Another Day and Night in the Life of Mr. Bob Buttons

This story was dictated to me by Mr. Bob Buttons our cat. He has been with us since February and has adjusted to our house and the family very well. When I'm tired from work, his dictation comes in loud and clear.

I am liking this house. No one yells at me or kicks me and they have plenty of food. The man's voice sometimes scares me and causes me to have flashbacks from the house I grew up in. But I like him because he will let me outside in the mornings and he will stay out on the patio with me while I explore the backyard. Sometimes he's gone for a few days at a time. He calls me Bob.

I like the girl best. She will brush me every day and let me sit by her. I knew her from the "in between" house. She used to come there sometimes. That's where I stayed after my family left me and those strange people came and took everything out of the house and me too! The in between people would come to the garage and feed me. Then they took me to their house. I met a big mama cat who used to groom me and tell me to relax. And there was the crazy cat who would stare at me and tell me not to get in her space. And I met the girl that I have claimed as mine. Now I live where she lives and I like that!

At night I keep an eye on them. I will go to the girl's room and sit on the edge of her bed and watch her sleep. I have to make sure she's alright. I learned a long time ago that people like to sleep when the sun goes down.I'll snooze there at the foot of her bed. Then I have to go to the mom and dad's room and do the same.I have to finish off the night in Mom's room because there is this little music box that starts singing each morning about the same time. Sometimes it doesn't sing so I have to wake Mom. Sometimes when it does sing, Mom doesn't wake up right away, so I have to wake her. I wake her with my singing--and I am really good! She gets breakfast!

This morning I woke Mom as usual. I tried to lead her to the back room where they keep cans of the good stuff but she gave me soft stuff from a little bag. It's still better than that stuff from my old home. I don't complain. My girl will get up and give me dessert later.
Dad was not home so I had to get Mom to let me out this morning. Since Dad's not home I don't go far out into the back yard. Then it's time to get my girl up. I try staring at he and communicating by mental telepathy to get her to wake up. That doesn't always work so when it doesn't I sing! I'm good at it! Then it's dessert time.

I know I'm an old dude but I like my purple mouse. They gave me a bunch of mousies. All of them smell so good they make me want to toss them in the air! But purple mousie is the best. Sometimes I lick it until I go to sleep on my favorite rug. I save all my mousies under the sofa so I'll know where they are when I get ready to play with them again.

It's about that time when my people will start hurrying around the house. I know they are going to leave the house and leave me by myself. I used to cry about that. Dad used to stay with me and I'd cry for Mom and my girl because I didn't know him so well. I used to be afraid of his man voice because it reminded me of the one in my first house. Dad would talk to me in a softer voice as if he understood so I soon became comfortable around him.

Now I know they always come back home--not like those people in my first home. Those people never came back. First my girl comes home and I greet her at the door. She gets me something to eat and we just hang out together. She gets out her papers and I sit on them to keep them warm for her. Then she gets on the computer and I sit on the chair with he or next to her keyboard, because that's where her hands are. She will rub my head and brush me all over. Then she gives me dessert and she gets in her bed.

And I'm on night watch again until the next morning when I and the music box wake Mom for breakfast.

Yeah, I like this house!