THE NOCTURNAL CAT, THE MOVIES & SLEEP

For this edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap, we ask this question of humans: “What’s going on while you’re out like a light!?"
These two photos may not represent the reality at your house.
You see here photographs of The Senator, my longtime confidant and trusted advisor. 
The first is one I caught of him as he sat up asleep on my chest at around 3 in the morning. I had my earphones in and was listening to a podcast from Turner Classic Movies (TCM). It’s about the making of the film Bonfire of The Vanities, based on the great Tom Wolfe (below) book and, apparently, reviled by every moviegoer but me and The Senator.
The Senator is a dear, determined companion who will listen attentively in the middle of the night  -- something insomniacs rarely encounter. Yes, my slumberspouse Martha slept through our conversation.
So, the second photo was shot when he realized I was awake. You can see his face a little better, right down to his pinkish nose.
The third household photo, from some time the next day, shows Porche Noel, my personal dog, on the furry couch cover where she’s been watching one of her favorite films. She adores Random Harvest with the great British actors Ronald Coleman and Greer Garson, the late Mrs. Buddy Fogelson of Dallas.
The Senator is curled up on the back of the couch as he usually does. Yep, curled up and asleep. He was up all night reading Tom Wolfe’s The Right Stuff, he explained, and needed to catch up on his sleep.

The cat stretched out next to the arm of the couch is Stevie Ray. He is a Gen A — Generation Alpha, born after 2012 — and I’m not yet sure of his feelings about movies or books. He may think reading and films are quaint relics of the Baby Boomer’s insomniacal lifestyle. 
Now, everybody get some sleep.
[DEAR READERS, Please send photos of your slumbering critters to [email protected] and we’ll post their stories in our weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You’ll be helping someone decide to make their home a cat’s or dog’s home, too. Or you’ll be helping an insomnia rise above the torture if he can just hire a cat that’ll sit quietly on his chest and hypnotically mew, “Sleeeepurrr. Sleeeeeepurrrr. Sleeeepurrr, you lunatic.”]
— Offer sleeping advice or catnap tips by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and putting DOWN BY DAWN in the subject line. —-