Cats will outsmart dogs every time.
~John Grogan

I’ve wanted a cat for as long as I can remember. Now that I’m thirteen, I finally have one. His name is Larry.

Actually, my whole family, except for Dad, has wanted a cat for a long time. About a year ago, Dad finally gave in, and he and Mom went to the animal shelter. They brought home three-month-old Larry. My two younger sisters and I jumped for joy. At first, Larry trembled constantly because of our two large Labrador Retrievers. It wasn’t long, though, before he taught us an important lesson.

The day was bitterly cold outside. Our family of five, along with our two dogs, was snuggled near the warm fireplace watching TV. The dogs, who weigh about ninety pounds each, were sleeping calmly together in their new dog bed after a long day of activity. Their eyes were closed, and they were snoring peacefully.

Larry had been keeping a watchful eye from atop his cat post. All at once, he jumped off his high perch. He bounced off the floor, raced over to where the dogs were sleeping and swatted them sharply, like a human swatting a fly. Larry was ready to fight, his claws out, his muscles tight. Larry wanted the new dog bed for himself, possibly because it was next to the warm fireplace, or maybe he just wanted to snuggle into the fluffy fur.

The second Larry attacked them, the dogs jumped up and yelped. Both raced off their bed and out of Larry’s way, their tails between their legs.

We couldn’t help but laugh. What had just happened? Had our cat just kicked two ninety-pound dogs off their bed? Perfectly placed next to the warm fireplace, Larry fell asleep and had a wonderful nap. No one bothered him, not even the dogs.

We learned an important lesson from Larry that day, which we won’t soon forget: Size doesn’t matter. If you want something, go for it.

Thanks, Larry.

— Brook-Lynn Meijer, age 13 —