Cats are capriciously kind. I think it's unfair that they only come near me at times like this.

February 22nd is Cat Day, isn't it?

I love cats too 🐱

However, I seem to be liked more by dogs than by cats.
When I walk outside, strange dogs often run up to me.

I've never owned a pet, so that's actually quite scary for me 😅

When a Golden Retriever that had broken free from its owner came running straight at me, I panicked so much that I jumped with all my might onto a waist-high retaining block in the park.

I think they're cute, but the larger the animal, the more I want to maintain a sense of distance (lol).

In that regard, cats have just the right sense of distance.
Or rather...

"No, isn't that a bit too far away?"

That happens quite often.

Even friendly cats will turn their backs on me.

When it gets to this point, it's actually a bit sad.
As a cat lover, that is.

I really want to capture a close-up of a cat's cute face with my camera 🤭

They say birds of a feather flock together, and there aren't many people around me who own dogs or cats.

That's why the one thing I really looked forward to was visiting the home of my friend who owns a cat.

It was back when the cat was just transitioning from a kitten to an adult, at its absolute cutest.
It was so friendly and adorable that I kept fussing over it, saying how cute it was, and...

……I ended up being disliked by it💦

Whenever I visited my friend's house, it would be extremely wary of me, and at its worst, it would even run away to the second floor.

It was truly heartbreaking…….

The other day, when I was sobbing over the loss of my grandmother,
it was that cat-owning friend who invited me over, saying,
"It's better not to be alone at times like this."

It might have been 12 years since my last visit.
We usually meet up outside, after all.

Even after getting married, she still lives with her parents, so of course, the cat is still with them.

As we were eating cupcakes that my friend's mother had baked, the cat in question made an appearance.

The cat had, before I knew it, joined the ranks of seniors.

But the way they peek in from the doorway to see what's going on is just like it used to be (lol).

Usually, if I moved my hand, they would have bolted upstairs in a flash, but that day, after a while, they slowly entered the room, sniffed me, and curled up by my side.

"Hehe, what's with the change of heart? (lol)"

Did you forget that you used to hate me?

Just watching them is healing; it's truly animal therapy.

"If I move, will you run away like you used to?"
I said to my friend, and they replied,
"Why don't you try it?"
and called the cat's name.

When I slowly reached out my hand in front of the cat, who had looked up, it sniffed my hand and curled back up.

"So cute~➷"

It's unfair to curl up by my side like that only when I'm feeling down and weepy 😅

"I didn't exactly hate you, you were just annoying at the time,"
is what it felt like.

Even if they aren't there with the intention of comforting me, it's enough.

There is a theory that cats can see or feel things that humans cannot.
It's strange, but feeling like even the cat is watching over me makes me feel like it's time to return to my daily life, and I feel a bit more composed.

"Hey, next time I come over, I'll buy you some treats, okay?"

Next time, I'll come fully prepared to try and get on the cat's good side.
Next time, I'll make sure not to be disliked (lol).

It's still a secret from the cat that I made a note of their favorite treats and food names on my way home.