The other day, wonko and I decided that I would borrow [http://photos23.flickr.com/35531559_a42d8e56b1_t.jpg|image|his cat]. I don’t know why. Maybe wonko decided I needed a reality check in the midst of my cat-longings. Maybe he manipulated me into catnapping Qubit so he could get better sleep. Maybe I just wanted a kitty.

At any rate, I set up a litter box, bought a new toy, and transported a whining Qubit to my place, keeping a careful hold on her box as it shifted and tilted with her pacing and squirming. She proceeded to emerge and survey, belly low, sniffing loudly. Eventually, as one might expect, she went to ground under the couch. She only emerged permanently (there were a few sorties) after I sat quietly nearby eating dinner, talked to her a little, and eventually laid down a few treats.

We spent the evening in a leisurely manner, I cleaning and she lying about watching me clean, and when it was time to retire, I left my door open so she wouldn’t feel lost and alone.

I lost a lot of sleep, and finally had to shut her out when she mewed for attention at 5 am…and when I failed to greet her in the morning, she decided to play ‘hide and seek’ in a place I was far too bleary to find, causing me to panic and imagine her dying in some cluttery grave. But for all that, I enjoyed it, and when I went to bed last night, I was sad to know that no silky little pest was going to hop up beside me and touch my hand with her paw, or knead my stomach, or try to balance her butt on my legs, or sing me to sleep with a raucous, rolling purr.

I love you, Qubit.