gohan the cat

My husband brought Gohan home in a shoebox when I said I wanted another cat. When I saw him I thought he would die in two days; he was scrawny, a bit dirty, and he was trembling all over (but I guess that was because his shoebox was tied to my husband's motorcycle and the ride home took about half an hour). But stray cats are tough.

Gohan is white with black-gray spots and a long black tail. His eyes are a pretty blue green. He is mild-mannered and he got along well with my other cat, Miminchi. However, he did not like our dogs, unlike Miminchi who still cuddles up with the dalmatian on cold nights.

Gohan discovered the joy of sitting beside the stove burner. Of course, it would be warm when we had something cooking, and it is a common sight on most mornings to see Gohan curled up beside the kettle of hot water on the burner, his fur all singed and smoking on the side closest to the fire. Sometimes his tail would catch fire, and he would look comically indignant, as if wondering how in hell such things could happen to a cat trying to stay warm. The kitchen often smelled of charred hair.

Gohan would always try to sneak inside the house and find the most convenient lap. Often it's the person sitting down for breakfast. He would first twine around the legs, then he would stretch and put his paws on the person's knees. If the victim did not react, he would jump up and squeeze between the person's back and the chair. Then he would try to do it one paw at a time, slowly, slowly, until the beleaguered person would become so exasperated with swatting the cat that he would sigh and relent. Then Gohan, with his blue-green marble eyes, would grin and settle down. He would then stretch his nose, one inch at a time, until he could taste what was on the plate. I've never seen a cat with such persistence. If he was a kid, he'd be black and blue from the swattings he got even before he succeeded in getting to the lap.

Of course, when the baby came, there is less patience around the house for Gohan's antics. You would often see Gohan flying out the door, because my husband kicked him out again. Gohan loved to sleep in the baby's stroller, so imagine the father's wrath. Much more so when the baby is in the stroller, because then Gohan would try to catch her wriggling feet out of sheer insecurity.

He also liked to stalk birds, but not your ordinary brown birds that come flocking at all times of day. He particularly likes my husband's African lovebirds. They're all in their cages, and it makes a fun sport for Gohan to see them fly around while he try to kill them through the bars. When he is caught, he has the nerve to look aggrieved, until he learned to do it when my husband is not around.

So on most days you'd hear these dialogues:

"Gohan, if you don't get down from there, I'd fry you with the chicken!"

"Gohan, what are you doing in the washing machine? I'm going to spin dry you!"

"Gohan, do you want to fly again?!"