Hi there, everyone! I am in such a good mood!. Cats have moods, you know. We get sad, mad, happy; all just like Human Moods.

Anyway, this is not about moods. This is about a cat. Another cat. A cat who roams the halls of my abode at night and haunts our apartment house. Exciting opening? They say the opening paragraph should be compelling. I read that somewhere...over mama’s shoulder when she was doing her writing.

Well! This is another true story. You are, by this time, probably wondering how I come up with so many stories. I do so because I am a writer. And, things happen to us every day. We just have to stop and think about them. You must have a lot of stories, too.

The other night, mama and I were peacefully asleep, as always. Me, in my condo right beside her. There was a banging on the door. BANG, BANG, BANG. Now, this is unusual in this quiet apartment so mama and I were scared. Mama crept to the door and looked through that hole in the door. There stood a harmless old lady. A neighbor.

So, mama opened the door. When she did? All hell broke loose. I just cussed. Pardon me, folks, but I do cuss sometimes. Well. The lady THREW a CAT in the door. A whole cat! A real cat! At midnight! A calico cat. Like ME! And, the lady said ‘here is your cat, Patricia, she was lost in the hallway.’

We knew this was a mistake. Immediately. I cringed in my condo and tried to make myself little so this animal would not see me. I squiggled to the back of the condo and curled up in a little ball so I would look like a ball. A colored ball just lounging inside a condo. Bothering no one. A quiet ball.

The cat ran in, of course. And, mama was screaming “That is not my cat!” She grabbed the lady and dragged her inside so I would not get out. Mama and I were very confused! We were sleepy, too. But, we decided this was a strange cat and a terrible mistake somehow.

That animal jumped on MY bed and began to sniff at my condo. He knew I was not a little fat ball. He began to hiss at me! In my own home! Inside my own little condo! At midnight! I just trusted that mama would save me.

And she did. She pushed that beast off the bed and grabbed my trembling little calico body and dropped me in the bathroom and closed the door. I hid under the bath mat - just in case. I squeezed my little face from under the mat so only my eyes showed...so I could see if danger approached. I was going to crawl in the bathtub, but I am scared of that tub also. So, I huddled. And, trembled. Then, I put my ear - flattened it out - against the door to listen.

This cat looks like ME!. And, the lady thought she was bringing ME home!

So, mama took that cat out in the hall and came back and let me out and explained to me that it was a strange cat who was somehow in the hall at midnight and she was going to go out and find out who it was and what to do.

And she left. Turns out the cat lives next door! And he got out! And, he looks like ME! Can you imagine what havoc this is causing!!!

The reason is because the lady who owns that cat has no sense. She lets that cat roam the hallway. Lurking behind plants and sneaking into people’s apartments. Since that cat has moved here? At least 5 people have come knocking on my mama’s door with that cat in hand. Now, when I hear the door? I run. I go into the bathroom and get under the mat with my head peeking out so I can defend myself if necessary. I don’t know how to fight, but I will learn! I practice a lot. I sit up on my hind legs and punch the air. It is not lady-like, but self-defense may be a future necessity in my new life...with a twin cat next door. Who roams the hallway at night.

Mama turned him in. She did. She had to protect me. Now? The cat has to stay in the apartment or they will make him go away. Thank you, mama!

Life gets so hard sometimes!