Before I had a cat, I imagined what it might be like. None of them has been a neck warmer, however sweet that would be on a blizzardy January Nebraska night.

I imagined this is what having a cat would be like!

Dougy is the closest to a body part warmer of any of my cats. When he stops by for a cat nap in the middle of the night, he walks on me, meows to ask me if I’m awake, kneads any exposed skin he can find, then snuggles between my chest and top arm. He wraps all four legs around my arm, and I suspect I keep him warm, rather than the other way around. Ha!

Dougy loves my computer desk…when I’m trying to use it!

Andy isn’t a snuggle bunny. He likes to sleep, instead, by a small fan on top of a small bookcase by my bed. There’s a window behind it, which I crack open for the fresh air. I suspect night sounds are what interests Andy, not a chance to share my bedroom! From the bookcase to my bed is a small jump.

From my bed, he can jump to a television stand and a drawer I leave open for his amusement in case he needs a way up to catch an occasional fly, spider, or moth. A cat chasing a critter pretty much ends any possibility of sleep. On the other hand, a fly, spider, or moth loose in the room doesn’t help sleep conditions either. Dougy always comes running when he hears Andy on the hunt.

Andy before a haircut. That piece of cottonwood is a favorite perch.

Two cats hunting definitely end any possibility of sleep!

Louie the ginger cat was big enough to kick me out of bed had he chosen to sleep there. He visited only to wake me up to feed him. This he did by several means: tail end in my face, sniffing my nose, patting me roughly with a big paw (claws barely out for effect), walking up and down my body, and, toward the end, he self-taught himself to put his front paws on my covers, his rear paws on me, and push my covers down! When a nearly 24 pound (10.8kg) cat pushes your covers off, you get up!

Louie climbed on the kitchen table to check out this bouquet. Bad kitty!

Then there was little Freckles, the cat only those who’ve been around since fall of 2009 will remember. She was a small teenaged cat, like Louie, that I rescued from the city pound. She was my first cat.

Freckles was a sweet kitty.

She was a nervous little tabby cat, having spent weeks in the pound at a time they caged cats next to the dogs. They couldn’t see each other, but they definitely were aware of each other through smell and sound. She relaxed immediately at home when I brought her to the apartment: No more dogs!

That first night, I brought her out to rest on my chest while I sat in my recliner. The moment I picked her up, she began a purring, a surprisingly loud purr for such a petite cat. I pet her till I fell asleep. The vibrations of her purring felt so good on my chest! When I woke up, she was still there, still purring.

Freckles wasn’t big enough to warm anything much, though she warmed my heart.

Different cats, different styles.