Conversations with my cat

Living alone during the pandemic is challenging to say the least. Introvert though I am, I find I need to be with people from time to time to nourish my spirit. Zoom is great, but it's just not the same as in person. So I find myself talking to my cat, Shadow. He is 15 years old, a gray ball of fur who sits on my lap just about every time I sit down. I tell him what's happening and he looks at me with his catly stare, rarely responding. Sometimes, he starts washing himself vigorously. Inviting me to stop talking? Then, later, he will begin meowing at me. He has a wide repertoire of meows, from plaintive to demanding, and I can often interpret them reasonably well. The most puzzling is the silent meow, when he opens his mouth and no sound comes out. What is he trying to tell me? I expect he is asking himself the same question: "What in the world is she yammering about?" Still, we both persist. I look to the day when I can have two-way, in-person conversations with another two-legged creature, but in the meantime, Shadow and I are endeavoring to keep calm and carry on. At least we have each other. By: Barbara F