February 2012 Pet of the Month

Meet Rousseau

Name: Je m'appelle "Rousseau", a/k/a, "le chat philosophe" (the philosopher cat, s'il vous plait). My mom (the two-legged one) named me after her favorite political philosopher, Jean Jacques Rousseau, because of my fleur-de-lis blue eyes, continental elegance and brilliant intellect.

Breed: Blue-point Siamese

Likes: I am a very clever and talkative blue-point Siamese who knows how to argue very persuasively until I get exactly what I want. For example, when I want food or lap time and mom does not respond immediately to my insistent verbal demands or nudges, I jump on the highest point of the sideboard in the dining room and swipe my paw at a picture hanging on the wall until I knock it askew. I then give mom that "so, you think you can win" look. That trick never fails to get her attention. I also love to play. My favorite game (known well by my Sit-A-Pet friends) is to hide on the stairway so that I can ambush whoever is coming down the stairs. That trick hardly ever fails to elicit a few strokes of my sleek fur coat.

Dislikes: I don't like a laptop computer on mom's lap when I want to be there and I really don't like getting into my cat carrier to go to the vet.

About Rousseau: Mom went to a lot of trouble to find me. I was born in rural northern Wisconsin to a large family tended by a fine breeder who got me off to a healthy, caring start in life. Mom selected me by internet, with help from her daughter, who is kind of a second mom to me. They drove all the way from Chicago to get me, and I was very happy to see them and to begin basking in all the attention and love they showered on me. I moved to Washington, D.C., with mom about seven years ago. That was great because I got to fly in an airplane. I love Washington. It is the purrfect place for a philosopher cat like me. Mom's son lives far away but calls me "Sseau" when I talk to him by Skype. I think that is a very fine nickname, don't you?

Although I may sound sort of haughty, I am really just a big bundle of love wrapped in a lovely blue-point coat. There is nothing I like better than a lap unless it is the radiator on a cold winter day. I can never get too much lap time. I also love to talk and am hard to ignore once I start a conversation. When "mom" entertains friends, I am always the center of attention and find lots of willing laps. I sometimes even join in the conversation, sitting on a chair and nodding or occasionally making a comment. People are amazed at how intelligent and sociable I am, not at all like the unfair stereotype people have of Siamese as aloof and unfriendly.

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