A Little Bit of Faith

by Faith Marie Bobb

Greetings, dear Henri, let me begin by saying how thrilled I am that you have allowed me to interview you for the Zine. You are an amazing feline with a colorful past. Can you give a brief account of when and how you found your humans.

Henri: I feel honored that you should have chosen me as the subject of your interview! When I lived on the streets of Hamden, I always went for long walks in the evening hours. Often I saw this human couple who traveled the same streets. The female would call to me and eventually, as I became braver, I approached her and let her pet my head. She smelled all right and sometimes I would walk a few of the blocks with them. A few years passed and I began to look for this couple.

One really rainy night, when I was really wet. hungry and cold, they approached me with a bowl of food, I knew that we were made for each other! I followed them home. The she-person brought out a nice pillow and put it on the picnic table on the deck. There was roof over this part of the deck. I slept all night nestled in the softness of the pillow. The next morning, the she-person brought me a big bowl of the most wonderful food! I new then, I would never leave her side! After a few weeks, we had a long meow and I agreed to certain things which made my position as house cat a reality.

Faith: When you were formerly Happy the denizen of the alleys, did you possess the talents to write and take splendid photos or did that come later when you got adopted by caring humans?

Henri: When I was living on the streets, I really didn't think about writing. Sometimes I would listen to music when it came through an open house window during the warm, summer months and I did think about becoming an opera singer but my efforts at perfecting my voice only brought negative responses both from humans and other cats! When I became a house cat, I learned about the computer and took some courses about writing. I learned English because I heard it everyday. Unfortunately, my persons have never been able to grasp the syntax of "Meow"!

Faith: You must admit that being friends with a rat is highly unusual for a cat. Do you or your feline pals ever get the urge to literally invite Raymond Hazelwitz, rat activist, for dinner?

Henri: Since becoming a house cat, I have no need to devour rodents or birds to sustain my life. My full tummy made it possible for me to become better acquainted with species who would have otherwise feared me and my desire to procure a meal at the cost of their lives. My friendship with Raymond Hazelwitz has been a stellar part of my life. He is such an intelligent rat and possesses such wisdom and grace. I would have to be really, really hungry to entertain the idea that my dear friend could become lunch or dinner!

Faith: You are always bemoaning the stupidity of Ashley the dog, yet Ashley has taken some splendid photos. Did she learn the craft from you or does Ashley have a few hidden talents?

Henri: Everything the dog Ashley has learned about photography, has been taught by me, Henri of Twin Brook. I still must edit her submissions to Fabulous Feline Fotographsers as she does not know how to use the computer or photo editing software.

Faith: Other friends of yours are gifted in creative ways. Clarence of Belden was once a straggly stray but now he is an amazing astronomer. Do feral's and strays have an advantage over domestic felines who never leave home when it comes to the arts?

Henri: I think it is very important to carefully choose your persons when deciding to become a house cat. Clarence was indeed fortunate when he chose his person who just happened to have a love for astronomy. He shared this with my buddy Clarence, who became very adept at using the telescope and also of taking photographs through the telescope. A domestic cat who is very fortunate to have never lived on the streets can learn as much about life as a former street dweller. One must have the desire to gain knowledge. One must learn to share that knowledge with other cats, whether they are street or domestic cats.

Faith: If you could choose any time and place in history to be transported to, when and where would it be and why?

Henri: I would have liked to be the King of England after the country had become civilized. The English are very kind to cats and have great respect for them. If I were King of England I would mandate that every cat would have a nice house and decent food!

Faith: Would you rather be the only fur-being in your home or do you prefer having housemates?

Henri: I like sharing my home with other fur-persons. We all get along pretty well although it can get crowded around the food bowl at times.

Faith: What would you like our readers to know about you that they may not know from reading your fabulous stories?

Henri: I would like all animals to be tolerant of each other and show kindness to those you know by sight even if you don't like the way they smell . Meow softly to those who are strangers in the neighborhood, although an occasional hiss and paw exchange can get the blood flowing and the heart pounding. My stories are meant to enlighten and amuse. I have a wealth of good and loyal friends which I shall treasure my entire life. My stories are meant to show the importance of friendship and loyalty in every animals life. Even though I occasionally make fun of Ashley, our housedog, I would miss her if she should leave us. She knows I care about her.

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