Why I’m a . . .

As a cat lover, I’ve heard it all before: Cats aren’t affectionate, they’re aloof, they don’t come when they’re called, they’ll scratch you for no reason, they’re lazy and they sleep all day. Well, OK, that last one is pretty true.

But the rest are myths, no doubt perpetuated up by a conspiracy of evil anti-cat people.

Not affectionate? Our Siamese-tabby mix loves to sleep on my pillow at night and lick my head. OK, so I wake up with damp, matted hair that smells weird, but it’s her way of grooming me, and who am I to turn down a free shampoo?

Aloof? Not our orange tabby, who follows us from room to room, seizes a lap whenever he can and purrs if you just look at him. Both have a more active social life than we do, as neighbors strolling by call them by name and stop to pat their fuzzy little heads.

They will come when called--or at least when we shake the package of cat treats. And the few scratches we’ve received have resulted from good-natured teasing.

Cats are goofy in ways other animals aren’t. They’re more subtle about it. They’ll try to wake you with one prick of their needle-like claw on your nose, then put their face an inch away from yours, as if to say, “Hi! You awake yet? I’ll do it again if I have to!” Sometimes a primitive memory chip will take over and they’ll attempt to bury their food bowl by making digging movements with their paw. I always play along.

I could watch them for hours. As a friend once said, cats are always coming up with new material. Never a dull moment.