To detox from rough school days, I go on short walks around my neighborhood to visit my many frie

ndly neighborhood furry friends. Because of the quarantine, I have gotten really close to so many cats in my neighborhood, knowing their individual personalities and habits. 

Oreo

Oreo was the first cat that I met in my neighborhood on my walks. For the longest time, me and my mom didn’t know his name or even whether he was a boy or a girl.  I would often sit in his driveway or in his yard and pet his cute little head. Every time he would see me on his road, he ran down to me, knowing that I would give him quality head rubs. When I would leave, he would run up ahead of me so that I couldn’t get away. 

Oreo is one of my bravest friends; he travels far away from his house, sometimes ending up in my backyard, hunting rabbits and chipmunks. His brother, Graham, is also precious, but he’s more particular about his humans, and only sometimes comes over to visit with me.

Fred (Jimmy)

Fred is one of my long-time friends. We go way back! When he was a little stray kitten, my mom spotted him and his brother following after some women with strollers, and they had been

walking for multiple miles. When my mom and one of our neighbors got to Fred and his brother, they were in bad shape. Fred was in need of a decent meal and his brother had to be rushed off to the veterinarian after having a stroke. Unfortunately, his brother did not make it, but Fred was resilient. We took him home to care for him while we waited for someone to adopt him and ended up falling in love. He looked exactly like a teeny tiny version of our cat, Timothy, who we love and adore. Timmy and Fred would play together, Timmy being incredibly sweet to the little kitten. We then named the kitten Jimmy and wondered if we should keep him forever. However, someone in our neighborhood responded to my mother and said that they wanted to adopt little Jimmy. Now, his name is Fred and he lives down the road. I don’t know if he remembers us or Timothy, but he will always have a special place in my heart.

St. Nick

I haven’t known St. Nick as long as I’ve known my other neighborhood friends, but I’ve come to love his sweet head butts and terrible posture. I know when he’s outside by whether or not his garage is open. He does bite, but only when he’s feeling extra excited to see me, so I don’t take offense, rather finding it endearing. He has an adorable RBF, making him even cuter and more

entertaining to hang out with.

I love all of my kitty friends in different ways: they entertain me, make me smile, and keep me cool. I think that everyone should get to know their neighbors like I have! Mine are pretty awesome!