Whistle for Nick, He'll Come Running

With his luxuriously long coat, Nick is easily the most beautiful cat in our colony. Because of his coat, big size and personality traits, we believe him to be part Maine Coon. His big paws look like someone couldn’t fit all the stuffing inside, with tufts of wayward fur splaying out from between his toes. Patched tabby coloring and blue sparkled green eyes enhance his playful, happy-go-lucky personality; and pristine, white, fluffed “pants” make him look like he is dressed in pantaloons for swashbuckling fun.

His exceptionally full and billowing tail acts like a giant feather, and when it is standing erect in a sweet natured greeting, it resembles plumage from a wide brimmed hat. I see him as d'Artagnan from “The Three Musketeers” as he leaps from floor to couch to top of the cat tree and around down through the hole, down again onto the floor, dashing by you at a speed that is faster than you can read this. He loves to jump up onto the top of the tree in one motion and slam it against the wall with a bang. It teeters back and forth while he stands on the top in triumph, flourishing his tail. Don’t blink, because he’ll spring off it before the thing has had a chance to stop rocking.

Nick was one of four cats DP had before I moved in with her. Nick, the name he came with, was chosen from a cat-only shelter in Salisbury, Massachusetts. He was still under a year old and lounging sprawled out on the floor, while the bigger cats walked around him. When he got up and walked over to one of the bowls of food, another cat hissed at him. Barely missing a step, he took the hint and sought out another bowl, unfazed. My partner knew this guy would get along well with her other cats and especially her three dogs. Because he is so good natured, he is usually the first cat we introduce to new kittens. If Nick gives the new kitten a tongue bath, the little one is well on his way to being part of the family.

Nick is exceptionally clean and takes his grooming seriously. We never have to brush him, although we do on occasion just because he loves it. Luckily, the top layer of his coat (his guard hairs) is silky and less likely to tangle. His cleanliness goes beyond his grooming though, as he is the one who is most likely to show me where there is a pile of throw-up. He’ll spend a fair amount of time scraping imaginary dirt, in a losing effort to cover it over. His only nickname is “Nick from Housekeeping,” or “Housekeeping” for short. He dislikes the smell of coffee and regards our cups of morning java equal to throw up.

He is quite social and will be one of the few cats who’ll come out to meet visitors and asked to be petted. His beauty and charm easily captures everyone. Nick maybe socially bold, but he does not like the vacuum cleaner. Inevitably, he runs ahead of me, trapping himself in the last room of the house. I usually stand aside and reassuringly shoo him out the door before I enter with the monster machine.

The most quirky thing about Nick would have to be that he loves to be spanked. It’s not exactly what you’re thinking, but close. If you’ve ever seen the YouTube video of a cat standing on a cat tree being, for lack of a better word, “pummeled” by a person with two foam paddles…you know what I mean. If you haven’t seen it, go to YouTube and search for “Drumming on the cat.” It’s kind of freaky, but we were glad to learn that other cats enjoy this. Nick will stand in place, kneading his paws, as you slap his big meaty thighs. If you stop, he turns and meows at you for more or comes around to stick his head under your hand for a pat or a bite. He even likes to have his tail tugged in loving, but rugged affection…his love bites can be a bit harsh in return.

A big muscular guy at six years old, Nick is the most athletic of our cats, always up for playing group games. His favorite toy is the laser light and he’ll jump up the wall after the red dot, well beyond the light switch, to oblige us by turning on or off the hallway lights along his way. He also barely hesitates to leap the highest after the flying feather wand, and can clear a jump over every baby gate we have without touching it, equestrian style. Another favorite toy for him is a plastic milk ring. Nick will batter the little ring between his paws, skittering sideways and chirping with joy across the kitchen floor. If no milk rings are handy, he’ll scamper across the floor battering an imaginary toy just for pleasure of it. Nick has a hissy fit (and I mean that literally) if anyone teases him, so of course they do. Sometimes he just wants to play by himself, but some youngster has go see what he is doing and maybe hone in on his toy. He stomps off with a hiss.

He is usually the only cat, who freaks out when a neighbor’s outdoor cat comes by to visit. He runs from window to window breathing like a dragon. The other kitties might watch the visitor for a bit, but Nick takes exception to the intrusion. This brings up his only fault, occasional “inappropriate urination,” more commonly known as peeing outside the litter box. Diligence on our part has helped to alleviate that issue for the most part.

He is a member of the Moo Club – a group of our kitties who line up on the kitchen counter every evening to receive a spot of milk. It’s a nightly ritual in which Nick always participates. Most times he can also be counted on for cheese giveaways handed out when I make dinner.

You can often find Nick sleeping on the edge of tight places, limbs hanging over precariously balanced. If he rolls and falls, he simple lands with grace, on all fours, shakes off and goes onto his next adventure. I think Nick’s most endearing quality is that he comes when you whistle for him. No matter what he is doing, even if he is sound asleep, he will get up with a sleepy meow, and come loping down the hall and onto your lap ready to purr and be petted. Nick has enjoyed meeting you, we hope you've enjoyed meeting him. -Lisa Co9T