Diary of a Quarantined Cat: Alone

The humans have left me. This is what I thought I wanted, but as the famous proverb goes: be careful what you wish for. It's only been two days, but it feels like a century of solitude. My heart longs for love, and my neck longs for scritches.

A nice man comes by once a day to feed me, but he doesn't stay long. It's a very transactional relationship: he gives me stinky fish, and I give him attention. I always feel a little dirty afterwards, but a cat's gotta do what a cat's gotta do to survive.

The long lonely days have got me thinking about Nemo again. Our relationship may have been tumultuous, but with him I felt understood. Feeling understood makes one feel less alone in this world.

With the humans gone, there's nothing to distract me from my loneliness. Perhaps I should take this time to look inward - to get to know that handsome black cat from the time traveling mirror a little better. I can't rely on Nemo and the humans to make me feel whole.

Diary of a Quarantined Cat: A Curious Suitor

Hi Bubbles,
Yes, you are not mistaken, this letter is from a dog... I wrote to you a while ago, so maybe you remember me, but I don't think you have the picture of me, so here it is...
Every night, before I go to bed, I read your diary. I have to admit that you are the most handsome cat I've ever seen! Also, the photographs in your blog are amazing...
Anyway, I wanted to offer my friendship to you... Yes, I am a dog, and you do not like dogs. But I am a small very friendly dog, and I am sure that when this quarantine is over, we could happily play with each other. It certainly helps that our humans are friends! Do you think this would be possible?
Regards,
Pepper

Dear Pepper,

I must admit, I was surprised by your letter. My initial reaction was to throw it out. I thought that it was either a cruel joke, or if it was real, that you were just completely daft. Why would a dog want to spend time with a cat? Our feud is centuries old and possibly the most famous inter-species feud out there.

However, something inside me didn't allow me to throw the letter away. I felt like I was ignoring something - taking the easy way out. I looked more closely at your picture, into your eyes specifically, and felt a warmth and a kindness. This letter wasn't a joke, and you're not daft. In fact, it was I who was daft in judging so quickly and jumping to unfounded conclusions. It's reactions like mine that perpetuate this feud. Something inside me didn't want your letter to be real. Perhaps because it's easier to hate you, so that I can measure myself against "the other" in moments of self-loathing and low self-esteem. If everything is relative, is it not necessary to degrade others to lift myself up? I'd built my life around this unconscious assumption, and in one letter, you tore it all down.

Pepper, I would love to meet you. I like to play, but don't be scared, I promise that it's always "claws-in." I do bite, but playfully, and am missing most of my teeth anyway. I need space sometimes, and a lot of sleep, so I need a partner who is independent and empathetic. If this sounds like it could work for you, let me know! It wouldn't be the craziest thing to happen this year.

XOXO,
Bubbles

Diary of a Quarantined Cat: Meet the Neighbors

It's weird - when you're in love, you notice everything and nothing, at the same time. When Nemo was in my life, I noticed and appreciated the colorful flowers, the patterns on the butterflies' wings, the different bird songs. Yet I didn't notice any of the other cats that came in and out of my yard, or the fact that there are two handsome cats that live right next door.

Earlier this week, I was so over trying to meet cats on the dating app. Most of them just want to mate, and they stop talking to me when I tell them I've been fixed. A fixed cat still needs love!

Anyway, I decided to look out a window that I almost never sit by. It's on the side of the house, so very few bugs and birds fly by, and I'd quickly lost interest in it as a perch. However, when I took a look this time, I saw that the neighbors had opened their shades, and two lovely cats were perched at the window across the way. The orange cat seemed extra excited to meet me. I'm not the best mouth-reader, but if I understood everything correctly, we're both going to try to escape one night and meet in the backyard.

For the first time in a long time, I feel excited about life. I'm starting to feel alive again.

Diary of a Quarantined Cat: Dating

I was shocked and amazed with how many responses I received on my dating profile. Especially because dating is difficult for indoor cats, so we're often matched with outdoor cats. I responded to a grey and white kitty who lives in the neighborhood, and he came by earlier this week.

I had really high hopes. We listed a lot of the same interests on our profiles: stinky fish, chasing flies, napping, etc. It seemed like a match made in heaven. But when he came by, he wouldn't stop talking about how he "couldn't imagine" being an indoor cat, and could never live a "caged-in" life. At first it made me feel insecure, but then it just really started to get on my nerves.

As not to be rude, I let the date continue, but I was barely engaged. After listening to a long-winded speech about how it takes living outdoors to develop real grit, I told him my humans are calling me for dinner. Surprisingly, he asked when he could see me again! Some felines are just clueless!