Cat Tails: A beautiful dream

It was Monday, and Rudy could understand why humans said they hated Mondays. Nothing seemed to be right. There was this creepy fox that all the cats kept seeing, the Mommy had gone away again last night and she, Rudy was still a cat without her soulmate. Personals ads for cats, that was definitely a bad idea. How many cats actually read newspapers or surf the internet? Well, there were probably more than she thought, since she did it and so did Tatum, but it wasn’t like they were going around saying they were cats when they visited websites. Mostly they just sent email, did some research, and occasionally made an online purchase.

“Monday, Monday, can’t trust that day…” Rudy hummed to herself. It was better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all, that was her motto. She so wanted to meet that special cat, catch his eye across a crowded room and know, in that instant, that he was the one for her. So, as she sat on the walk, she fell into a daydream.

Rudy was lying on a large cushion of gold cloth, her fur brushed to silken perfection. Throughout the room there were other, similarly important cats, also ensconced on gold cushions. They were all being celebrated for their lofty thoughts, intelligence or beauty. Rudy, of course was being honored for all three of these attributes. As one of the emeriti crossed the room to begin a speech honoring these illustrious cats, his eye was caught by a beautiful black and white long-haired cat. His attention was riveted upon her, and almost against his will he rushed to her side. “Madame, I must know your name! Your beauty has pierced my heart full through. I am…

With a jolt, Rudy returned to the world of her back yard, with its sandy soil, cacti and evergreens. Fuzzy sat beside her, laughing. “I don’t know where you thought you were, but believe me, I am not the chairman of the Ancient Fraternal Order of Whatsits, and no I don’t want to kiss your paw.” He batted her again, that being what had brought her out of the beautiful fantasy. “I was afraid if I didn’t wake you up, you’d come running after me and smooch me, or something.” Still sniggering, Fuzzy stalked back towards his yard.

Oh, my. That has been such a beautiful daydream. Her, beautiful, high-minded and fascinating; him (whoever he’d been), handsome and charming. What more could a cat ask?

Rudy went inside for a snack and to consider her daydream again. She jumped up to look at herself in the mirror, to preen just a bit and wonder who her Prince Charming might be? What she saw in the mirror didn’t match what she’d been imagining. Rather than silken fur, beautifully arrayed Rudy’s fur stuck out every which way, and was developing some uncomfortable matted areas, and she felt the tickle of a flea on her neck. Well, so she wasn’t a beautiful young cat anymore. She was still a cat who shunned the common to consider the mysteries of the universe, wasn’t she? Of course she was. Thus reassured, Rudy jumped down and ran to the living room to watch One Life to Live.