My wife is impossible. She’s just so unreasonable. She also scares me. Luckily, she is married to a man who uses reason, patience and kindness when dealing with her and our animals. For months, she had been bugging me about getting a cat. Well, now we have one. It’s the same old story all the time. “Oooh….look at that cat. It’s so cute. I’ll take care of it, I promise.” While she’s working three jobs, guess who will be taking care of it? Yeah. Exactly. Me. It burns and scratches my ass……quite literally.
Our cat, Otis, has his own personnel key to our house. It’s actually a key to any room in our house. We named him after my wife’s favorite character in The Andy Griffith Show, and he seems to be living up to his name. Otis spends much of his time in his cell, or pantry number one after he’s had a snootful of catnip. He sleeps it off, receives a terrific breakfast from his Aunt B (my wife, Britt) and we wave him goodbye until the next weekend. Sometimes, if he staggers into the pantry, he begins meowing uncontrollably. We then read him a book by Dr. Seuss or sing him a song titled Cat Scratch Fever. This and these antics which follow are eerily similar to those exhibited by Otis Campbell on the A.G. Show.
Sometimes, he can’t find the pantry. He may be passed out in the office, one of our closets, in the dishwasher, beneath the couch, or head first in one of our many urns occupied by former pets using their ashes as though they are his stadium’s many toilets.
Having never witnessed Otis Campbell throw a punch, I couldn’t tell if he was right or left handed. Our Otis is definitely a southpaw, and I have the scars to prove it. Sure, just like a champ, he’ll set you up with several right jabs and then surprise you with a vicious left claw. My wife wonders why our blankets and pillow cases look like a crime scene in the morning. DNA central.
Once, after we returned home from dinner, we found him riding around on our dog, a one hundred pound canine. Otis weighs just over a pound. This was after he found the key to the catnip cabinet. Just like Barney Fife, I convinced my wife to allow me to provide some necessary form of rehabilitation. After detoxing throughout the night, I started by giving him the renowned Sylvester the Cat Rorschach test. After displaying a number of pictures, each response was the same. “Tell me what you see on this piece of paper.” Meow. “How about this one?” Meow. The third one he just pissed on. He looked at Britt with pleading eyes, and she laughingly dismissed him. She thinks everything Otis does is funny. She and Otis need to have their own act in Vaudeville. I didn’t find it funny at all.
I did get back at him once. Attempting to exercise on the treadmill, Otis came wobbling into the room. He was fascinated by the treadmill. With my legs moving, I remained stationary. Instead of asking me, he just jumped on the treadmill, and after several cat rolls, went flying against the wall. He hasn’t been on it since. That made me laugh.
Ultimately, Otis is a pretty affable cat, and we can’t help but love him. You have to, don’t you? Just like you and your good for nothing, booger eating, pants pooping, can I borrow some money (borrow?….that’s a laugh) will you watch them for the night, soon to be spending time in the County Jail children.
My parents loved me. Well, I’m pretty sure they did.