A Man and His . . . Cat

When E and I moved into my parents’ house, we took responsibility for two cats: Bourke and Tarzan. My mom likes to call Tarzan her “throw-away cat” because he was rejected by two families before moving in with my parents—sent away for bad behavior. Tarzan enjoys hitting and biting. He will hide around a corner and attack any unsuspecting person foolish enough to cross his path. My sister’s dog cries when he sees Tarzan. My ten-year-old niece insists on being carried past the cat. Even my parents’ handyman is terrified. Clearly, Tarzan’s attitude has not improved since moving here. My parents are just too kindhearted to send Tarzan from a third home—plus, they don’t know where to send him.

Naturally, I was a bit nervous when we moved here since E has never had a pet before. How would he react to living with a sociopathic animal? To my surprise, the two have fallen in love with each other. E routinely calls Tarzan “oğlum” (my son) and “kanka” (buddy/best friend). They spend hours together playing, and E actually picks Tarzan up—something no one has ever done.

When I got home from work late Monday night, I found two very sad boys at home. Tarzan was pouting in one corner of the room, and E in the other. What happened? While playing, Tarzan had taken a big bite of E’s arm. In retaliation, E had “washed” Tarzan—squirted him with a spray bottle.

I was so worried that their relationship might have soured after the biting episode. Fortunately, they are back snuggling together. Phew. I’m a bit afraid, though, when we move E will insist on taking Tarzan with us. Scary!