Twas the hour before dawn and all through the house not a creature was stirring…. well maybe one or two.  It’s that time of night when I feel the need for a late night walk to the bathroom (one of the wonders of being female, taking a diuretic for blood pressure, or being over 50 – take your choice).  It’s not a bad thing, I actually enjoy the quiet and peace of this time of night – the stroll through the house, flipping on a light switch here and there…. I can really look around and appreciate my home and how much I love it. ( I also lost the ability to sleep through the night as soon as I was handed the first baby in the hospital. )

But I digress.

As I came out of the bathroom, one other creature was stirring in my house…. and it wasn’t a mouse.  Sitting right outside the door patiently awaiting my exit, was a fuzzy body and big sparkly eyes.  As I crossed the hall, he fell into step beside me and accompanied me on the rest of my journey.

One of the most companionable guys in my life is Lambert, my big orange Maine Coon.  He came into my life as a tiny kitten in a basket – beautiful orange and white perfect spirals on his sides like Fibonacci ( my daughter was student teaching at the time – the wonders of the Fibonacci sequence).  As he grew, his beauty and personality increased.  Lambert is big and gentle, with a  soft, long coat and a huge fluffy tail like a bottle brush that he carries proudly in the air.  The fur on his back legs makes him look like he is wearing pantaloons, and he trots gracefully through the house going about his self-appointed errands.

True to his name (Lambert, the Sheepish Lion), Lambert is very placid and a little on the shy side with strangers, which is only the more endearing.  He sits off to the side and assesses new arrivals with a slight frown on his brow.  He is a peacemaker with the other cats, and plays very gently with the tiniest cat of the bunch.

Lambert is a good conversationalist, and can be quite vocal with a distinct sequence of chirps and meows that is recognizable from a distance.  He has quite a bit to say at mealtimes, as he snakes around my feet and stretch his paws up for his dish (meals are very important to this guy).   Lambert is only too happy to lay on the table during my meals, pretending indifference to my food.  He lays down in the vicinity of my dish, and then gives a very nonchalant ssssttttrrrretttccchhh with both front paws – which, if I’m not observant, will land very cleverly in my plate.  He also likes to play with water, and will bat at a faucet drip, or play in and with his water dish.

One of my favorite “Lambert moments” comes when he is cuddling in my arms or lounging in my lap watching television (his favorite movie is “Mulan”).   He stretches out, settles in, and gets his motor running…. a nice low hum of a purrrrrr that is so soothing – the sound of happiness – guaranteed to lower my heart rate and make any day better.

I can whole-heartedly say that Maine Coons are an extremely special breed of cat – companionable, loving, truly a gentle giant.  And my Lambert, my sweet buddy, fellow night owl, is truly everything wonderful that one cat can be.

I have to go now….. I’m being chirped at, and I just happen to have “Mulan” on DVR…..