Who Knew Cats Could Snore

If you haven't already deduced it from my blog name, or didn't already know, I'm a spinster. I'm in my 40's and I've never been married so I qualify. As a spinster, I am required under the bylaws of Spinster's Local 978 to own at least one cat. Always trying to be a good spinster I have more than that, but it's only one I'll be talking about today.

One of my cats is named Mite. She got the name because she was a tiny little thing, no bigger than a mite as my mother would say. She stayed pretty small, almost like a miniature cat until I got her spayed. Once that happened she really started packing on the pounds. The funny thing is that the same thing happened to me when I got spayed. But I digress.

Mite has taken to sleeping on me. Not with me. On me. This has become problematic for two reasons. The first is that I have restless leg syndrome and though I take medication for it, I still toss and turn a lot while attmepting to get to sleep. My nocturnal ramblings about the bed have not deterred Mite from her desire to use my body as her own personal cat bed. Instead she rides the tide of my moving body with a grace and agility that only a feline can maintain.

There have been occassions when she has slid off of my side or my back, but this is usually because she is moving herself around in order to give me the best access to her belly for scratching. Very considerate of her don't you think? She especially likes to lay on me in such a way as to have her head draped over my shoulder and the side of her furry faced pressed against mine. This is where the second issue comes into play. Mite snores.

A cat purr, as it rumbles close to your ear, can be really loud, but it can be soothing as well. Her purr doesn't bother me and actually offers some white noise which assists me in falling asleep. However, Mite has gone beyond purring and she actually snores now. I don't know how, and I don't know why, but she does. Unfortunately my cat finds it far easier to fall asleep than I do which means that she is snoring away while I, a chronic insomniac, am still trying to quiet my mind and body enough to actually drift off.

"Well close the bedroom door you idiot," you might be thinking right now. A good suggestion and one I have attempted on several occassions. However, my smart little kitty has learned the signs of when I am headed to bed and she beats me there. She also watches for when I go to my room and she will slip in with me thereby not allowing me to close the door when I leave again.

As you might have guessed, I'm a bit sleep deprived at the moment. I will be taking this up with my Spinsters Union rep. There was nothing in the contract about dealing with a snoring cat on your back. I guess it's just another unintended consequence of a requirement. Something we see far too much of.