People mean different things when they use that expression. Maia and I are taking our relationship to the next level. Does that mean going from heavy petting to the horizontal Mombo? For some it might mean going from regular dating to moving in together. And still others mean going from a domestic partnership to marriage. The next level is always a transition.
Maia and I are moving to the next level in our relationship. Up to now, our relationship has involved some light stroking, rare grooming, and the serving of Greenie hairball treats in the morning and Greenie dental treats in the evening. It has been a very skimpy relationship except when Susan has been away. At those times, I become the source of kibble and wet food, the occasional play interval, and even feline-solicited petting.
With Susan’s current mobility issues, I have become the one who gets coffee and a cookie for breakfast. That means that I am the one who now serves the morning dollop of wet cat food. And I still offer up the hairball and dental treats, of course.
Cats, dogs, and people are social creatures. All three form strong partnership bonds. All three experience meals not only as nutrition but also as love. All three enjoy playtime. So, the fact that I have become the de facto provider of food and play for Maia means that I now have a more favored position among her sentient partners – Susan and her sister Kedi.
Here is Maia, having jumped up on my ottoman without coaxing – asking for my acknowledgement and maybe a handful of catnip- or tuna-flavored dental treats. This is definitely The Next Level for us.
