A Kitty to Come Home To
Every home needs a kitty who waits in the window for your return.
There is nothing more welcoming for me than a feline silhouette in one or more of my windows. Here, Mimi waits at the dining room window as I pull in front of the house with things to unload. Her greeting procedure once she has determined it’s me is to meow two quick “ee-eee” meows, stand up and stretch as tall as she can in the window, which is not terribly tall since she is tiny, and if the window is closed, slide her paws down the glass; if it’s open, she digs her claws into the screen—no, we don’t like this, but we live with it—stretch herself, then paw back down to the windowsill.
For half the 20 years I’ve been in this house I worked outside my home. The hours with that job were long and I rarely returned during daylight, but I had lamps on timers so that I wouldn’t come home to a dark house. I remember looking at my lit windows from as far down the street as I could see it, looking for my welcoming feline silhouettes—Sophie always at either the side window or my bedroom window upstairs in the front, Cookie in the front window downstairs, and Stanley and Kublai ranged around among the three downstairs windows. Even Sally, who was deaf, greeted me not just with a silhouette but with a meow I could hear outside even in winter when windows were closed. Any of the others of my feline family showed up at the windows as I walked up the side steps and came to the door, and all were at the door to greet me.
I can’t imagine it any other way.
It is the most beautiful feeling to see your kitty waiting for you at the window followed by a huge greeting and lots of purrs!!!
Some people are actually surprised because they don’t think “cats do that”–as if they aren’t loyal and loving! I think they don’t know cats.
I can’t imagine not having my cats welcome me home, either. Even now, when I work from home and get to spend so much time with them every day, it’s still a thrill to come home after errands or client appointments and find them both happy to see me. Usually, they’re waiting at the top of the stairs (my house is a split foyer). Nothing better than seeing those two sweet faces!
Ingrid, I agree–whether I’ve been gone all day at a show or festival, or I’ve just ridden my bicycle to the bank and post office and back, seeing them in the window (and door), day or night is the first thing I look for on coming back, and my neighbors have never made a remark about my return greeting to their meows…
Ah, yes. The “welcome”! Even when Mitzy’s ears could no longer hear, she would greet me at the door. She relied on a deeper sense of knowing, which made the welcome pure Joy. This is a lovely post.
Anita, sometimes I think they are keener without their senses. By that time, Mitzy was deeply in touch with you and knew exactly where you were! My Sally was deaf all her life, but knew when my car was coming down the street–my neighbors told me they’d see her show up in the window, then look and see my car turning the corner.
My girls always greet me in window facing the driveway so they see my car go by (well, mostly Nikita) and then she waits by the apt door up on the table next to the door where I put my purse. She wants to make sure I don’t miss her (like I could, she’s a loud little thing 🙂 ). These are the first kitties I’ve had since I was a teenager and I had forgotten how nice it is to have those little faces greet me when I get home.
Sue
Sue, there are actually people who still claim cats are aloof and don’t really care what happens to you. Where do they get that idea! I used to have a credenza right inside my door and the cats would line up on that when I came in–too bad I didn’t always have my camera then!