Prompt 86 - Juggling - Cat Juggling - Dawnofme - Original

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Title:  Cat Juggling
Author:  dawnofmeFandom:  None/Original
Rated:  G
Summary:  Growing up with an animal activist for a mom is not always fun, especially when she's known as the cat lady.  Paul gets a hold of book that his mother helped to get banned from the shelves and shares it with a friend.  : )



Cat Juggling

It’s not easy juggling cats.  They’re long, slinky and soft.  Mr. Groves recommends working with declawed cats only, but Paul thinks he’s a wimp.  Maybe it’s best to start out with them until you get really good.  He shrugged as he thought about it.  Mr. Groves is the foremost expert on the subject; at least that’s what the foreword in his book on the craft says.

Paul put the book down and glared at the ten cats of various ages and colors that were pacing across the porch, mewling for their breakfast. They usually steered clear of him, but when they were hungry, nothing else mattered.  He hoped his mom would come out with the bowls soon. 

He kind of liked the big gray and white tomcat, who was currently growling at a smaller male.  What did his mom call him?  Oh, yeah, Bart.  Now, Bart is a real cat.  He’d found his way into the “herd”, as he liked to call his mom’s ever growing collection, a couple of months ago.  Mom hadn’t taken him to the vet to get fixed, yet.  Poor guy.  He had no idea what was coming.

“Run while you can, Bart.  The foods not worth it,” he told him and smiled when the herd moved away from him like a wave at the sound of his voice.

He wasn’t mean to the cats.  He’d been brought up in the animal friendly home of an animal activist all of his thirteen years.  Cats just knew when someone didn’t like them.   They might not see the danger to their manhood on an upcoming visit to the vet's, but they were very smart creatures. 

When his mom came out holding three large bowls of dry cat food, Paul quickly slipped the contraband book into his backpack before holding the screen door open.  The felines swarmed around her as she cooed at them and talked in a baby voice.

“There, there, kitties.  Patience.  There’s plenty for every one.  Yes, there is.”

Then the purring started.  He rolled his eyes heavenward.  It was a wonder the whole porch wasn’t vibrating.  After she made sure to give them all a pet or two, Paul’s mom smiled at him.

“Did you eat this morning?” she asked.

“Yep.  Had a pop tart.”  Before she could start in on him about the importance of a good breakfast before school, he grabbed his backpack and stepped off the porch to get his bike.  “I’m going to be late if I don’t hurry.  See you after you get home from work.”

He could hear her telling him to have a good day as he pedaled off down the street.  He was actually early, but he’d promised Alan he would meet him before school and show him the book.

There were no guilty feelings, for stealing the book, weighing him down.  His mom had gotten a hold of a copy when one of her animal rights friends went on an internet rampage over seeing a copy in her local bookstore.  Mom had ordered one and the rant started in their home after it arrived.  She wouldn’t let him look at the book, which bothered him. 

Paul was old enough to see the book.  It wasn’t as if he was going to read it, then run off and join the circus to juggle cats.  She’d let him read other books that most of his friends’ parents banned in their homes, but a book about juggling cats?  No way. 

The campaign to have the book taken off the shelves was a success, and because of that, they had one of only three thousand books printed.  It would be a collector’s item one day and even now, they sold for a nice chunk of change on eBay. 

Alan was at the corner on his bike, waiting for him.  They had been best friends since the start of the school year, when Paul and his mom had moved to the town.  Alan had two parents and lived a charmed life, but he thought Paul’s mom was cool, except for the animal thing.  Yesterday, Alan was ragging on him because of all the cats and Paul brought up the juggling book. 

It was a good diversionary tactic, but then, Alan begged to see the book.  Paul finally agreed, if he would only shut up about it.  So, last night, when she was at a meeting, Paul snuck in her room and took the book off the closet shelf.  He doubted she would know it was missing, as she had covered it up with other books.  He was going to put it back in a couple of days.

As he pulled up next to Alan, his friend said, “Did you bring it?”

Paul glanced around to make sure no one was looking and unzipped his backpack.  “Yeah,” he whispered.

“Man, stop acting like we’re passing around drugs or something.  It’s just a stupid book,” Alan said with his hand out. 

“Dude, you don’t know my mom,” Paul told him wryly.  “I think she’d rather catch me doing dope than find me with this book.”

“Be a Cat Juggler,” Alan recited and then let out a snorted as he flipped through the pages.  “Think your mom would notice a few cats missing?”



A/N:  I happen to be a crazy cat lover, but not an animal activist.  I eat meat, wear leather and I even have an heirloom fur coat hanging in my closet *gasp*.  I do not, however, condone the art of cat juggling : )