Fur, Fame, and Feline Follies: The Nine Lives of Mouse The Cat. Episode 5: Across the Ocean
In this episode:
Big leap into the unknown; My Magnificent Majesty gets a new palace; Royal Routines & Rewards; the light goes off; never-ending love
Previous episodes:
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Changing tides
Life at home kept changing. Cats came and went — some found new families, some grew sick and never came back.
Simon no longer played with me and shadowed me everywhere. He’d vanish for days, return with the bitter scent of the vet - until one day, he was simply gone. Not long after, Red was gone too. Once, I wished for peace and silence… but when the crowd thinned out, the quiet felt heavier than I ever expected.
Now there were five of us left:
#1: My Magnificent Majesty 🐱👑
## 4 and 5: Three-colored Fenya Floofbottom (grumpy furball) and gray-and-white Elya the Easygoing (toothless and clawless, so our guardian had to protect her against everyone but me)
Our old male companion was gone, and I did feel sorry for him. But soon another one appeared, and he turned out rather decent. I instantly liked his soft voice and gentle touch. The real bonus, though? He defended me when Bagheera or Fenya dared lay a paw on me. Insolent commoners! He saw the royalty in me straight away. Smart fellow, that one!
Big leap
Then came the day when the four of us were unceremoniously crammed into carriers. Elya was spared, left behind in comfort with my guardian's mom. ‘Lucky beast,’ I muttered.
And Fenya Fluffzilla? She got her own private compartment — not that it cheered her up. Honestly, who in their right mind would volunteer to share quarters with her anyway?
Our female guardian and her new mate dragged us through a series of smelly places packed with giant humans. The other crates were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps those cats were being sent off to new homes?
‘Good riddance!’ I thought. ‘Yohoo! Back to being the one and only!’
Not that I could enjoy it properly. Most of the time, I stayed tucked in my crate, with only brief escapes...
...except in those two strange, trembling rooms, where I was lifted into my keeper's lap and wrapped in a blanket to shield me from indiscreet stares.
After a long, luxurious nap, I was finally granted a peek out the window. Nothing spectacular outside, really — yet the shaking and rumbling had stopped. Something told me the real adventure was just about to begin.
New continent
At last, after another endless drive, it was over. The carrier was unzipped, and I stepped into a completely unfamiliar world. To my shock, the other crates appeared too. So they hadn’t been ditched after all! Typical betrayal. I could have reigned alone, but no, the commoners were still around.
Not that I cared right then; I was far too dazed and disoriented. The lights went out, and in an instant, everyone vanished into their chosen hideouts. A haunted palace, overrun with peasants. Lovely.
Morning came, and my beloved caregiver returned with breakfast. I was first to greet her, tail held high, eager to claim this new kingdom.
Bagheera the Brat, Fenya Fuzzboss, and Blackie Bumbles slunk out from their hideouts, looking lost and scared. Watching them made my superiority shine brighter.
After a modest royal breakfast, I graciously stepped out to inspect my new domain. And oh—what a domain! Vast halls, two flights of stairs, kitchen, chambers… fit for a queen.
At last, I spotted my loyal companions lounging on the couch. Target acquired! With one glorious leap, I claimed my favorite lap and sank into pure nirvana. For a moment, it felt like the world belonged to just the three of us.
Of course, nothing good lasts forever. Soon enough, Bagheera the Brat slunk into the room — apparently, she found the stairs too. For once, she actually looked unsure of herself. By the time she gathered the nerve to hop onto the couch, I’d already conquered the entire floor. Ha! And who’s the coolest one now?
Naturally, the black brat staked her claim on our guardian’s lap. Absolutely outrageous!
At night, we were marched upstairs back to a so-called royal suite — litter boxes, bowls, and beds of every size. A generous arrangement… or so I thought.
Then came the betrayal: this wasn’t a bonus, it was exile. My rightful throne—the guardian’s pillow—was confiscated! Instead, I was condemned to share quarters with the feline riffraff. A royal scandal! Truly, the darkest twist of the whole move.
