I am currently apartment- and cat-sitting in San Francisco. S & A are out of town, so poor Zero the cat is having to rely on me for the necessities of life. This is almost a completely new experience for me, as most of my life I have been allergic to cats, and therefore am rarely asked to take care of them. However, my sensitivity to cats is slowly disappearing — one of the mysteries of my strange and troubled chemical makeup. I have almost no reaction to Zero, even though he spends a lot of time lying on my neck and (trying to) lick my face. He even sneezed in my face (thanks, bub).

As I have never been able to be too close to felines, I’ve never felt that I understood them. However, with Zero there doesn’t seem to be a lot to understand. Zero makes it very clear when it is time to eat, when to groom, and (especially) time to nap.

I have adapted unbelievably fast to Zero’s schedule. When I am here in the apartment, he kind of calls the shots: NOW it’s eating time, NOW it’s grooming time.. but NOW is mostly lying and petting time. When I make motions of getting up and being productive, Zero communicates that I’m wrong: that it is, in actuality, time for another nap. Once that’s done, there’s a brief break for a snack and then: more napping!

I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t go back to sleep this morning at 8am, until I realized that I had just slept solidly for 9.5 hours, and this total doesn’t count for the 3 naps taken yesterday morning and afternoon.

It’s almost 3pm on Friday and I have a reservation for a yoga class. However, Zero is starting to purr on the bed .. if Zero had opposable thumbs, he would snap and I would slump deeply and immediately into REM sleep.

S&A’s apartment is wonderful and inviting, and I can’t believe what a satisfying vacation I am having. I feel like I’ve been suspended in a sweet, clear nougat-like substance. I have no thoughts at all, except about where the next good meal or friend is (often combined), or where the next sparkling, gorgeous outdoor destination will be, or when will be the time that Zero will deem as the next affection/rest session. Very exciting!