When my gray cat sleeps, his paws point up to the heavens in silent cat ecstasy. When he sleeps, he sleeps so totally relaxed, so at peace, his whole being radiates calm and exudes serenity. Someone once said that he never heard of a cat with insomnia. Indeed, my cat never seems to worry about falling asleep. He falls asleep effortlessly, almost anywhere, at any time. He embraces sleep so completely, he entrusts himself to sleep so totally— what a joy to see him surrender himself to unconsciousness with such abandon. Yet he's always available for a gentle scratching under his chin— he'll immediately awaken from the deepest sleep for any experience of affection. And the tiniest sound ofa cat food can being opened will immediately propel him into full wakefulness no matter how profound his slumbers. The gray cat is a meditation on how to sleep and how to wake up, how to be totally relaxed and how to be totally awake and alert.