Beware! of the Cat's Meow

By Daniel Desjardin

When you listen to a cats meow what is it telling you? Are they hungry? Is it that their warning you of possible danger? Do they want to go outside or come in? Are they looking for attention? If youre a cat lover or animal person, these may be just a few questions on your mind when you hear a cats meow! Your imagination could run wild just as it does in this story.
There is telepathic mind reading from cats to humans and vice versa. Theres an orphaned cat that actually did find a wonderful loving home. There are cats that bought joy to their owners and sadness to others seeking revenge after discovering an unfaithful lover, husband or even partner. There are colorful characters in this novel that will make you laugh out loud.
Misty and Picasso were Daniels two cats whom he loved and cherished while they were in his household for many years. Simon was as Orphan, Marvin and Daisy where homeless but no more! Romeo was a gift of love to a loved one who was feeling low for a period of time. Crazy and Tiger were house guest for a short time while falling in love with them and had to let them go. Isis was named after an Egyptian Goddess by her owner who also inspired Daniel as one of the characters in this novel that will make you laugh.
So whenever you hear a cats meow, beware they are trying to tell you something.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781465335067

Daniel Desjardin

Daniel Desjardin resides in the Sunshine State of Florida. “The Canine in All of US” was his first novel with ambitions to write a second. His love for canines and felines combined with a sense of humor and his love for comedy has inspired him to continue his passion for writing. If I can put a smile on one’s face and bring laughter into one’s heart then I’ve done my job as a writer. -Daniel

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

It was a Friday, April 5th, the morning started out to be a clear and crisp one until the dark clouds started to roll in from the west, just over the everglades heading straight for Weston, a suburb of Broward County Florida. The huge white tent that was set up in the parking lot of Canine International began to shake from the gust of winds just ahead of the darkness approaching it. Just feet away from the tent were some bushes that lined the side of the building where a pair of yellow eyes the color of canary diamonds peeked out from within the lush green leaves of the bushes. They were the eyes of a frail looking black feline, watching everything and everyone that moved from within feet of it, when all of a sudden, a loud rumble of thunder roared from the sky above which sounded just like bowling pins being knocked down and that was a strike it was time to take cover.

A loud meow followed by others could be heard from this feline as it scurried back into the bushes just before a bolt of lightning had struck something in the neighborhood. She was spotted several mornings by one of the employees as he arrived for work just sitting under one of the lamp posts in the parking lot.

Numerous times this feline was seen crossing the parking lot in the early hours before dawn from a distance, Was this black feline with the canary colored eyes abandoned in the business park by someone? Did she come from the residential neighborhood that borders the main road into the business park?

Unaware to the vendors that were arriving for the cat show, they were being watched very carefully. Seconds later another pair of smaller eyes the color, of turquoise blue like the waters that surround the Bahamas,peered out from under the bushes just feet away and slowly disappeared backward into the bushes. These eyes were that of a small gray kitten. Was the black feline its mother?

Only a few feet away from this kitten there were two more kittens that were of a darker color of gray but they both seemed to have thin black stripes running up and down their sides .They were playing in a small open area that was covered by red mulch that blanketed the ground among the small palm trees that were planted next to the building. It looked like they were playing hide and seek among the bushes pouncing on one another like kittens do. They couldn’t have been more than a few weeks old.

It was a precious sight to see the mother cat stretched out in the mulch as she watched her young having a little fun, Within minutes the two stopped playing and headed towards mom and cuddled up to her belly for it was feeding time.

It was an exciting day for the new start of a new business adventure for Miss Honeycutt. She was dressed to the nines in a knee length gray skirt and white blouse that was peeking out from her matching blazer looking very professional.The only exception to her attire that was a bit over the top was the cardinal colored red hat. The same hat she was wearing the day that a Miss LaVonda Georgia had rescued her from a card board box in an alley way and took her in at the former Dixie Arms a shelter which was now being converted into a bed and breakfast.

It had been tucked away in the closet of her room in a hat box at the Bed and Breakfast in which she still resides as it is being renovated Unaware that the hat had been dry cleaned and fumigated.. The hat had come back looking like a brand new one from her cleaner who specialized in cleaning special garments. It was much brighter and even had a little extra touch added to it. There was a fake cardinal bird attached to the side of it which was about three inches in length and had feathers and two beady black eyes.

