What Is It about The Thing?

Story and Photos by Les Tanner

Jimmy the cat is not the bravest critter in the world. Any sort of sudden noise causes him at least to start, but if it’s even close to being loud, he’s off like a shot. Ditto for doorbells,  alarm clocks, and so on—but never about the phone ringing, for some reason.

Oh, he’ll defend my yard in Caldwell from invading birds or grasshoppers or mice, and occasionally squirrels and cats—but because of his love of cooked chicken, about which he’s become very spoiled for some reason, I often wonder if there is some cannibalism involved there.

Jimmy has things he plays with now and then, like an old shoelace or one of the few fake rodents that have been purchased for him. Also live rodents, in the form of mice which he will occasionally bring in as a gift for my faithful servitude (feeding, cleaning up the litter box, feeding, opening and closing doors, feeding) over the several years since he first took over ownership of us and the house.