Bubby the Tubby

Bubby was a cat I used to know.

I met him in a travelling show.

He flew through the air in a circus tent.

But it turned out to be very short stint.

For Bubby was afraid of heights.

Come to think of it, Bubby could never keep work.

For two days he was a mailman in downtown New York.

With a bag on his shoulder, he’d walk the streets,

Quickly making friends with everyone he’d meet.

Excepts for the dogs. Mailmen have a thing with dogs.

The next job brought Bubby the love of his life,

A big red cow he tried to make his wife.

Buttercup was huge, fluffy, and hairy.

She wasn’t the kind of cow that produced dairy.

Which was fine, because Bubby was lactose intolerant.

So, three days into his ranching gig,

He hatched up a plan, grandiose and big.

With the help of the chickens, they’d make their escape

It would be like an elaborate prison break.

And that’s how my feline friend stole a cow.

Without a job or a home,

Bubby and Buttercup were alone.

They sadly had no place to stay.

And I couldn’t bear Bubby becoming a stray.

So, I let them move in to my houseboat.

Bubby didn’t like to stay in one place.

And we really didn’t have that much space.

Before long, Buttercup and Bubby hit the road.

They’ve had fantastic adventures or so I’ve been told.

Bubby now works as an Uber driver.

I’ll never forget the times that we had.

When I think of it, I am often sad.

But then he’ll come and visit for a few days.

Usually, it’s not a very long stay.

Because Bubby has a wandering soul.

When I was in the sixth grade my family moved us from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Houston, Texas. As a slightly overweight, and frizzy haired northerner, I had trouble fitting in. It was a lonely transition. I spent my days chucking quarters into the Super Mario Bros machine at the convenience store. When I ran out of quarters, I’d ride my bike home and read library books to my cat Milky Way.

To this day, he’s the best cat I’ve ever had. Milky Way was a fluffy black and grey Ragdoll cat. If you’ve never had a Ragdoll, let me tell you, they are some of the coolest cats you’ll ever meet.

Ragdolls get their nickname because they have an extremely flexible spine, and when you pick them up, they are like picking up a large bag of jelly.

Milky Way would let me flop him over my shoulder as I walked around. He also liked it when I held him tummy up like a baby.

By nature, Ragdoll cats are patient and affectionate.

They are pretty smart, but none of the other cats were as smart as Milky Way. He was a bookworm after all.

I was constantly in trouble for not changing the litter box, or brushing the cat. Running out of patience, my mom threatened to give Milky Way to a new family if I didn’t clean up my act.

After weeks of failing to change my ways, my parents followed through on their threat.

I was heartbroken.

I never thought I would recover.

Milky Way was my best friend.

Then, after nearly two months, Milky Way came home. It took him that long to make the over ten-mile journey back to me.

My parents didn’t have the heart to send him away again, so they let me keep him.

You better believe I brushed him and cleaned the cat box.

And every day I read to him.

Reading to your cat is a fantastic bonding exercise.

Try this story on one of your pets, and see if they don’t love the tale of Bubby the Tubby.