Mac Cavity's Ten Lives Poem by Sidi Mahtrow

The Ten Lives of Mac Cavity

Some cats have nine lives, more or less!
So more than others, some are bless'd
They seldom revel their innermost mysteries,
So we are unlikely to discover their private stories.

Such is the case of Mac Cavity,
A most extraordinary cat in our society.
Mac Cavity's lives are here recorded,
Not necessarily in chronological as they were ordered.

Perhaps as he would have preferred them to be,
Taking the good with the bad as you shall see.
The stages can only be guessed at and are listed,
As they would appear through time's eyes are misted.

But first, before discussing the lives of Mac Cavity,
How will you recognize him in his notoriety?
There's no missing his distinctive spotless white
Markings against a sleek black coat, equally bright.

His white forehead is distinctly
Marked symmetrically,
As are his paws although not quite
So well done by his maker in off-white.

In addition, he sports a pure white underside,
Kept that way by attention to cleanliness-pride.
Notice those ears, neatly trimmed by nature,
Not man's scapula for sure.

Ah! what a handsome cat,
And he knows it, if he could only don a top-hat.
And now on to his lives
As we recount his many adventures.

Life Number One - As a kitten

Mac Cavity, a small insignificant fluff, most furry,
Brought home as a gift from a teacher with too many.
Although we had quite enough cats,
To help control the mice and rats.

They numbered some thirty or so,
At different times, during the year (as they go.)
But as a gift from a favorite teacher,
How can you refuse such an appealing creature?

This kitten had no trouble bellying up
To the bar (The food dish that is) for his daily sup.
And eating his fill in competition to the rest,
Which we at that time we were blest.

What name should he bear?
A life-long moniker to wear.
In luck, Cats, was making its round
And due to appear in Memphis town.

And of all cats in the play,
None caught Gregg's fancy that day,
As much as Mac Cavity, star of T. S. Elliot's,
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.

Yet there must have been an error,
In the program as the name of the star,
Was Macavity, not Mac Cavity,
As he was of obvious Scottish ancestry.

Cats do have community responsibilities
Such it is when it comes to health issues.
They have to have their shots.
And of vaccines there are lots.

There is rabies, distemper, feline leukemia
And who knows what the vet's scheme is.
All are recommended in their turn,
But rabies is the one that causes them to squirm.

When you have joined a large farm family,
There is no end to maladies.
With shots as a yearly event,
Not necessarily Heaven sent.

With the large number of Mac Cavity's friends
Efficiencies the word to make trips end.
But, making 37 trips to the vet,
Tries one's patience, you can bet.

Fortunate for us all
Was when Dr. Billy Butler gave a call.
He had a couple of large wire cages
Which he loaned for just such occasions.

His solution; put a 'bunch' of cats in each
Simple but there was a catch.
It's easy to catch a single cat
And put him/her in. Old hat.

It's not that difficult to catch another,
And put him/her in the cage with his brother.
But there is a major row,
When one tries to enter a third in tow.

Each time the door is opened wide,
At least one will try to escape from inside.
Biting and scratching is their pleasure
Keeping score on your arms for good measure.

It's decided that two's enough in each cage
To control damage and their rage.
Ten trips to the vet was the way,
Delivering cats and cages in one day.

Perhaps a couple of cats went to town,
Two or more times, while others were never found.
Of course, Mac Cavity made the trip to be assured
His long life would be insured.

Having passed this milestone in his life,
He lived on with little strife.
Living the life of a normal tom cat,
Eating, sleeping; eating, sleeping, eating, sleeping and all that.

''O thou most happy mortal upon earth.'
Said he,
'How sweet is thy repose;
Envied by none,
And envying no man's greatness,

Secure thou sleepest,
Thy soul composed and calm;
No power of magic persecutes thee,
Nor are thy thoughts affrighted by enchantments!

Sleep on, sleep on, a hundred times sleep on.
Those jealous cares that break a lover's heart
Do not extend to thee:
Neither the dread of craving creditors,

Nor the dismal foresight of inevitable want,
Or care of finding bread for a helpless family,
Keep thee waking.
Ambition does not make thee uneasy,

The pomp and vanity of this world,
Do not perplex thy mind:
For all thy care's extend
Reaches but to thy ass.

