Chip Jett - "No Dogs Allowed"
This little story about the loyalty of a cat came to me in pieces.
In August 2017, my daughters arrived home from school asking if we could keep a stray they had found. The cat was skinny, losing fur, and old, but we took her in. By Christmas, she had gained weight, her fur patches had filled in, and she was one of the family. We named her Nancy, and we loved her. Nancy fit in just fine with our other cat, Callie, and we were all happy.
Callie, like other cats I’ve had before, had a habit of killing mice and leaving them on the doorstep. I’ve always heard that it’s a cat’s way of showing affection and gratitude. How anybody can know such a thing is beyond my understanding, but I thought it would make an interesting little tale. I thought it would be especially interesting if the creatures left at the door increased in size and purpose. I don’t know if Nancy ever copied Callie’s generous nature, but I assigned that attribute to Nancy and started writing what would become “No Dogs Allowed.”
In reality, we do live across the pasture from my wife’s parents. At one time, there was a massive Rottweiler that would terrorize us as we walked past a fence that barely contained the beast. All of these pieces came together, and there it was. No Dogs Allowed. I find no answers in this one; it’s meant only to entertain. I hope it does.
In August 2017, my daughters arrived home from school asking if we could keep a stray they had found. The cat was skinny, losing fur, and old, but we took her in. By Christmas, she had gained weight, her fur patches had filled in, and she was one of the family. We named her Nancy, and we loved her. Nancy fit in just fine with our other cat, Callie, and we were all happy.
Callie, like other cats I’ve had before, had a habit of killing mice and leaving them on the doorstep. I’ve always heard that it’s a cat’s way of showing affection and gratitude. How anybody can know such a thing is beyond my understanding, but I thought it would make an interesting little tale. I thought it would be especially interesting if the creatures left at the door increased in size and purpose. I don’t know if Nancy ever copied Callie’s generous nature, but I assigned that attribute to Nancy and started writing what would become “No Dogs Allowed.”
In reality, we do live across the pasture from my wife’s parents. At one time, there was a massive Rottweiler that would terrorize us as we walked past a fence that barely contained the beast. All of these pieces came together, and there it was. No Dogs Allowed. I find no answers in this one; it’s meant only to entertain. I hope it does.