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milk for Nase
This is my cat Nase:
(Nase means “nose” in German.)
We got him in the mid-nineties, so he must be pretty old in cat-years by now.
He’s a very smart cat, and he doesn’t think much of people – I guess his life around them has never been easy.
When he was young and it was time for his surgical “fix”, I got obsessed with the idea of calling him Dödel (a term that can be understood as a transliteration of the word “penis”), but my family never really supported that cause.
This would have been bad enough by itself, but it was around the same time that I started tossing him around. Someone had told me – or maybe I had picked it up in a magazine or on the tele – that cats always fall on their feet. I don’t know if you’ve heard that one before, it kind of goes like: if a person falls from a tree, he or she is likely to break his or her neck, or at least pop a shoulder. But if a cat falls from a tree, it will always land on its paws and walk away in a cool and relaxed manner, as if nothing has happened.
Awesome, I thought, Dödel can’t hurt himself! Flying super-cat, you can always enjoy a ride in the rollercoaster without having to actually RIDE a rollercoaster!
So Nase/D̦del went flying. I would chuck him around in my room, throw him all the way down the hallway, or send him airborne outside in the yard (soft grass made a better landing ground than the slippery parquet flooring upstairs) Рand I never realized how much he hated it.
Please believe me, I always thought I loved that cat.
I just wasn’t able to understand.
With time, Dödel/Nase grew bigger and stronger, and his hatred and distrust in people (in me) grew bigger and stronger with him.
I remember there was one last time we played: it was in my room – he wasn’t full-grown yet – and we had fun (I had fun) spinning him around on the floor, kind of like in one of those centrifugal rides some people seem to enjoy at the amusement park. At some point I somehow got the idea to spill water over him. Cats weren’t supposed to like water, but maybe this cat was different?
Of course he wasn’t different. Trying to evade the dreadful wetness, he went speeding towards the door. Only the spinning had made his head dizzy (cats do land on their feet most of the time, but they can still get dizzy spells), so he eventually crashed into a wooden cabinet.
How funny! I almost laughed my head off while my poor cat was dragging himself out of the room.
…
It took me some time to realize my mistake. We never “played” again after that.
…
This episode must have been more than 10 years ago. Nase/Dödel has grown into a very strong and able tomcat. He can open doors by himself. He likes to sit outside and stare at a hole in the ground for hours at a time, always ready to make a sudden kill. We need three people to hold him down if we’re going to give him his medicine, or worse yet, an injection. There are two large scars on my left hand, both are from previous attempts to make peace with him. Needless to say that those attempts have failed miserably.
You see, I believe that I have changed: I don’t call him Dödel anymore. I don’t toss him around. I am really trying to be nice. Sometimes when I give him milk, he even lets me pet him for a little while.
But we both know he doesn’t like me.
…
Three days ago I was surprised though: he came to my bed at night and sat there looking at me for a while. I didn’t know what to do, so I pretended to be asleep. Then, ever so slowly, I noticed one of his paws was on my mattress. Then the other one. Then the whole cat, my Nase! I didn’t dare move or make a sound, while he carefully curled himself into a ball of purring warmth and stayed until the early morning.
…
Today when I was pouring a glass of milk in the kitchen, I noticed him looking at the milk. “Want some?” I asked, and it seemed like he was trying to say yes, so I poured him a little. Then I realized that the milk from the fridge was very cold, so I thought: maybe he would like his milk better if it was a bit warm? So I heated it up in the microwave oven and then added fresh milk until I thought it had the right temperature.
He didn’t touch it. Instead, he just sat there looking at the thing that was supposed to be his milk, but which apparently seemed so warm and so weird to him.
I eventually gave the milk to Puki the dog, and she had a great time spilling most of it on the kitchen floor.
…
That was in the morning.
Now it’s 14:17, and I’m supposed to be studying Russian – but here I am writing this because I am surprised again: Nase is on my lap!
He came by himself. I didn’t pick him up and I didn’t force him, I was just there, and he chose to come.
Now he’s in my lap, and not only can I hear him purring, but I can also feel it, a soft vibration going through both of our bodies, telling me that he is happy, and that everything is alright.
Maybe we can be friends after all, my cat and me?
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November 20th, 2008 at 10:41
Aloha…
I'm pretty sure that the 2 of you will get along great, now that you've both grown up… ;)
I never was (notice the past tense?) a cat-person and pretty un-excited when i had to do a 2-week-catsitting-thing. I stayed away as far as i could from her… but one day she got me with the same tactics nase uses… sneaky lovely bastards they are.
The weekend is going to bring the winter, enjoy the purrr and the warmth.
November 20th, 2008 at 11:28
What's a touching moment and relationship !!
Really nice to hear from you and see you photo ! Chris
November 20th, 2008 at 12:49
You mean there's hope for Ghosty???!! I still remember you chasing him to the rafters of the basement!
November 20th, 2008 at 13:16
aaah, du lernst Russisch. Dann weiß ich, was das bedeutet. PS. Hatte immer Katzen. Katzen sind gut für Menschen. Beste Grüße Hermann
November 20th, 2008 at 14:46
This is a great story.
November 20th, 2008 at 19:33
There are very few things as comforting as a warm cat purring next you as you drift off to sleep. I've been on the road for about eight months, and I think I miss my cat at least as much as most of my friends!
November 21st, 2008 at 04:34
why russian?? pleeeaaaase could you tell us something about your plans or non-plans?
this is so beautiful, the story about your cat! :-)
November 21st, 2008 at 04:34
please?
