When we met for the first time
He wasn’t in the best of moods
Can’t blame the fella, I would be too
If I’d been cooped up in a pet carrier
For most of the 1100 mile trip she took
To begin a new life with me

She was soon quick to gently hint
Not to waste the flavorful water
Whenever I opened a can of tuna fish
But he would turn up his nose at my offering
Stalk off with a superior-than-thou ‘tude
Then when he thought I wasn’t watching
He’d come back and lap up every last drop

She didn’t grumble nor mumble
When he insisted on sharing her bed
His favorite spot is right under her left arm
That slinky, lanky furred body couldn’t possibly
Weigh more than six pounds dripping wet
I’m amazed at how little room there’s left for her

Oh, he has his precious moments
The way he steals milk from our cups
Dipping and licking one paw at a time
The way he sprawls on the corner of the bed
Lazily watching us dress for work
Then chases after her, batting at her legs
As if commanding her to stay home with him

He insistently demands his kitty treats from her
Often with loud meows if she’s slow
But he shows more than just a casual interest
In what I eat those days
He knows if he sits patiently enough
I’ll share some pieces of my meat with him

Its been almost two years now
His favorite places are now more numerous
He’s taken to jumping on her computer desk
When he wants her undivided attention
But he will occassional stalk close to mine
And accept short hand-to-cheek rubs from me

He still prefers hanging out on her lap
Or lays on the sofa above her head when she reads
And he still wraps his paws around her neck
When she picks him up and hugs him
He’s still very much a one woman cat
But I think he’s also accepted me as a friend
Since he knows now that I love her too.

©L. Kupfer
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