I’ve been thinking about getting Norm a girlfriend or boyfriend (I’m leaning more towards boyfriend). Even though my roommate and I each work from home once a week (on different days), Norm has not been pleased with the 8+ hours he may spend alone each day (or at least that’s what his increased “launch attack” initiatives tell me).

And let’s be honest. This apartment is a kitten’s paradise. Norm can spend hours rolling around on the carpet, chasing his tail around the living room, hopping from chair to couch to table and back again, and climbing a vast array of window sills. In addition he likes to spend his days sunning in his tree or hiding on a shelf in one of two walk-in closets. He spends his evenings catching hair ties and mini soccer balls or dragging his “bird on a wire” toy from the closet archway to mom’s bed.

There are a plethora of places to hide (ideal for a successful launch attack and for catching Auntie Ari off guard coming out of her bedroom). Sometimes he sleeps in a wicker basket within the makeshift coffee table (what was once a small tv stand) or underneath the couch or even in the laundry basket filled with blankets in the darkened area of mom’s closet. Not to mention he plays hide-and-seek in the kitchen cabinets (we’ve made a note to wash off the grill pan before use).

The apartment has been good for his health, too. He’s already lost half a pound in the month since we moved in (his bulimia seems to have dissipated — no more coming-home presents). He has two queen-size beds to himself, and without an alleyway of construction noises, he sleeps for hours on end. The temperature-controlled rooms and decent insulation help him regulate his internal temperature, too. He can bathe almost anywhere.

This cat has the life. That’s why I feel it is an appropriate time to introduce another addition to our home and completely change the landscape of Norm’s paradise. He’s going to have to learn to share at some point. And while I may justify this new member with the fact that Norm is lonely and needs a buddy, I have a feeling Norm will see it differently.

But as Donkey so eloquently sings it, “But ya gotta have friends…”

Stay tuned for further developments.

Side note: We invited a playful dog over recently. Norm didn’t interact with me for the rest of the night. If I ever do adopt a canine (which I hope to one day), I may have to be prepared for full feline fury.