Thy person and thy welfare,
Tho hast committed to my charge,
A burden imposed on masters,
By nature and custom,

To weigh and conterpoise,
The offices of servants.
Which is the greatest slave?
The servant's business,

Is performed by a few manual duties,
Which only reconcile him more to rest,
And make him sleep more sound;
While the anxious master,

Has not leisure to close his eyes,
But must labor day and night,
To make provision for the subsistence,
Of his servant;

Not only in time of abundance,
But even when the heavens,
Deny those kindly showers,
That must supply this want.'

Spoken by Don Quixote when considering,
The slumbers of his squire, Sancho.
Chapter LIX, An account of Rich Camacho's Wedding.
Note: All living beings are mortals. And, Mac Cavity surely had an understanding of Spanish literature and the writings of Cervantes.


Life Number Two - Rogue

In his father's image; an old lecher,
As described by Gregg's teacher,
Mac Cavity should have been a tyrant,
Roaming the country side, a miscreant.

Despoiler of virgins, barroom fighter
And ne'er-do-well seeking pleasure,
Spending his every night out.
Simply put, a lout.

Mac Cavity tried to do justice to his genetics,
But alas, his heart just wasn't in it we suspects.
It was so much better to spend the night
And day as well, closed up in the house; tight.

With friend Charlie, the dog-cat,
(Charlie quite properly thought he was a cat) ,
Since the whole household it seemed,
To revolve about cats and their means.

They got the best food, the freshest water,
The warmest bed, etc., maybe not in that order.
So, why shouldn't Charlie be a cat.
They accepted him and he them, that was that.

It is for this reason, I suppose,
With curly coat and coal black nose.
That when Charlie by his full name, Charlie-dog,
Was called, it was to remind him of his ancestral log.

As an aside, we must digress,
For you see Charlie came to live as a guest.
With Don, Wendy, Gregg by accident,
Or was it fate, heaven sent.

As we all remember quite well,
During a Summer dry spell.
We were on the way to a fish fry
At Henry Cannon's, by and by.

The Hatchie river cabin is among cypress trees.
On ancestral lands once Indian lands, if you please.
Named by them Hatchie which means river.
So now we call it; river-river(?)

As we passed a roadside ditch along the way,
A puppy emerged from the grass; perhaps a stray?
We stopped the car, and to everyone's delight,
There were four gleaming black puppies in the lights.
.
A farm house was only a short distance away.
Perhaps their mother had let them stray.
We gathered the pups together
And took them to the neighbor.

No - the pups were not theirs.
The old couple said through tears.
Their dog of many years had died,
A companion that they missed so; they cried.

It was God-sent, that these bundles of fur,
Were being delivered to their door at this hour.
They wanted them all, so we wished them well,
The puppies and their new owners in a spell.

We continued on to the fish fry at Henry's,
Forgetting about the lost puppies.
The food was great, the socializing fun
And it was late at night before we were done.

Time to end a great stay
So homeward we went, ending the day.
We slowed as we passed the home
Of the lost puppies. Wishing we had just one.

As we neared the spot where the pups had been
We looked hard to see if there was a remaining kin.
And there in the headlights glare,
A pair of bright eyes did stare.

A poor lost puppy separated from his litter mates.
Stood there perhaps us, he did await.
That's Charlie! All alone,
And what a dog he was to become.

A two-story house, to Charlie was given.
An 'A' frame, protecting him from elements driven.
Lower living quarters, just for him reserved,
And the upper quarters, for the cats conserved.

The cats private entrance was there to please
And provide a passage of a nice summer breeze.
'For The Cats. There was no need for a sign.
Obvious to all this was their place, and fine.

A back-stairs entrance hidden from view
Was accessible to only a few.
Who might pass through Charlie's apartment.
No one knew which way they went.

Of course, Mac Cavity knew immediately that this,
Was his own private suite, to be enjoyed in bliss.
He seldom shared these quarters with another cat.
As this was his, without a spat.'

