Purrrrrr, Meow, Lick, Lick …
Sound and feel familiar? Aha! You’re a “cat person.”
While dogs are man’s best friend (in the
general term; many women count them as their besties, too), cats tend to
gravitate to independent thinkers, or those who wish they were.
We’ve heard many stories of how they often choose you, rather than the other way around, and it matters not whether
you opt for purebred, or a …
MOGGY or MOGGIE
(mägʹē) n. (Brit. Informal) – a domestic
cat, esp. one of a common or mixed breed. [WW #94]
Kinda the feline form of a mongrel dog,
British style.
We tend to think our pets need us, which fulfills a basic human requisite. It’s wonderful to
be needed, but for my liking, dogs are a little too high maintenance.
Yes, I’ve had both dogs and moggies—and
once, a glutton for punishment—both at the same time. The unconditional love of
a dog is heartwarming, but the very conditional love of a moggy
is so rewarding to earn.
My favorite handsome man sported the
traditional tabby* striping, soft gold, with burnished streaks. He came to me
on the 2nd of January many moons ago.
Peering through the sliding glass deck door,
his fur caught the rays of the early morning sun—I was hooked—as if I had a
choice. His insistent meowing made it clear he would not be ignored. Sunny stayed for more
than a decade.
However, I still had to earn my moggy’s affection. He stuck around for the food and a cozy bed
to snooze in during inclement weather, and soft stroking when he was in the
mood.
But we didn’t truly bond until a few months later
when he arrived at the door, literally caterwauling. His back legs and haunches
covered in motor oil, Sunny wailed in frustration and mortification.
Normally an impeccable moggy, the filth of it
all obviously distressed him, as he tried futilely to clean himself.
After a frantic call to the vet, I filled up
the kitchen sink with warm, lightly soapy water. His big green eyes grew even
larger when he realized I was easing him in
to the water.
I swear I heard him growl, “You’re not serious!”
Lowering him ever-so-slowly, the fright on his little face was clear; but he
allowed me to stroke him and gently wash the oil down his legs, as best I could.
Though terrified, at one point, Sunny leaned
his head against me and I knew he finally trusted me completely. We were best
buds.
There was no way to make that outdoor moggy
an indoor kitty—in fact, you didn’t “make” Sunny do anything—as long as I knew that, he was happy.
*Tabby
is any domestic cat, esp female, but be careful how you use the term, as you
might be calling the woman next to you an old maid, or a spiteful gossip (Old
Brit. Informal). Talk about someone who’ll scratch your eyes out!
Word Challenge: MOGGY. Put a little sunshine in your life, with a sweet moggy
of your own—or a dashing doggy—as you fit moggy into your week of independent
writings.
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