Purrsonal Story "The Bravest Cat in the World" by Suzan L. Wiener

The Bravest Cat In The World

By Suzan L. Wiener


My husband Howard, often talked about getting a cat, but my allergies precluded our owning a pet. I liked animals, but if I came within inches of a cat, I had sneezing fits that lasted up to l0 minutes.

One rainy afternoon, however, a pet found us. I heard an awful meowing at our door, and when I rushed to open it, there sat a forlorn cat. Though the cat's rain-drenched fur was mattered, I immediately noticed her beautiful gray, black and white coat.

Despite my apprehensions, I could not resist the poor animal. I invited her in and waited for the sneezing to commence. I gave her food and water and Fluffy decided to stay and curled up next to the fireplace.

Howard wanted to keep her, but I didn't want to live the rest of my life with sneezing spasms. My husband tried to assure me, "Don't worry," he said. "We'll put a notice in the paper. I'm sure someone will claim this gorgeous cat."

As the days passed, the new member of our family became more entwined in our lives. We bought her many toys, but she played only with the ball Howard had made for her from aluminum foil. She favored Howard and loved to sit by his feet or accompany him in the backyard while he puttered in his garden. (Maybe my constant sneezing drove Fluffy away).

Bright and early one Saturday morning, Howard went into the backyard to plant some tomatoes. Fluffy, as usual, followed closely behind. I was in the kitchen washing dishes when suddenly I heard a loud commotion.

I opened the back door just in time to see the next-door neighbor's Doberman Pinscher charging toward Howard. Before I could scream, Fluffy ran to protect him. Howard couldn't move too quickly because of his bad back. With her fur standing on end, Fluffy hissed and scratched until the dog whimpered home.

That night we treated Fluffy to plenty of petting and the most expensive gourmet cat food we could buy. Howard made a medal that read, "The Bravest Cat in the World" and placed it around her neck. I'm not sure Fluffy understood why she was receiving so much extra attention, but she seemed to enjoy every minute of it.

Fluffy was Howard's cat, but that day she became my cat, too, despite the allergy pills I now take regularly. We both love our cat dearly. Fluffy's only problem is deciding whom she loves best.