Bashful Beauregard

If you ever meet my cat, Beauregard, you will probably think he's quite bashful...maybe even scared. He's very much a "momma's boy" and very wary of strangers at first. With me, though, he is probably one of the most attention-loving cats that's ever owned me. (Yes, I say owned because with cats that is just the way it is.) Even now, he's lying on the floor at my feet, just content to be near me.

Beauregard's fur is seemingly a multitude of colors: black, gray and tan. He has a striped, short-hair coat. I don't know his specific breed, but you can typically find a greeting card with a kitten that looks just like he did when he was younger. He has some white lining his eyes - his "eyeliner" as I call it. His eyes are green, big and beautiful. His tail seems to go on forever! He likes to eat! Sometimes I'm positive he gets hiccups after he eats because he tends to eat faster than necessary.

Though I don't know his exact birth date, he was 3 months old when I adopted him the first Saturday of January 2008 so we celebrate his birthday on October 5th - an October baby like me! Beau will be two years old this year. Though we don't have any solid plans yet, we may celebrate - any excuse for a party, right?

Beau's favorite toy seems to be a drinking straw...his favorite kind being the green ones from Starbucks. Or perhaps he prefers the small, brightly colored mice full of catnip. He will jump in the air to catch them if he's in the mood...if not, he sits there and looks at me like "why are you throwing those at me??".

One of my favorite things about Beauregard is that he's always so glad to see me when I come home. He likes for me to hold him so that he's resting on my right shoulder and he purrs so loud I know without doubt that he is content. He will roll belly up and look at me upside down with the most adorable expression...an expression that probably doesn't look unique to an outsider, but to me is one full of love and hopefulness that he is about to receive a good scratch under his chin or on his belly. It was that habit of rolling over that made me want to adopt him - the entire time I was looking at him through the glass at PetsMart he was playfully rolling over and looking at me upside down. He would fall off the perch, climb back up and do it over and over and over. So much fun!

When I'm sitting at my desk working on my computer...or rather playing on it...he likes to jump onto my chair and force a space for him to lie behind me. So I end up sitting on the edge, half off/half on while he curls up comfortably beside me. It's more his chair than mine really.

Something funny he does on occasion is smell my lips after I've eaten something. It's hilarious because his little nose is working hard as he tries to decide if what I ate smells good...he has licked me before - I guess to try and get his own taste. This may sound gross to some, but anyone out there who appreciates pets at all, especially cats, will appreciate that story. It makes me laugh every time because it illustrates his curiosity. A few times he has decided to stick his nose in my ear...don't ask me what that's all about, but I have to share because it's so funny. It tickles beyond belief!

My kitty usually gets ready for bed before I do...I always know it's late when I look over and he's sound asleep, but with his eyes cracked just enough to watch me. He loves to be close to me when I go to sleep at night. I usually read before I go to bed...he tends to come and lay as close to the book as possible, to try and take my attention from it to him. I'll humor him at times...it's super fun to play with his feet. I think he's ticklish because he will sometimes spread his "toes" as far as they will go - it's so funny! He will usually lick my hand once or twice as I pet him to show me that he appreciates the attention.

Obviously I could go on and on about my "baby", but it's late and even now he's sleeping beside me on "our" desk chair reminding me it's bedtime. I hope you have enjoyed getting to know my Beauregard.