Miss LaVonda wanted to do something nice for her and have it cleaned but would never admit it to Miss Honeycutt that she actually looked good in it but the original smell that came with it when she found Miss Honeycutt had to go! It wreaked an awful smell from being worn day in and day out while she was living on the streets panhandling, begging for scraps of food and going dumpster diving as a homeless woman, which soon changed with the help of Miss LaVonda and her shelter.

What a better way to start her new endeavor as she was to introduce a new line of products targeted for cats along with other cattery products that were being married along side of The Canine International products that catered to dogs of all types and sizes. This was going to become her good luck hat and saved it for special occasions and today was one of them whether rain or shine. The list of precious felines read from an Egyptian Mau named Cleo, worth thousands of dollars and a breed of hairless cats called the "Sphynx, than there was a Russian Blue, Siamese, Bengal and a variety of locals who came with their household pets that were just glad to be a part of the show.

Buyers from local retailers and commercial stores were invited to preview the new products. Some had already started to arrive prior to the rain as they made a mad dash from their cars to take cover just as the clouds opened up and the rain began to fall.

Business had dropped considerably for the Canine International due to the lack of sales caused by the majority of its employees mysteriously disappearing after the charity event a few months back for the Freeway Animal Shelter held by Donald Freeman in which she had also attended.

Miss Honeycutt, being the only one returned to the company, decided to get more involved in the company taking her savings that she had built up considerably over several months from her major winnings at the local casinos. She had invested in a new line of feline products being launched today with a cat show to kick it off..

The weather this morning wasn’t going to rain on her parade. She had invested a lot into this new line of products as well as her own time from contacting the manufactures directly for her new line of collars for felines and wanted everything to go smoothly, regardless of the rain.

Donald Freeman was a big customer of the Canine International, and had gotten wind of their financial problems they were having through word of mouth. That was the mouth of Miss Honeycutt who just loved to gossip and just happened to mention to him in a conversation about the company’s financial problems. Donald dealt with her from time to time, as one of his suppliers for the shelter on a weekly basis. As the new owner of the Bed and Breakfast the Dixie Manor formally known as the’ Dixie Arms where she now resides along with Donald and his two dogs both Border Collies named Freeway and his side kick Sheba.

While taking over the Dixie Arms, Donald also took on Miss Honeycutt who eventually ended up becoming part of the package deal with her making him a proposition he couldn’t refuse. Miss Honeycutt was to give him a cut of her profits from the new line of products being unveiled today, while at the same time keeping the roof over her head she has known as home, the worse that Miss Honeycutt would be facing, was the possibility of becoming homeless once again since all of her money was now tied up in this new line of products being previewed for the very first time today.

All of a sudden, another gust of wind blew through the parking lot and everything that was not tied down had blown off the tables. Miss Honeycutt was standing in the parking lot talking to a few of the guest when this gust of wind ripped her hat of her head. They all watched it fly through the air like a helium balloon that had gotten loose float up and up over the building

Oh my God! she exclaimed, as she watched it disappear on to the roof top.

Well, there goes my good luck hat she said to herself as she ran her hands through her hair trying to fix it up a bit. This didn’t help she was still a hot mess.

The product show was going well as the rain had finally stopped and more people were arriving for the free samples and literature on the products. Novelty trinkets like pens, key chains and magnets were being handed out as well as free coffee being served with assorted Danishes, muffins and bagels. The show was scheduled to go on till three o’clock in the afternoon with a luncheon being served at noon for those who were invited which consisted of baked ziti, salad, garlic rolls, chicken Marcela and the dessert would consist of assorted pastries which included bits of brownies, cheesecake slices served with coffee or choice of soft drink s or bottled water that was being provided by the caterer.

The retailers invited to the cat and product show where pleased to see the new items coming out next season and just loved the line of feline products being introduced which included assorted catnip toys that were hand made from out of the country.

Some guest wondered if it was catnip or pot being smuggled into the country. This became a private joke between some of the dealers. The cat beds and scratching post were products manufactured in the USA as well as a remote control mouse with the operator controlling where it goes while keeping the cat on their paws and out of trouble.

There were harnesses with matching collars and leashes. One retailer asked the manufactures representative if they made them for adults. The sales representative was not amused and told him that he needed to check out a local adult novelty store for that as he flashbacked from a scene in the movie Nine to Five where the boss was tied up in a leather harness and dog collar tethered up to a garage door opener which was mounted to the ceiling and any motion from trying to break loose from it would send him sailing up to the ceiling. He couldn’t help but laugh out loud but after wards he did apologize to the guest as they walked by his booth on the way out.

