What are they thinking?

 

Those little four-legged critters, I mean.

As you age you have fewer people to converse with. Most of the young people in the family are off scurrying around doing things I used to do, back in the day — making a living and pushing the envelope forward.

At the age of 77, I spend my share of time at home alone, or with my significant other of twenty years, living inside a closed door with maybe 1,300 square feet to work with. A sign of the times, if you happen to be a downsized senior — a vulnerable adult as they say.

Now don’t get me wrong. The real owner of our two cats is my significant other, Suzy, who knows more about those little critters than I ever will.

But one of them, Max, has taken a liking to me despite the fact I’m his number one feeder — only when the love of his life is elsewhere.

Most of the time, I do the talking, but there are times he’s explaining something to me, but I’m not sure what that is. In the meantime, we discuss sports — after all, I’m a retired sportswriter and it’s only natural that our one-sided conversation should be focused on the world of sports.

I assume he agrees, along with me, when I exuberate the great play just made on the screen in front of me…or to be a little more specific this time of year when Albert Pujols goes yard or Aaron Judge crushes another long-range missile.

Someday and I hope that someday is a long way…away! Someday, I may fall to the floor and utter the words: Please help me I’m falling. (By the way, I hate that commercial).

There will come a time I’ll leave this world not knowing how Max feels about life in general…and what the heck is so interesting under the bed or why over the years does that little fella head off to that special hiding place when he hears the sound of the vacuum cleaner rushing through the house, disposing of his curly white hair.

Will our pets miss us when we’re gone? It’s been well documented that we humans will certainly miss those four-legged wonders when they depart this earth.

Hats off to you, Max…and Go, Wildcats!