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- 03/10/2019
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Confessions of a Diabetic Cat - 2. Chapter 2 - Snuggles
‘The sound of heavy boots and crashing furniture woke you from an uneasy sleep’.
Chapter 2 – Snuggles
Prompt #726 – First Line
‘The sound of heavy boots and crashing furniture woke you from an uneasy sleep’.
Hunter’s full-body thrust against the stuck door causing it to fly open and bang loudly. The bag of groceries cradled in his left arm tilted, spilling the eggs and the loaf of French bread onto the floor. The egg carton popped open and four of the dozen went flying, smashed, and splattering all over the book case and onto some of his favorite novels’ spines. The bread plopped at his feet and he stepped onto the middle of it.
“Shit!” he said, slipping on some rivulets of egg and dropping the rest of the contents of the bag. A container of cat treats hit the wood floor, popped open, and much of the contents flew in all directions.
A large orange cat waddled up and began noshing on the scattered treats. Chowing down one after another, he was like a big, fluffy, rotund vacuum cleaner making the niblets disappear quickly.
“Snuggles, stop that,” Hunter yelled. The cat ignored him and continued chowing down even more ravenously than before.
“Snuggles, you can’t eat that many treats. They’re not good for you.” The man set down the other bag and picked up the orange ball of fur. The cat hissed and wriggled trying to get down, but the young man petted him, trying to calm his pet, and carried him into the other room.
After placing Snuggles in the half-bathroom right off the kitchen, Hunter closed the door. It didn't latch, but he didn't notice. Hunter returned to the living room and started cleaning up the mess.
Antonio, his jet-black cat, was sitting on the coffee table as the man dropped to his knees. The feline sniffed imperiously in Hunter’s direction and watched him carefully, but he didn’t make a move towards the spilled treats. Instead, he surveyed the tableaux beneath him with calm and careful aplomb, at least that’s how the man saw it.
“Your brother is a pig,” Hunter remarked to Antonio. Antonio meowed and stretched. His body was long and lean as he arched, his physique the polar opposite of Snuggles.
“He needs to lose some weight.” Hunter, smiled, patted his belly a little and winked at the cat. “though, I could stand to lose a few pounds myself.”
Antonio simply sniffed the air and sat back down. He watched Hunter crawl around trying to find all the cat treats.
Several were lodged under the bookcase, and he didn’t see them.
After picking up what he could find, Hunter left the room and returned with a wad of paper towels. He wiped up the smashed eggs. He picked up the mushed loaf of bread, the one he’d trod on, and left again.
Having escaped the bathroom, Snuggles came trotting back into the room and sniffed the floor. He quickly found the errant treat under the furniture, and pulled them out carefully with a paw. He ate with a satisfied smile and a faraway look in his eye.
Hunter returned with a small bucket of soapy water and a sponge. Over his shoulder was a dry towel. He ignored Snuggles, annoyed, and turned to the aloof cat, still poised above him.
“Are you going to help me Tony, or just supervise?” the man said, addressing the black cat still eyeing him closely.
The black feline didn’t respond, but Snuggles meowed loudly. He rubbed his side against Hunter’s leg. He swiped his nose on his skin, and mewled again looking up.
“You’ll help me, won’t you Snugs?” reverting his attention. Hunter affectionately stroked the fat cat.
The orange Butterball wiggled his tail and haunches excitedly.
Hunter tossed the sponge into the bucket and then set it on the floor. He rubbed Snuggles broad back, making the cat purr in delight. “I’ll clean up the floor and you find the rest of the cat treats, okay, chunky monkey?”
The man laughed at his joke and then pulled the wet sponge out of the water, wringing it out. He started washing he floor and whistling a tune.
Antonio’s ears pricked up. He bounced off the coffee table and scurried out of the room.
Snuggles watched Hunter for a few moments, then he sauntered more slowly towards the kitchen. As he rounded the corner, he saw Antonio slowly munching on something. He pushed past his feline housemate and began eating from the same dish. This caused Antonio to back away and hiss, but half-heartedly. He watched Snuggles for a moment and then sighed in resignation.
The black cat started purring and walked away into the hallway. No doubt, he’d curl up in the bedroom on the comforter that Hunter never picked up from the floor.
The orange cat preferred the clothes hamper. It smelled delightfully and cozily of Hunter and besides, the surrounding enclosure was comforting.
“All done,” Hunter announced as he walked into the kitchen. He emptied the bucket into the sink and rinsed it out. “Are you ready for some supper and your go-juice?”
Immediately, the orange cat got excited, meowing loudly and rubbing up against the man’s leg again. He purred deeply with the satisfaction promised by the dinner that awaited and with it the calming feeling of fullness.
Hunter pulled a vial out of the refrigerator and was rubbing it between his palms. He had a syringe on the counter. As he watched Snuggles excitedly stare up at him and chattered; he paused to think. Did insulin make the cat feel better? He didn’t seem to mind the shot and in fact most of the time it laid down expectantly for the dose. Not always, of course, but many times it seemed the orange cat got into position deliberately.
Now, Snuggles was eating his dry food and in between bites, snorting and mewling at him. Hunter was jolted from his wonderings, and he opened a can of moist food, spreading it on the plate.
As soon the he put the plate on the floor the orange cat turned from the bowl and began chowing on the moist mound of pate. After only a moment, his feline housemate came bounding in from the hallway. Antonio started slurping up and munching on his side of the plate.
Hunter walked away continuing to warm the insulin bottle. Out of sight and ear shot, the black cat turned and looked at the orange one.
‘Fish and shrimp, I think. Right, Serapis?’ the black cat asked.
‘Oh yeah,’ the orange cat said. “Much better than the beef,” he added. “Though I know you prefer chicken, Shai.”
The black cat nodded his agreement and they both continued eating.
Prompt 736 – Creative
Tag – List of Words
Use the following words in a story – A laser, a police officer, a queen, a silver bell, and book.
Interesting!
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10
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4
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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