Becky Says...

August 12, 2001

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Smokey and Me

I grew up with lots of cats around, but I wasn't the target of a kitty head game until I was in college. I went away for a weekend, to stay with some cousins and be a judge for a debate society contest. The cousins were owned by a cat, a Siamese named Smokey.

My part of the debate contest was over by Saturday afternoon. I got back to my cousins' home and started working on some homework I had brought along. Everyone in the family needed to go somewhere during the course of the day---the grownups to work and to grocery-shop, and the younger ones either to the debate contest or along with a parent. That meant I had the place and the cat to myself for a while.

And the cat decided to liven up my stay.

Smokey didn't dislike me---you can tell when a cat dislikes you. But he definitely wanted to make sure I knew he was in charge, in case I had missed that somehow. So he played a game with me.

I got all engrossed in the studying I was doing, and at some point realized I hadn't heard kitty sounds for a while. I glanced around the room, and there was no cat present.

I got a little curious as to where he might have decided to go, so I looked around in the other rooms, and found no cat. At that point, I started to worry.

I had been the last human to have opened the outside door, since I had gone out to my car to get my books. And I was afraid that even though I had taken care to shut the door behind myself both going out and coming back in, I had somehow let the cat out.

The family had, at that point, had the cat longer than either child and basically longer than they had had me. So I knew I had to find that cat, and it would be better for all concerned if the cat were in good shape when found.

I went outside, checking all the possible places near the house. No cat. I came back inside to get my car keys, figuring that cruising through the neighborhood was next on the agenda.

As I walked into the living room, there was the cat, regally perched on an ottoman. I could tell from the expression on his face that he was pleased with himself for sending me on a wild goose chase.

At that point, the game ended. I told him I was glad he was inside and happy, and allowed aloud that I had been concerned. That was apparently what he needed to hear.

I had proved my worthiness to his highness, and the remainder of my visit he stayed in plain sight.

Text © copyright 2000-2001 Becky