Chapter Text
My name is Bongo.
I was taken in by two nice but giant humans many moons ago.
They feed me, take care of me, and clean up after me. They play with me, let me sleep on fluffy warm blankets.
They also scrub me with menacing, evil colorless liquid and weird smelling bubbles to keep me clean. I don’t get it, I groom myself just fine!
Don’t even get me started on those giant creeps in blue clothes with white coats who put me on shiny tables and poke me with sharp things.
But, this life is so much better than that old dirty box.
One of my humans has blue fur on her head, she is very loud and she lets me play with her shiny keys. Her name is Chloe, but I just call her Ma.
I love Ma’s beanie, it’s warm, fuzzy, comfy and I can chew and tear at it however I want. I claim it as mine but she keeps taking it!
Ma also gives me the best ear scratches. And in return, to show her my gratitude, I groom her nose and chin. I like to sit on her shoulder and see the world from up high. She is very tall and strong! She carries me everywhere she goes in our home, and I like to watch her do things. I also like to check the ingredients she cooks with, I wouldn’t want my humans to have nasty things in their food!
My other human, however, is a strange one.
Her name is Max. I thought that she was like any other human. Giant and mindless. But turns out, she is a cat too! I have no idea how! She is so huge, she can carry me on her back.
She takes me outside on walkies, teaches me how to pounce and run. She also protects me from other street cats.
One time while we were in the park and I snuck away to explore. I chased a weird scent, rolled in the grass and stomped on an ant to show dominance, but all of a sudden I came across this big, scary looking cat. He started sniffing me and nudging me with his nose, that was when Max jumped right in and swiped at him! She stood on her tippy toes, arched her back and he looked so small compared to her! So, he ran away behind a post, and I stuck my tongue out at him.
I did get scolded, but seeing Max in action was so worth it! It was so cool!
But, well, ever since that ‘incident’, Ma and Max gave me a stupid collar with a bell on it. They said they’d know where I am if I ever try to run away. Geez, can’t a cat have some action…
Ma and Max are in love. It is very confusing to me because one moment they’re together as humans, the next Max is back to being a cat and telling me not to chew on things.
One thing Max is trying to teach me is how to hunt. It’s hard and it’s boring. Why should I learn to hunt if I have food given to me every time I so much as squeak?
Today, Max is planning to teach me again . She says we will practice after lunch, and I am dreading every second of it.
I see her pace around with Ma in her human skin, they’re eating their human food and laughing about something. I sit at their feet looking up at them with my head tilted. How can I convince Max that hunting is just not for me?
“What’s up, Bongo?” Ma smiles down at me.
“What’re you eating?” I meow.
Ma doesn’t understand me, as usual. It’s Max who picks up on what I’m saying.
“It’s not for kitties, Bongo.” Max says, frowning.
“But you’re eating it.” I frown.
“It’s… for grown ups.” Max insists. I stomp and meow loudly, usually it gets me what I want. But it didn’t work this time. I huff in frustration and decide I want to play. So I do just that.
It’s near noon when Max slip into her cat skin and tells me it’s time for our hunting lesson. I try to run away, but she picks me up by the scruff of my neck and takes off my collar. Curse being small! She carries me outside, says goodbye to Ma and pads away to our training spot. It’s a grassy area with plenty of trees and only a few humans, too ignorant to pay attention to us cats. She gently places me down and walks ahead.
“Aw, Max,” I huff, trying to keep up with her, “I already told you! I can’t hunt, I’m bad at hunting.”
“It’s a skill you gotta learn, all cats can hunt on their own.” Max tells me.
I pout, “This sucks. I wanna go home!”
“Shhh, focus your senses.” Max closes her eyes and listens. Okay, this sparks my curiosity. I sit next to her, close my eyes and listen too.
“Feel the earth beneath your paws, listen for any movements,” She instructs. I try my best to do that but it’s just so boring and I am getting nothing!
“I can’t hear any-”
“Sss,” She shushes me again. “There’s a squirrel.” She grins at me. I gasp, a squirrel! I’ve never seen one!
“Where?!” I whisper, I tilt my head upwards and move my ear around. I can’t pick up on anything!
“Listen to the rustling, it’s shifting in the grass.” Max tells me with a smile.
I close my eyes real hard, I stretch my limbs and stand on my tippy toes to pick up a scent, a sound, anything!
And that’s when I hear it: squeaking, shuffling, scratching… I turn to my left and whisper-scream, “There!” I spot it, and try to leap, but Max lays me down with her large paw.
“shhh, stay low to the ground,” she says.
“Okay, alright stay low to the ground.” I repeat in a hushed tone, lowering my body to the floor.
“Stay quiet,” She whispers, “Can you make the jump?”
“Yeah, yeah I can!” I lick my lips, really feeling it!
