The day is warm and sunny, with “warm” being relative to December. Still, it’s a nice day, and the sun is streaming in the window. You would think it was a peaceful day, and it would be, except for the snoring cat.

The cat is in the window, enjoying the sunlight and losing his battle to sleep. He nods off, and that’s when the trouble begins. His first snores are quiet, barely audible, and easily lost in the silence of the room. This is not a problem. It’s cute and charming, and it makes me happy to know how content he is.

But then, he gets more comfortable. And now… now the loud snores come out. Snores that cannot be ignored, although, amazingly, are still cute. If I am on the phone, the person on the other end might ask me if I am OK or have a breathing problem. I don’t. The cat does, I patiently explain. The snoring cat continues, oblivious, and I think about ordering more earplugs from Amazon.

But I can’t. I still like the sounds of the snores, for it means the cat is happier and more content than a moment ago. His idea of a perfect afternoon is basking away in the sun. I genuinely think he has the right of it.

I could, of course, wake him up. But I can’t bring myself to do it, and despite my light kvetching, I am disappointed when he stops snoring.

So I write this as his snores increase, drowning out the jet airplane overhead. Sooner or later he will wake himself up, usually with a start, because his snoring is too loud, even for him. I just look over at him, relieved I didn’t have to make the decision to wake him up or not.

We should all have such problems.