Listen to the Cat

Listen to the Cat

One day a dog was walking through the backyard when he came across a large muddy puddle.

"What a lovely puddle," he thought. “I should roll in it.”

The cat, who was watching from his perch nearby, could tell what the dog was thinking and said, "I wouldn't if I were you. The humans want you to stay clean."

“The humans love me,” said the dog, “and they will still love me after I jump in the puddle."

The dog then grinned and jumped and rolled in the puddle, getting mud all over his fur. When the humans found out, they were furious. They scolded him, hosed him down with cold water, and put him back in the yard, but the dog did not regret what he had done. Splashing in the puddle had been fun and he knew the humans still loved him.

The next day, the dog came across a loose board in the fence. He realized he could push it aside and escape the yard.

"I wouldn't if I were you," said the cat. "The humans don't want you to leave the yard."

"But the world outside is wonderful," said the dog. “Seeing it would be worth any punishment.”

So the dog pushed his way through the fence, and the cat, bored of staying on its perch, followed. Outside the fence, the dog was elated, smelling every new smell, peeing on every new bush, and chasing every new squirrel. After several blocks, the cat and the dog saw in the distance a female dog.

"Wow," said the dog to the cat, “She is beautiful. I must have her."

"I wouldn't if I were you," said the cat, “the humans-“ but the dog wasn’t listening. He ran over to the other dog and had his way with her until the neighbors came out and pulled them apart.

Several hours later, the humans brought the dog back to the yard. Wincing in pain, the dog told the cat what the humans had done to him at the vet, how they had “fixed” him. The cat nodded sagely, but said nothing.

For months, the dog was depressed, thinking about what he had lost. Then one day the humans put a puppy in the yard. It was the dog's son. It romped and played and explored the yard until it found a large muddy puddle.

"I wouldn't if I were you," said the cat.

"But why?" Asked the puppy, "I'm so adorable the humans will love me no matter what I do."

Gravely, the older dog spoke: "Son, trust me. Listen to the cat!”