How Cats Direct Our Lives: A Different Pair of Shoes

We decided we'd walk into town yesterday instead of driving. It's not too far, only about a mile and a half. There's a big uphill slope going in to town that means the decision takes a bit of resolve, though.

Since it was a warm day, I decided I'd wear a pair of tennis shoes rather than my usual boots. I have three pairs of tennis shoes, because when I find a shoe that works for me I go back and buy more--I never know when I'll find more that fit. I then work them into use one pair at a time. So at any time I've usually got one pair of really ratty tennies, one pair that's in decent shape, and a pair that still look nice and new.

I didn't want to wear the new pair on this walk, I wanted to keep them looking reasonably nice. I didn't want to wear the ratty pair. The soles are still in good shape but I'd worn them out onto a section of our property that really requires boots--the shoes were full of stickers. So I started looking for my "middle" pair.

I didn't see them in the usual places. Then I remembered. I had removed them while sitting at my computer. I went to the computer to get them. There they were.

Unfortunately, there was also a cat sprawled on top of them, sound asleep. He had his paw over his eyes, and his nose stuck in the opening of one shoe. The cat was completely boneless, and in a deep sleep.

I gave his ears a rub to see how deep he was sleeping. No response. So now I had a dilemma. Do I wake the poor old cat and leave him bereft of his happy, warm spot to get my shoes, or do I leave him and wear something else.

I went and started picking stickers. After 20 minutes of work, I consoled myself that at least the cat had given me a reason to finally clean up the shoes, they weren't in such bad condition once the stickers were out.

My cat Menelaus with my shoes. He was originally on top of the shoes, but by the time I took this picture he had shifted them around to a more comfortable position.