I remember something that happened a few years ago. I had a cabinet for the music system, with glass doors.

One morning, when Frank was trying to wake the stupid human up because he was starving, he went around scratching at closet doors, and on the glass door to this cabinet. I couldn't see it from the bed, and I wasn't opening my eyes anyway, because that would have been the sign Frank was waiting for. But I could hear him, first his claws screeech screeech on the glass doors, then I heard one of the doors open. Then I heard someone scratching around inside the cabinet. Then the door slammed shut. Then claws on the glass again.

But hold on. Something's different. The scratching is sort of muted. I couldn't stay in bed any longer, though it meant that Frank won the morning battle. I got up and rushed to the cabinet. Frank came rushing at me yelling for breakfast.

Up against the glass door of the cabinet two little paws were raised. On the inside. Frank had shut in Nikki! Her huge eyes stared at me in horror. She stood with her front paws against the glass door and looked like the painting "The Scream" by Edvard Munch.

I believe Frank planned this, so that he wouldn't have to share his breakfast with her.

Copyright © Marina Kurten
December 15, 2000