The Man

Daniel was happy, very happy. He spent his days sleeping on his feeder’s luxurious bed or stretching out in the number of ideal sunny spots sprinkled throughout their house, and his nights were spent curled up in his feeder’s lap on their couch getting the best rubbies.

But then, the man started coming over.

Daniel knew about men. He had seen them outside and occasionally one would come over, but never for very long and never more than a handful of times.

But, this man just kept showing up ruining his nightly rubby session, and when he didn’t come over, his feeder would be away until late in the night, which of course meant no rubby sessions. Sometimes she would even miss his dinnertime.

Then, it happened. One night, his feeder went out and didn’t come home!

Daniel was not happy, and it definitely wasn’t because he was worried about his feeder. He just missed lying next to something warm solely because he was cold natured. It had nothing to do with how she made him feel. Nothing at all.

Daniel knew he had to do something. He tried get his fur all over the man’s clean clothes, which he knew his feeder didn’t like. He tried drooling on him. He tried poking him in the face, while they watched TV, but nothing phased the man. He actually seemed to like it.

Daniel knew he had to ratchet up his attempts, so the next time the man came over, he tried screaming constantly. But, that just ended up with him being locked in his feeder’s bedroom with of course no rubbies.

Daniel knew this was all the man’s fault. Not his. Not his at all. And, he realized if he was going to get rid of this man, he was going to have to do something drastic, something truly vile.

Luckily for the next few days, his feeder went over to the man’s house giving Daniel ample time to plot and plot he did.

The next time the man came over, Daniel was ready. He waited until they were cuddling on the couch. Then, he grabbed the man’s shoes from their spot near the door, carried them stealthily into his feeder’s bedroom, and tore them to pieces.

Daniel was so happy. He knew this one something that no human could abide by. He slipped out of the bedroom and hopped innocently into the mildly comfortable chair near their couch.

When the show ended, and they started towards the bedroom, a malevolent twinkle appeared in his eyes, and when his feeder let out a scream upon entering her bedroom, a tingle of joy shook down his spine.

But then he heard something else. It was the man, and he didn’t seem to be yelling or crying. Could he be laughing?

Daniel listened more closely. Yes, the man was laughing. How could he be laughing? He destroyed his shoes. How could he go outside without his shoes? How could he find this funny?

Daniel shook his head. There was no way could he be laughing. So, Daniel jumped down from the couch and snuck to the bedroom door.

When he peered inside, he saw that indeed  the man was laughing, and his feeder was laughing now too! Then, his feeder wrapped her arms around the man, and he kissed her on the head.

Daniel quickly turned away before anything else happened. As he walked back to the couch, he thought, I shed on him; I drooled on him; I poked him; I yelled at him; I even destroyed his shoes; but he’s still happy. What sort of person is this? And, what on earth I am going to have to do to get rid of him?

Daniel didn’t know, but he was determined he would find a way. This man would not defeat him.

However, the man didn’t return for some time, and Daniel was happy. Maybe his plan had worked. His feeder was coming home later and spending more nights out, which he didn’t like, but the man was gone.

Until one day, when after his feeder was scurrying around and putting some things in a bag that she annoyingly refused to let him sleep in, he returned.

Daniel quickly hid under the couch sure the man had come to get his revenge as he watched his feeder says, “Thanks for doing this.”

“It’s really not a problem.”

“I know. I just worry that he’s going to do something else.”

“I told you. I don’t care that he tore up my shoes, and honestly, I think this is going to be a good opportunity for Danny and me to bond.”

“You’re sure.”

“Yes. Now, tell me where his food and stuff are so you can get out of here.”

She did. Then, after quick search, she found Daniel under the couch. She begged him to come out, but he didn’t fall for that and stayed where he was.

“Ok, Danny,” she said resignedly. “I’ll only be gone for a few days. You be good for Mike, and I love you.”

Then, she stood up gave Mike a quick kiss and hurried out the door.

After she left, Mike sat down on the floor, so he was able to see Daniel and said, “Hey, Danny.”

Daniel narrowed his eyes in anger. Only his feeder called him Danny.

“I think we got off on the wrong foot, so I got you something,” said Mike as he pulled out a little grey, felt ball with a small bell on its end.

“Do you want to play with it?” asked Mike as he gave it a little shake.

Daniel slid deeper under the couch. He didn’t know what sort of wicked little device the man had brought, but he definitely wasn’t going to play with it.

Mike tried shaking the bell and rolling the ball around for a few minutes, but Daniel didn’t budge.

“Alright, maybe you can play with it while I’ll gone, but I’ll be back later to give you dinner.”

Daniel waited for a good while after the man left just watching the toy making sure it didn’t do anything unexpected. Then, he carefully crept over to it and gave it a gentle tap with his paw. It’s bell rang as it rolled a little distance giving Daniel quite a start. But after he realized it didn’t actually hurt him, he hit it again. It rolled further this time and the bell dinged more, and surprisingly, he actually liked it.

Daniel kept playing with the toy, pouncing on it, and knocking it all around the house until he grew tired. Then, he found a nice sunny spot on the couch and took a nap.

Later, as he promised, Mike came back and set up Daniel’s food, while Daniel observed him from under the couch again. Mike tried to coax Daniel out from his hiding place, but Daniel still wasn’t sure if he could trust him, so he stayed put until Mike gave up and left.

The next day, Mike set up Daniel’s food, while he again watched from under the couch, but that night, after setting up Daniel’s dinner, Mike sat down on the floor and pulled a little bag out of his pocket.

“Since the toy didn’t do the trick, I figured I’d try getting you a treat,” said Mike as he pealed open the bag and took out a little fish shaped treat. “You want one?”

Daniel didn’t move unsure if this was a trick.

“Here try one,” said Mike as he tossed a treat under the couch.

Daniel smelled it. It smelled good. He smelled it some more. Nothing seemed off about it, so he ate it. It tasted good, real good.

“You want another,” asked Mike as he threw Daniel another treat.

Daniel had to inch forward a few inches to eat it, but the treat was so tasty he did it.

The next treat, Mike threw didn’t even make it under the couch, but the first two were so good and nothing happened. So, Daniel crawled out of the couch and ate it too.

Mike kept throwing Daniel treats drawing him closer and closer towards him. Then, he had the temerity to try and pet Daniel.

Daniel quickly fled back under the couch glad that his suspicions had been justified.

“Sorry Danny, I didn’t mean to startle you,” said Mike. “I thought you liked to get petted, but I still have more treats for you.”

Mike threw the rests of the treats to Daniel, and he ate them. But, he stayed under the couch.

After Mike left, Daniel did some thinking. The toy was fun, and the treats were good. His feeder didn’t get him toys or treats. Maybe keeping Mike around wouldn’t be the worst thing.

When Mike came back the next night, he brought more treats and this time after Mike gave him treats, he let him pet him, and Mike actually turned out to be a pretty good petter. He wasn’t as good as his feeder, but he wasn’t bad.

Maybe letting this man stay around for a little wouldn’t be so bad.