My legs push, sending me in the air with my claws out, ready to pin the squirrel down, but I lose my balance and fall on my face. The squirrel turns to me, now alerted, and bolts away! I get on my feet and give chase, but it’s way too fast for me and it climbs up a tree.
“Bongo wait!” Max calls after me, but I can’t stop now! I feel my heart’s going way too fast, and all I wanna do is catch this squirrel. I leap onto the tree trunk and climb using my claws. But then I snap back when I hear Max call for me again, and when I look down, oh crap! I climbed way too high up, way too high!
I yelp and freeze halfway up. I stick to the tree like I was trying to fuse with it. “Max!” I cry.
“You gotta jump, Bongo!” She calls for me, “Jump, I’ll catch you!”
“No!! No, no no!! I don’t wanna! I can’t!” I cry, panting and scratching at the tree. “I-It’s too high!”
“Bongo! Trust me!” She sits on her back legs. “Jump!”
My arms were getting tired, my claws hurt. I can’t hold on much longer, so I start to cry. In a flash, something big jumps up, clutches to the tree and picks me up by my neck. It was Max. She leaps back on the floor and puts me down, and I immediately cling to her paw, crying and sniffing. “I’ll never hunt again! I hate squirrels!” I sob, rubbing into her thick fur.
She sighs and licks my head a few times. I think she feels bad.
“How’s the little hunter doing?” I hear Ma ask when we return. I just go back to my pillow and crawl under it, trying to hide from everybody.
What a disappointment. A cat who can’t hunt. I sniffle, it’s just too hard.
“He got stuck climbing a tree, he got so scared.” I can hear Max say. “I want him to learn how to be a cat, but it’s just so difficult when you’re also human.” She sighs.
I rest my head on the floor between my paws and sniff.
Sometimes, I hate being a cat.
Max doesn’t offer to teach me hunting for the next few days. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. One night, I saw two tomcats outside of our home, through the window. It’s so weird! Street cats don’t wander too close to human homes, unless they wanna beg for food or attention. I look back at my moms, they’re both watching the big screen with moving pictures and laughing at something.
Hmm. Perfect.
I manage to sneak out, but I stay on the porch just in case it turns out they’re scary and mean cats.
I watch them frolicking around, tails held high. One is black and white, and has a scar running down his face. The other was a bit chubbier, white with brown and black spots.
So cool! I think as I sit low, and observe.
“Nah, nah, you’re doing it all wrong!” Says the chubbier one.
“Oh, really? Show me how it’s done then.” The scarred one rolls his eye.
“Stand back you amateur,”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“That’s why Mama doesn’t like you,” The chubbier one laughs, he crouches down, butt in the air. “Just sit back and watch, hey! Hey Mo!” He calls. I tilt my head, who is he calling for?
Out of the tree comes out a large bird. Oh, Ma told me it’s an owl.
“Ah, it’s you fellers again. Thought I kicked ya off my turf!” He snickers,
“Yeah well we came back for revenge! That mouse was ours!” The chubby one growls.
“Right, and you two slow pokes were too slow! Survival of the fittest and all, eh?”
The chubby one widens his eyes and starts growling, “Why I oughta-”
“Get back, Finn, before you hurt yourself.” The black cat stands up and walks to the tree. “We just want our meal back, Mo. You stole it and you know it!”
“Bummer! Why don’t you climb up here and take it back then? Aren’t you supposed to be cats?” The owl mocks, tilting his head. He gets on my nerves!
Some humans start to blast loud music nearby, I huff and try to approach the two to hear better.
“We both know it’s a death trap. We climb up there, there’s no way for us to get back down. You stole what’s not yours. Give it back!” The black cat says.
Staying low to the ground and keeping quiet, I sneak closer to the two, hiding my body in the grass, but this darn collar with a bell is way too noisy! It rang a little, and the chubby cat whipped his head back in my direction. I freeze in my place as he scans the area, ears perked up.
“Fine! If you can actually reach it, that is.” The owl laughs, he hops over to a nest, built neatly among the branches and picks up a mouse. He leaps into the air and onto a higher branch with his large white wings and places the mouse down. “There! That’s a fair challenge now isn’t it?”
“Oh you’ve gotta be kiddin me!” Finn mewls. “How the heck do we even get there without getting stuck, Felix?”
“Quit playing these games, Mo!” Felix snarls.
I sneak around them successfully, they’re too distracted by Mo and his antiques to even notice me. A mouse up on a high branch, winner takes the prize I assume?
Hmmm.
I crawl away.
Mo laughs his belly out, “I knew it! You cats are just nothing but cowards! Scared of a high tree? I tell ya, without these it’s gonna be a lot harder!” He spreads his wings and flaps them in the air.
“Aw, forget that white-feathered chew toy! We’ve got a bigger problem to solve.” The black cat growls,
“What’re you suggesting, then?”
“I’m thinking, you climb, get that mouse and drop it down to me.” Felix says.
