SLEEPING AROUND THE HOUSE: CATS AND DOGS HAVE PLACES

There is great comfort in having both an Office Cat and an Office Dog.
 In my case, when the ol’ brain plays out and leaves the page empty, I can simply post a photograph of my Office Cat William Powell having a nose-offf with me.
He’s the spotlighted cat in this weekend’s edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. Why? I was in the mood and he spoke to me as if he might be happy with his salary — assuming that I win a big lottery payoff this weekend.
Otherwise, he’s going to keep getting two regular feedings and his favorite treats. 
The black-and-white fellow with his paws crossed is the Apprentice Office Cat Stevie Ray. Such a cute boy. Not all that interested in office work. As you can see from his second photo, he’s a fan of television — likes to stretch out and watch people watching TV.
William, as you can see, doesn’t mind lounging behind my computer screen as I try to write something that will save animals or enlighten people. 
Oh, and, William qualifies as the Napping Cat because of that photo my funspouse Martha took of the boy as he snoozed on the daybed in her office at the other end of the house from his usual office, mine. 
He can sleep on the living room couch, as you see. And sometimes, if I Ieave a blanket atop a table while I’m folding clothes, he’ll take a spot atop the furniture.
As you may recall from previous writing on this site, we got William Powell when he helped me paint the wood trim on our previous home in feral cat territory in Oak Cliff in Dallas. That was in May of 2018. You can see that his coat was lighter in those days. As he grew older, it got darker — that’s him on the red carpet (my funspouse Martha referred to it as “that cathouse-red carpet.” She reads a lot — that may be how she knows the official color.).
We got Stevie Ray in late 2019. Just before we left our Dallas house, I found him yowling in panic and clinging to a flimsy mimosa tree branch just about 5 feet off the ground. Another free feral kitten in Zip Code 75224. 
Anyone who writes for extended periods of time each day will tell you that it is a joy and a relief to take a typing-worn hand off the keyboard and reach down to pet a dog or cat.
If you don’t have a critter’s coat to scruffle (that a word?),then you might just find yourself padding down the hall to the refrigerator or the hiding place where the cookies and chocolate treats are kept. No telling how many pounds dogs and cats have kept off me just by being handy when I feel like it’s time to reach for a cupcake, candy bar, handfull of chips and some guacamole. 
I’ve never tried a dog treat dipped in guacamole. I’d probably like it — wait! I’ll need a vegan dog treat. 
Yes, that is my office dog, Porche Noel. I snapped that photo as she sacked out next to me on the bed one afternoon while I sketched pictures, hand-scribbled paragraphs that may or may not find their ways into some profit-making fiction, and pretended to be writing The Great American Novel longhand.
I’ve loved animals all my life. I love writing almost as much. Hey, how’s this for a book title for an action/suspense cat tale: GET OFF MY KEYBOOOOOOOORD, CAT!.
[DEAR READERS: Please send photos of your personal slumbering critters to [email protected] and I’ll spotlight ‘em in our long-running weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You know why? Because you and your animals show other people that life with a dog and cat is a good thing! And you demonstrate for insomniacs that sleep is possible, if you can just figure out how to do it at the office.]

— Hug a dog, cuddle a cat, leave advice by clicking on ‘comment’ or email d[email protected] and put LUCKY NUMBERS RULE in the subject line. —-