Stray Cats

I have a soft spot for stray cats.

Why? They have moxie, that’s why.

There’s one that lives in my neighborhood. He has all the indicators of being a stray, anyway - no collar, on the skinny side, obviously not fixed.

Some days, he’ll stretch around to look at me while relaxing in the shade of a parked car. Some days, he wanders across my path and ignores me. Most days, I don’t see him at all, but I’d bet he’s around more often than not, peeking out thru a bush.

I’ve never managed to give him a pat or a scratch on the back. He’s never let me get anywhere close enough for that. Doesn’t stop me from trying: I’ll squat down, extend a hand, look away, all the motions you take to look non threatening to a cat.

He never buys it. More often than not, he’ll sit ten feet away, glaring insolently. This is very clear cat body language for: “I’m not scared of you. Piss off.”

I kind of love this about him. I’m 25-50x his weight, but he knows I don’t stand any chance of catching him. He’s not shy about giving me “F off” eyes.

I may not like that general attitude, but I do respect it.