Having just returned from a trip and reuniting with my Trystan corgi, I am reminded of a story from my past. Jack, my ex-husband and beloved friend, grew up in a New York City apartment where his parents kept two Siamese cats. They also had friends with Siamese cats, and it was Jack’s dad DeWitt, who told this story of a friend’s cat. The cat’s guardian had been out of town for about a week, as he often was, for his work in the fashion industry. He had searched Paris for a particularly great cat toy to bring home to his companion back in New York. When the man returned, he called the cat’s name several times before the cat came out, reluctantly waltzing into the hallway. The man enthusiastically greeted the cat, and produced the French cat toy from his pocket. The cat darted forward and picked up the toy, as the man smiled, sure that the toy was a hit. The cat disappeared around the corner, and the man heard the scratching of the litter box. He followed the sound, and there he watched his cat deposit the brand new toy in the box, do his business on it, and then scratch the whole pile under the litter. As DeWitt would tell the story, you can’t appease a wile Siamese with a tawdry toy, or even a piece of salmon from a four star restaurant.
“A palace Siamese wants only the best,” I can hear DeWitt saying, “all of your love and devotion.”
DeWitt is right–that’s what all of our pets want!