No Really...You Shouldn't Have

I'm allergic to cats, so naturally they flock to me as if I were the Pied Piper toting an extra juicy fish to divide among them.  No kidding -- whenever I visit my friends who have cats (and I never tell them ahead of time that I'm allergic, because then they always make a huge deal out of vacuuming, banishing the cats to other rooms, etc.), the situation usually goes something like this:

ME:  [enters room, chatting happily with friend; sits down on comfy chair/sofa]
CAT:  [appears in doorway, cocks head curiously at new possible playmate; gracefully leaps up into my lap]
FRIEND:  Oh my gosh, he never does that!  He's usually so shy, you almost never see him!  Obviously you're very special!
ME:  [laughs nervously, smiling and petting cat, knowing that within minutes the sneezing, puffy red eyes, and itching will begin, as will the explanations, apologies, and subsequent banishing of said cat]

I've basically come to accept this truth over the years, and it doesn't really bother me.  After all, cats are mildly cute and usually very soft, and mostly worth a few sneezes.  As long as I know that after a few hours, I can leave and the other, somewhat less enjoyable cat issues will be the owners' problems.  Other problems? you ask.  What other problems?  Aren't cats pretty low maintenance?  


So for the last week or so, a random neighborly cat has been hanging out on my doorstep, often giving me a look that says, you know you want to take me home.  Like I said -- Pied Piper.  This was all fine and good, since I had no intention of inviting the cat, whom I believe to be around its teen years, into my home, and it was kind of cute coming home to a cat on my doorstep.  But two days ago, instead of a cat on my doorstep, there was a somewhat less cute squirrel carcass, complete with oozing guts and a bloated belly.

At first I thought, that's weird -- I wonder where this thing came from.  I know it couldn't have been Indy [dog] -- she doesn't go out in the front yard.  Then I thought, does someone in the neighborhood hate me enough to leave this on my doorstep?  Is this a message?  Have I offended the Burlington Mafia?  Does Burlington even have a Mafia?  Then it dawned on me:  it was a gift.  A token of respect, love, and gratitude, if you will, from Mystery Cat.  Supposedly, I hear from other cat owners, this is one of the highest honors a cat can bestow upon human-folk, second only to bring a live rodent into said human-folk's home.

So...thanks?  Although next time, I'd be just as happy with a DVD, as cliche as that may sound.