Thursday, January 8, 2009

How Little Clyde Texaco loved the car! How Little Clyde Texaco hated the car!


Little Clyde Texaco loved the car!

He loved to walk upon it, to leave his little footprints spread about the hood.

When the sun was warm, he loved to crawl inside - there to sleep, and dream the dreams
a cat dreams.

Once, on a fine summer day, I drove off to visit my friend, a good person who had done something bad and was now locked up in the state penitentiary. I thought I was alone, but I had not been driving long when I heard a great, yowling “Meeeeoooow.”

I was not alone.

Clyde had fallen asleep in a still car, but now he was awake in a rolling car. Clyde did not like to be in a rolling car - only a still car.

I stopped in Palmer to get a pizza for my friend, then tore off a piece of ham and gave it to Clyde, hoping to calm him. Clyde declined my offer. He would not touch the ham. He yowled loud, just as lady climbed out of a car parked next to us, a car with a dog inside. The lady smiled. Her dog went nuts.

I turned the key, then drove on to the prison.

I left Clyde and the torn piece of ham in the car while I took the pizza in to my friend. Both Clyde and ham were there when I returned. It took 45 minutes to drive home. All the while, Clyde howled and yowled, and scurried all about the mini-van.

He even scurried onto my shoulders and clambered atop my head.

He almost made me crash, four times.

Once home, I opened the door. Clyde hopped out.

He saw that all was calm.

The car was parked.

The sun was warm.

Quickly, he hopped back into the car, snatched up the ham in his sharp little teeth, devoured it, crawled into the back seat, and there fell fast asleep.

Clyde loved the car - as long as it remained still.

Perhaps Clyde’s fear
of cars
was well founded.

This photo
was taken
just as Clyde was growing
into a young stud.

He was forced
to go for a ride.

Despite Nabysko’s attempts
to comfort him,
he did not enjoy 
the voyage.

He was dropped off
in a strange place
and left 
with frigtening strangers,
who put a needle into him,
causing him to fall unconscious
and then one
took a knife to him.

When finally he came to,
Clyde found he had awoken to a world
in which his dreams of studhood
had all been lost.

He did not let go of the dream easily.
Despite what the vet said,
he still marked territory
and sometimes peed
where 
no one 
wanted him 
to...

pee.

9 comments:

Zippy, Sadie, Speedy and M'Gee said...

Poor Clyde...Zippy feels the same way, a car is a great place to sleep as long as it's not moving. Of course, if she's driving it's another story...

Cafe Cats said...

None of us likes cars, but we're always in our PTUs too, so we know something bad is coming.

Daisy said...

I do not blame Clyde to be nervous around moving cars after his dreams of studhood were shattered!

I do not enjoy the car, moving or still. Because I only ever go in it when I have to go to the vet's. Nothing good ever happens.

Angel MoMo and Charlotte said...

Momo hates the car rides too because it usually means a trip to the vet's.

It's OK if you don't visit or post as often as you would like, we all get snowed under from time to time.

michico*Adan*Lego-小芥*阿丹*樂高 said...

I dislike car as well,
It always have strange atmosphere will make me nervous~!!! The smell or speed all...

Grahamn Kracker said...

ZSS - I hope that Zippy does not drive after eating catnip. What a crazy ride that would be.

Cafe - Yes, cats gain such knowledge fast.

Daisy - You prove my point. Good luck in being named the best.

Momo - Thank you. It is just about to drive me nuts, but such is the state of life for the present.

Michico*adan - boy, it would be something to have both adan and lego in the car at once!

The Activist said...

Clyde in a ride. When I get my car, I wil ltry and see which of my babies won't mind a ride and which would be like our Clyde

Taddie Tales said...

FABULOUS post - well worth waiting for. I can just see Clyde's ears back and fur raised when he was awoken from his nap and found himself in a moving vehicle. Too funny!

Hugs!!!

Taddie

Margaret Cloud said...

My cats never liked the car, every time I had to take them to the vet they did exactly as Clyde and the car smelled of their stinky breath. I am in love with little Clyde, he is so cute. Thank you for coming by.