a cat tale

we adopted Harry
 on
 October 21st 
he fit right in
 he and Jack are pals
 they run our lives
Harry seemed like a normal cat
then
 one evening a few weeks ago
 I put a cheesy biscuit wrapped in wax paper 
inside a ziplock bag
 in my tote bag

 in the morning
 I found it
 on the livingroom floor
 slightly
 gnawed


 a day or so later 
a loaf of bread
 on the kitchen counter 
suffered a ripped bag
 there were several other
 food attacks
 but
 the day after Thanksgiving
 when Harry
 snuck
 a mouthful
 of
 hot mashed potatoes and bread stuffing/dressing
 and
 started to choke
 I decided
 we had to do something
 about
 this weird attraction
 Harry has with bread
 and
 the contents of the garbage can

   we don't leave any food unattended

 Harry once ate a piece of a cookie 
still
 inside
 its wax paper bag
 when Toonman turned his back

Wednesday night
 I said
 it was amazing
 that 
Harry hadnt discovered
 the Thomas English Muffins
 on top of the fridge

Thursday afternoon
 Toonman called me 
to tell me
Harry found the English Muffins

we commiserated
 about how this is so weird
 how there had to be a reason
 we needed to find a fix
 we keep the bread
English Muffins 
in the oven
buy a bread box

 we keep all food leftovers
 in the fridge
 whether they need refrigeration
 or not

 I was telling this to Hilary
 and 
she
 welcomed
 me
 to 
her world
sharing her cats' antics

 it seems
 Harry
 is totally normal

 it was all our other cats
 who never ate bread
 never tried to get into the garbage
never tried to steal food off our plates
 or
 even
 touch
 any of the many tschkas in our apartment
those cats 
were
the
weird
ones

 go figure!