Our cat Moose started spending time at another family’s home down the street from us about 6 months ago. I’d previously met and talked to the son and today, when I stopped by to check on/retrieve Moose I met the mom and daughter. We had a delightful conversation, and I learned more about Moose and our “new” (to us) neighbors.
It turns out the rather luxurious cat house on the porch that Moose likes to doze in is actually a doghouse. Which the mom bought for a previous cat, Beemer, who’d taken to hanging out on their porch. She felt bad when Beemer would be out in the cold and the rain. Beemer recently passed on, allowing Moose to move in1.
As she was telling me how Moose occasionally would enter their home — always skittish, only briefly and easily spooked — he walked in. And came out. Three times! He may be nervous inside, but he knows he’s welcome. I’m sure he also enjoys the bits of food they sometimes give him.
The daughter confided in me Moose seemed to get along better with her brother than her. Which I could tell concerned her, because she really, really loves cats! In fact, she was wearing a sweatshirt decorated with a bunch of cat drawings. She also showed me a photo of a dress she’d made for a school project highlighting the people and things that were important to her…on which a picture of Moose played a prominent role. It was very touching.
Earlier in the week Barbara & I met the husband of a couple who recently moved into the neighborhood. How’d that happen? Well, because we stopped to talk to Moose, who was hanging out in their yard. They know him well and enjoy his company. Like most parents, we have many dear friends we met through the friends our kids made at school. I never realized cats could play a similar role :).
Moose is one of the friendliest and outgoing cats I’ve ever lived with. I’m glad he has such nice friends in the neighborhood.
The two cats had some interactions before Beemer passed, but Moose came out on the short end of the stick on those. ↩
