My sister told me this story about her cat, Linus, today. I thought it was hilarious, so thought I'd share, though the facial expressions will not come across so well over a text message.

My sister has two cats, Linus and Ronja. Linus is a big big ex-tom with who looks very much like a still intact tom. He is both big-boned and fluffy, if you get my drift. Ronja is a little chit of a girl, very small and slender. They both get the same amount of food, so the difference in their looks is quite amazing, especially since they are half-siblings.

Linus is a very good hunter. Last summer, he regaled my sister with nearly as many voles as Nikki did me every day. One morning, when my sister had witnessed Linus eating two big, fat voles during the night, she decided he had had enough food for the time being, and didn't need the canned food she was dishing out to Ronja for breakfast. So she only filled Ronja's bowl, and left Linus' bowl empty.

Poor Linus. He saw his food bowl wasn't being filled, and his eyes got bigger and bigger and blacker and blacker, and he scrunched up his nose in dismay. (Giggling at the memory of sister's face when describing this.) He looked at my sister with such utter dejection in his face, she finally melted and gave him his share of the food.

I can just see his scrunched-up little gray tabby face.

Copyright © Marina Kurten
September 30, 2002