We’ve had Murphy, our orange tabby for a few years now.

He is as sweet now as the day we adopted him from Town Cats.

We got him after our dear Oliver (big fluffy gray scaredy cat) passed away because Leo was clearly missing having someone to play with.

I had decided I really wanted an orange cat.

When we went to the Petsmart to look at potential kitties, I had decided on a kitten; but the kittens I wanted to look at had already been adopted out.

Then I saw this young (a year or so old) orange tabby, and I asked if I could hold him.

At the time, this cat’s name was Murray – but that was soon to change to what I believe is the more suitable moniker of Murphy.

He was as sweet as he could be, and clearly interested in being friends with me and my husband.

So off he went to chez fat old lady to meet Leo.

They hit it off immediately.

No hissy fits – partly, I am sure, because of Murphy’s sweet temperament.

Murphy’s one failing is that he does not like to be held.  He is not a lap cat nor does he like being picked up.

However, he LOVES getting pets.  He has a couple of spots in the house where he will sit and holler at you to come and pet him, and then he will stretch out and luxuriate in the attention.

He is Daddy’s boy, but he likes me okay too; and that’s fine, because although Leo is also Daddy’s boy, Leo has been spending more and more time with me lately.  (Warm, warm, soft, soft.)

Also lately, Murphy has been more snuggly – when Bill is on the sofa, Murphy now sits next to Bill and will even let you hold him (albeit briefly), as long as the pets and skritches are forthcoming.

All this is wonderful.

HOWEVER, Murphy has a new trick.

In the wee hours of the morning, Murphy seems to have developed an overwhelming desire to be petted.

He climbs on us (and he is no lightweight – he is our roly-poly boy), and flops (often sliding off until he is ensconced between us) and rubs his little face against our hands, our heads – anything that is not buried in blankets and covers – until he eventually succeeds in waking one (or both) of us up sufficiently to actively pet him.

WTF Murphy?

He has been doing this every night (or I should say every early, early morning).

I have no idea what has brought this on, but Murphy clearly thinks crack-of-dawn pets are de rigeur.

The pet fests go on for 5-10-15 minutes – I don’t know – it seems like an inordinate amount of petting for such an early hour – before he’ll decide that’s enough and go back to the end of the bed to sleep.  Of course, then it’s up to us to figure out how we’re going to get back to sleep.

I admit, there are worse things to wake up to than a kitty demanding pets; but it would be far better to actually be able to sleep through the night undisturbed by Demando Cat.

I love you Murphy, but how about you let us prove it during usual business hours?

Love me. NOW!