The only time that there was a dispute
Was when the two yellow toms (of good repute,)
Became involved in a quarrel that led to a tussle.
One was getting the worst of it, and thought he should hussle.

The loser turned tail and ran.
It's better to retain dignity when one can.
(We never could tell them apart, and who knows,
Perhaps on another day the odds shifted when they came to blows.

Tom number two, was pursued by number one,
Or whatever; as one escaped on a dead run.)
No tree in sight, the escaping tom,
Was desperate to fine relief, at least some.

He leaped for the entrance upstairs,
To Charlie's house. And in midair,
Turned to face his opponent,
Who chose to call a halt to the tournament.

The Tom gracefully landed as cats do,
Prepared to fight in the space for few.
Fortunate for all concerned Mac Cavity
Was not at home to great his anguished company.

So Mac Cavity spent his second life as friend
And companion to Charlie without amend.
Much to the chagrin of his father,
I suppose. As fighting wasn't worth the bother.

However, he did one spring day
Decide to express himself in a special way.
He attempted to climb the leg of his mistress.
This assertion cost Mac Cavity dearly to his distress.

The veterinarian can tell you, if you inquire,
That surgery is a means of diverting desire.
Mac Cavity became mac cavity,
If you get my meaning of lower case activity.

Life Number Three – A slumbering Giant

It was after he moved to Baltimore
mac cavity discovered the big city and more.
For comfort he slept on his owner's chest,
Legs outstretched all embracing, he found best.

While there are many pleasures in the city renown,
The safest and warmest place of all in town,
Was in the big king-sized bed.
Where one had no enemy or terrors to dread.

Perhaps It was just a matter of time,
Before he discovered the comforts, so fine.
Rhythmic movement of his owner's chest
Was so much like being rocked in a cradle at its best.

Where else to sleep in such heavenly bliss,
No woes besieged him, no fears of meals missed.
Perhaps the snoring was annoying to the senses,
But what the heck, one has to make some sacrifices.

With the many moves; first from the farm,
Then to Memphis (where the vet did him great harm.)
Onward to Columbia and Ellicott City in Maryland,
The cat population shrank to four, which you could count on either hand.

Only Henryetta and one of her kittens;
October and Mac Cavity remained (no poem here about mittens.)
Charlie-dog also departed.
Almost as soon as the moving started.

When others might have given up the ghost,
mac cavity adapted much better than most,
He became faithful companion to the family
In these time with the fewest cats in memory.


Life Number Four -Friend to all-

Friend, mr. possum invited himself to sup.
With 37 cats and a Charlie-dog pup.
What's one more for dinner?
First at the bowl is the winner.

Wendy (Gregg's sister, our daughter of course)
Offered up dinner without remorse,
To those seeking a hearty meal.
Cat food of course was the daily deal.

She couldn't resist the temptation to stop and pet,
Henrietta and her begats.
One night, as she was caressing each and every one
(Charlie included) as she had always done,

She noticed that one of the family
Had an unusually coarse coat, very distinctly.
Almost bristle like she thought, as she stroked its back
And the 'kitten' hissed at her, taking her aback.

Behold, mr possum had come for dinner,
Obviously not the first time, as he was a joiner;
Continuing to eat, and nosing the cats away,
From the choicest tidbits that fell where they may.

The cats (and Charlie too) gave no ground,
Treats are to be eaten where they were found.
And all continued to eat side by side,
Food was swallowed along with their pride.

When mac cavity moved to Maryland,
He was short of cat friends in hand.
And as a social animal,
Decided to adopt humans as his pals.

In particular, the Sheltons of Elicott city,
Had a small daughter and dog on which he took pity
Befriend them he did and saw no reason,
Why not take walks together in season.

So he joined in the parade with tail held most high,
Mr. Shelton, girl, dog and mac cavity close by.
In a line as they walked, looking for and finding,
Only what a small child, dog and cat were minding.

mac cavity had many companions and friends,
As he dealt with life's unexpected bends.
Taking a poor hand and making the best
For a poor cat with a black and white chest.