November 21st, 2008 at 15:42
Добрый вечер
Jetzt werde ich mir mal wieder den Unmut einiger KommentatorInnen zu ziehen: Scheißegal, viel Feind viel Ehr!
Endlich fasst Du wieder Fuss. Zwei positive Ereignisse.
1. Du blogst mal wieder vernünftige Inhalte und nicht nur diesen theatralischen Selbstbemitleidungskram.
Ich kann es ja verstehen, zu mal ich mich selbst in jungen Jahren wieder erkenne, aber mir hat damals auch geholfen, dass mir ein Kumpel in den Hintern getreten hat. Vom Jammern und Trübsal blasen wird nichts besser und Du hast die Tour ja wohl für Dich selbst begonnen und nicht für sie oder irgend jemand anderen.
2. Welcher Depp hat Dir denn empfohlen russisch zu lernen ? ;-) :-)
Aber warum bis zum Frühjahr warten, letzten Winter warst Du doch auch on the road?
Btw, herzliche Grüße von meinem Purzel an Nase und Dödel gibt es durchaus auch in anderen Bedeutungen als nur für das Gemächt.
Hau rein ist Tango, zupf die Nudel!
November 21st, 2008 at 15:50
Wie immer was vergessen.
Katzen sind bekanntlich ziemlich klug, wahrscheinlich weiß Nase, dass Milch nicht gut für ihn ist. Und ihr seid ganz schön link, die Klinken hochkant montieren, damit die Katze sie nicht mehr aufbekommt. :-)
November 22nd, 2008 at 03:18
Als Mutter von erwachsenen Kindern finde ich Deine Entscheidung richtig, den Winter zuhause zu verbringen, vor allem aus gesundheitlichen Gründen.
Wir hatten über 10 Jahre eine liebe schlaue Katze, von der ich viele schöne Geschichten erzählen könnte. Meine Tochter hat zurzeit 3 Katzen, Carlo, Pepsi und Tarzan. Tarzan wurde von einem Auto angefahren und schwer verletzt. Er sollte eingeschläfert werden, meine Tochter ließ ihn aber operieren, und heute freut sich Tarzan mit 3 Beinen seines Lebens. Mein Mann nennt ihn seither "Tausendfüßler".
November 23rd, 2008 at 17:28
Na gut, weiter so !
Vielleicht trifft man sich aufn weg!
Gruß Josh
November 23rd, 2008 at 21:06
You know, a veterinarian once told me that cats only have an effective memory of about two years, and beyond that they get by not on memory, but habitual behavior. For example, my parents' two cats (years ago) had forgotten that they were mother and daughter and now only understood that they were two cats that lived together. Chances are good Nase doesn't remember the brutality of his kittenhood, especially with the brain damage that all that spinning no doubt caused. ;)
That's the cool thing with animals: you always get a blank slate and a clean start with them. They never remember as much as we think they do. Then again, maybe people aren't so different.
November 25th, 2008 at 04:10
Katzen haben eine Antenne für Gefühlslagen ihrer "Dosenöffner". Als ich bei uns in der Firma angefangen habe zu arbeiten, war der Laden noch auf dem Grundstück des Vaters meines Chefs (quasi ne Gartenlaube). Zu der Familie gehörten zwei große Kater. Mit Katzen habe ich drei Probleme: Ich liebe Katzen, Katzen lieben mich und ich bin ziemlich allergisch gegen Katzen. Es kam also wie es kommen musste: Die Kater haben mich ganz schnell in ihr Herz geschlossen und ich habe mich mit ihnen arrangiert: Ich schmuse nur mit den Händen mit euch, versuche mir dabei möglichst wenig ins Gesicht zu fassen, wasche mir danach die Hände und wir kommen alle wunderbar miteinander aus.
An einem Wochenende hatte meine Freundin mit mir Schluss gemacht. Montags danach saß ich auf der Arbeit und war ziemlich fertig. Den Tag über konnte ich mich in die Arbeit flüchten, aber danach wollte ich nicht nach Hause gehen aus Angst nachdenken zu müssen. Mumpi hat das wohl über den Tag mitbekommen, er kam abends zu mir in die Werkstatt, maunzte, sprang dann auf die Werkbank und akzeptierte sogar gelassen, dass ich ihn vor lauter Kummer in den Arm nahm und sein Fell nass heulte.
Ein paar Tage später war Pinterchen sehr anhänglich, wich den ganzen Tag nicht von meiner Seite, saß durchgehend auf meinem Schoß, sah mir bei der Arbeit zu und als ich heim gehen wollte, ist er mir noch bis zur Bushaltestelle nachgelaufen und mir um die Beine gestrichen. Im Laufe der Nacht wurde er dann von einem Auto angefahren und lag am nächsten Morgen tot vor der Einfahrt.
Seitdem bin ich mir sicher, dass Katzen für Vieles eine Art 7. Sinn haben und Dinge *wissen*, die wir Menschen nicht wissen. Zumindest sage ich mir, dass Pinterchen von seinem Tod wusste und sich verabschieden wollte. Ich bin sicher, Nase weiss, wie es in dir aussieht und will dich einfach auf seine Art trösten.
November 28th, 2008 at 10:30
We have some world leaders who need to read this and grow up too! Kudos for maturity and tolerance, and best wishes to you and to Nase.
November 29th, 2008 at 07:17
Still stuck with the cat?
What happend to you….