The International Writers Magazine: Kids Fiction

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The Cat Who Wanted To Be A Dog • David Russell There was this cat who always wanted everything everybody else had, especially the dog who lived in her house, a terrier named, “Scottie.”  She was always thinking, “Why can’t I have what Scottie has? Why didn’t they gave that to me instead?” Which was just what she had been thinking the morning she looked at her little breakfast bowl, then at Scottie’s big bowl with its large chunks of dog food.

“Look at that,” she said, as she licked her lips, “that’s what dogs eat, that’s what I’m going to eat.”. But, when she tried, the chunks were just too large and much too hard for her little cat mouth to bite. So she thought, “maybe dog food isn’t better than cat food. But, I know everything else about being a dog is better than being a cat.” And finished her cat breakfast with a contented sigh.
 
Later that day, when Ricky, the boy in her house, was getting ready to take Scottie for a walk on his leash, the cat wondered, “Why can’t I have a leash, too? And go for walk like Scottie does?” So, she pulled an extra leash over to Ricky who laughed and said, “Oh, you want to walk with us, cat. Okay.” And he snapped the leash on her, tying it with extra large knots because it was far too big. When it seemed to fit, Ricky said, “Alright, we’re ready, let’s go.”

Their walk started out just fine, until the cat spotted a cat friend across the street who she thought she might like to visit. Forgetting the leash, she dashed off. But, the leash stopped her short, right in mid-air and before she knew it, she was tumbling and stumbling and flipping herself right out of that leash. “Well!”, she huffed as she darted away, “if walking in a straight line like that is what dogs like to do, I can do without that.”,  And she added dog leashes to dog food as things she didn’t like. However, she assured herself, “I know I like everything else about being a dog, instead of being a silly old cat.

Just then, the boy snapped open Scottie’s leash, so he could run free with all the neighborhood dogs in their special dog run. Barking as if the world was coming to and end, the dogs scampered and dashed in a race that never seemed to end. “Now that is the kind of fun you have when you’re a dog”, said the watching cat, and immediately dashed into the dog run, only to have the dogs immediately chase her up a tree, where she had to stay until all the dogs had gone home.  
“I guess a dog run is not a place to be, at least not for a cat like me.”

If truth be known, she was actually beginning to have real doubts about being a dog, but, bravely she thought, “Except for dog food, dog leashes and running with other dogs, I know I like everything else about being a dog. I know I do!” Finally back at the house late that afternoon, she felt tired enough to consider a snooze and Scottie’s dog box looked like a wonderfully comfortable place to do it. “Why don’t I just curl up in there for a nap? That’s what a dog would do.” Unfortunately, just as she settled into a feeling good position, Scottie had the very same idea. Bounding into his box, he nearly crushed the little cat, who just managed to escape.  

Ricky’s mother, reading the paper in her rocking chair, was watching what happened and she made friendly, “puss, puss” noises, reaching down and lifting the cat to cuddle on her soft, warm lap, stroking the cat’s neck just right. That’s when cat remembered that every time Scottie tried to jump into mother’s lap, she laughingly, but firmly, pushed him away, saying, “Scottie, heaven’s, you’re much too big to be a lap dog.”

Just then mother tickled her very best special spot, right behind her ears. And as she purred and closed her eyes, she thought to herself, “Only a cat could feel this good. I guess being a cat isn’t so bad after all. I know I don’t want to be a dog ever again”. 
Aren’t you glad you’re you? Or, would you rather be a dog?

© David Russell November 2008
druss811@verizon.net

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