Life Number Five - Tourist, extraordinary

mac cavity traveled wide,
Journeying over the country side.
From farm to city and small town,
In all he was renown.

Only when events are in prespective.
Does this properly qualify as one of his lives,
But when one's memory grows dim,
It is good to reflect on the many events that happened to him.

Of course he would consider these travels,
As that of a tourist and his travails.
It was not about taking residence,
Because home was always the Farm in a sense.

Now somewhere on a fine day,
October (called Toby by Wendy) ,
Or Halloween by a friend,
Joined the family, and her new life began.

October had a most unpleasant disposition (and then some)
Probably because she had never had a proper home,
Until she became 'Wendy's cat'.
At any rate, October was accepted and that was that.

She was permitted all the usual privileges.
That is, until it came time to move the kitties,
From Tennessee to Maryland
Which was the plan.

The problem was, four cats to carry,
But two cat carriers, so everybody would have to share.
Who was going to have to share space.
And at the same time save face?

mac cavity and Henryetta were good friends
And sociable animals to the end,
So was Magellan's lot to face,
October in a close space.
Good ole Magellan's fate
Was to accommodate
October with her disposition
In a space without emotion.

Well they all made it even in 100 degree heat
In the shipping area of the airplane beneath our seat.
This was mac cavity's one and only airplane ride,
And that was just fine with him, to spare his pride.

Each year that we had the pleasure,
Of their company, we shall treasure.
We should take pause to appreciate it.
And thanks be to God to remit.

When it came time to move to our South Dakota home,
mac cavity and October were the ones making the trip alone.
It is sad to report that a cats' life,
Is not an easy one in the city strife.

It's a very long trip for humans indeed,
And for animals when traveling by car at highway speed..
So in anticipation of nature's items
Arrangements were made to accommodate them.

Both cats were fitted with fine harnesses
And accompanying leashes,
So that they could take brief walks,
And attend to their business in the parks.

Came the fateful day
The car was packed in such a way,
That the cat carriers were in a prominent position
Within the car, so the cats would have unobstructed vision.

Several times along the way
We stopped to let them stretch their legs and do what may.
But like a perfect gentleman and lady friend
Neither showed interest in making their nature calls public.

When we arrived for overnight (in Chicago) ,
This is just about as far as they wanted to go.
Both were quite interested in Don's apartment
And spent the evening exploring the new environment.

As there were two cats that called this place home,
It was expected an argument about rights and some.
Might emerge in a territorial display
Wrong. To no one's dismay.

mac cavity and October
After using the guest 'sand-box' wondered what next was in order,
First share a meal and drink of Chicago's best water, and then
Return to their carriers, for a night sleeping in.

So it was on to Gregg's home on the Plains
Which he shared with three cats, let me explain:
Po was the mother of kittens, quite large
Who had run of the house without umbrage.

Yellow cat without doubt,
Was the most relaxed,
Trusting, faithful cat
Ever known to mankind.

Required little for comfort, He was a minimalist,
One day (in the living room) to prove this,
He was as usual, sleeping peacefully,
On a pile of concrete blocks comfortably.

They were stacked in the center of the living room floor
(as a budding artist can explain, we assure) .
Yellow cat in his slumber,
Simply fell (slid) off the blocks of cinder.

Did this disturb him? Not at all,
Just picked himself up, and stretched so tall,
Then went to check the food dish.
To see if anything was amiss.

Then there was Black and White, or Gasket,
As was sometimes called, the female pet.
Who pursuing a squirrel in a tree
Injured her back and discovered gravity.

Gregg also acquired a puppy when quite small
Named him MoJo, was the call.
(Yellow cat, his best friend
Where ever Yellow cat went,
MoJo was sure to follow.

One day, yellow cat decided it was time to go outside,
For a bit of cat business, we suppose
Fortunately, there was a passage way in the screen door,
Just cat-sized so that he and the others could go as they pleased.

Out went Yellow cat.
MoJo seeing his friend depart
Saw no reason not to go as well.
And he did.

Now it is important to note
There is a difference between a 'door',
Designed for passage of a ten pound cat
And one for a hundred pound dog.

