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I think I might have acquired
a cat. Or, I should say more truthfully- I think that a cat may have
acquired me.
It began two weeks ago, as my
neighbor across the street rang my doorbell.
“Hello,” I said as I answered
the door.
“Hello,” he replied.
“Can I help you?” I added,
not used to visitors at nine in the morning.
“Yes, I just wanted you to
know that your cat has been clawing at your front door for the last
twenty minutes, crying and trying to get back inside.”
“But I don’t own a cat,” I
said.
“Oh!” he said as he scratched
his head.
“Where is he?”, I said
peering about with curiosity.
“It ran off as I came up your
driveway.”
Three days later my good
friend, Greg, came over for lunch. I am considering putting a water
fountain in the corner of my yard and he has experience in such matters.
He was looking at one of my
many feed birders when he said, “I did not know you had a cat!”
“Errm, I don’t,” I replied
walking over to him.
“Then who is this then?” he
said pointing with a big grin on his face at this underfed multi-colored
little thing meowing softly at the side of my house.
I walked a little closer, and
the cat began to meow a little louder. I studied the poor mite and went
down on one knee and meowed back. Yes, yes, I know that sounds silly…Darn
silly, a grown man meowing.
However the cat did not
appear to consider it silly at all, as it cocked its head at me, and then
slinked its way towards me with deliberately slow movements, as if to say,
“Yeah, gorgeous aren’t I!” and allowed me the pleasure and honor of
scratching its head.
Greg shook his head. “Doctor
Doolittle strikes again,” he said with amazement in his voice.
It was then my dog, Tasha,
from inside the house began to bark…and my feline friend bid a hasty
retreat.
I thought that was surely
going to be the end of it…but I was, as I am sure you have guessed, wrong.
A couple of days later, I was
sitting where I sit everyday—in my office. I was tapping out one of my
attempts at storytelling, when I heard a noise that made me all a flutter—a
cat purring. I looked behind me, and saw to my delight that the cat was
outside my office window looking at me…
So now you are pretty much up
to date with me and this cat, who I now call Rags.
Well, now Rags seems to spend
most of its time in my garden, except of course when the dogs are outside.
I naturally did the honorable thing, and began to leave her food and drink.
(Yes, I found out it is a lady cat.)
I haven’t told my wife
yet—haven’t found the courage.
But, in my defense, as I
mentioned before, it wasn’t my fault. After all, the cat found me— and not
the other way around.
Wish me luck.
PSGifford
psgifford@earthlink.net
www.psgifford.com
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