The Cat That No Longer Hiss or Meow

A cat. That’s what my friends have always likened me into. Frail and meek, wild and proud, both phrases true depending upon the situation… I love being cat-like with its adventurous disposition…

But you never liked cats… at least not in the way you love dogs… Unlike cats that often stray from the borders, you loved dogs for their sweet and dependable nature…

And I love you… and the way you loved trained dogs…

So mustering courage, I joined the dogs even with my tiny cat feet… All traces of cat pride, gone… Listening to your orders as if they were prayers… “Sit,” “Roll over,” “Fetch.”

Flawlessly imitating each dog’s execution… Ridiculously wagging my tail… Waiting… for you to notice… for you to hug me like one of them… for the tiniest bit of appreciation that never came…

But I love you… so I drew closer and asked if there’s anything I can do to make you happy… You looked at me for the first time and smiled… and for a moment, it was bliss… until you spoke this line that shattered my dreams:

“Just play dead… forever.”