Nevertheless, MoJo somehow did exit,
Through that cat door(?)
With no damage to either the door
Or MoJo.)

Someday MoJo will be a dog,
But now he is only three years old,
And weighs about 115 pounds,
So is still regarded as a growing boy.

Of course mac cavity and October,
Once in Vermillion,
Immediately made themselves,
Quite at home.

Vermillion, South Dakota, is as fine a home as any cat could imagine.
Warm house, gentle breezes, ample food and best of all,
At least from October's point of view,
The house was just across from the Post Office.

Within a week, October had established
Her territory to include the sloping walkway
Usually reserved for those who needed assistance,
In entering this most proper Federal Building.

Here in the sun, a cat could stretch and toast one side
And then the other, as she awaited, the chance passing of small children.
More than once she was left to attend to a child
While the parent went inside for business. She became the post office cat.

As the house was across the street from the Post Office
There was always a risk that a car, or most likely a farm truck,
Would not see a small cat. so, it was only appropriate,
That a yellow 'cat-crossing' sign, sould be erected.

In short order, all of the community recognized that this,
Was the crossing for the very important 'Post Office Cat.'

One day, A fierce South Dakota wind took the sign away from its mounting,
And it was gone. Not to worry, the 'Insurance Lady'
Came by the next day with a catalog, that had cat crossing signs in it.
So October's sign could be replaced.

Nice place,
Vermillion!

Life Number Six - Farm Cat - master in residence.

mac cavity would be quick to point out the many joyful experiences, of farm life.
Quick as a wink or a slow cat's yawn,
He would tell you of the day, Henryetta took him hunting
And the only thing to be found was the two old nags
(actually fine jumpers belonging to the Prehlers) .

To exhibit the masterful role of cats in the animal kingdom,
Henryetta first approached Dudley and leisurely raised herself to her full height
So that she could scratch Dudley's front leg,
Much as any self respecting cat would scratch a tree, or a piece of fine furniture.

Kneading the skin of this mighty horse and sharpening her claws, oh the wonders of it all.
mac cavity thought that it was mighty curious that
Dudley never flinched or moved,
But it was because of Henryetta's masterful control.

And then Henryetta moved to Viking who was by far the best jumper.
He was know to have cleared a six foot corral with lots of space to spare.
Henryetta quite simply climbed up Viking's leg and sat on his back.
He didn't seem to mind, or was it that he knew when he was under the master's
(or in this case, the mistress's) control.

And then there was the matter of Henryetta's kittens.
As you were told you earlier, there was 37 or more cats and kittens,
On the farm at most any counting.
Henryetta was mother-domo in residence.

Henryetta always chose the best places for her birthing.
Under a wood pile where there would be great smells,
A handy snack of mice or whatever,
And of course protection from the elements.

But, she discovered the best place of all, quite by accident.
The Rube Goldberg contraption, sitting by the roadside, is called a combine.
Now this weird motorized combination of things that go clank, bang, bump,
Slam, shake, rattle, screech and thump,
Was designed to harvest soybeans, corn, wheat and the like.

Each year when harvest was finished, a thick bed of straw remained, deep in the interior,
An accumulation which would not be cleaned out, until the following season.
Imagine Henryetta's delight, when she discovered the soft bed,
Warmed by the summer sun, safe and high and dry.

Of course this was just the place,
For her soon to arrive kittens.
And one day, there they were,
Deep in the bowels of this mighty machine.

As you might guess,
Timing is everything,
And these kittens were born
On the 15th day of September.

Well the first beans of the year, need to come out of the field, about mid-month,
Not only to get the best price, but also since the fall season is unpredictable.
As Eugene Haines once said;
'It was time to save the crop'.

What to do?
There was Henryetta and the kittens, safe and secure.
The beans were ready to harvest.
And, time was getting short.
No Problem.

Why you just wait for Henryetta
And the kittens to emerge,
Which they did in their own good time -
About the first of October.

Now this is important, usually the mother cat
Will keep the kittens well hidden for at least three weeks
(remember they spend the first week to 10 days with their eyes closed,
And need another 15 days or so go to get their legs under them) .

