Ending 2013 in style

On this, the last day of 2013, Dave is sending off the year with a bang. He's doing what he loves the most, napping. It has been a good year for Dave. He made new friends, strengthened his relationships with old friends (such as his couch), and ate a lot of food. He moved, so he no longer lives on the mean streets of Iowa where he came of age. His move gave him a whole new home to explore, a new set of windows to look out of, as well as new terrain beyond the windows which he could also look at. He changed foods, then back to his original food again. He got a new cat tree, and has made significant progress destroying it. Most importantly, he has developed several new napping strategies that he hadn't used before, to go along with the old standards. 

May your 2014 bring as much joy as 2013 did for Dave.

The Conch Crevasse

Dave doesn't let anything hold him back. His creativity knows no bounds. Dave's creative process has allowed him to develop countless napping techniques and strategies, ranging from The Crevasse to The Plateau to The Conch and beyond. While these techniques each represent singularly impressive and courageous approaches to napping, another part of Dave's legend is his willingness to combine techniques. It doesn't always work, but, as any connoisseur knows, true greatness requires taking chances. True greatness is evident in both the result and the process. That's why it is such an amazing experience to watch Dave create. Pictured below, Dave has combined two of his favorite techniques, The Crevasse and The Conch, to develop a new napping technique wholly different from its two progenitors. This combination Conch Crevasse really brings the whole package. Comfort, warmth, and comfort. Greatness.

The Conch, Volume II

Dave loves to curl up in his Conch position. It has been a major part of his napping repertoire for years. It creates a lot of comfort for Dave. His great girth doesn't allow him to curl up as tightly as some other cats, but he finds the Conch to be an effective alternative to the standard curl-up technique. It is innovation like this that allows Dave to be such a prolific napper.

The Conch

By now, you are surely familiar with some of Dave's favorite napping techniques, such as The Crevasse and The Plateau. But Dave doesn't confine himself to just those strategies. He has many other techniques as well. Pictured below is Dave employing The Conch strategy. As you can see, he curls up in a semi-circular conformation, somewhat like a conch. Over the course of a full day of napping, Dave thinks it wise to change positions several times. He wouldn't want to get a sore neck from staying in a position like this for too long. An experienced napper knows these things.

The Plateau, Volume III

Dave often employs a version of The Plateau on top of the couch, especially when there is a blanket or other soft item on top of the couch that he can sit on. While The Plateau began as a napping technique, Dave has also adapted it for another use. Dave likes to perch himself above his domain, so that he can better observe any potential threats. You can see how alert he is in this photograph. Those are the eyes of a guardcat who is ready for anything. 

CSI: Dave, Volume IV

Nothing is off-limits to Dave when he is in investigation-mode. He will literally go anywhere and put his nose in anything in order to solve a mystery. He really is just as dedicated to his investigations as he is to napping, as hard as that is to believe. He even knows how to open full-sized doors, which is not a universal cat skill. Here you can see that Dave has infiltrated the area underneath the kitchen sink and is sniffing around for clues. Some horrible grating noise was emanating from there, so Dave went to investigate. 

Sniff sniff.

CSI: Dave, Volume III

Dave always gets excited when he has a visitor. He is especially excited when there is an unexpected visitor, which is most of the time, because he is a cat and doesn't get to invite his own visitors over. Here you can see Dave one day when a plumber was visiting. In this case, Dave found the visitor to be somewhat suspicious, so Dave put his investigator hat on. After the plumber left, Dave stared intently at the doorknob for quite a while. Like any good investigator, Dave knows the importance of patience in any investigation. 

Merry Christmas, from Dave

Dave would like to wish you a merry Christmas. Dave mostly plans to take naps tomorrow, and he encourages everyone around the world to take as many naps as possible tomorrow.

CSI: Dave, Volume II

Dave models his investigative methods on some of the all-time greats like Columbo, Marlowe, and Horatio Caine. A lot of other cats might scoff at the idea of walking in a wet bathtub, but not Dave. Dave doesn't mind getting his feet wet if that's what is necessary for his investigation. When something weird happens, most cats run away, but Dave runs toward the commotion. That's true commitment.

Just look at those eyes. Those are the eyes of a battle-tested investigator.

CSI: Dave

Dave, widely known for his prowess in napping and love for exploration, also fancies himself an investigator. If something interesting happens, Dave will appear in short order to investigate. Here you can see Dave investigating the bathtub in the aftermath of some unknown event. They say curiosity killed the cat, but nonsense proverbs like that don't bother Dave. He is curious, and he pays no mind to fools who try to change him. He doesn't even care if his feet get wet.