Mind you, we know where both of them live.

Dos, with his grandly waving tail, long silken coat and amazingly loud and expressive voice lives next door. At home, he has canned food presented fresh each morning, clean water, and dry food galore. He has no need to leave his backyard. So he does. He wafts over here to eat, pass the time with our Siamese (inappropriately called Fluffy) and no doubt to make snide remarks about the cocktail wiener on four toothpicks that is our beloved Chihuahua, Cleo.

Domino (not his real name, because we don’t know it) is glossy black with white, has big green eyes, and an aversion to two-leggers. He lives in the house catty-corner to ours, which seems appropriate. At his home, there are 3 children, ranging in age from about 5 to 12. I personally think he comes over here to get some peace and quiet, but it must be noted he also likes the grub, both canine and feline; and the living room sofa, where he naps undisturbed for hours on end. What he doesn’t like are the denizens who infest this place with the good grub and a comfortable sofa. He tolerates our presence, but won’t let us get near him. After almost two years of being just a bed and breakfast (and lately lunch and dinner) it’s getting frustrating. I’m a two-legger – I want some acknowledgment and affection!

Dos was stand-offish at first, too, which is to be expected from a feline. But he sees us around "his" house next door, and "his" people come over here to visit frequently – in short, he has come to view us as a necessary evil and now allows our affection. Sometimes he even demands it.

But not Domino. Domino runs when we enter a room as though pursued by the hounds of Hell. He is SURE we are out to crack his little kitty head open and then skin him to make cozy slippers. We cannot convince him otherwise.

On the one hand, it makes me wonder what life at his "real" home (which he apparently visits less and less frequently, if at all) is really like. On the other hand, it makes me wonder why I so crave this cat’s affection. Is it just because I can’t have him?

Only yesterday I got close enough to Domino to note that he is indeed a "he" – I had never before gotten close enough to check – but as he was walking away from me in the kitchen I noted his little dangling participles swishing to and fro as he swaggered toward the pet door. Hmmmmm… a hard-to-get tomcat.

It took me straight back to high school.

I want him because he is bad and beautiful and because he couldn’t care less whether I live or die.

He wants me because I have good food and a comfortable sofa.

There’s a life lesson in there somewhere. I’m going to go have the last of the eggnog and ponder what that lesson might be.

Happy New Year!