Cat Tails: Lovelorn

Peep was restless this afternoon. She walked from room to room, looking under furniture, poking into narrow spaces and piles of papers and burrowing into blankets. By the time Rudy came in for an a snack, the house looked like it had been searched by a team of professional thieves.

"What's with you today, Peep? You're pacing like a caged tiger and the house is a mess. I know the Daddy didn't do this - he's been gone all day." Rudy settled down in her favorite spot on the couch, after pulling her special afghan back where it belonged.

"Rudy - have you ever been in love?" Peep didn't look at Rudy when she asked this. She stared at a spot on the floor, as though it might burst into flame at any moment.

"Love, me? I don't think so. Well, I loved my cat mother, and I love the Mommy and Daddy, but that's different." Rudy gave Peep a sharp look. "Are you in love, Peep?"

"No, I'm not in love, but isn't it a bit odd that I'm an all-grown up cat, and I've never been in love? I mean I know I can't have kittens because of Tibet, but I could still fall in love, couldn't I?" Peep continued to stare at that spot on the floor, but now she was wiggling a little in embarrassment.

Rudy looked carefully at the Peep. "Is there somecat you'd like to be in love with?" She searched her memory for cats that they knew that maybe Peep had a crush on.

"Nope. I just wish I could be in love. Look at Mommy and Daddy. They love each other so much. They do things for each other, and care about each other, and miss the other when one is away. I wish I had someone special like that." Peep gave up staring at the floor and flopped on the floor bonelessly.

"Hey love isn't all that, Peep. You watch TV - remember the time that Mommy fell asleep and Jerry Springer came on? Those people said they loved each other, but all they did was scream about how lousy the other person had been." Rudy searched her memory for other tails of bad love. "And sometimes on that show that Mommy loves, Saving Grace, bad things happen when people love each other. I do like that show...."

Peep sighed. Last summer she'd seen how much LT and Ginger cared about each other, and she wanted that for herself. She wondered if something was wrong with her - she'd never even had anyone ask her out on a date. Then again - did cats date? She wasn't sure. LT and Ginger didn't go out on dates, but she had been busy with her new kittens.

"For one thing, Peep, you spend most of your time in the house. How are you going to meet anyone other than us if you spend most of your time in here? It's not like anyone but Fuzzy comes in, and he's your brother!" Rudy did have a point there.

"But it's scary out there, Rudy. Fuzzy chases me, and there's cars and big animals and who knows what. Anyway, I see other cats at the Cat Club meeting every Friday." Thus far, she hadn't fallen in love with any of them, but she hadn't considered then as possible suitors. "Maybe I just need to get to know those guys better. Who knows, maybe one of them has a grand passion for me, and is too shy to show it?"

Rudy doubted that, as the other cats in the Cat Club, the males at least, were a pretty rowdy bunch, and didn't keep anything inside. "Well, who knows, Peep. Keep your eyes open, and maybe love will find you. It's not like you can chase it like you can the bullfrog." With that wisdom, Rudy shut her eyes, signaling that it was time for a nap.

Peep thought about that. She didn't want to be seen as some brazen hussy, chasing the male cats around. She'd keep her eyes open though. The love of her life might be out there somewhere, just waiting for her.