The new line of cat collars that Miss Honeycutt invested in was a big hit. They were imported from a small town on the western bank of the Nile River in Egypt. The stones are supposed to have magical powers and those who come in contact with them had felt a chill come over them as one would when they got goose bumps. They are found buried deep beneath the hot sands throughout the desert. They are naturally manufactured from the hot desert sand granules from beneath the surface

Once they are dug up and sifted out in fine wire baskets, sort of like panning for gold, they are gathered and taken out on camel back where they are then cut and polished by workers in the town to be used in the making of these collars The collars came in assorted colors made of fabrics, some came bejeweled, others had rhinestones and some actually had gems, like diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires and even chokers made of real pearls.

Whatever feline got one of these collars was no doubt spoiled as hell and money was no object to their owners as the Egyptian Mau, named Cleo was already wearing one of these collars made with the gem stones and had everyone talking who stopped by their booth and gawked at the beauty of them both.

There was just one consumer at the show who was so intrigued with the cat and the collar that he offered to watch Cleo as he befriended the owner named Elizabeth. she asked this gentleman if he wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on Cleo so she could use the ladies room inside the building, He said he wouldn’t mind and that Cleo would be in good hands and not to worry.

Elizabeth thanked him and said she would only be gone a few minutes, only to return back to her booth and find her precious Cleo, and the gentleman she befriended both gone. She started to panic and ran around the entire tent as well as the building praying that maybe they had stepped inside the building to see the other products on show that were indoors. There was no sign of either one of them. She then noticed Miss Honeycutt who was outside the tent talking to guest and ran over to her and told her what had happened and was so upset that one of the guests took out his cell phone and called the police. It wasn’t more than five minutes when a couple of police cruisers pulled into the parking as Elizabeth and Miss Honeycutt walked over to them and told them what had happened as they filled out a report and told Elizabeth that this was no doubt a cat napping and that her Cleo was part of a group stealing expensive felines.

They said they would contact Elizabeth once they heard any news regarding this group of thieves and anything on Cleo when they had more information on these people.

Miss Honeycutt was upset that of all days this happened on her unveiling of the Feline in All of Us line at the show which was to increase sales for the Canine International as well. It was in sort of a financial crisis mode and Donald, with the help of Miss Honeycutt, arranged a meeting with the current owners of the Canine International during the product show, so that he could make an offer to buy into the company since he had the financial backing to do so. The meeting took place several days later in which Donald’s offer was presented to the owner’s in which they accepted.

Donald was now going to be included in the decision making of what products were bought and resold within the company along with Miss Honeycutt’s products in which she had to first get his approval before ordering and restocking merchandise in the warehouse.

His first priority was to put together a sales team targeting local retailers and letting them know that they were a local company in Weston. Miss Honeycutt felt Donald was going to be good for the company since he already owned one business the Freeway Animal Shelter while now venturing out into a second business with the B&B.

The product show was a success with the exception of Cleo being stolen and Miss Honeycutt’s red hat ended up on the roof top of the company and god knows what happened with it after the rain showers that kept coming in several days later following the show. She had forgotten about her hat because she was so busy watching orders from the show start to roll in a day later, While some of the products were immediately available, orders were being placed with the suppliers to bring into stock for the warehouse to be shipped out.

The warehouse had to make room for the new line of products with new shelving, inventory part numbers to set up with UPC codes to be added to the inventory as well to the data base for future orders. It was going to be busy for everyone involved in restructuring the company to keep it from falling apart.

Miss Honeycutt was ecstatic of her investment in the new line that was being launched into the pet industry.

While making her umpteen phone call to Aaron Zeigler checking on the back orders for the collars which were now in high demand from the purchase orders piling up on her desk. Miss Honeycutt was going through her desk drawer and pulled out one of the collars as she fumbled with it at her desk while talking to Aaron on the phone unbeknown to him she had taken it from his booth at the cat show

It was just that some of the retailers were becoming a pain in the butt and are anxious to get these collars into their stores for sale. I feel like I’m stalling them and don’t feel right about it. she exclaimed

I understand Aaron told her I’ll make some calls and get back to you.

I’ll be waiting for your call Miss Honeycutt replied." Hopefully you’ll hear something soon as she wished him a nice day and hung up.

Still fumbling with the collar, she recalled hearing a couple of cats looming around the B&B several nights ago and had woke up Freeway and Sheba and caused them to bark as she tried to sleep. If I can only catch one of them and put this collar on one of them just to see if the collar did indeed have magical powers. If she only knew that there were several felines just outside her office building not too far away from the front door, she could try the collar on one of them. She was going to have to set up some kind of trap to catch one of them that were looming around the bed and breakfast which meant she would have to ask Donald next time she saw him in the office if he had any cages at the shelter to help her catch one.

