Meeting a cat with sticky paws is a rare occurrence, now imagine living with one! Kate Felmet is Esme’s mom, a cat whose mischief was funny and a bit awkward. Esme was fond of taking things from the neighborhood to her mom. This may not sound great, but her mom loves her and would settle it her own way.
Esme started small, taking doll clothes and bits of cloth. Then, she began to bring home bags and papers from outside. Sometimes, she even brought home dead birds, which made her mom sad because her mother loves watching birds.
Kate wanted Esme to stop bringing birds, so she told Esme she was a good cat when she brought other things. Esme liked making her mom happy, so she started to bring home things that her family needed.
When everyone started wearing masks to stay safe during the Covid pandemic, Esme brought home masks too. She even brought 11 masks in one day! Kate, who works in a hospital, thought it was amazing how Esme seemed to know what was relevant at the time.
Esme didn’t stop at masks. When her family was painting a room, she brought home tape and paint rollers. And when they were making costumes for Halloween, she brought strips of cloth.
When spring came, Esme saw her mom working in the garden. So, she started to bring home gardening gloves. She always made sure to bring back both gloves of a pair, even if it took her two trips. She even brought little gloves for Kate’s kids.
Soon, there were too many gloves. Kate had to do something. She tried to give back the things Esme took, but there were so many! So, Kate had a clever idea. She put up a clothesline in her yard and hung all the things Esme took on it. She also put up a sign with a picture of Esme and the words, “My cat is a thief. Please take these items if they are yours.”
People started to come and take back their things. One time, a school bus driver even stopped to get some things back. The neighbors thought it was funny, but it was a little awkward for the family who had their kneepads taken three times by Esme.
That’s how life is with cats like Esme. They might cause a little trouble, but we love them anyway. They make us laugh and give us stories to tell. And in the end, it’s not the things they take that matter, but the joy and fun they bring into our lives.