Cheese piggy

is my affectionate nickname for 'my' cat.

We have five cats as permanent fixtures plus a rotating array of neighbourhood strays who come and go. We leave a window open so that our cats have the same freedom we do; the strays avail themselves of that freedom and take the opportunity to have a good feed. I think if I was in their position I'd do the same!

'My' cat is Kitten. I told the story of how she came to be with us a year ago[^] and as I was without a job when she joined us she attached herself to me. She's had a hard time coping with my travel; it usually takes her a month to regain her confidence in me.

We don't know what happened to her when she was very young but she has no voice. If very scared she can shriek but otherwise she's always silent. I do my best to be sure she's not scared at all.

I take my responsibility as 'her' person very seriously indeed. When she wants to climb into my lap that's just the place she should be. If, when I go to bed, she decides that that is the exact moment she needs many caresses then that is what she gets. If she needs reassurance that she's the best cat in the universe well, what else can I do? :-)

Now you know I'm rather fond of red wine. There are those who might say too fond :-) Yuppie though it might sound I find the thing that goes best with red wine during a late night drinking session is cheese and crackers. Not just any cheese though. I like my cheese sharp and pungent. If I'm enjoying a Botrytis Riesling I'll go for blue vein, if I'm enjoying a ballsy merlot I prefer a very very sharp cheddar.

It so happens that Kitten is also fond of a very very sharp cheddar. She might be asleep on a chair somewhere or she might be outside, or she might be curled up on our bed, but if she happens to hear the sound of me slicing cheese she trots in, head high, eyes wide open, ready for cheese. Correction; demanding her share! And we all know that when a cat demands her share she gets it or else! :-)

Writing about it made me realise I feel like some cheese, so I went and sliced some. And naturally, as night follows day, there was my little cheese piggy making sure she didn't miss out.