Page 222 of The Friends and Rivals Collection

Conversations with the Cat

Zeus

Along the trail, the cat sniffed leaves, darted after birds, and stood lookout on the canoe as he and the man enjoyed an hour on the water. The sun shone brightly in the big blue sky, warming his lush fur with so much heat, he purred his appreciation for the great outdoors.

He was a simple cat. Give him some fish, a spot of sunshine, and his favorite person, and he was good to go.

Sometimes, though, he also liked bugs.

Tasty creatures. Crunchy and savory at the same time. Such a wonderful combination.

The hunter in him kept his eyes peeled for his favorite flavor—something the man had called moth. Back on the trail, a winged insect had the good fortune to zip too close to him. In one fast lunge, Zeus sprang forward, caught it, and crunched into the snack.

He considered playing with it. Batting a paw to it. Torturing it. Bringing it home to share with the calico lady he’d been getting to know.

Quite well, in fact.

But today, Zeus opted for instant gratification and devoured the moth.

The man laughed. “Sometimes you just have to go for it, right, buddy?”

The moth went down easily. So satisfying.

The man stopped in his tracks, tugging on Zeus’s leash. He looked up at him, wondering what had prompted him to pause. “Meow?”

“Don’t you think, Zeus? This is one of those times, isn’t it?”

Zeus asked again. “Meow?”

The man talked and talked as they clambered down the hill, and Zeus curled up on the front seat of the Jeep, pleased that he had once again proven why he was a most excellent companion.

Then, he slept. After all, he’d only slept ten hours so far that day. And he needed fifteen for his beauty routine.