One Rich Kitty

Laziness leads to poverty; hard work makes you rich.

TRUDY IS CONVINCED that her Bombay cat, Tuck, has three main goals in life: Stay as close as possible to those he loves—mainly Trudy and his feline sister, Nan; win the affection and adoration of every human he encounters; and chew on every inedible item in the house.

Tuck’s affectionate and playful personality more than compensates for any frustration Trudy feels about constantly replacing shower curtain liners, shoelaces, mini-blind cords, curtains, and more. Plus Tuck seems to have an uncanny ability to sense Trudy’s moods and know what she needs from him.

Thankfully, his obsession with tags—on clothing, towels, pillows, and blankets—is limited to the tag itself. However, Tuck’s preference for tags emblazoned with the words DO NOT REMOVE has convinced Trudy that not only is her mini-panther able to read, but that he takes those words as a direct challenge.

But after a while, Trudy became weary of Tuck’s chewing frenzy, so she banned him from all the bathrooms, bedrooms, and hallway closets. And for those items she couldn’t hide or protect behind a closed door, Trudy found an effective solution.

“I wonder if any other house has curtains covered in cat anti-scratch tape,” she told Tuck after wrapping a portion of the new panels in wide sheets of double-sided tape.

When she discovered the tape was actually keeping her determined cat from bothering the curtains, Trudy went on a bit of a taping spree, covering the corners of her new coffee table and every visible square inch of her new sofa. The reviews claimed that the sticky tape should modify a cat’s behavior within a year, at which point it could be removed.

Trudy doubts she will ever peel it off. And when visitors come, Trudy throws an old quilt over the sofa to keep their clothes from sticking to the tape.

With the exception of his chewing propensity, Trudy wouldn’t change a thing about Tuck. He is the exact cat she needed, even when she didn’t know she needed him.

Tuck’s desire to be close to her at all times helped Trudy endure the loneliness of the pandemic. His insistence in joining Trudy’s video calls for work delighted her team members, especially when Tuck practically lay on the computer keyboard. And his high-volume purr often brings comfort and grounding to Trudy on life’s tougher days.

“I really can’t imagine not having him in my life,” Trudy admitted to a friend who regularly asks about Tuck’s latest adventures. “He brings so much laughter and love into my life and to the lives of so many. He really is a one-of-a-kind cat.”

One day when Trudy’s friends stopped by for a visit, Tuck ran to greet them, then promptly flopped on his back in a not-so-subtle request for a belly rub. One woman was talking to Trudy and not paying attention to Tuck. Trudy held back a chuckle as Tuck scooted closer and closer to her friend, put his paw on her leg, and then flopped onto his back to offer her his belly—all while loudly demanding attention. His antics left the group in stitches.

In that moment Trudy realized that Tuck is a very rich little kitty—rich in adoration and affection. Almost as rich as the little cat has made her and everyone else who experiences his love.

PAWS & PONDER . . .

In what ways do you think Trudy felt rich because of Tuck? What are some ways you feel rich that have nothing to do with money? Did you have to work hard to obtain those “riches”? If so, how? Think of ways you can share kindness, compassion, justice, and love with those around you.

Paws & Pray

Lord, reorient my heart to crave the riches of heaven above the trappings of earth. Let my work make a difference for your Kingdom and benefit those in need. Enable me to work hard, not for selfish gain but as an act of love and worship for you.