Peekay Weighs In
Peekay, my gregarious ginger Tabby/Bengal kitten, would like to weigh in this morning on a number of subjects. For starters, this golden fur ball of energy is now a teenager in perpetual motion—no longer the three-pound precious bundle wrapped in a blanket that he was when he came to live with me in early July. Weighing in at just over 6 pounds of muscle and might, he is assertive, insistent, and in my face when I’m at home because I am his sole playmate. Because he had no littermates to play as a newborn, I’ve taken on the role of both mom cat and playmate in residence.
In our two months together, he has experienced the Paris Olympics, acquired a considerable feline library, and gets fan mail from his own adoring fan club. Since watching the Paris Olympics, Peekay has become an avid soccer fan. Because he has grown long legged and leaps like a frog, he has mastered counter tops, nabs treasures from the top tier of bookshelves and my curiosity cabinets, and fetches a cloth soccer ball almost as big as he is. The shower stall has become our soccer field. While his moves are already razor sharp, I keep my hands off the ball and kick with my foot, ever mindful of holding on to the handrail along the side of the wall. Balance and dexterity are key. My footwork has improved with each match but clearly, Peekay was born for this game!
Pertaining to Peekay’s literary tastes and mine, his interest leans to feline mysteries. He’s currently reading Eileen Watkins’s The Bengal Identity about a catnapped Bengal cat that has had its fur dyed and a cat groomer who sets out to uncover its true identity. When not reading to Peekay, I’ve been reading my way through the history of glass making on the Venetian island of Murano. The Glass Maker—a new novel by author Tracy Chevalier—skips through six centuries of historical change, plagues, the changing nature of glassmaking, and a romance that survives by a literary leap of faith over the ages.
Having now finished the novel, I’m reading two memoirs by Donna Leone who has been writing mysteries set in Venice for over forty years. Her internationally popular novels that star Venetian Commissario Guido Brunetti are filled with insights into Venetian culture, politics, family life, and cuisine. Leone’s memoirs—My Venice and Other Essays and Wandering through Life— are keenly observed and opinionated essays on all manner of topics, but it is her mystery series set in Venice that is right up Peekay’s alley.
This September, Peekay watched his first presidential political debate, and as a result has become a staunch supporter of Vice President Kamala Harris for President. He makes up his own mind about things and praises Taylor Swift’s efforts to encourage her army of fans to become informed and, like her, make up their own minds on political candidates and issues. He especially likes that Taylor Swift walks her followers through how to register to vote ahead of the November 5th elections. Like Swift’s cat Benjamin Button, Peekay approves of her message.
On the subject of preening, Peekay has much to say. He has inherited his great aunt Fanny’s love of bathroom sinks, dripping water, the sound of a bidet spray, and the mystery of what goes on behind a shower curtain when I’m on one side and he’s on the other. One wonderful discovery I’ll mention is that because of his fascination with my bathroom sink, he sprawls across the counter with one paw hanging down the side of the cabinet. This allows me to comb his back and tail both with and against the grain. He loves the razorback red ridge that stands straight up along his back and evokes a purrrrr to end all purrs.
Loyal to the end, Peekay is devoted to his favorite toys—Peekaboo, Mousey, Octopussy, and his cloth soccer ball. He carries them wherever he goes, and sleeps soundly with them at the end of my bed. Then like a self-appointed alarm clock set for 4:45 a.m., he begins attacking my toes that I keep safely buried beneath a down comforter. This game goes on for half an hour before I give in and head to the kitchen to brew a cup of Nespresso Venetian coffee with steamed milk.
Since his arrival, I’ve photographed many precious poses in those rare moments when Peekay naps next to me and I’ve witnessed his light-footed leaps to ever higher heights. Day by day, we are growing up together and love each other’s company. So dear readers, this is a fall update on my feline companion and resident Salter kitten. With Peekay, there never will be a dull moment.