A January Story

by Leo

I was sitting on my devoted slave's lap pretending to be asleep, though actually I was listening to a conversation she was having with a visiting friend. "I'm planning to watch the fireworks and then phone my friend in America to wish her a happy new year.," my devoted slave said. "Aren't your cats afraid of fireworks? " The friend asked. "Oh, no, they're brave cats." I purred with pride at my devoted slaves words It took a lot more than fireworks to scare me! "Are you making any New Year resolutions?" her friend asked." I'm planning to cut down on chocolate." "I don't usually bother. Maybe I'll go to bed earlier or eat less sweets." My devoted slave said, tickling my ears as she spoke." What about you, Leo?" She asked in a joking tone of voice. "I'm sure you think he's perfect!" her friend said rather sarcastically. I expected my devoted slave to leap to my defence. "Well much as I love him, there's room for improvement." she said. I could hardly believe my own ears and abandoning all pretext of sleep sat bolt upright glaring at them indignantly. "He must be having a bad dream." My devoted slave said." Now where was I? His New Year resolutions. " You have some absurd notions about your cats!" Her friend sounded more sarcastic than ever. " I was just joking. But if he were to make resolutions he could start by not jumping on the table or chasing his sister or waking me up by hitting me on the nose, or stealing food from my plate or he could eat less and not be asleep when I wanted to cuddle him and." I jumped off her lap, deliberately digging my claws in as I did in a furious that she should say such things and left the room with my tail held high and as much dignity as I could muster. My mother and Ginger were sitting in the kitchen and I indignantly recounted the conversation to them. "Don't get so upset, Leo." My mother, Queenie, purred consolingly." It's just a silly human custom. Every year humans either vow to give up things that are very bad for them like drinking or smoking or say they'll improve in some way, but they never do .We cats are above such foolishness." "Why don't you make some resolutions and keep them to show how much superior you are to humans?" Ginger suggested." I was thinking of trying to be braver next year and to purr more for our devoted slave." I ignored him and went out in the garden in the hope of catching a nice juicy mouse but the cold December night had driven them all to their homes. I started to think about what Ginger had said and concluded it would be fun to show my superiority by making lots of new year resolutions and keeping them while I watched my devoted slave and her friend break theirs. New Year's Day dawned cold and grey just like the last few days of the old year in fact, so I was puzzled why it was New Year as it seemed no different to the old one. My devoted slave slept late as I waited impatiently for her to let me out as I was hungry and wanted to patrol the garden but I kept to my resolution not to wake her. Eventually she got out of bed and said "Happy New Year, Leo!" and offered me a treat. It was very hard to refuse it but I merely purred and let her stroke me, while leaving the treat untouched. As soon as she was dressed, she went round the house putting up new calendars and taking down the old ones. I usually liked to play with the wire ties that she hung them up with but today I was very good and just watched and wondered why the say was called "New Calendar Day" as that seemed to be all that was different about it. She then had her breakfast and even though the phone rang while she was eating and she left a bowl of milk and cereal within tantalising reach on the table, I resisted all temptation to sample the contents. She looked slightly puzzled when she sat down again but said "You are a good boy today, Leo!" which made me purr with pleasure. The day wore on and I kept my resolutions. I didn't retaliate when my sister called me names, I waited to eat until the others had eaten their fill and I didn't take food off my devoted slave's plate even though she had salmon, which is my favourite for tea. When I sat on her lap, I stayed awake and purred instead of just falling asleep. I kept my resolutions the day after too and the day after that. It was very boring being so good but I felt pleased with myself. I just couldn't understand why my devoted slave looked so anxious. I even overheard her talking to a friend on the phone and saying "I'm so worried about him." followed by "Thank you, that will take a great weight off my mind". I was puzzled about whomever she was worried about; maybe, it was the man who fixed her computer, or the man who did odd jobs or even the decorator. Maybe one of them couldn't come any more as that would worry her? I was sitting on her bed wondering when she came in carrying a kind of basket and shut the door behind her which was strange as she only does that when she is going to bed and it was only mid afternoon. Then I recognised the basket, it was the one Ginger had been to the vet in when he was ill. I was just wondering why he hadn't told me he was feeling ill again, when she picked me up, stuffed me in the basket, and shut down the lid! I was outraged and I howled indignantly to be let out but she only said. "Sorry, Leo, it's for your own good. There's no need to be scared and you'll soon feel better." Now I was baffled, as I felt perfectly well and mewed to tell her so, but she didn't understand. She carried me downstairs where her friend was waiting who said. "Poor Leo, I do hope he'll be alright!" She then carried me outside, I hated every moment of being in the swaying box but worse was to come as she put it inside a box on wheels, which I believe humans call a car, then got in beside me and we drove away. I hated being in something that moved and yowled at the top of my voice for them to stop and after a few minutes they obeyed but instead of taking me home as I wanted, my disobedient slave and her friend carried me into a large bright building full of people. Some had cats imprisoned in baskets like myself while others had dogs. One even dared to come and sniff at my basket! I was helpless and had to wait for devoted slave to carry me to the far side of the room. I recognised it now, it was the Vet's as I'd been there before when they stuck a needle in me, which made me go to sleep. My mother told me, the procedure was to stop me being a father. I hadn't minded for what if all girl cats were as bad as Josephine? I could only sit and look at a woman sitting behind a desk and a row of three closed doors from where a series of agonised mews and howls were coming .I could understand the cats were saying, "Ouch!" and "Don't stick that into me". I felt increasingly apprehensive. After what seemed like a very long time, a woman emerged from behind one of the doors and called. "Will Leo come in, please"? My devoted slave carried me into the next room in the box, which swayed from side to side in a most alarming manner; I was starting to feel quite seasick! Then I was put down on a table and the box was opened and I was lifted out by a forbidding looking strange woman. "Would you hold him, and tell me what's the matter with him please?" she asked. "He is usually a lively cat and full of mischief," my devoted slave said." But these last few days, he's been very quiet, not begging for treats, or stealing my food or even chasing his sister. He doesn't even seem to be sleeping much. I'm very worried about him." " I'll take a look at him and see what's wrong." I was poked and prodded in every conceivable inch of my anatomy and where she put the thermometer, I shudder at the memory! At last, she said. "I can't find anything wrong with him. Some cats seem depressed in the winter though; it might be that he misses playing outside. Bring him back if he isn't himself in a week or two." A few minutes later, we were back in her friend's car and the realisation dawned on me that my new year's resolutions were the cause of this dreadful ordeal. I immediately resolved to cancel every one of them. As soon as I was safely back home I chased Josephine round the house, demanded some food and some treats and ate everything I was given before curling up and going to sleep. I woke up to the delicious scent of my devoted slave cooking some fish for her tea and as soon as she sat down with it, I tried to take it from her plate. Instead of being cross, she laughed and gave a piece. It was well past midnight and my devoted slave was chatting to her friend in Australia and seemed set to do so for hours. I was trying to distract her by jumping in front of the screen and she was giving me treats. It seemed that both of us had abandoned our resolutions but we were happy! I made a new resolution to enjoy myself and see that my devoted slave did so too!