HARVEY THE CAT AT SUNRISE

HARVEY THE CAT AT SUNRISE

I don’t know why she won’t just get out of bed.  I mean, she’s just sitting there.  I’m just SO EXCITED.  I NEED her to get up.  I just don’t know what to do…maybe if I just step over there and make a little scratchy noise with my paws…that might get her attention.

Harvey stands up an all fours in the corner of the bedroom, and walks toward the bed.  He knows that what he is about it do is NOT going to work in his favor, yet he can’t help but try, just one last time.  He lifts his paws, effortlessly extends his claws and makes the softest contact with the box spring when…POW!  Water comes shooting at him, full speed.

Oh dear God, why, why, why.  Water, the stinging feel of this horrid liquid spreading over my pristine and laboriously groomed fur.  Oh, it feels like blades digging under my skin and tearing my veins apart, like nails scratching a chalkboard for eternity, like the incessant loud beeps of a smoke alarm that will just not turn off.

Harvey retreats, sprinting out of the bedroom, and down the stairs, to safety.  When he hops off the last step, he immediately attends to the affected area with his tongue. 

Oh dear tongue, dear saliva, please, please, wash away this nastiness.  Cleanse me of this dreadful water!  

Harvey sits there for several minutes, licking frantically, until he can lick no more. He sits in silence, trying to recall what happened and why.  Sitting just below the bottom step, he looks up the staircase, visualizing what is up there.  He knows, yes, he knows.

Oh, I still just cannot understand, I cannot get this image of her just LYING there in bed out of my mind.  Why oh why must she lie there?  Does she not see the sun is starting to peek its little head from the clouds?  That soon it will be light?  This is prime running time, the time to be awake, aware, explore, enjoy, live.  She must get up.  She must!

Harvey looks up the staircase at his demise.  Yet, he cannot help himself.  The urge to try again, to give it just one more try, it is too strong.  He stealthily climbs the first step.

Yes, this time it will work.  A little noise, a little jump on the bed, a tap on the head, that will let her know, will MAKE her realize that it is truly time to rise.  

Harvey slowly ascends the first few steps, then quickly trots up the remaining stairs, runs into the room, and hurdles himself on the bed, launching himself onto the delicious curly hair of his master.  Before he can settle his claws into the sweet tangles, he hears a loud noise, and feels himself being thrown off the bed.  Harvey straightens himself out mid-air, then swiftly lands on the carpet.  He immediately breaks into a sprint, heading down the staircase.

I have failed again.  She will never understand my reason.  She only sleeps, sleeps, sleeps.  I am defeated, I have reached my end point.  I must wallow in this loss, sit here in silence, until she awakes. 

The minutes tick by, but for Harvey time is not passing.  Patience is something he cannot understand.  He looks up the staircase, willing himself to resist, to stay down, to not bear further punishment.  He tries to hold back, he uses all of his might, yet he feels his paw lifting toward the bottom stair….

Just one more try, just one more try.  If I can just give her one little nudge, she will see…