Isaac, the Purrfect Extrovert

Isaac gets a little grumpy when cooped up in the house for too long. He is a cat that knows no stranger and lives to explore. Most mornings I let him out for a few hours. My neighbors call him by name. They may not know me, but they sure know Isaac. Often he joins me part way on my morning walks; veering off into his own proscribed rounds several blocks from home.

On a cute little silver tag on his collar is his name and my phone number. I had to do this because he is always trying to follow someone home, (he especially loves trotting alongside anyone walking their dog), and I thought they should know that he has a home and someone who loves him very much. Sure enough I get one or two phone calls a week describing where he is and who he is hanging out with. Sometimes it’s another cat, but it can be a dog too. Usually, according to the messages, he walks into their home and takes over. Luckily he is so charming and handsome that he is considered grand entertainment by all.

But I digress. He is my extrovert. He is the epitome of extroversion. He is not only in the center of any activity, he the one wearing a lampshade on his head at a party. When I have friends over, he becomes supercharged with energy and can keep us entertained for hours. He becomes willful when kept inside for too long. Newness and adventure thrill him, and I suspect he could easily adopt whoever provides the greatest excitement du jour. This worries me because my house is usually pretty calm and quiet. Perhaps he’s going to get bored and abandon me for someone more lively.

We adopted each other at the cat shelter. I know why now, I was someone new and interesting. Someone he just had to have a closer look at. I, of course, thinking deeper than mere curiosity, thought that we were meant to be together, why else would he have made a beeline to me? Why indeed! And thus is the story of opposites attracting. Yes, I can live with an extrovert just fine, I just have to remember to kick him outside often enough. After all, I need my alone time too.