The Cat House - 1

February 26, 2010

Somewhere in and around the early 1990’s I was living in Marin County, California; again. Because I’ve moved around so much I’mm not sure what number time this was when returning to the Golden State. It’s one of the fav’s.

I can back track in the annals of time if you really want to know. Like the old history classes, I’mm not good at remembering dates other than a few birthdays, anniversaries, the fourth of July, Christmas; I always forget Easter and Thanksgiving because they keep changing. I remember mmy discharge date.

I also remember mmy military serial number mostly because when it was given under duress by one of those loud mouth confidencio’s with stripes and a mean demeanor, he said it would be branded in the noggin the rest of mmy life. Until most recently, and I’mm talking just the other day about forty something years later I thought that a fallacy until I actually did have to prove it at a VA visit.

The town was named Fairfax; the street was Mono, no less. Coincidentally I moved there married; stayed there after being divorced. The marriage continued, (sort of) there for sicks months while we were Stereo. Five years after that I was still mono on Mono. Women were once more in MMicks mix, and writely so.

Fairfax is situated across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco and north on highway 101. You’ll make a turn exiting west onto Sir Francis Drake Boulevard then drive perhaps three or four miles and there you are. Fairfax, Ca. cool little burg. Town parades; anyone can call up the mayor; that kind of thing.

While living there I was asked to build a Cat House. For any of you thinking otherwise, it was not what you’d think. The structure was meant to be named just that because it was really for Cats; felines to be more precise. Pets no less.

Ten of them to be exact. I had met the owners. A Doctor as it turned out was the wife and I think the hubby was a Psychiatrist or something; I forget. But I’mm sure of the wife’s vocation because she was the one who wanted the structure built to preserve her little menagerie of felines from street traffic; little there was.

Not too many weeks or months earlier I had met John at a jam across the street and at the house of another friend, Tim. As usual I don’t use last names in this blog, mostly because they’re innocent by standers so to speak, and goodness knows I’d not like for them to be embarrassed at anything I’d reveal without their knowledge; unless of course they read these things too and either ask to change the lie or say something else to express their happiness at being left an anonymous entity. This saves court cases while I still have the stereo and car.

John was an out of work something. At the time he didn’t know what that was either so I can’t say anything that would contradict that. He did tell mme that he was interested in films after attending a film school in Los Angeles, but as far as I know he didn’t get too far with that. Presently he designs green playgrounds.

Back then he was unemployed and living with or in the same house as one of his girlfriends; or girl friend was not clear at that point. When he reads this he’ll probably correct it on more than one count. We’ll see if I can keep the car.

After talking a bit with the Doc and hubby who it seemed could care less about the upcoming project, the Doc and I walked outside to their little backyard. “There, is where I’d like the Cat House,” she said. ‘There’ was up against a cinder block wall; one side of their garage. “Come out from there,” she said.

At this point I asked her how big she wanted the thing but like most people who daily don’t look or pay attention to or at any kind of measurements in their lives, this was the problematic question of the minute. How big is small or vice verse?

Without going into any great detail here just let mme say that one could write a book on this little subject alone. It would include whatever happened in our grammar school systems but suffice it to say I just brought out the 30 foot tape from mmy pocket and gave her a few examples of length, height and depth.

This usually saves time when trying to figure out the difference between inches, feet, and yards and how tall the person standing next to you actually may be, give or take a foot or four. After a few examples the Doc decided that a twelve by twelve foot structure would be a good size for her ten furry creatures in order for them to have enough space to get into trouble or each other. Most were fixed.

Then of course the question of height was to be solved. She decided that although a normal cat’s height was less than a foot; a four foot height would be plenty. All well and good for the cats I said but if a human is to get in the thing to do whatever, then she may want to think of those friendly exchanges in the furthest reaches of the so called Cat House. How good are you at crawling?

I guess the other option was if she’d like to stand up while doing whatever with any of the ten furry beauties or did she think crawling on all fours was even better? I didn’t have to explain further; after all she was a Doctor. That’s with a capital D. When big D’s think measurements, centimeters are their specialty but not really feet; unless we’re talking podiatrist - maybe. I’ll have to look that up.

In any case it didn’t take too many increments of a minute before she was convinced that seven feet was a good height. At this point I added that most times lumber is stocked in even amounts of increments; (notice I said most times) so an eight foot height may save some labor time of cutting the proposed material; all of which was yet to come. She agreed. We continued with the design

OK then. That’s all settled. The next step was to give her suggestions as to material options. A good range of those were locally available depending on a few different scenarios she may like to consider. For example; use was one. What did she perceive the occupants would do; like to see; have in it with them; those kinds of things when comfort and even weather were concerned. Is there a roof?

That’s when she imagined just one very open pen. Meaning all the sides, including the top or ceiling was to be chicken wire. The side with the front door I was to make was also to be the same material. Basically the whole thing was to be open to the air outside, which included the wind, sun, rain, moon and stars. There’s not much snow in that part of the world to actually make a difference.

Cats being the animal that they are have no problem handling cold; really. Some humans think otherwise when their pets as family members are concerned but that’s again; another little story one could write about animal to human, human to animal behaviour. When I lived in South Dakota with FACE (mmy cat) she just loved to trek in 50 degree below weather; sometimes for a few days hunting.

The only problem I had with this was that in that part of California, like many others really, in winter it rains like hell for days at a time. Floods in that area are not uncommon. When the Doc realised this she said that the cats will then not be allowed to be outside during the worst weather. I gathered then that this enclosure was to be more of a spa for them, than an actual home. No problemo.

I stood there thinking for a half a minute then the Doc and I went back into the original Cat House, or her home really and I drew a picture of what she’d actually see when the structure was complete. She was satisfied, I was thrilled and the next phase was to take place. Here’s where John a local friend comes in.

John as you recall was a film guy so I called him up and asked if he’d like to do a short film. Years later which was about a month ago I called John to ask if he remembered this and he said, No, he didn’t. I know there was a VCR copy of the rest of this experience at mmy place on the rez but forget trying to find it as the situation stands; asking John was another option but the guy has no recollection whatsoever, which I found to be; well, John, really. Some things don’t change.

The only reason I remember this actually happened is because it actually did happen and John’s image as well as his voice is on the tape. Like Nixon and Watergate, I know if the tapes were available it would be definitive; truth proof.
TO BE CONTINUED;