“Oh, so you get the mouse while I get stuck in that tree? Are you out of your mind!?” Finn growls.
While they’re too busy arguing, I stand at the base of the tree, looking up. It’s so scary and high. But I have to do it. I am a cat! I shake these scary thoughts out of my head and scratch at the tree trunk, getting ready.
“I’m just saying! If you fall you’re less likely to be injured. You’re larger than I am.”
“Oh, so you’re calling me fat?”
“No! I never said that!”
I start my climb. Left, right, left, right. Just like Max showed me.
Don’t look down, Bongo . Don’t look down.
“You boys are so hilarious,” Mo laughs. “I can stay here all night!”
I jump from one branch to another, almost slipping off of one, but I grip it tightly and lift myself up. Nearly there.
“Oh, whiskers , I’ll climb then!” Felix sighs,
“Right, and I’ll catch the mouse.” Finn agrees.
I make it to the branch and my claws dig in deep, I see the mouse right in front of me and I pick it up with my mouth.
“Hey!”
I jump, nearly losing balance. It’s Mo, he’s onto me!
“Who are you?! Put that down!”
“Waah!” I leap onto a lower branch, nearly avoiding his talons.
“What the-” The scarred cat exclaims, “Finn!! That’s a kitten up there!”
“Is he crazy?! He might get himself hurt!” Finn rushes closer to the tree. Felix bolts up the tree and starts climbing, while I had to protect my meal from a large owl.
“Give it back, kid.” Mo lands in front of me, hunched. I swipe at him and knock him sideways, he jumps back, caught by surprise.
“It’s mine!” I mewl, “I got it fair and square!”
“You weren’t even in the game to begin with!” He goes to grab the mouse with his beak, but I leap over to another branch.
“Goodness! Be careful!” Finn calls out,
“Hang in there, kid! I’ve almost got ya!” Felix says.
Mo lands again in front of me, advancing with a scary look. “The mouse ain’t yours, kid.”
He tries to snatch the mouse out of my mouth, but Felix hops in between us and picks me up, then leaps down.
“No!” Mo craws, “That’s cheating!” He follows suit.
“Waaah!” My scream comes muffled as I sink my fangs deeper into the mouse.
“Don’t be scared kid!” Felix tells me, hopping down from one branch to another with agility.
“We’re cats! We’re natural predators, heights don’t scare us!” He says as he finally leaps off high, stretching his limbs into the air. It looked like we were flying, and for a moment it really felt like we were! I gasped and grinned so wide, the mouse slipped off and fell onto the grass. We land a few steps away, just when Mo swoops in with a grin.
“Gotcha!” Mo craws.
Finn snatches it just in time and stands next to us, panting. “Ha! Take that you ugly winged bastard!”
Mo lands on the ground with an unimpressed look, watching as Finn does a little dance. Felix puts me down and I leap forwards towards Mo, back arched high, hissing. “You leave my mouse alone! And don’t ever bother my friends again!”
“Gee, kid. Where are your parents?” Mo huffs and takes off, “I’ll leave you felines to it then, it was fun while it lasted. Toodles!” He says, flying high and out of sight.
“Way to go, kid!!” Finn grins down at me like the Cheshire cat. “You sure showed him!”
“You’re going to be a fine hunter one day.” Felix pats my head with his paw, “But for now, try to stay away from large trees? We don’t want your parents after our tails.”
“Here, you earned it, kiddo.” Finn nudges the mouse to me. I gasp and look up at him, “Really?” I grin.
“Yeah! Go show it off to the world!” Finn boasts.
“What about you guys?” I pin my ears back, “What will you eat?”
“Eh, we honestly just wanted to teach Mo a lesson.” Felix shrugs.
“And it looks like he got what he deserves! I saw ya swipe at him, you really knocked a few feathers outta his dumb face!” Finn cackles. I chuckle and pick the mouse up, “Thanks for helping me! Ma and Max will be so happy!”
“Uh yeah just, don’t tell them about the whole tree thing, okay?” Felix blinks.
“Hey kid, what’s your name?” Finn smirks down at me,
“I’m Bongo! I hope I see you two soon!” I say, padding away with my prize in my mouth.
“He’s a good kid,” I hear Finn mumble.
“Uuuuh, Hey Max!” Ma calls, “I found him.” She picks me up way high.
“Shit, There you are!” Max curses, she looks like a mess. Was she looking for me?
“Seems he got you a gift.” Chloe points to the mouse on the floor. “Fuck, don’t make this a habit please.”
“He got a mouse!” Max grins, grabs Ma by the arm and shakes her. “Chloe, he got a mouse on his own!”
“Y-Yeah I can see that. Um, hooray? Listen, I don’t want our apartment full of dead animals.”
All this adventuring and hunting made me sleepy. So, while I listen to their bantering as they always do, I drift to sleep in Ma’s arms, dreaming of chasing mice, and big mean owls.