Let the Cat Out of the Bag

"I told Jessie your secret. About your new friend hiding in the barn. You know, the one that moved in recently. What's his name?" Cathy meowed gleefully. "I told her, and she gave me treats! She'll get rid of him." She licked her paws and rubbed her whiskers contentedly.

"Stop your bragging. Go rub against somebody else." Dottie barked and snapped, even if she wasn't that surprised. Cathy just had to let it out of the bag. Couldn't stop herself really, it wasn't her fault. But how did she find out everybody's secrets that way? Dottie had been careful when she visited Olive.

"You'll do anything for treats, won't you? Why did you tell Jessie about Olive? That's her name, by the way, Olive. She's not doing no harm to no one. It was Stan who met us to each other. If he likes her, I like her. You know how it goes. He's the big dog around here." Dottie was a lady, so she didn't snarl, but she wanted to. She showed her teeth in a menacing smile instead.

Stan is really tall. Like 17 hands tall, Charlemagne's dog kinda tall. You know the one I mean. And he's the boss of the barn. He says hoo goes and hoo stays. If he said Olive stayed, then Olive stayed. Cathy had no say in that at all.

Peter flew overhead and parroted, "Around here. The big dog around here. Why? Oh, why? Did you tell? Tell Jessie? Jessie, about Olive? Olive? Cool. Olive is cool."

"I've trained the vermin to play my way. My way, or the field. You know that. But, Olive is upsetting the whole bag." Cathy had been nonchalantly licking her paws as she purred this, but she decided to get up and show them the game to emphasize her point.

"I like to wriggle, wriggle, and wriggle in the bag and then, I pounce, pounce in a powerful lunge. It's thrilling, exhilarating to be let out of the bag, so to speak. The vermin like it as much as I do, it's OUR game. They know I'm coming and I give them a fighting chance. But, Olive... oh, Olive. She swoops out of the attic, the hayloft and the vermin are so surprised, they can't react fast enough. That's not sporting of Olive."

"Are you saying Olive is better than you at protecting the hay from the vermin? Making sure that Stan's food is clean and healthy, better than you do? Is that it?" Dottie howled in laughter. Cathy was jealous because Olive was better at her job than she was. That was funny!

"It's finally stopped snowing. Let's go play with Stan, and make friends with Olive" Dottie was at the door, looking at Jessie expectantly, baiting Cathy. "What do you think Jessie will do about Olive anyway? If Stan says she stays, she stays. That's it! You know he's the boss of the barn."

Cathy didn't want to show how high her hackles were so she followed after Dottie, even if she didn't want to do that either. It was one of those times where no matter what she did, it wasn't what she wanted to do.

"Why would I make friends with a stupid owl, especially one like Olive? She takes my game and makes it her food. Who does she think she is? But I do want to talk to Stan. He'll understand me." Cathy and Stan were good friends. She often napped on his back.

"Wait a minute. I'm going too," Jessie was surprised to see them run so quickly to the barn. "It's time to feed Stan his oats."

Jessie looked after Cathy and Dottie wondering what was going on? They often chatted. She didn't know if they actually understood each other, but it seemed they did. They lightened up her days with their antics. She followed them slowly, admiring the white blanket that crunched under her feet.

New fallen snow is always magnificent. It glitters in sunlight and moonlight. She took her time.

As she neared the barn, she could hear Stan neigh hello, Cathy do her little chirp-like greeting, and Dottie barking her hello as excitedly as ever. She smiled. Then she heard a new sound.

What was that? It sounded like some kind of bird. Dottie and Stan didn't seem alarmed but Cathy wasn't having it.

Jessie went into the barn and there it was. Mystery solved. And she started laughing.

"What is so funny?" Cathy hissed and growled. "Get rid of her. She doesn't belong here. She's eating all my game. You won't let her, will you?"

Cathy was at Jessie's feet, meowing her worry loudly. Jessie picked her up.

"Cathy, calm down. It's ok. It's only a little barn owl. Look at how cute she is. I bet she's doing a fine job of keeping the vermin out." Jessie held Cathy close, stroked her calmly.

But Cathy was very unhappy. "WHAT? Olive stays? But the vermin are my job." She pushed and wriggled indignantly until Jessie let her go.

"Come on now Cathy," Jessie was not backing down. Stan started to laugh and Dottie joined in. Cathy was gonna lose. Olive was gonna stay, just like Stan had said. He's the boss of the barn.

"You spend so much time in the house, or the field, and you have more than enough food already. The owl will do a much better job than you do. And it's ok, I love you the way you are." Jessie was keeping the owl, Cathy was beyond dejected and slinked out of the barn. This time the cat had been let out of the bag, but it was no fun!

Jessie looked at the owl, "What's your name, I wonder?"

Stan and Dottie both answered, "It's Olive... Olive, Olive."

"I don't know why, but Olive seems like a good name for you. Welcome to our home Olive. You can stay for as long as you like."