ESCANABA — It was a rude awakening.

Mitzi the family house cat was just about to catch up to a squirrel – in her dreams – when a loud metal clatter stirred her from her late-morning sleep.

It sounded like someone was putting cookie sheets away too aggressively, thought the orange-striped tabby. Perhaps her owner was mad? Mitzi hoped not. There were so many lovely things on display downstairs and she was hoping to entertain her owner or look in every box and bag today.

Mitzi yawned drowsily and ever so slowly got to her paws. She stretched her body until it looked like it would snap. Then she began a morning ritual of grooming her fur, something her mother taught her to do on a regular basis.

In a wink she was up on a sitting chair, looking out to a big back yard covered in snow. No one was at the feeder and she didn’t spy any birds in the nearby apple trees. Hmmm. She’d have to check back later.

The thought of those pesky birdies chomping on thistle or sunflower seeds made Mitzi’s stomach growl. Time to check the food dish!

The Meow Mix was OK but Mitzi hoped this year her owner would remember to pick up a can of Fancy Feast. That stuff was like heaven.

Mitzi dozed for a little while on the sofa, then worked up the energy for a visit to her restroom. She liked visiting her quiet place in the corner of the basement near the bandsaw. Sometimes her sweetie, Dave, was there and he’d stop from a project and give her a chin rub. Dave smelled like wintergreen.

A short while later Mitzi was headed upstairs when she got jolted by a new reality – DOG!

Her owner had mentioned they were having company over, but never said anything about a dog coming too.

A sizable dog with the ears of a Great Dane, square head like a mastiff and howl of a hound dog

was making threatening glances and Grrrrs from the landing. Mitzi summoned all her will to get upstairs because she certainly didn’t want to be exiled to the basement for the foreseeable future.

“YARF! Yarf!” intoned the canine.

Finally, someone came to her rescue.

“Winston! BAD dog! You let that kitty go by – it’s her house, you know,” said a well-dressed blonde woman, who eventually sidelined the offensive critter.

Mitzi breathed a sigh of relief and shot upstairs like a firecracker. She took another flight of stairs to her owner’s peaceful bedroom. PHEW!

She prayed the menacing dog wouldn’t find her hideout. Contented for a moment, she jumped on her owner’s bed and began kneading the comforter. Owner didn’t like it one bit, but it was oh so soothing for a cat like her. Mitzi wondered if the big cats of Africa (from which domestics descended) liked to roll their claws through something soft.

With a belly full of fresh water and cat chow, Mitzi decided it might not be such a bad idea to take a little nap. Strangely enough, she fell asleep in a position almost resembling the Sphinx.

Mitzi began to dream of New Year’s Eve. It was one of her favorite occasions because there was always lots of pickled herring, smoked turkey and fresh venison sausage. Her owner always saved a few choice bits for her food bowl.

The turkey was from cousin Randy, who………

Mitzi was startled just then by the squealing voices of little children. They apparently had spied her earlier and decided after a few more rounds of video games to go in pursuit.

“What a pretty little kitty,” said the little girl, picking up the reluctant Mitzi.

“I want her! Let me hold her,” begged her younger brother.

Just as a near-melee ensued, the blonde woman shouted up the stairs. “You two get down here! Did I tell you that you could go up there?”

A few minutes later Mitzi was on her own again, thankfully. She thought of hiding under the bed or in the hamper. It was a little chilly upstairs, though, and Mitzi wanted to be closer to her owner.

She made up her mind, for once for all. She would go downstairs and hide behind that pretty stable with the human figures.

Ten minutes later, Mitzi couldn’t believe it but a teenage child successfully talked her out from behind the creche and gently picked her up. The girl was clearly a cat lover. She talked soothingly and paid attention to the feline, eventually finding out where she liked to be petted.

Mitzi ate up all the undivided attention, and if she couldn’t have owner today this young lady was certainly fine to be with. She enjoyed the warmth from the teen’s arms and began to feel drowsy with all the sparkly lights and some carols on in the background.

“Well, look at that,” said Mitzi’s owner a half hour later. “My finicky cat has found someone to nap on.”

“Shannon’s always good with cats,” said her blonde friend. “That cat looks so happy. I wonder what it’s dreaming about.”

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Karen (Rose) Wils is a lifelong north Escanaba resident. Her folksy columns appear weekly in Lifestyles.