5th December 2011
Dear Cassi,
I do not recall if I have spoken to you of
my favorite part of my trips to Yorba Linda. On this occasion I had been
invited to a holiday dinner and having not seen the eaters for more than a
month I grew lonesome for the company of their family cats. This home keeps a
number of cats of which four are my normal companions. Their three dogs are
likewise happy to afford my company.
In this lot there is an animal called a
Twist by cat fanciers, and she is black and white, large in body, social to the
visiting folk, and vial to her fellow felines. Adorned with a cow bell round
her neck and having a large belly that hangs down she does her name proud. They
call her Moo the Cow Cat.
On arriving I took the mini-cow into my
arms as I always do, but her claws sank deeper than normal into my skin. I
reached round her to loosen her grip, and for the first time in my recollection
she hissed at me.
I detached the ornery feline and put her
down to have her drop down on her back and put a leg up to expos her belly.
Apology accepted I gave her tummy a rub.
Cats can be funny things, and I think this
one took a moment to remember who I was, or perhaps she was just startled. I
believe few are willing to lift the large cat. She is hard on clothing with her
claws and being black and white she gets fur on everything.
I can forgive all of Moo’s short comings,
because she knows how to apologize. Who could stay mad at a cat to begin with?
Stay safe, Cassi.
Richard Leland Neal
