being greeted at the door. They help me the most when my hands are full and I cannot see them. No amount of discouraging will dissuade them, they want me to know they are happy I'm home, even if I was outside for 2 minutes.

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Wonderful stories!

Possum assists in most of the above tasks. He's especially good at getting me out of bed, regardless of whether I want to / need to.

His special feifdom is the linen press. If I'm home late, or not paying attention, he pulls all the linen from the lower shelves of the linen press, and leaves it in a heap in the middle of the entrance hallway. Guests have found this somewhat surprising.

Consequently, I have an extremely tidy, well organised, linen press.

On 2 occasions, when I've been away, and I have a cat-sitter, supposedly to keep an eye on him, he won't let them watch television. One complained that he kept being hit in the head, and more recently - he bit my poor aunt because she wasn't paying attention. He attacks me too, but I understand that I am subservient, whereas others may think they are in control.

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Roger, Thanks for the helpful hint. I'll try it next Christmas.

Olga, Yes, I have a fair idea of how your three felines have been helpful to you. But maybe you could share a few tidbits with the rest of the folks.

Sublime, If you say Mikey is delightful, who am I to argue. Why do cats like to sleep on our chests? I like how helpful your dogs are. No leftovers. You must have a very neat refrigerator. I've often wondered why dogs feel compelled to let us know when someone is at the door after the doorbell has rung. I guess they just can't help being extra helpful.

Margo, I didn't realize that Possum was a biter. Your cat sitters just don't understand the cat mentality. Television? How dull. I have cat toys surrounding my spot on the couch where I sit to watch tv. I'm getting pretty good at watching, flipping channels, and snapping rubber bands.

I'm about to take out the garbage. Amount of time from my apartment to the compacter rooms--15 seconds. With Mikey--impossible to guess. He is compelled to accompany me to the room. Then he refuses to come back inside. It's great exercise for me. So not only does he help me with the garbage, but he's also watching out for my cardiovascular fitness.

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Heehee - Oscar loves to escape and run down the corridor outside my front door. I let him do it late at night, and then play sheep dog to his naughty, dodging sheep. It is very funny!

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Deb, I let Mikey run around in the hall late at night, too. King of the hall. He comes back when he's good and ready. I have donated enough blood to Mikey. I'm not going to try to pick him up. He's armed and dangerous.

What about wolverines? I was just thinking about how even a grizzly bear doesn't mess with a wolverine. Impressive animals.

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