But did Henryetta, the problem know (?) ,
Anyway, she emerged with kittens in tow,
At least a week early just then,
For kittens. Just so the harvest could begin.

And then there is the matter of practical jokes.
When you live in the country,
You have to make your own fun.
Donald and his friend the Haines boy,

Mac Cavity forgets his name,
Franklin I do believe,
Decided that to best enjoy the great outdoors,
They should camp out.

Their idea of toughing it,
Was to set up tent about a
Quarter mile from home,
That way if the weather turned sour.

Or they ran out of marshmallows,
Or if nature called,
The house was only a short run away.
Now the matter of making a safe campfire,

Is important in farm country.
An out of control fire is a frightening thing,
That simply destroys everything in its path.
(Usually when the fire department is called,
It means that total destruction is inevitable.

The reputation of one neighbor, it is told
Had a problem with fires getting out of control,
In his 'well-insured' houses, sheds and barn
David Evens said; 'He could burn up a stove made of cast iron.'

With this in mind,
And I am sure with Mac Cavity's help,
A safe place for a fire was selected
And while the boys gathered wood for the fire,

Don's father carefully concealed a number,
Of firecrackers well in the depths,
Of the growing pile of wood.
Imagine the effect when

About 30 minutes,
Into the marshmallows
And hot dogs,
The fire finally burned down to the level,

Of the firecrackers
And they began to explode.
Mac Cavity surely commented;
'they ran like a bunch of scared cats'.
(Of course Mac Cavity was not there.)

Now as you might guess,
Henryetta was Mac Cavity's
Best friend and confidant.
As she continued on her mission,
To populate the world,

She often met with those
Who just didn't get it.
Having taken up residence in Germantown city
(Along with Magellan, Charlie and mac cavity,)
She decided that this was the place to be,
It was really the good life, as you shall see.

Alas, like so many city residents,
Her girth began to expand in a sizable sense.
Wendy measured her and reported with some alarm,
That she was 32 inches around, and growing firm.

Could she have a tumor,
Perhaps some over-eating disease. Or?
Of course a trip to the veterinarian,
Was to be scheduled as quickly as we can.

The doctor who had little experience
With cats of Henryetta's type and sense
Was quite concerned and pronounced
That she had an acites tumor inside.

Now this is quite serious as you might know
For the cancer cells continue to grow
And the body cavity fills
With liquid and the cells.

He made a number of needle probes to the abdomen full
In an attempt to withdraw fluid, but he was unsuccessful
And admitted, Henryette's problem
Baffled him.

He suggested she be put to sleep,
Or we could take her home to keep.
And make her comfortable, in may ways
To live out her few remaining days.

Henryetta was mac cavity's closest companion,
So the thought of leaving her without her friend,
At the vets was an unthinkable end.
So home she went to family and friend.

Henryetta seemed to be getting along quite well,
Her appetite, never small, like her belly continued to swell.
Like all cats, she spent most of her day,
Asleep in a secret place out of the way.

We consigned ourselves to await the inevitable.
Cats have a way of wanting to be alone,
When they have a problem, are injured,
Sick or know that death is approaching

So we were not surprised when one morning
Henryetta was no were to be found.
Two days passed and no Henryetta.
And then, it was Friday I believe,

Henryetta appeared at the back door.
A much shrunken Henryetta,
Almost with here girlish figure,
And she showed signs of having nursed kittens.

Gregg followed her back,
To the most private part of the garage
And there were eleven of the most beautiful kittens, Every seen.
One of which was Magellan.

So much for the wisdom of 'city' Veterinarians!

Life Number Seven - Outdoorsman and climber par excellence -

Mac Cavity was proficient
In climbing down the side
of tall buildings,
taking the nose down approach.

With each step,
he discovered that the only way
to maintain control was to
take the next step faster.

This worked fine until
he was going down
the side of the building
as fast as he could run -

and then, he would jump.
Unfortunately, the ground arrived
just when it would appear
that he was in full control.

