It’s a good thing FDR wasn’t a cat

The 32nd president of the United States is often remembered for saying, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!” Now I’m not sure what he was talking about when he uttered those words, and I’d be tempted to do some research were it not for our current political landscape, where context has taken a backseat to bluster, so who cares why he said it. Say, do you think I should get a Twitter account, too?

Anyway, Franklin Delano Roosevelt obviously had no understanding of my world. I mean, think about it: I spend every day walking among giants who largely speak gibberish. I hear a lot of sounds and see many things that I simply don’t understand. It’s just feline nature, as well as human, to fear things we don’t understand.

So when things get intense and I’m feeling overwhelmed, I retreat to my safe space, a tiny little gap between the top of a bookshelf and the ceiling in a dark corner of the basement. I remember the first time I discovered it. Those Two were in a panic trying to find me! But they’re on to me now, and I think they’re pretty embarrassed about how often I retreat there.

Take Tuesday, for instance, when Mama G had a friend stop by. The minute I heard that knock on the door, I sprinted to the basement like a cheetah! And when Mama G tried to show me off, they were able to see only a few wisps of orange fur protruding from the crack. All this after Mama G had been boasting about how sweet I am.

When this photo was taken the very next day, I had sought comfort in my space from the sound of a driving rain. Yes, rain! I don’t need to wait around for lightning, thunder or wind — I’m pretty much a proactive guy when it comes to fear.

So go ahead and laugh, if you will, at the idea that a strong, handsome cat with a manly name can be such a coward. I’m just glad I have a place to go where I can feel completely safe. We should all have such a place.

The only thing we have to fear is finding the basement door closed!

— Oxbow