DAY 36

Just wanted to play a little. No strings attached. The spool of yarn and the big Peacock feather on the bureau in the bedroom just gets old after a while. I needed a bit of social interaction, a bit of cat on cat time, some time to let my ears up and chase a little tail- in the playful sense, in the playful sense!

Smudge just wasn't having it, but enough was enough. After all, I'm not n interloper here. I was, in essence taken from the shelter. It wasn't my choice, and its not like I really have any better place to go. So, enough with the attitude, I thought, this is my home now too. We'll have to learn to get along, or its going to be a very long and unpleasant life here.

I knew just where to find her. She's got this old green fleece throw blanket at the end of the bed. Poor gal suckles there. obviously never weened properly, and my heart goes out to her for that. hard life for a young girl, but I've been there, toots. She's got to recognize we both come from the place-sort of. A world where we're discarded by some humans before being rescued and imprisoned by others. We're comrades, paisanos, goombahs, amigos!

I climbed up and found her there, suckling, kneading the blanket rhythmically with her front paws, her eyes half closed in some regressive pleasure. She looked up briefly, quickly suspicious that I would jump on that long black tail. But a cat knows, and I knew there was a deep and vulnerable side to Smudge. That pain made her all the more beautiful to me.

"A little busy here," she paused, narrowing her gaze at me.

"Ain't doin' nothin," I said, nonchalantly.

"Mind not doing it somwhere else. Ya kind of bug me, kid."

"Hot by you?" I asked, "Cause every time I'm near you I seem to get burned."

"Can't stand the heat kid..." she went back to suckling.

"Ain't the heat that's got me down." I studied her a moment.

I wasn't getting anywhere this day, that much was sure, but somehow it seemed like progress. Guy like me likes to run, be bold, take chances, but maybe kitten steps are the way to that cat's heart.

I turned and jumped down onto the floor. I paused at the yarn. Over my shoulder, on the bed I could see Smudge's ears. beyond her, upon that old antique bureau, beside the television, that bright and feathery Peacock feather. I sighed. Time enough for childish things, I thought as I rounded the corner to the hallway. Time for a bite of food and a nap...cold hard Friskies again...