Let Sleeping Cats Lie Flat on Their Backs

Debu is easily the second most popular person in this house, right behind Mom. That's okay with me as I've never had to breast feed or sh!& in a box. However, from the feline point of view, Dad's the best thing ever, maybe even better than food. I find consolation in that affection.

Poor Debu, I know he feels neglected, and I feel badly about it. He's been nothing short of an amazing pet for a decade now, and we love him. He's been a super big brother to Zed and he doesn't fuss in the least when we ship him off to fat camp while we go to Hawaii or California or New York. He just settles in at Camp Partridge and waits for us to come pick him up and bring him home. He's a champ.

Despite his occasional aversion to Zedder's abusive ways, for the most part he loves her and tolerates her pokes and pulls, pounds and squishes. He's been a beautiful big brother and we couldn't have asked for a better pet to introduce Zoey to the world of domestic animals. She'll learn a lot of lessons from Debu, especially when you consider that with any luck he'll be around another seven or eight years.

Just tonight while we were bathing Debu slipped into the bathroom for a toilet top visit. It's the first time he's ever done that and Zo was thrilled. So thrilled that when he decided it was time to leave she got so upset that she wanted out of her bath. Yup, she was done. Her good friend, Debu, had called it quits so she was doing the same. These might be her first lessons in friendship and it makes me laugh.

In the end, she's much too young to make much of these first few years with Debu, so here's to hoping that he's around a long, long time. In the meantime we'll have to learn to pay better attention to what was once our sole baby. He deserves it, besides, he'll be our one baby that we won't have to pay college tuition for.