The chase

Tallulah and I get up early in the mornings and go for a jog.  It's dark now when we head out, and generally pretty quiet.  We don't generally see anybody along the way, so I was surprised when we encountered a cat.  Most of the outdoor cats around here are pretty aggressive towards us, but this one was nose to nose to Tallulah before I knew it.  He was a grey kitty with white toes, and he seemed very friendly.  I think he saw a friend in Tallulah.  Unfortunately, I didn't have time to stop and play.

I put Tallulah into a heel and headed down the road.  The kitty tagged along, so Tallulah and I sprinted for about a block to get ahead.  Kitty kept up.  He looked like a mini cheetah the way he tucked under and tore along behind us.  This was now a game, and he was determined to come along.

So, we jogged.  Tallulah pranced along in a heel beside me, and the kitty followed along, 5 paces behind.  His tail was straight up the whole time and you didn't have to look very carefully at all to see  the huge smile on his face.

So, off we went, our caravan of three.  One block, then another and then another.  We went well beyond the distance where I was comfortable taking the cat, but he was determined to come with us.  Eventually, though, that route comes up to a major road, and I generally run 3 km along that road.  I knew the kitty would want to follow us there, and I couldn't take the thought of him getting hit.    So, I turned around.  I ran home with Tallulah beside me and the kitty five paces behind.

My run was cut short that morning, but I wasn't mad at the cat.  It was funny, and I now have a particular fondness for a certain grey kitty with white toes.  I do wish, however, that his owner had kept him inside.