Felis Silvestris Catus: Year Three Begins
It has been two years since I have brought Varinia home. A lot of things have happened over the course of that two years, both accomplishments and disappointments, but she has been a positive presence throughout.
Our relationship has evolved over time, and while it was always been warm, there is a level of intimacy (not in the prurient sense) that has developed over the course of our time together that I find it difficult to explain. I guess the best way to describe it is that we understand each other on a much deeper level over time.
These days, it's really hard for me to stay angry for any length of time with Varinia around. She's so friendly and affectionate that most residual frustration from the day evaporates as soon as I get home and she's there to enthusiastically greet me. Every day starts off on a much more positive note because the first thing I do in the morning when I wake up is pet my cat. I was never a dangerous person - no matter how furious I might get, I have never and would never resort to violence - but I have been known to let those feelings get the better of me and I could get unnecessarily vicious, but now, negativity doesn't really have a chance to take hold.
An important element of this is that there really is rarely any friction between us. There are times when she does something that I'll need to stop her from doing, but since she usually listens to me, that sort of thing rarely ever goes very far. She is very communicative, which makes things easier for me. For example, when she wants me to clean the litter box, she stands in the bathroom doorway and stares at me until I do it (this sounds like it could be annoying, but I much prefer it to how other cats I've known would transmit this request).
While I don't like to speak for others, I'm willing to say that I think she's happy too. It's the only way that our existence could possibly be as harmonious as it is.