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  • Doug Smith

A cat named Tuck


This cat is so bored. His name is Tuck and he is my indoor/outdoor cat. Typically, he goes out for a few hours each night but recently it has been too cold.

Tuck is conflicted. He wants to go outside, but as soon as he steps on the snow, he realizes it’s too cold. So, he comes in and goes out, comes in and goes out constantly through the night. This would not usually bother me, except I don’t want to keep the cat door open during the cold drafty nights. Because he cannot let himself in and out through the night, he asks me to help him.

Tuck, who sleeps all day, essentially keeps me awake all night. His ‘get noticed’ routine revolves around noisily scooting Legos around the floor until I wake up and follow him to the door. I let him out and wait there until he returns. Sometimes it’s 15 seconds. Sometimes it’s 15 minutes. In the meantime, I look out upon the still skies and snow-covered ground. My thoughts are peppered with a variety of topics from ‘what’s on my agenda tomorrow’ to ‘I should write something about my cat.’

When Tuck returns, I pick him up to share a little warmth, knowing that he will likely request another departure soon. I return to bed and Tuck returns to his boredom.


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