It's a Team's Life

Cat in the truck?

Cats follow their own rule book that the rest of the world cannot read or comprehend. What starts out as a cute fluffy kitten matures into a supreme ruler of their home.  The cat rules their home with an iron paw and they have a way of getting their servants (humans) to bow down to their wishes. Not only do we follow their wishes we look for ways to do more for them.

Squeaky started out life under a rose bush and was not destined to not live long as he was born too late in the year and his mama was not cut out to be a mama.  He had a different plan and his plan was to get the humans in the house to take him inside.  As a little bitty thing, he had a loud voice, he was persistent, and he was not afraid of humans or big dogs.  Hence his name as our daughter’s Belgian Malinois would pick him up and carry him around like a toy.  She never hurt him but he complained loudly.  He would see her coming and he would arch his back and hiss at her…  He was not tall enough to reach her ankles but he never backed down. 

He got his way and in no time we had spent over $500.00 dollars on food, dishes, litter box, cat bed, cat toys (waste of money as he likes wadded up tinfoil), vet bills, etc. The little black bugger immediately started educating us on good cat parenting.  How in the world a little kitten could be such a big presence in the truck is a mystery. 

Squeaky has now been in the truck for six and a half years and he has honed his skills.  When we stop he wants his cat bed on the dash so he can be comfortable while watching.  His food dish must never get empty as he will wake you at 2:30 in the morning to fill it.  He does not take later for an answer.  Squeaky also knows that when the truck starts he has to get off of the dash and believe me he complains loudly as he jumps down.  After I take our German Shepherd Texas out in the morning he gets four small greenies, he will take more but he will not take less.  If we are parked where we can leave the windows open he likes the shade up enough he can look out and he prefers we put his soft blanket down for him to lay on while watching.  He also uses my body as a superhighway to get from one side of the truck to look out and run to the other side.  

There are times due to the loads we are under that we have to take Squeaky out of the truck which he does not like.  We tried a cat kennel that he absolutely hated and finally settled on a cat harness.  He does not like the cat harness and he lets everyone know that is within a mile vicinity that he is being mistreated.  He is calmer though being held in our arms than when we had him in the kennel. 

We have learned that he does not like to be left alone.  We will be outside working and Texas will be with us and pretty soon we will hear Squeaky yowling.  When we get back in the truck it will be several minutes to a half-hour before he quits reminding us that we left him alone. Squeaky does not like to be held but he likes to sit in Bob's lap or lay on my hip while I am sleeping.  When I need to pick him up to move him he lets me know that he wants me to put him down. Texas weighs almost 90lbs and yet Squeaky can have her quaking in fear when he gets mad at her.  She is not to step on him or block his way into the front of the truck to sit on Bob’s lap.  He also gets to sleep in her bed at his whim.  She does get even with him at times as she lays in front of his food area. 

Oh, I forgot to mention he has his private dining area and bathroom.  A lower cabinet in the truck is split in half with a partial wall.  The back area with an outside door is his litter box and the front half of the cabinet is his dining area. 

It is funny how Bob and I have a totally different relationship with Squeaky.  Bob and Squeaky argue as Squeaky loves to lay in his lap and have Bob rub his head.  When Squeaky is done with Bob rubbing his head he yowls and if Bob continues he gnaws in his hand.  He also yowls when he has gone to sleep and Bob has to get up.  Squeaky does not like to lay in my lap but will lay beside me.  He does not gnaw on my hand and if he thinks about it and I say NO he quickly decides to act as if I said nothing and he will move on.

He is a character and we cannot imagine our truck without him.

Bob & Linda Caffee

TeamCaffee

Saint Louis MO

Expediters since January 2005

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