He might as well be human. Left with me by one of my daughters over 4 years ago, this atypical cat had a history of jumping into the shower, then going to sleep on his owner's head. When brushed, he molded himself in his caretaker's lap, enjoying each of her lavish strokes. A pedicure that followed drew no resistance. He purred to the sound of a nail clipper with its clean, staccato effect.

Aiden arrived here at my place when he had just turned 3. Greeted by a much older cat who'd taken up all the piano benches, he had to settle for much less space. But after Tugs, a female, passed away at 17, Aiden laid claim to two entire floors, making it his business to attend any and all piano lessons from his box seat, front and center keyboard. He bench hopped, landing where a particular student was perched. Since the very young ones played Haddy, (my Haddorff console) Aiden snuggled in, enjoying the feel of its smooth mahogany finish, sometimes edging a player off-center.

In between lessons, he'd take a break in the upstairs sink, snuggled perfectly into its contour. Sometimes, I'd dress him up in cute attire and snap him with my digital camera. Here he's photographed after a long morning of cheer leading.

Last night, Aiden swished around a pile of sheet music that I'd left on the living room rug after my return from the Bay area. A bit frisky, like a scrappy Fido, he cajoled the music, and then settled upon page one of the Chopin Waltz in C# minor, smothering it with his warm belly. In an instant, he switched gears.

As I approached my Steinway grand, he leaped to the occasion, beating me to the bench in time to flirt with my iMac's nearby built-in camera. With his cat sensitive eyes and ears, he knew that I was about to record a Scarlatti Sonata.

More often, he disrupts any and all iMovie related activity the moment I tap "capture." He's faster than lightning to the window sill where he makes a racket tussling the blinds.

On this occasion, Aiden had something quite different in mind. As it turned out, he just wanted some well deserved heavy petting at the end of a long day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Msk9_TSERJA

RELATED:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5MLPxKFl2c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcNDUMeXJB0&feature=mh_lolz&list=HL1319640119

http://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/aiden-cat-and-music-in-a-mixed-media-blend-video/