the cat's meow

4am....our 10-year-old tabby, donut, is meowing....no...he is bellowing....it is 2-weeks since we moved from our home of almost 20 years, a large colonial, to this 2-bedroom rental...temporary digs until our new condo is ready...for 2 weeks donut has voiced his opinion...sometimes starting at the lovely hour of 2:30am...the time when you're in a relative coma, and the dream is getting interesting...other times he starts at 4am..quiets after i feed or pet him...or stops and starts at 5am, 6am...each time when I go to see what the problem is he gives me your basic cat response...regal pose, corners of his mouth arched in a smile and silent...till i return to the covers, my fading dream, only to hear a loud "meow"...he is pushing me over the edge...for the past few nights, well maybe it is the sleep deprivation, but i seemed to hear, "meow, meow, meow, fuck you, why did we move, where are my stairs, meow, haha, hi neighbors"...i am sure there is an animal behaviorist out there shaking his or her head, affirming i am a bad owner, doing everything wrong, to which i would reply, "meow"...