What a day. Where to begin?

It was another long, boring, crappy day in my little metal cell with the picture window. Some more of the big monkeys came by. One of them came when I was trying to get some shut-eye and try to ignore the monkeys.

Then it was dinner time – the monkeys that cleaned out our cells came in as usual, cleaning each cell one at a time and letting us prisoners out for a little precious “freedom.” While I was waiting for my turn, the one monkey that’s been hanging around a lot lately came by and looked at me in my humiliating little cell.

I ignored her. I always felt it was best not to encourage them. But she kept hanging around, jabbering to the other monkeys.

And then she came in the guard room. One of the other cats finished his “freedom” time and suddenly they were opening up my cell again. Which was pretty damn weird, if you ask me. I steeled myself for another humiliating rejection. Best to reject first, if you ask me.

Then another monkey, a furry-faced one, came into the guard room. They opened my cell door and waited for me to step out, rather than grabbing me and slobbering over me right away.

Well. That was something; they let me come out on my own, in a dignified and gentlecatly manner.

Then, of course, the inevitable holding. This I endured, although it was not too unpleasant. I ducked my head under her foreleg, not wishing them to see that I was frightened. After a bit, I was placed carefully on the carpeted shelf we prisoners were allowed to use for our daily exercise periods. That was better; I rested, tried not to make eye contact with the female monkey, and awaited developments.

Both monkeys seemed very interested… it’s very strange… in me. I hardly dared hope.

They stroked my fur and chattered in their gibberish, but softly. This continued long enough that I allowed myself to enjoy it. They stroked behind my ears and oh! it was like heaven, or somewhere I’d never been that I had no words to express. They stroked my jaw and under my chin, and almost before I realized it, I had begun to purr.

Then they went away, and back in my cell I went. Oh, well. Humiliations galore for me again.

But the female monkey continued to loiter in the outer area of our prison. Some of the dog prisoners were being trained in their special area and were making an unholy racket. I closed my eyes and tried to remember the way the monkeys touched me.

Then, just before the time when the monkeys all go away and leave us alone for the night, the lady monkey and the furry monkey were still out there, doing their bizarre monkey business, which seems to involve gibberish, flat sheets of that paper stuff like the one that was attached to my cell, and wandering around gathering up stuff from other parts of the prison.

They came back loaded down with stuff, and a cardboard box. Hmm. That was interesting.

Then the monkey that cares for me some nights came and got me out of my cell again, and took away my cell pad.

And this is the weirdest part of all: the monkeys came in quietly and got out the big bag of catnip. Man! I can’t resist that stuff, I must be addicted or something. I came out, reluctantly, from one of the carpeted hidey-holes they provided for the prisoners’ “amusement.”

And then the caremonkey picked me up and put me in the cardboard box.

I’m not a large gentlecat, but it wasn’t that big a box. It had a soft thing down in the bottom of it that smelled of the new lady monkey, but there was a lot of my favorite stash of catnip sprinkled in there, too. And a big pillow shaped thing that smelled of more catnip. So that made the first moments of shock and outrage a little more bearable.

The next thing I knew, I was shut up in the box, being carried out into the night. I hadn’t smelled fresh air, let alone the scent of rain, in so long! I hoped I wasn’t about to be evicted, because frankly I’ve had about enough of being outside in my young life. And some stupid monkey sometime deprived me of my lovely front-knives, so fisticuffs for me are for show only. So I can’t really defend myself out in The Wild. Then my box and I were put in a larger, smellier box and then the world moved around us. The monkey lady kept up a constant chatter, repeating my name constantly.

Wow. Just wow. I was freaked, but determined to show no fear. Dignity, always dignity is my watchword.

Then the monkey lady spoke a few words of Cat to me – a dialect I didn’t recognize, but it seemed to be a friendly greeting.

I replied, tentatively. “Please, just get me out of this box.”

After a short time, really, we arrived… somewhere. Another noisy self-propelled monkeybox arrived soon after, and the furry monkey got out. We all went inside the little building together.

It was warm. The lights were on, but it didn’t smell like the prison or of other prisoners. They fussed around with some of the items they brought with them, and then at last the box was opened and I was invited to exit.

It was frightening, yet definitely intriguing. I immediately set about checking the perimeter. What was this place? Who were these monkeys? What was all this stuff? Could I get under it or behind it?

They moved about, quietly. The obviously did not wish to alarm me.

The monkeylady remained nearby and made friendly noises in a sort of Cat jargon or pidgin. I investigated my way around the edges of several large rooms. The colors and textures (and the quiet! The blessed quiet!) were soothing. Nevertheless, I indicated that I was still on my guard.

Things went on like this for a short time. I was shown the facilities and where I might make my toilette should I feel the need. The fear began to lessen.

The monkeys ate some of their food. The monkey lady got the catnip pillow out and a little ball and indicated that I was the owner.

That seemed quite in order, so I indulged in my drug of choice for a bit. Then the monkey lady indicated that I would be welcome should I desire to join her on the soft green sitting bench the monkeys had in one of the rooms. I assented.

Then something very odd and miraculous and wonderful happened. For a moment, I was in that heaven place again, or that other place that I didn’t really remember. I think it was called “home” and suddenly it seemed to me that after a very long and lonely and terrifying and hungry time, I was there again. I curled up against the monkeylady’s leg and just reveled in the luxury. She and the furry one petted me endlessly.

It must have been the catnip. I was sure of it; but the exploring and investigating and the petting and so forth went on all evening. Almost in spite of my self-imposed monastic reserve, I began to follow the monkeys around, brushing against their hind legs and offering all the pent-up affection I’ve been holding back for so long.

Oh, it’s been quite a day. And I’m feeling a little tired out from all the excitement of the last few hours, after so many weeks of fear and tedium. But I can already tell that it’s going to be a wonderful life for me here. And, I think, no need for any jailbreaks or escape plans for this gentlecat. These monkeys seem to really want me here. What a head trip that is, even more than a giant stash of kind kitty herb.

Anyway, the monkey lady took a picture of me in my little cell – this was before I was all that into her, frankly. And that’s the first day in the brand new life of Riley.

[yawn] And now, I think perhaps a head-butt and bed. More later if the monkey lady leaves her computer logged in.

This image was sent from Flickr as a blog entry, email or cameraphone image.

Via: Flickr
Title: photo_0036.jpg

By: GinnyRED57

Originally uploaded: 29 Sep ’05, 12.43am PST