Let’s face it. I’m no Mother Theresa or the Dalai Lama. There are just some cats I simply don’t like and I don’t hide that fact. And number one on my list is the red tabby pictured above. His name is Max. Unfortunately, we share a home and the love and affection of the same two human beings. The sharing, however, stops there. I growl when he strolls into the room, and I hiss if he’s gets too close for comfort – which he seems to like to do all too often. When I was a kitten, it was he and Gabby who made my life miserable at times.

B&B think he has some secret admiration for me, as he often sleeps beneath my piano bench – when I’m not there of course. And here’s the kicker: Every now and then we end up in the position pictured above – a few feet apart staring at each other or off into space, feigning disinterest. This standoff can go on for an hour or more at a time, until either he or I mosey off to a quiet corner, leaving the other to ponder his or her next move.

There have been a few times that I’ve felt safe and at peace around him, namely when he’s fast asleep. But those moments seldom last for long. I let my guard down and my eyes droop in kitty slumber and BAM!! Out of nowhere, this huge red tabby hurls himself at me like the biggest hairball you’ve ever seen.

Having said that, Max adored Miro and watched out for him right up until he died. And he seems to really like the newest members of our family, Jenny and Ellie. And B&B do seem to really love him. Who knows? Perhaps he’s just a frustrated piano playing wannabe who can’t tolerate my success.