This could be a story

Nubbin and the Samurai

cj Sez:  I think I've touched on this before, but now I believe I could make a story out of this:  There is a love quadrangle (of sorts) going on at my house. About four years ago, my patio became the go-to place for food. I had a habit of putting out some dry bread for the birds, and one night a little nubbin of a kitten showed up and ran off with a piece in its mouth. I figured that was a really hungry feline because the cats I knew didn’t generally eat hard, dry bread. It came back the next evening and the next, so I started putting out cat food, knowing it would cost me in the long run because I’d have to trap it out and get it spayed or neutered.

Didn’t take long before a yellow cat appeared, and Son and I learned Nubbin was a female because she started courting Yellow Cat. Yep, SHE did the pursuing. I watched the little flirt follow him around the yard and rub her face against his. So, because I didn’t want to populate the neighborhood with kittens, we made a trap. We caught Yellow Cat first and had him neutered, and a few weeks later, we caught Nubbin and had her spayed. That was the end of the romance. Both of them had lost their alluring hormones, and as a result, she’d panic and run every time she saw Yellow Cat. Confused him all to pieces.

A couple of years later, a big grey cat with white feet showed up, and there was no question about him being a tomcat. Nubbin fell in love with Boots’s manly scent and began to pursue him. His interest in her is akin to a big brother. He’ll tolerate her face rubs with an occasional push away, and he'll chase off Yellow Cat if she gets nervous and runs. But he imprinted on me. Although he has bitten me hard twice (two courses of antiobiotics for infected hands/wrists), he follows me around like a dog when I’m out in the yard and sits like a sentry at the back door where he can watch me work in the kitchen. The problem is he’s very feral, and we haven’t been able to catch him. The other problem is, I’m partial to Yellow Cat who purrs and lets me rub his tummy. I can’t touch the other two.

About the same time that Boots arrived, a little turtle came into the yard to feast on fallen figs. Mr. Turtle also loves the cat food—as do the cardinals, blue jays, thrashers, the occasional curious wren, raccoons, and ‘possums. If Mr. Turtle happens to be in the area when I’m refilling the bowls, he will come running (truly) when he hears my voice.

Now here we are: Yellow Cat is in love with Nubbin, Nubbin adores Boots, Boots wants to possess me, I am partial to Yellow Cat, and Mr. Turtle just stops by for the food.

I’ll admit that if I hadn’t put out that first crust of bread, none of this would’ve happened, but I’m blaming Nubbin.

I just know there’s a story in there somewhere. Maybe even a human one.

Okay, you-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

cj