Member-only story
That Darned Cat! (That Darned Gorgeous Cat)
There’s got to be a reason cat videos are so popular
I’m a cat person. There, I’ve said it. I’ve tried to love dogs, but I grew up on a farm and dogs are just … dogs. Sorry, but it’s true.
I’m guilty of watching cat videos, like so many others, but I don’t watch a lot (kitten ones are the best). Instead I watch my own cat.
I have one right now. Sooty. She’s got me through 239 days of lockdown. Yes, Melbourne is the world’s lockdown city. People everywhere got pets during our long days of lockdown, and many of them got dogs. I already had Sooty. I was lucky.
I found her at the council pet adoption place. There were twelve kittens and they were all so tempting, but I wanted a cat that would be affectionate. As soon as I picked Sooty up, she started purring. We were a team straight away!
I brought her home and she hid under the bed for two days. It took a while but I coaxed her out, gave her lots of gentle pats, and made her feel safe. She treats me a bit like her mum. She watches me shower in the morning, worried about how wet I am, and tries to lick me dry. If I have to go out, she comes running when she hears me come in the door. That is very cool, I can tell you.
