Two Truths and a Lie

My apartment complex doesn't allow pets of any kind. No dogs, cats, frogs, birds, or lizards. Ok, I think you can have fish as long as the aquarium isn't too large, but nothing the breathes without gills. I don't know the rule actually, but I am certain that cats and dogs aren't allowed.

This creates a real problem for me because I have a little cat, Sophia, who enjoys living in the same apartment complex with me. I learned this the hard way, because when I first moved in to this place I took her to my parents. I figured that she could live with them for a year while I finished school. It won't be long before I move into a townhouse or house. I will get Sophia back then and she'll be as happy as can be.

That idea when really far wrong. She has a bit of a temper problem when it comes to interacting with other animals. I should probably take you back in time a little to explain this further.

Let's imagine that this is April, a several months ago, and I'm getting stressed about finals. I decide that I want to adopt an abandoned cat, because I'm such a caring and nice person. I find out that the Petsmart near my apartment sells SPCA cats for eighty bucks. I go and hold this female cat named Sophia. She's a beautiful Maine Coon cat with calico long hair. She purrs, I grin, my friend thinks it's cool, and my other roommate (this friend that is present is the other roomie) agree to having a cat. Her little tag said a couple things that made her not such a good find for many people: she is almost 3 years old (people like kittens) and she is "very sweet to humans, but she doesn't get along with other animals." Well, I want an older cat and I don't have any other pets. She comes home with me.

Move ahead to a couple months ago: Sophia and I move into this new pet-free apartment. I drive her home to Wichita after a couple weeks. I stay for a few days and then leave her there. When I left she wasn't all that happy with the family cat. Actually, they both hated each other. We hoped that she would learn to get along.

A few weeks later my mom returns her to me. This leaves me with the task of keeping her hidden while I'm at school. I usually shut her in my room when I go with a little sign on the door that says something about how I was out late and that you should leave the papers on the table. The sign is addressed to one of my friends. It's all just a ploy to keep maintenance people from entering my room, and finding the cat, if they come by.

Well, they came by twice this month and found her once. The first time was just as I envisioned it. I was gone at school, and they came to change the filter on my a/c and heater. Then they came again when I was here to look for the source of the cigarette smell that comes from my downstairs neighbor. They found here when I was here with her.

I hear the door knock, so I hide her stuff and put her in my room. I noticed that she's sticking her paw under the door, because she's a social cat (remember, sweet to humans), so I go into my room and put her in my walk in closet. That door doesn't latch but it has a strong magnet that holds it shut. I go out to the kitchen and watch this guy taping stuff up. All of a sudden he says, "I wasn't expecting someone else."

Yikes. I look down and there is Sophia looking up at us. She was just checking out what we were doing. I guess that she pushed her way out of the closet and pulled open the other door, because I didn't completely latch it.

The maintenance guy was actually pretty cool about it. He said that he wouldn't tell the management about it.