Ask Morris: How Do You Survive the Holidays?

My best tip for surviving the holidays is to sleep through as much of them as possible. Of course, that might not be as easy for you humans as it is for us cats. Even for me, it can be a challenge, what with all the caroling and visitors coming and going and children squealing over their presents. 

I remember last year when one of the biggest interruptions to my holiday nap schedule involved getting roped into the family greeting card photo. I had just eaten a big meal of yummy 9Lives® Tender Morsels With Real Chicken in Sauce, and I was ready to sleep it off. I found a nice, quiet spot under the tree and had just curled up and closed my eyes when suddenly my human scooped me up, plopped me in her lap, strapped antlers to my head and told me to purr for the camera.

Naturally, I meowed loudly to express my displeasure and began to squirm in her arms, making my escape just as the flash went off. I climbed the tree for safety and refused to come down again until she got the hint that naptime is to be respected. 

I must say, though, I felt a little bad about disappointing her hopes of capturing me on film. It's not like I could blame her — I am quite the handsome cat, after all. So I made it up to her later by being sure to jump into the picture every time I saw one being taken. 

Another year, when the children were small, it seemed the house was never quiet enough for a decent nap. When they weren't running around the house screaming and hollering with their friends, they were playing loud music or watching holiday movies and singing along with all the songs. I had to search long and hard for someplace to get a little peace and quiet.

I finally found a spot at the back of my human's closet, inside a beautiful, sparkly bag all covered with bows and filled with colorful, crinkly paper just waiting for me to shred and tamp down into a comfy nest. It was perfect, until my human found me there. It turned out that it was so comfortable because underneath the paper the bottom of the bag was lined with a cashmere sweater. She was so delighted that she couldn't stop talking about how my hair blended in so well with the soft cashmere. Though it didn't last long, that was the best sleep I got that season. 

So you see, naps can be hard to come by during the holidays, but with persistence and determination they can definitely be had, and it's worth all the extra effort.