CAT CHARM

     Chickie is basking in the sun. He often behaves like a kitten, trying to catch his tail or tease and chase Sylvie around, but, the fact is, he is already 11 years old in cat years, and - about 66 - in human. A senior citizen! These few days it was very hot, so he would stay in the sun as long as he could take it, but sooner or later, walk a few steps away from it and collapse in a shady spot. His whole attitude is: "Help! Get this fur coat off of me!" He doesn't neglect his job, though, namely, - begging for food. If there is something particularly tasty that we are eating, he gets up on his back legs and walks around the perimeter of the table, holding on to it with his front paws, touching us, one by one, on the arms with one paw, pleading to feed the starving cat. Who can resist that? One by one, we admonish each other for giving in to him, and, one by one, we succumb to his charm.