The Adventures of the “Mayor of the Alley”
Our two Kitty Boys are inside/outside cats. We’ve trained them to stay close to the house and typically you’ll see them hiding in one of the bushes in the front or back, waiting to pounce on some unsuspecting insect, bird or mouse. On occasion they’ll roam a little further than the yard but always in the neighborhood.
Oreo is a long-haired Tuxedo and very handsome. He likes to roam the alley to say hello to the neighbors or anyone walking through during the day. Everyone knows him and they stop to chat and pet him if he allows it. Because of this, he’s affectionately known as the “Mayor of the Alley.”
In the fall of 2018 James and I took a trip to Paris to visit my cousins who live there. Our good friend, Jill, came and stayed at the house to take care of the Kitty Boys and yard. A pretty easy job for the most part. Or should I say, until Oreo decided to adventure in the alley and find a pile of sticky weeds to hang out in. Jill thought she might be able to brush or cut the weeds out of Oreo’s coat until she discovered he was covered in them from butt to head on his back and tummy.
She called us in Paris around dinner time there to discuss options. We all agreed The Mayor was going to need a shave at the vet. So she bundled him up and took him to our regular vet. After assessing the “damage,” they too decided a shave was in order.
You know how some cats just hide after they get shaved? Well, it didn’t phase Oreo in the least. He was still proud and walked around like he was something special to behold with his new haircut.
His brother, Leo, couldn’t look at him though and everytime Oreo gazed at him as if to say, “Check out My new look!” Leo would shut his eyes or turn his head. I wish I knew what Leo was really thinking. Maybe something along the lines of, “What a crazy brother I have, I cannot claim him.” Who knows? Fortunately Leo learned to accept the new haircut on Oreo and they resumed their playful banter the following day.
Now, everytime I call the vet to schedule shot updates or anything for Oreo they always say, “Oh, we KNOW Oreo!” The Mayor has expanded his territory.
