Sorry I Cat-napped

I want to start by saying I’m sorry. This isn’t as bad as it sounds. This sort of thing could happen to anyone, right?

I know that’s probably not enough on its own, and I hope this doesn’t cross any boundaries. If I were in your position—hypothetically speaking, of course—I would also be confused, mildly alarmed, and possibly holding a broom for protection. To clarify, I did not intend for any of this to happen.

Do you remember last year when you and your husband were out of town for a week and you needed someone to watch your cat? I love your cat and jumped at the chance to help you out. It had been a while since I’d been over, and your cat is such a playful cat I couldn’t wait to see him.

I always checked on him twice a day, just like you asked. At first, I didn’t stay long. I gave him food, water, played with him for a few minutes, then left. I even checked on the stray cats you said sometimes hang out in the backyard. It was routine. I think having a routine helped him too, or at least that’s what I told myself when I started noticing he would sit by the door a little longer after I left.

Slowly, I started staying a little longer. It was nice. I would read on my Kindle while he sat with me on the couch. It was comfortable. I also started playing music on my phone for a few minutes just for background noise. The house felt less empty that way, and I like to think it helped Boss too. I experimented a little with different playlists, my cats always mellowed out when I played Odesza. Boss didn’t seem to care much about what I played.

Now before I continue, I want to preface that what I did was purely an accident. I only did it one time, I swear. I had barely slept the night before, probably because I was up too late playing video games, and then I had a very long shift before checking on Boss. I already felt like I was running on empty. But I couldn’t skip checking on your cat.

When I got to your house, I followed the usual routine. Once I gave him water, I sat on my phone and scrolled for a bit. My eyes were heavy. I was trying so hard to stay awake. I remember thinking I would just close my eyes for a second, just to reset, which in hindsight is never actually a safe idea. Eventually, I laid back on the couch…I still remember how comfortable it was. Then Boss laid down next to me, which honestly felt like he was supporting my decision.

The next thing I knew, I was passed out. I hadn’t fallen asleep that fast in a long time, which I now understand is not something to be proud of but also not entirely in my control.

I woke up three hours later, completely disoriented and briefly forgetting where I was. For a moment I genuinely thought I had fallen asleep in a different timeline. Once I calmed down and reoriented myself, I realized what had happened and felt a wave of embarrassment so strong I considered moving to a different city. I left immediately, assuring myself that people fall asleep on their friends’ couches all the time when they’re cat sitting, and that this was a normal human error and not something that should affect my reputation as a responsible adult.

I was too nervous to say anything at the time. Though thinking back, maybe I should have. Maybe I wouldn’t held onto the embarrassment for so long. I just wasn’t sure if you would find it strange for someone to take a nap in your home while you weren’t there. We’ve known each other for years, so surely it was fine. That’s what I kept telling myself, at least during the parts of the day when I was not actively replaying the situation in my head.

But I couldn’t hold it in anymore—you have a right to know. It’s your house and your couch after all. Hopefully you’ll forgive me. I assure you it was only that one time, and after that I made sure not to linger anymore when checking on Boss. No matter how hard he tried to get me to stay longer, I did not budge an inch. He has a very persuasive way of sitting directly in front of the door to block you from leaving, which I assume is some form of emotional strategy, but I remained firm in my responsibilities.

There were a few close calls after that, I will admit. Times where I sat down “just for a minute” and had to actively negotiate with myself about whether blinking for too long constituted the beginning of another incident. I managed those situations responsibly, I think, though I did occasionally have to stand up mid-thought to avoid any misunderstandings.

Either way…I’m sorry I took a cat-nap while I was supposed to be checking on your cat.