Bella and Her Person

Ann’s Galumping Prompt:
 Make up a story using the following sentences:

The top shelf in the corner kitchen cabinet, the one that’s hard to reach.

A small, glitter-covered, red and yellow bird

A blank check mistakenly thrown into the trash. 

A step ladder with no third step.

Bella licked her paw and feigned indifference to the goings on in the kitchen. Her person was spring cleaning, and not paying the least bit of attention to the pink and white ceramic food dish that sat on the floor empty.

“Meow, now,” she tried again.

Her person turned, balancing on the top of a step ladder with no third step. She was cleaning out the top shelf of the corner kitchen cabinet, the one that was hard to reach.

“Just a minute, Bella. Can’t you see I’m busy? I don’t want to fall off this worthless piece of.. .  never mind, here I come.”

After her person filled the food dish, she opened the cabinet under the sink to toss the empty can into the garbage.

“Oh no, did I do that again?” she said pulling out a piece of paper from the garbage, whacking her head with the heel of her hand.

Bella looked up, licking the remnants of tuna treat off her whiskers. That’s the second time this month she’s mistakenly thrown a blank check into the trash. No skin off my nose as long as she keeps a roof over my head and the cat food coming.

She moved to the family room to complete her post-postprandial bath, just far enough away for privacy, but close enough to keep an eye on her person. She was tottering on that step ladder again, reaching into the depths of the top cabinet.

Out of the corner of her kitty eye she saw her person produce a small glitter-covered red and yellow bird.

“Oh, look at this, Bella. It was my Aunt Beth’s,” she said stepping down and missing the third step, tumbling to the floor.

The red and yellow bird flew across the room landing several feet away.

This is more like it, thought Bella assuming the pounce position. Now you have my attention.

Now What? A 500 word writing prompt - For Dawn

  (A writing prompt from Ann. An essay of 500 words on the following: Now what?)

What if you thought you only needed one cat but ended up with two? Kitty #1 seemed lonely and a second one felt like the right thing to do. Kitty #2 came from the same place as the first, a shelter/adoption agency just for cats.

You’ve watched for the last four months as Kitty #2 has dominated and made life hell for Kitty #1. Kitty #2 has also jumped off your balcony into “no-no” land ten feet down and been captured by the crazy renters in the condo below you. When you rescued her, you smelled pot and who-knows-what-other dangerous things.

Kitty #2 is on a path to destroy your new couch by clawing deep divots in its arms. Kitty #2 has been sleeping on your bed at night and taking up more than her share of the space. Kitty #2 makes it quite well known that she requires breakfast at 6AM by loud meowing, sitting on your chest, then if these tactics don’t work, face batting. Your normal waking hour is 8AM, thank-you-very-much. And to top it off, Kitty #2 is not particularly friendly nor does she want to sit on your lap or be held.


What if, after weeks of agonizing debate with yourself, you finally decide to return Kitty #2 to the shelter? They take her back willingly with no recriminations. You breathe a sigh of relief and reorganize things in the condo for yourself and Kitty #1.

Life returns to normal and you are happy with your decision.

Then Kitty #1 stops eating. She wanders the condo meowing and looking for, yes, you are sure, Kitty #2. Kitty #1 is in a funk and no cajoling, special treats, nor extra petting will bring her back to her happy self. You find yourself looking for Kitty #2 when you get home from work. Your mornings have less distractions, but they seem too quiet.

Now what?

After four days, you relent and return to the shelter/adoption agency to bring Kitty #2 home. They say she is there, but no one can find her. They know she spent the first two days in kitty-quarantine to make sure she wasn’t sick, then was released into the large area with the others waiting for adoption.

You walk into the area calling her name, and after a few calls you hear,”meow, Meow, MEOW.” She has climbed to the highest place in the enclosure and has been in hiding in the corner until she hears your voice. She waits for you to come rescue her, of course, to teach you a lesson. But, she is so high up that you have to stand on your very tippy-toes and stretch your arms as far as you can to reach her. She finally jumps into your arms and immediately starts to purr.

When you walk through the door, Kitty #1 is there to greet Kitty #2. They play, eat, and sleep together for the next week, totally ignoring you.

Now what?

Maya Finds Her Purr

Born in a ditch

Just after dawn

The last kitten of the litter

Then her mother was gone

Rescued by an angel

Full of love and grace

Nurtured till she grew

Ready for a permanent place

Not once did she purr

In her young kitten life

Perhaps it was because

Of the initial strife

Adopted, she grew

And was loved with great care

Never again threatened

By danger or scare

The only sounds she made

Were a squeaky meow

And a faint whistle for a purr

At least until now

At 16, she’s 80

In people years

And this month a new sound

Has just appeared

A soft thwirring we hear

In her moments of demure

Our Maya has just found

Her sweet, musical purr.

Maya Goes to the Dentist

I’m pissed, in case you can’t tell. See that bulge in my cheek? Well, it’s not a bird.

Impacted tooth is what I heard my Mom say. She shoved me inside the pink box and drove me to that torture place. She thinks I don’t remember what happens every time she takes me there.

I caused a bit of a ruckus, I’m happy to say. They thought they were going to stick me with that sharp thing. But they didn’t know who they were dealing with. Ha! I escaped and ran for the front door. Except it was closed and there was nowhere else to go but the bottom shelf of the bookcase. Darn. I was sooo close.

Blood – they wanted my blood! It was worse than any cat fight I’ve ever been in. Well, I haven’t really been in any cat fights, but I’m sure that’s what it would have been like. I gave them my best yowl, hiss, and even threw in a growl or two, but it did no good. They ganged up on me and Mom didn’t help me at all.

The lady said I needed dental surgery, whatever that is. At least I got to come home. Bella hasn’t given me much sympathy either, but she is staying close. We were both relaxing by the fire when Mom caught me unaware and squirted some yucky tasting stuff in my mouth. Antibiotics she says. “It will make you feel all better, Maya.” I’ll fool her. I’m staying under the bed for the rest of my life.

Except this morning I’m hungry, and there’s no food in my dish. Or water. What, now she’s going to starve me? Oh no, Dad’s in on it too. He held me while Mom put more of that yucky stuff in my mouth and then he put me in the pink box. Crap! I’m going back to that torture place, I just know it. Mom talked to me all the way there, telling me I would be just fine, but I wasn’t listening. I’m just too pissed.