While he practiced and
practiced this maneuver,
he never mastered it
although he did try it

from the garage in Germantown (Tennessee) ,
the second floor porch in Ellicott City (Maryland)
and the roof over Michael's porch
(Michael is a good friend who has an old three story town house next door in downtown Baltimore.)

Martha (the Mistress mentioned earlier)
claimed that this form of entertainment
must have had an effect on his brain (Mac Cavity's, not Michael's) –
the sudden stops and all.

He was not an outdoorsman by choice,
An overnight camping expedition
for mac cavity resulted in more
than he had bargained for.

Now mac cavity looks sort of strange,
or is it distinctive.
It seems that his ears
are not quite what you would expect
a cat's ears to look like.

In fact they lack the characteristic tips,
as though they were surgically altered,
much like some dogs ears.
Not so, mac cavity's ears were modified by God.
One cold night in a particularly bad storm,
mac cavity chose to stay outside
denying himself the warmth of the hearth.

Why, we just don't know,
but in the morning
he was there for breakfast
with all the other cats.

It was several weeks later when we discovered
what he most surely already knew,
his ears had been somewhat changed
in a most uncharacteristic way.

This gave him a certain distinction,
you know.
He never complained
(at least to our knowledge.)

Life Number Eight -Vocal advocate

About the time mac cavity lost
the tips of his ears we thought,
it strange that he never seemed to
mew, purr, or make comments of any type.

I guess we believed there was
something wrong
with his vocal cords
and he was speechless.

It was only after we had moved to Maryland,
that mac cavity found his voice.
Probably when he finally had something to
complain about.

With his new found voice
he became quite the vocalist.
Often pointing out the need for
fresh water in the bowl,
more food or perhaps just to make sure
that no one took him for granted.

And purr, some might mistake
his purrs for snoring, they were that loud.
What a nice reward he bestowed on us
or was it a complement for a job well done?

Life Number Nine - Engineer

mac cavity discovered the science
of ergonomics long before it
became popular
with the computer trade.

One of the particularly difficult times
for mac cavity was his arrival in Maryland.
And, I think this is one reason he had little love
for the state and its people.

mac cavity had to go to the veterinarian
for surgery and because cats
are very clean animals
they simply will not let a cut or wound alone.

Accordingly, a Victorian like collar
is fitted so they
are unable to lick
their affected parts.

It is not only undignified for a cat
to wear a piece of jewelry,
but it is particularly troublesome
when the collar interferes with the cat's business.

At the time, mac cavity lived in quite nice two story house
Off the kitchen was a balcony with a wrought iron railing
Easily, a cat could easily pass through the bars
when it was desired to jump to the ground below.

But wait, the new collar was at least twelve inches wide,
a sort of round cone-shaped plastic thing
and certainly not going to pass through
a four inch space between the railing standards.

What was Mac Cavity to do?
It took only a few minutes to see
that a head on approach
would simply not work.

So with typical cunning, mac cavity turned his head to one side,
passed the edge of the collar through the opening,
rotated his head until the other edge was safely passed
and then mac cavity could easily go through the opening.

There was one problem tho,
there was no going back.
But no problem, the purpose of this exercise
was to get out not to get back in.

So off to other adventures
mac cavity went,
plunging head first down from the porch,
collar and all.

He repeated this maneuver many times each day when the mood moved him.
However, for him to perform this feat,
it was necessary to answer his call at the front door,
demanding to be let in so the game could continue.

I might add that perhaps mac cavity discovered
a practical way of employing one of Physicist theorems,
he proved that it was possible for a mass (atom or the like)
to be on both sides of a container without passing through the walls(?) .

So perhaps he shares with Einstein
an understanding of the Universe
that remains beyond us all.

Life Number Ten - Well maybe, maybe not.

Mac cavity was last seen in South Dakota
presumably looking for a place where the sun forever shines,
a cool breeze blows and
there is a full food dish on every porch.

But whatever,
and with apologies
to T. S. Elliot,
mac cavity's not here.

Cats have at least nine lives, or maybe more. We humans just don't pay enough attention, as mac cavity would like for us all to understand.