My royal residence
Every morning, I was set free to roam my new kingdom. The palace was so ridiculously huge, I felt alone most of the time. I checked out every possible nook:
Every daring venture came with a deluxe nap:
Fenya Fluffmuffin hid in feline headquarters, too scared to venture downstairs until the next day. Blackie didn’t set paw on the first floor for nearly a week — the staircase landing was his frontier.
I loved it here. Instead of a kitchen, one room, and two tiny litter-box chambers, we now had multiple rooms across two floors. Our guardians kept us out of their sleeping den, but sneaking in felt like conquering Everest.
Eventually, we discovered a secret underground room, full of odd smells and treasures to climb on, a true playground for bold explorers like us.
Truth be told, the first-floor couches saw most of our presence:
Of course, the backyard was the crown jewel: grass to roam and trees to conquer. Totally my territory!
The backyard was equipped with moving toys — or, as the humans called them, birds and animals. Hunting? Meh. I preferred lounging in the sun and watching them through the glass door.
Once in a while, I honored the front yard with a royal appearance, too:
I no longer thought Elya was lucky to stay behind in the old home.
Occasionally, I tolerated my new friend’s attention. Other cats might play rough, escape, or scratch her, but as royalty, I had social duties. So I graciously let the little creature stroke my silky back. After all, manners maketh the queen.
The light goes off
A long, happy stretch of days passed before I noticed a frightening change. The light seemed dimmer, and I could no longer navigate as easily. Sometimes I got lost and called for my guardian over and over. Fetching toys became tricky, and I couldn’t respond “Muff!” on command anymore.
Now I preferred long hours in her lap — an island of safety in a confusing world.
My food started tasting weird too — I suspect my guardian was adding something on the unpleasant human’s orders.
The light kept fading little by little. I started bumping into things, forgetting where the furniture stood, sniffing out food but unable to find my bowl right away… to the cat headquarters on the second floor became a real ordeal — especially the staircase. I used to zoom to the top landing like a furry missile. Now I took it one painstaking step at a time, and the whole journey felt like an eternity.
Being nearly deaf, I felt almost completely cut off from the world around me. Sure, I still had my smell and my whiskers — but trust me, it’s no substitute for seeing and hearing. I couldn’t do the things I loved most: leap onto tables to steal something nice or track down my companion when she wasn’t nearby.
The hardest part? The other cats didn’t understand why I bumped into them. They thought I was attacking, and they retaliated. Thankfully, my guardian was always there, shielding me every time I hissed. She even stopped locking me in with the other cats at night — a huge, comforting relief.
My ninth life
At night, I had the entire first floor all to myself. Life got much easier — half the time, I didn’t have to deal with other cats at all. Everything I needed was right there: food, water, litter boxes, soft beds. I stopped venturing to the second floor entirely — far too tricky now.
With my guardian’s help, I slowly settled into a new routine. Breakfast came first thing in the morning, before the feline crowd appeared, and then I spent the rest of the day lounging in the sun by the back door, luxuriating in my well-earned peace.
My water bowl is close, I know where the nearest litter box is, and meals come on schedule.
Still, I like to stroll into the kitchen or family room early — a gentle reminder that a VIP client is in residence.
Other cats, especially Bagheera the Bully, try to evict me from my VIP spot, but my companion always comes to the rescue. I stay put as long as I feel comfy.
When I want alone time — or to hint that dinner is overdue — I make a little figure: “Sweet hungry kitty awaits a snack.” Works every single time.
Now I more or less know where everything is. My guardians don’t move things around, and that suits me just fine — life’s hard enough without surprises.
I’m drifting on the waves of time toward my twentieth birthday. I’m not as spry as I once was; those days feel like ages ago. But I still have delicious meals, warm sunbaths, a cozy lap, and gentle hands that cherish me and stroke my fur. I can still touch and smell my beloved companion’s face, and that keeps loneliness at bay. We are still together, and our love supports and comforts us both.
I wish you such love in your life, too.
💗💗💗
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