Rascal Chuck Falls in Love

    Do you believe in love at first sight? 

        Or for Chuck, was it love at first sniff?

     Cat lovers know that cats see the world differently than humans do. They tend to see objects that are farther away more clearly than objects that are close up. That's why they rely on their keen sense of smell. That tiny cat fact most likely explains why Chuck fell and fell hard, when from across the room he first spotted Jasmine, nickname Nunni, lounging on her mom's sofa. Soon after that, he raced over, stood up on his back paws, leaned onto the sofa and sniffed her. 

    You can guess the rest of the story. When she smelled like sweetness and light, he was a goner. He fell in love. 

    Nunni is a beautiful cat. She has pitch black luxurious fur. Her green eyes sparkle. Her meow sounded, no doubt, like a siren's call to my poor Chucky's heart. 

      We were visiting my lovely niece Kimber, Nunni's mom, and Chuck had decided to come along for the ride. We were not in some exotic location--no, not this time--just staying local and enjoying a little down time with family. 

    Chuck is a confirmed bachelor who prefers to play the field. He's always on the lookout for gorgeous girl cats. But this time with Valentine's Day on the horizon and love in the air, it didn't take long for Chuck to make eyes at Nunni and for Nunni to make eyes right back at Chuck.

       One sniff or two led to a luxurious nap together. Later we spotted them playing hide and seek together outside in the backyard. 

    

     I should have guessed that once Chuck arrived back home, all his oohing and ahhing was going to lead to plaintive meowing and then lovelorn sulking. 

    "Chucky, Nunni was just a passing infatuation," I tried to tell him. "You had one lovely afternoon. But it's over, buddy."

    Chuck didn't see it that way. When the ads for Valentine's Day on TV began to play fast and furious--flowers and chocolates and diamonds--Chucky searched for a better idea. He needed to find something special for Nunni to declare his undying love.

    At first he thought about a card. He poured his meows out in a sentimental valentine that I helped put in an envelope decorated with more valentines on it--addressed "Chickadee," his special term of endearment for Nunni.

    But that wasn't enough. He's all about food. And he'd discovered one thing about Nunni. She was a very picky eater. And she would only eat Fancy Feast. 

    The big idea struck a few evenings after when I was cooking in the kitchen. Could I make a special meal for Nunni using the cookbook that Aunt Kim gave me?

    Chucky figured if food was the surest way to his heart, it had to be the surest way to Nunni's heart! We flipped through the book together and found the purrfect recipe called the Holiday Special. 

    It's a simple recipe ( roasted turkey, cooked chicken, filtered water, and organic puree of pumpkin.) We gathered all the ingredients, and Chucky stood by as I chopped and mashed. 

    Of course, there was the taste test--just to make sure that the home cooked meal for Nunni was up to his fastidious standards. After a few "tastings," we were ready to go.

     Would Nunni actually prefer a home cooked meal to Fancy Feast? 

     Would Chucky's Valentine's Day dinner win Nunni's heart?

     Valentine's Day arrived on schedule and their date was scheduled for 3:00 p.m.  On the ride over, I felt I needed to say a few words--just in case. After all, I didn't want Chuck to get his hopes up too high.

    "Chuck, remember, the most important thing is that you wanted to do something nice for Nunni. You came up with a great idea. But there are never any guarantees when it comes to love."

    Chuck narrowed his eyes.

    "Maybe she won't like your grand gesture and just walk away. Don't be discouraged."

    He tilted his head. 

    I didn't want to say too much and rain on his parade.

    "After all, Aunt Kim did say that Nunni was a very picky eater. I know that's something that's hard to understand since you like to eat so much . . ." I was running out of things to say. It's hard when you want to protect your kids from heartache. 

    I didn't need to worry.

    Nunni was waiting for Chuck. We'd put her dinner in a special red bowl for Valentine's Day. Nunni, as if understanding the significance of the gesture, pranced right over and sniffed--of course. 

    I held my breath. 

    She took a tentative bite. And started eating. 

    Chuck's grand Valentine gesture was a success!

    Hallelujah!

    Chuck stood on the sidelines and watched Nunni eat and eat. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He inched closer. And closer. He circled around the bowl. Then, in an impulsive move, he nudged her out of the way and began to eat her Valentine's Day dinner. 

    Nunni, slightly stunned, stepped back, but not for long. She came back and nudged him out of the way and ate some more. 

    The two of them--Valentine Day sweethearts--finished every last morsel in that red bowl. Then they sauntered off, side by side, to take a good long nap. Because they're cats and that's what cats do. 

    Chuck and Nunni hope that everyone had a . . .

             

     

    

    

 

        

Chuck Falls For A Raven

            Chuck's obsession with a raven started quite innocently. They are highly intelligent, magnificent coal black birds, made famous by Edgar Allen Poe in his poem, "The Raven." When we were traveling in California, in Yosemite National Park, eating lunch outside one afternoon, minding our own business, a raven flew down out of the sky out of nowhere. That's all Chuck needed to see. 

        I can't call it love at first sight. But there is something that happens when a cat sees a bird. Contrary to the usual carnivorous reaction, Chuck was instantly mesmerized. He, of course, knew the poem, "The Raven," but he'd never seen a real raven before and neither had I.

        The raven landed and Chuck hopped up, abandoning his turkey snack, which was a miracle in itself. 

         "Be nice," I called. I wanted to also call out, "Be careful." Ravens can use their beaks to rip objects open. They are one of the few bird species that can use tools to obtain food and defend themselves. 

          Luckily, the next few moments were magical. Chuck followed the raven, always a few respectful feet behind. When the raven finally flew off, Chuck's obsession began.

     

   Raven this and raven that. He started reciting lines from Poe's famous poem.

        "In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore."

        "Quoth the raven--nevermore."

         What cat talks like that? (I suspect Dan was somehow involved in Chuck's sudden spurt of literary genius.)

        Insanely curious, back at the hotel, Chuck asked Dan to google "raven" and begin to do research. He wanted to know everything there was to know about ravens.

        "Did you know ravens can fly upside down and do somersaults in the air?" Dan asked.

        "No, I did not."

         Chuck sat in rapt attention, listening.

        "Did you know they can sing?"

        "Nope."

        "Did you know they eat almost anything?"

        "Really?"

        "Insects, eggs, seeds, berries--"

         Chuck was nodding. I was imagining a raven gorging himself on my favorite--pumpkin pie. 

        "Ok. I get the picture."

        Dan found a YouTube video that featured raven calls. Caw, caw, caw, caw. He played it once. Twice. 

        The cawing was music to Chucky's ears.

        "Enough about ravens," I said.

        But Chuck wouldn't have it. He wanted to go outside and spot more ravens. 

        "Some people believe they are a sign of bad luck," I said, hoping to discourage Chuck from his increasing mania. "Maybe it's not such a good idea to hang out with--"

         But Dan, seeing Chuck look so forlorn, admitted, "They can also be a sign of good fortune."

           Finally I had to put my foot down. "Chuck, we are NOT adopting a raven. It's a wild bird. That's the end of it."

           But I was so wrong. What I thought was the end turned out to be only the beginning. 

           I'll see you next week with the rest of the story.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE ADVENTURES OF CHUCK, THE RASCAL CAT. AND PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT. CHUCK WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. JUST CLICK ON "COMMENT." IT'S EASY.