1c8c0f371c0d914159db2df0bf94b5c6

It was still a little while before we were expected to put in an appearance at Master Sharif’s place, so I decided to take a nap, after fortifying myself by snacking on some of those fine kernels Odelia likes to supply us with in generous quantities.

And I’d just snapped up my first piece of chicken kibble when the kitchen door flew open and Gran breezed in. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes wild, which gave me pause.

She reminded me of the heroine of some romantic movie, in a scene following the couple’s first meeting, when the heroine joins up with her best friend to tell her all about her new beau.

And as Gran fastened her eyes on me, I had the sinking feeling she was going to single me out for the best friend part and start dishing on some Tom, Dick or Harry she just met who’d taken her breath away.

“Max! Just the person I was hoping to meet!” she tooted with satisfaction. She then directed her phone at me and asked, “So tell me. What is the meaning of life?”

I raised a whisker.“The meaning of life is having a comfortable home, a loving human who fulfills your every need, and a flock of great friends to share your adventures with.”

Gran grinned from ear to ear.“Love it! Next question! What is happiness for you?”

Dooley had stepped in through the pet flap and glanced up at Gran, drinking in the strange scene.

“Are you making a movie?” he asked.

“Shush, Dooley,” said Gran. “This is important.”

“Can I be in it? I could be Max’s goofy sidekick. Every movie’s hero needs a goofy sidekick and I can be that goofy sidekick.”

“We’re not making a movie, Dooley,” I said. “Gran is simply asking me some of life’s important questions and I’m giving her a piece of my mind for the edification of her audience.”

Though one had to wonder who she was going to show this video to. After all, we spoke in an ancient language only felines share—and a few choice people like Gran, Odelia and Marge. If she was going to put this video on YouTube, as most humans are prone to do with videos they shoot on their phones, she’d have to add subtitles.

Gran had pointed the camera at Dooley, who blinked, clearly ready to take up the part of the goofy sidekick and do it justice.“So, Dooley. Tell me about the meaning of life.”

“The meaning of life is spending time with your friends,” he said cheerfully. “And to avoid going to the vet.”

Gran was clearly extremely satisfied with this response, for her smile widened.“If you were in charge, what kind of world would you create?” she asked next.

“Well, I like the world just the way it is,” I said, “so I guess I wouldn’t change a thing.”

“I would!” said Dooley. “I’d make sure I don’t get sick, so I wouldn’t have to go to the vet. Oh, and I’d like more cheese snacks. I love cheese snacks.”

“So a better world would contain more cheese and less vets,” said Gran with a chuckle.

“Yeah, that seems about right,” said Dooley, nodding seriously. “Oh, and maybe no more bad people. I mean, I know that Odelia likes to catch them and write about them, and that she depends on us to help her catch them and write about them, but wouldn’t it be nice if we all got along and humans behaved the way they should? I think I’d like that.”

“Very deep, Dooley,” said Gran. “How about you, Max? You still want to keep everything the way it is?”

“Well… I could probably go for a world with less dogs in it,” I said.

“Ooh, that’s a good one!” Dooley cried. “I should have said that. Can I change my answer, Gran?”

“You can make an addition to your previous answer,” she allowed.

Dooley looked straight into the camera and said, annunciating clearly,“I want a world with less dogs—or better yet, no dogs at all.”

“And no mice,” I added.

“Or rats,” Dooley said.

“Some dogs are fine, though,” I said. I was thinking of Fifi, our neighbor’s Yorkie, who by all accounts was a fine, upstanding dog and never gave us an ounce of trouble. Even Rufus, Marge and Tex’s neighbors’ sheepdog, was fun to be around: he never gave any indication of wanting to chase us up a tree, and was always kind and polite.

“Yeah, some dogs are okay,” Dooley amended his earlier statement. “So they can stay.”

“Well, a lot of dogs are nice,” I said. In fact we’d met many a fine member of the canine community in the course of our adventures. So contrary to popular feline belief not all dogs are bad.

Dooley thought for a moment.“Okay,” he finally said, “so how about, no more bad dogs—the kind that try to bite us?”

“Even some of those aren’t all bad,” I argued. “Some of them simply want to protect their human and get a little carried away in doing so.”

“True,” Dooley admitted. “So how about… all dogs can stay but they have to behave?”

“I like that,” I said. It was a statement I could definitely live with.

“So how about mice or rats?” asked Dooley. “I’m sure there are nice mice or even rats. It would be sad to see them go.”

“You’re right, Dooley,” I said. “We should be kind to all animals, not just the ones we like. So rats and mice can stay, too.”