By Jim Hagarty
2011
Our cat Mario can escape the house by opening the screen door at the back of our home and dashing out onto the patio. It’s quite a sight to see. He pushes the door as hard as he can with his right paw, then streaks like hell through the opening before the door comes banging back to cut him in half.
For the first few years of his life, he couldn’t do this, but being so desperate to get into the back yard and start murdering things, he apparently took it on himself to break his dependence on us to let him out.
What I want to know is what happened the first time he tried this. I am guessing that the first couple of attempts might have been a bit painful for him until he learned how hard he had to throw the door open and how fast he had to run to avoid the backlash. He is a study in courage and the amazing things that can be achieved when enough desire and determination are applied to a problem. My hero!
Mario and Luigi are six-year-old brothers. We got them at the Humane Society as kittens. They are so close, it took them about a year until they realized they were two cats, and not one. Often, we would see them sleeping together – legs, paws, ears, tails all sticking out, they looked like one big pile of cat to us too.
Whenever they see each other after not being together for an hour or so, they touch noses. If one can’t find the other, he’ll go on a big search to find the lost brother, looking everywhere, and coming to one of us for help.
But they have different skill sets. Mario can let himself out the back screen door but can’t get back in. Luigi can’t get out but he can let himself in.
They haven’t learned how to work together very well yet.
They also have completely different personalities and habits. Mario licks plastic non-stop; Luigi does not. Mario is a killer, Luigi is a lover. Mario is afraid of the dog. The dog is afraid of Luigi. Mario flips on his back five times a day for a belly rub. Luigi wouldn’t thank you for one. Luigi sleeps in the computer chair for hours. Mario is unaware we have such a thing as a computer chair. Mario sits by the hour staring at the composters, waiting for mice to make an appearance. A mouse could sleep for an hour on Luigi’s head without repercussions.
As different as toffee and tofu.
