Geronimo Cat

I’m sure there are some who may question the depth of my devotion to Geronimo Cat. After all, he’s not a “people.” I was thinking about it this morning and I realized that the main reason we’re so bonded is that the relationship is in no way one-sided. In short, it’s easy to love those who so generously give love right back to you. And Geronimo gives back in full measure the devotion directed his way. We clearly need each other — when he’s frightened at the vet, he scrunches up as close to me as he can get; when I’m sad, he seeks me out to climb in my lap. And we’re also there for each other — he comes running when I call him, and I jump up when he calls me.

In a Hubpages article “Eight Ingredients for a Successful Relationship,” the named essentials are Love and Affection, Honesty and Trust, Respect and Consideration, Good Communication, Unselfishness, Forgiveness, Appreciation, and Sense of Humor. G’s and my steward-companion relationship has all of those qualities. He definitely shows an abundance of affection; he trusts me to take care of him; I respect his insistence that his belly not be touched; we have developed a communication that astonishes even Neal (I can tell when G wants me to retrieve his fluffy blanket, for example); we’re both unstinting in our giving — I bring him collars and treats, he brings me dead things; he forgives me for taking him to the vet and I forgive him for scaring the life out of me by going in the street; the mutual appreciation is obvious; and — sense of humor? I’m sure he laughs in his cat-way at my dancing, and he definitely makes me laugh when he bats and chases acorns around the side patio

In a very real way, there are really only two ingredients for a successful relationship: you need to need each other; and you need to give and receive love in equal measure. G and me? The real deal.