A Day In The Life With My Devon
Alice Caravias
Sometime in the wee hours of the morning, Angelo settled down and retired on
my chest with his head against my cheek. The alarm goes off and his eyes
open narrowly with a look of "will you turn that thing off?". I push the
snooze button and he readjusts, stretching his paw out to touch my face. He
loves to sleep, as much as he loves to play. Eventually, the alarm goes off
and I open the drapes. This is his cue that the morning has begun. Going
from sleepy head to wide eyed awake, Angelo, my eight month old Devon Rex
bounces over to the window to eagerly check out the morning's view - birds
chirping in the tree, clouds floating by, leaves waving in the wind. He's
curious about it all.
He rarely ever leaves my side, and from what I understand, this is common of
Devons, a very social breed. No matter what I doing, Angelo wants to be in
on it too. When I am at my laptop computer, he's usually trying to sit on
the keyboard or by my side watching the cursor. If I'm in the kitchen,
he's there on the table, with his nose in everything (the food, the dishes),
wanting to help out. When the phone rings, his ears perk up and he runs
over, jumps on my lap, puts his front legs on my chest, leans into me
eagerly to see who's on the phone. He is full of affection, often cuddling
with me as he would another cat. Angelo loves to be held like a baby and
have his belly rubbed. His short wavy fur reminds me of a soft stuffed
animal or little lamb. He loves to sit on my shoulder and jump up onto my
back. If I've been away from him for a while, he wants to be carried around
when I come home. Full of frequent kisses and snuggles, my Devon wants and
sometimes demands lots of attention. If you aren't prepared or don't want
to dote on your cat, don't get a Devon. This special breed is not aloof and
independent like other cats - Devons want and need lots of attention and
love.
Sometimes when life gets rather busy and I don't shower him with enough
attention, Angelo lets me know he doesn't like it. I've gotten used to his
constant desire to be with me, and put up with his little ways of letting me
know that he thinks he's really the center of the universe. I can rarely
write without having him playing with the top of my pen. He often jumps up
on my lap while I sit on the toilet. I can't eat a bowl of cereal or plate
of food without him sticking his nose into it. He gives me cross looks if
I don't at least give him a taste or let him lick the plate. He loves many
types of food, including tofu and potato chips, which my vet scolds me
about. I can't leave a glass of water sitting around without him drinking
from it - so now I get glasses of water for us both, though he still prefers
the one I am drinking from.
Angelo likes to play late at night, and won't give up until I give in.
Usually after 20 minutes of playing, he's ready for a snooze. He rarely
lets me sit by myself, and is usually climbing all over me. If you've got a
problem with cats on furniture, then DON'T get a Devon. Angelo goes
everywhere, and has even started to try and climb the walls. In a short
time after moving in, Angelo showed me that this is really his house and he
lets me live here. He knows where I am going to sit down and will often
jump up into the chair before I get a chance to sit down. They go
everywhere, anytime, except outside. Devons are not outdoor cats.
Devons require grooming - their ears get very waxy so weekly, I hold him and
clean his ears with cotton swabs. Also, his claws need trimming each week
or so, which is not one of his favorite past-times. Please don't ever even
consider getting a cat declawed. Think what it would be like if someone
tore your fingernails off. The time I spend grooming him weekly isn't much
and our furniture and my skin don't suffer from his claws. Their eyes get
gooky too, which is a pretty simple clean every morning. I have cat
allergies, which still exist, even with my Devon. To have more control over
my sneezing attacks, I bathe him weekly and don't let him sleep on my
face too much (which makes him a bit cross sometimes - Devons just want to
be close to you - all the time!) Devon's immunity systems are not as strong
as your standard cat, as they are a small breed population. Therefore, I
keep a close watch over him. If you aren't prepared to spend time caring
for a cat, Devon's probably aren't for you.
The day is beginning and Angelo is ready for play. He anxiously watches
while I put the birdseed outside by the front window. Soon they'll be
robins and sparrows to entertain him. He sometimes entertains himself,
chasing his tail, grabbing at my hair, jumping off and on chairs and other
furniture. I describe him as a bunny in a cat suit, and I've also heard
Devons described as a monkey in a cat suit. He literally bounces around,
jumping up and over the sofa, sliding down the hardwood floors, under the
bed, up to the window, bouncing into another room, and then another - all in
one go. Like a dog, Devons wag their tails. Angelo isn't overly vocal, and
has yet to meow, instead he makes what I've heard referred to as churdles.
He also howls when he's not happy (like when I'm clipping his nails).
A day in the life with my Devon is full of companionship, animated behavior
and adventure. I've always been an animal lover, and am especially fond of
the way a Devon's personality is a combination of many animals in one - in
such a cute, playful, and loving creature.
Alice Caravias
Visit Alice's Devons @ Home Profile
|
