Because I suspect Tabby’s behavior was a harbinger of my mom’s stroke, I’ve been watching her more carefully these days. If she’s more cuddly with my mom than usual, or more vocal, I monitor my mom’s every move like you wouldn’t believe. I’ve experienced too many times now when one or the other of my pets is trying to tell me something. I try to pay attention now!
That’s why I didn’t know what to make of Tabby’s latest gesture. Still don’t actually. Wayne thinks I’m reading too much into it, but I think it’s significant.
Gifting
You know how cats sometimes bring their people presents? I’ve heard other friends tell about dead birds left at their doorstep, dead lizards or mice on their pillows, or even dead “prizes” left in their shoes.
I’ve never had a cat like that –until Tabby. (Mr. Meow’s too lazy to bother bringing anyone a present.)
But Tabby? She’s our little gifter. Thankfully she chooses not to gift us with dead things. Usually it’s toys.
The Heart
Normally she brings us one of her toys. Her first gift was the toy mouse, but then she started preferring either her big blue puff ball or her smaller red one. But it’s been a long time since she brought us any of those.
That’s why I was stumped a few nights ago when I heard her mewing in the funny way she does as she’s toting a gift up the stairs.
But she didn’t come into our room. She headed for my mom’s –and promptly dropped off a red and white heart.
An Odd Choice
It was a weird toy to bring up for several reasons. For starters, the heart is one of Murphy’s toys. For another, we haven’t played with it since before Christmas. Also, it was stashed in his toy box. And why the heart?
What did it mean? Anything? I was sure it did. Wayne maintained I was making too much of it.
Except…
She’s done it several times since. She brought it back down and put it on my mom’s downstairs hospital bed. Then she carried it back up to her room. For the last few days, she’s made sure it’s in one place or the other.
And it’s always that heart.
I don’t know if it’s significant or just cute. I guess time might tell.
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