With Cat-Like Tread

by Kenny Blasco

(April 7, 2024)

MODERATOR’S NOTE: My friend Kenny Blasco sent this to me as an e-mail. It’s not the kind of thing he usually writes, and since he doesn’t have a blog or website, I’m posting it here. He says it was inspired by the kitty picture. Enjoy!—-mike

“Awwwww! One more story!” the First kitten said.

The Second Kitten said “Yeah, one more!”

There was a chorus of mewling kittens and Mama Cat hushed them.

“Okay, one more,” Mama Cat said. “Back when one of your Dads and I were living under a porch there was a burger place across the street.”

The First Kitten asked “What’s a burger place?”

“Something that smells wonderful,” Mama cat said. “One night, late when the people were all asleep your Dad and I crept over to the burger place.

The Second Kitten asked “Which Dad was this?”

“Tom,” said Mama Cat. “But they’re all named Tom. Anyway, he and I found the dumpster, the big thing out back where they throw away food.”

“Throw away?” That was the Third Kitten.

“Yes. And it’s full of goodies. We crawled up the wooden fence behind the dumpster and saw it was piled high with food and trash. And remember, always look before you jump in, if the dumpster is empty you have no way to climb back up the metal walls.”

The Second Kitten said “Wow!”

“We feasted on meat and cheese and even chicken pieces. Then Tom found something strange: It was long and wooden but too smooth to claw. But he pawed at it and it fell against the wall of the dumpster with a bang and broke open spewing pepper!”

The Third Kitten said “Eeeeeewwwwww!!!!”

“Tom and I started sneezing and suddenly there was a rustle from under the food and another cat jumped up, sneezing. We looked at each other for a moment and then we jumped out of the dumpster and ran home.”

The First Kitten asked “What was that thing?”

“I think it was a thing humans use to put pepper on food, but Tom thought that it was a trap laid for cats to keep them out of the food they think belongs to them.” Mama Cat said. “All right! Off with you! Bedtime!”

The kittens crawled into the warm, cozy nest under the prickly bushes. When they were sleeping, Mama Cat went searching for another dumpster.

And maybe Tom.

The End