Livora Gracely

Writing to remember, sharing to inspire

The cat came from a very distinguished family.

At least according to the cat.

Her ancestors had portraits.

Her ancestors had titles.

Her ancestors had opinions about upholstery.

Naturally, this created expectations.

One afternoon a mouse wandered directly across the garden.

The cat noticed.

The mouse noticed that the cat noticed.

Both paused.

Nothing happened.

“Aren’t you supposed to chase me?” asked the mouse.

The cat looked mildly offended.

“I am not that kind of cat.”

The mouse accepted this explanation surprisingly quickly.

Over the following weeks, more mice appeared.

The cat remained elegant.

The mice remained available.

Occasionally they crossed paths.

Occasionally they exchanged polite nods.

Nobody seemed particularly motivated.

By autumn, the situation had become difficult to describe.

The cat was hungry.

The mice were everywhere.

The garden functioned less like a hunting ground and more like an unusual neighborhood.

The cat remained hungry.

The mice remained available.

The afternoon ended without progress.

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10 responses to “Selective Appetite”

  1. Becoming His Tapestry Avatar

    😂😂😂 she and the cat was definitely a ‘she’ isn’t that kind of cat 😂😂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Livora Gracely Avatar

      Becoming His Tapestry,

      😂 I think the cat would fully agree with that assessment.

      She carried herself with far too much confidence to allow any uncertainty on the matter.

      Thank you for the laugh.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Willie Torres Jr. Avatar
    Willie Torres Jr.

    This is really funny and clever. The cat acting fancy while doing nothing, and the mice just hanging around, makes a simple but very entertaining picture.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Livora Gracely Avatar

      Willie,

      I suspect the mice eventually stopped thinking of her as a predator and started treating her as a slightly eccentric neighbor.

      The cat, of course, remained convinced she was maintaining standards.

      Thank you for enjoying the little absurdity.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. SRIKANTH Avatar

    What a delightfully witty and elegant little fable—full of dry humor, surprising restraint, and a quietly devastating punchline. You’ve captured something very true about pride, expectation, and the absurdity of sticking to a role that no longer serves you. The cat’s aristocratic ennui and the mice’s polite passivity are just perfect. Bravo, Livora!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Livora Gracely Avatar

      Srikanth,

      You spotted exactly the tension that amused me while writing it.

      The cat never lacked opportunity. What she lacked was any desire to become the sort of cat the situation seemed to require.

      Somewhere between dignity, habit, and stubbornness, the entire garden reached an arrangement nobody had planned.

      Thank you for reading so generously.

      Like

    1. Livora Gracely Avatar

      Joy,

      Thank you. 💕

      The cat would be delighted to know her complete lack of progress was appreciated.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Jixi Fox Avatar

    caught, selective

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Livora Gracely Avatar

      Jixi,

      Caught would have required a very different cat.

      Selective, however, seems entirely accurate.

      Like

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