Cat-atonic

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be an animal? I see enough kids' movies with Carter that feature talking animal characters (chipmunks, rats, penguins), that it's easy to see what it would be like.

I admit I get jealous when I see our cat taking yet another nap. I wish I could do that. Or when she just wakes up and stretches with her back arching way up high. Oh, how I'd love to do that! I probably wouldn't need a chiropractor any more, either.

Lately, however, our lovely princess hasn't been looking so good. She's been losing lots of her hair on her tail (in a weird pattern) and belly. Sylvester went in for her annual check-up yesterday. It turns out she may have an allergy or she may be overgrooming herself because of stress.

Stress?! A cat under stress?! What could she possibly be stressed about? Is she only getting 19 hours of sleep a day instead of 20? Did a little piece of food fall into her water dish so it is no longer pure? Is she not getting enough sun-bathing time in the winter?

If those were life's challenges, I could handle "stress." I did try a little cat nap yesterday afternoon and that was pretty nice. I could see myself as a cat -- the princess of the household ... but then I start thinking about the licking myself thing and no, not going there.

I do hope her stress goes away. She could try some of my tips from this week's vacation: Get lots of rest, drink plenty of eggnog, stay away from the computer (even to blog!), don't watch the news, go to the spa and get your hair done, maybe try some catnip. Oh wait, I didn't actually do that -- but I think going to the Alvin and the Chipmunks movie comes close to the same experience.