Renn at Bed-time

There are a number of routines in the Cosy Apartment; cats like them even more than humans, I think. I described one of Imogen’s routines during dinner-time. Renn and I have one at bed-time.

My big boy doesn’t always come to bed when I do. If he’s in a comfortable spot already, he may stay there; if he’s feeling particularly poorly, he will prefer to be alone. But most of the time, he will join me.

He will come up on my left side, and lie down near the edge of the bed. It will always be partly on the blanket and partly on the sheets. He will lie on his chest and stomach, but with his head up and his paws forward - couchant, as the heralds would describe it - and I will pet him. He starts to purr. I will talk to him, then, about the day that was and the day that will be.

We will do this for several minutes. But soon, it will be time to sleep. I will turn off the light and settle down under the sheets. Renn will then turn, keeping the same place but facing the opposite direction. He will continue to purr for a while, until he moves across the bed and farther down, taking up the spot in which he will usually sleep the night.

I once was told that a restaurant chef will leave the kitchen to speak to diners not only to be friendly, but to see who is eating what, and how much; what fare is preferred and how it is consumed. So it is that when Renn spends the last minutes of the day with me, I will use it to gauge how he feels, how much he purrs, what it sounds like; his breathing, his restfulness, his mood. I find that these moments are helpful in judging how my big boy feels, especially since he has entered his old age.

Then, we sleep. I wake sometimes and my feet gently prod the bed under the blanket. They find Renn in his usual place, and I go back to sleep. All is right until morning.