I like to bring home abandoned and thrown away things from work. I'm a
terrible packrat. Most of the things I bring home are things like
cardboard cartons I use for storage, bits or complete pieces of
equipment I like to tinker with, (I'm very god at repairing small
machines, etc. ) and other things you just can't go out and buy: pieces
or complete old computers, old telephones, working and not, and the
like.

I also bring home packing materials, like packing peanuts, and bubble
wrap, because at Christmas time I have to ship a number of securely
packaged gifts.

Last week, I got a piece of foam rubber, used as padding in a large
package. It's about 2 feet by 3 feet, and about an inch (2 1/2 cm
thick).

I decided it would make nice extra padding for the driver's seat in my
17 1/2 year old car. I had to put a seat cover on the driver's seat, and
I figured I would put it under the seat cover, making the seat more
comfortable. I thought I would cut the piece into two pieces, and get 2
inches of padding.

So I carefully measured the seat of my car, and went inside to cut the
piece of foam rubber to the two pieces of the correct size and shape.

I brought the piece of foam rubber into the kitchen, I got some sharp
scissors, and was prepared to cut the piece of foam rubber into two
pieces.

The telephone rang, and I spent over an hour on the phone.

When I was done with my telephone call, Kenzie (remember Kenzie?) had
left her usual perch on the kitchen chair I have to leave pulled out so
she can watch the goings on in my house, and was lounging on the foam
rubber foam. She rolled back and forth on it, several times while I
watched, and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself.

I picked up the foam rubber to cut it, and was treated to a most
uncharacteristic plaintive meow from Kenzie, coupled with the most sad
expression I've ever seen on her always sunny looking, sweet kitty face.

Kenzie simply *never* causes a fuss about anything; she's just such a
contented, happy, and well behaved kitty.

I put the piece of foam rubber back on the floor, and Kenzie exceeded
the speed of light getting back on it, and stretching out so she seemed
to almost fill the length of the piece.

Well, obviously, this piece of foam rubber had been brought into my
house for the sole purpose of Kenzie's pleasure lounging upon it.

Kenzie doesn't sleep on it; I think she enjoys the texture.

I moved the piece of foam rubber into the living room, since the kitchen
is so tiny. Especially since i have to leave a chair pulled out, with a
towel on it, so Kenzie has a proper place to survey her kingdom
(Queendom?).

Kenzie spends most of her time in the kitchen, which is in the middle of
my little house, and allows a view into the living room, dining room,
and bedroom, 4 of the 5 rooms in my house, including the kitchen. Kenzie
can see the bathroom door from the kitchen, so she can pretty much
monitor all activities in her domain.

The first time she found her piece of foam rubber missing, I heard a
soft, sad meow from the kitchen.

Kenzie came into the living room a little later, and found her piece of
foam rubber. She wouldn't lay on it, however, and instead came up to me
as I sat at my computer, and softly meowed to me, and went back to the
piece of foam rubber, and meowed again.

Sigh. Kenzie asks for so little from me, and gives me so much.

I put the piece of foam rubber back on the kitchen floor.

To say my kitchen is small is an understatement. There are three doors
going into the kitchen. There's less than 4 square feet of counter
space. There's a tiny little table, with two chairs, one of which cannot
be used for sitting on.

Now, I have a chair always pulled out and in my way, and almost 6 square
feet of foam rubber for Kenzie's comfort in my kitchen.

Walking through the kitchen, which I must do frequently to get to and
from the bedroom, bathroom, living room/dining room, and to get to the
basement door, now requires  a nearly figure 8 maneuver

And now I've lost about half of the remaining floor space to Kenzie's
new 'bed', which she doesn't even sleep on; Kenzie sleeps on a pillow
with me at night, and naps on the same comfy bedpillow.

I just pay the mortgage; it's now apparently completely Kenzie's little
5 room house. Sigh.....

But I love my calico kitty, despite the fact that she has... well....
almost no faults at all!