The Hit List - The routines of cats

Cats live with a certain rhythm to their days. Those of us who live with them must learn to obey that groove.

TaoZen, my kitty who passed away last week, ruled our home with iron paws. Every day, we all marched to his drumbeat, which usually centered around constant adoration – and treats. The mornings were dedicated to his feeding ritual, which meant putting an extra-large helping of wet food on his plate and standing between him and his brother Monkey so he wouldn’t snarf up all the goods. He could be sneaky about that. One turn of my back and poor Monkey was out of luck. You had to watch breakfast time carefully.

TaoZen was also a dairy lover. We had an odd ritual every morning, where I would pop a bagel in the toaster, slather it with butter, and turn it upside down on the plate. Butter would ooze out, leaving the dish a delightful mess. He would excitedly lead me down the stairs to my office, where I would plop down in front of the computer to read the news while he licked the plate clean.

The first few days after he died, I would find myself mindlessly rubbing the bagels on the plate. It was an ingrained habit, a tribute to a food-aggressive feline who knew how to command the routines around here.

I cannot tell you how hard this is. I now have to think about my breakfast otherwise I come downstairs, see the overturned bagel and start crying. Even poor Monkey seems at a loss. He gingerly eats his breakfast and almost seems guilty for being able to finish it undisturbed.

At night, there is no more TaoZen sitting between us while we read or watch television. That routine is gone as well. The couch has never seemed so empty.

A few days ago, Monkey started coming around at night and spending lots of time on my lap, something he never did because TaoZen was too jealous to share couch time with him. Long, luxurious sessions of petting and purring seem to be what we both need at this tender time.

Although we’re still adjusting, it seems new patterns are falling in place. I have no doubt that rules are about to be established, and once again, we’ll have no choice but to obey. Because that’s what happens when you are roommates with a feline. They are always in charge.

These oak leaves are stunning!

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Events and Classes:

Join my Patreon Community! I am serving up extended card of the day interpretations, astrological tidbits, community tarot practice, political astrology, early sneak peeks to horoscopes….and more. Higher tiers get access to live classes, replays of previous classes, mentoring, and more.

January 17, 2021: Brushes and Stars – An Online Intuitive Painting and Tarot Workshop with Chris Zydel and Theresa Reed. Join us for a day filled with intuitive insights, deep healing, creative prompts, artistic play, and astrology. Cost $175.00.

May 2-8, 2021: The Tuscany Tarot Intensive. Where: Italy! A full week of tarot immersion. Due to the Coronavirus, we moved the event to next year. Good news: the dates allow for a few extra seats which means you can join us next year! Yay!