The dog and cat are standing in the kitchen staring at me as I cook. They do this now. They stand side by side waiting for me, depending on where I am and the time of day. On weekends it’s by my side of the bed. Or outside the bathroom door. My kids are grown enough, so now I have pets who follow me to the bathroom and make messes with their food or refuse to eat it at all, and beg for treats 24/7.

Sabra will ask to go outside and will literally turn back to the door, waiting to be let back in and when you do, she has the audacity to wait for a treat. And when she gets one – because, spoiled – the cat comes over and waits for one too. I kid you not.

Oliver is very vocal about breakfast. He wants it NOW. The minute my feet hit the floor at 6 a.m. he’s standing there in the doorway like the ghost of breakfast past. He runs just an inch in front of my feet, so that I step on him in my early morning before-coffee clumsiness, and so I feel guilty for stepping on him. He will meow at me loudly until I feed him, no matter that I am holding the Fancy Feast in my hand with a fork already, and then when I crouch down to put it in the bowl he comes up under me and blocks my view. And meows. Loudly.

But that’s not all. He not only gets a small serving of canned food, he also gets a small serving of dry food too. And he will walk over to the pantry door where it is stored and sit down, alternately staring at the door and looking over his shoulder at me. I get it. He’s hungry.

Sabra will stand in the hall around the corner trying to be inconspicuous. She stands just behind the wall, so that she appears to be spying on me. Other times she’s more obvious, like just inside the kitchen, or by her bed in the living room, or looking out from under the dining room table. She just stands there, and stares at me.

It’s kinda creepy, actually. I can feel their eyes on me. Always watching. Sometimes Oliver follows me to the rec room, like a prison guard assuring that I won’t escape these walls unnoticed. He rarely openly monitors the litter box maintenance, but I know for a fact that he’s watching from somewhere because I no sooner leave the vicinity and he’s in that box, adding his own special brand of air freshener to the atmosphere.

It’s almost funny how much more demanding he is, than the dog, and yet – is the epitome of feline. Demanding, selfish, indifferent, seasoned with an occasional cuddle on the couch… on HIS terms, of course.

Now that the fire place is officially working, he maintains a circle of space in front of it. It’s not on right now, and he just stood on the edge of the hearth and pawed at the screen. Because, yes – the fire is for him.

We are contemplating a new addition to the household, but timing is everything and I keep having second thoughts; however, Todd and I made a deal whereby I get what I want, when he gets what he wants. So far, the score is Todd: 1, Tara: 0.

Stay tuned.

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