Tomorrow is National Black Cat Appreciation Day, and surely I ought to take a moment to appreciate my own black cat, Cairo.
Cairo is not your standard black cat, at least, not standard in size. He’s essentially a massive shadow, all black and very large. He’s about 15 pounds and his tail is 13 inches long – he’s not just a chunky boy, he’s a long boy. He’s just a big ol’ cat.
For being so large, he’s surprisingly agile, always able to jump up on countertops and tables, especially if dairy products are involved. He also choses these places to spread out or roll around, while making sure he neatly curls up in a loaf in the middle of the empty living room floor. Cats, right?
Another thing about Cairo is he acts a lot like a dog. I didn’t know how to work with a cat when I first got him so I just started teaching him dog stuff. He will sit for treats and even can sit up; I also taught him how to grab the treat while sitting up. That last trick was easy, I just kept reinforcing what he already was doing. It’s quite endearing, and even when he takes it a step too far and tries to knock the treat out of my hand, it’s still endearing.
A lot of our houseguests have described Cairo as a “dogcat” because is super social and also meows at people a lot. If you talk back to him, he’ll keep it going too, before falling dramatically to the ground and asking for some pets on that big ol’ belly. I told you he was like a dog, asking for belly rubs.
Cairo isn’t much of an athlete, though occasionally I can entice him with a toy attached to a stick with a string. He used to like the laser pointer but I think I move too fast with it, and he prefers to stalk and stealth. But he really is more of a couch potato, he loves to cuddle and will happily “make biscuits” in my lap at any time of day. In fact, he makes so many biscuits we like to joke that Cairo has an early morning job at a breakfast place down the street, making actual biscuits before I get up. That would explain why he likes to meow in my face at 4 a.m. in hopes of food.
Speaking of 4 a.m., sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and he’s at my feet, using my ankle as a pillow. Tell me that’s not adorable.
I also appreciate that my cat chose me. It makes me feel good to think that the kitten version of him was so confident in his decision to stick it out with 22 year old me, and was willing to be my first ever, all-on-my-own pet.
Happy National Black Cat Appreciation Day, Cairo. I think a round of milk is in order!