Her telephone rang just minutes after she hung up with Aaron,it was one of her customers Susan from the Crazy Cats and Stuff Boutique calling in to ask if anyone had reported finding a briefcase in the tent that was left behind from the cat show several days ago.

She had just gone into her briefcase to look for some of her purchase orders for several vendors she was to meet with today, when she noticed flyers, an address book and about a dozen cat collars among other things that she said did not belong to her but did recognize seeing the collars at the cat show, as she started to described them to Miss Honeycutt who realized she must have picked up the wrong briefcase after opening it.

I haven’t received any calls about any briefcases she told her,. I will ask around the office and put the word out to the other associates to keep their eyes and ears open just in case someone else might have come across it.

Thanks! Susan said," it would be much appreciated.

Not a problem Miss Honeycutt replied back

However I might have a clue where it might be. Let me make a few phone calls and I’ll call you right back.

Thanks! Susan said

Miss Honeycutt tried and tried to get a hold of Aaron, but his phone kept going to voice mail and she left several messages for him to call her back.

He eventually called back hours later. He was enjoying his lunch with some prospected new customers at a restaurant in the Church Street Station in Orlando’s downtown district and had turned his phone off and forgot to turn it back on. When he noticed he had several messages on his phone and recognized the number.

He called his voice mail and heard Miss Honeycutt’s message about the briefcase and if he did have it to please call her back. He was already on his way back to his car and as soon as he got there he reached into the trunk pulled out what he thought was his briefcase and immediately opened it and said Hell! I do have the wrong briefcase

He immediately called Miss Honeycutt and told her he did indeed have the brief case she was asking about.

I’ll contact the person who has yours and I will get it for you and hold on to it until you get back into she told him..

Great! He replied I’ll be back down your way sometime tomorrow afternoon, I’ll call you when I’m in the area and on my way to pick it up.

That will be fine, I’m here all day tomorrow she said. I’ll try to get your brief case back before you arrive.

Perfect! He replied I’ll see you then, as he hung up his phone.

Miss Honeycutt immediately called Susan back and told her she found her briefcase but wouldn’t have it until tomorrow afternoon.

Miss Honeycutt told Susan that she would swing by her store on her way home from work and pick up the wrong briefcase and make the switch for her and bring hers back on the way home tomorrow..

Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you in a few hours said Susan’

See you soon. Miss Honeycutt replied back

As they hung up the phone from one another, Miss Honeycutt glanced up at the clock hanging on the front wall and realized she had two more hours to go before her day would end. Just then, she heard a voice from behind her. Say Hey you! She did a quick turnaround from her desk chair and saw Donald coming through the front door of the office area I’m just stopping in for a brief moment, I’m on my way to the shelter and I need to pick up a file from my office.

I’ll just ask now about the trap while he’s here. She thought to herself. While not revealing her plans to try the supposedly magic collar on one of them that she now had in her possession.

Yes he said I believe I have several traps at the shelter that would work

When lured in with some food or treats they put a slight shift in weight on the bottom of the cage, A spring released door would come down and they would be caught with no way for escape until they were released by the person catching them.

"The traps were safe and did not cause any harm to the animal what so ever he told her. She was glad to hear that because some traps out there being used did cause harm and she didn’t want that on her conscious.

I’ll bring one back to the Manor tonight .

That will be perfect she said.

I hate to cut this conversation short he said, but I have to grab that file in my desk because I have a meeting with a contractor on some of the renovations at the Manor and have about forty minutes to get to the meeting. I’ll see you tonight!

That will be fine she replied, see you later then after my dinner date

Dinner date? Donald asked

Yes, she replied, It’s with a gentleman I met online on a dating website. I’ll fill you in later" she said .

Oh my God He thought to himself as he walked away What’s wrong with this picture?

If she can get a date online, then I must be doing something wrong because it’s been months since I’ve had one. Hell! I would describe some of my past dating experiences as a squirrel being hit by a hurricane, with all that’s going on in my life who needs a hurricane on top of all this as well?

Though, a nice dinner and some pleasant conversation besides work would be nice for a change. I can’t wait to hear about her date as he walked into his office and grabbed his file from his desk drawer and walked back down the hall to leave the building but not before stopping at Miss Honeycutt’s desk.

Have fun and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!

She smiled and said, Get out of here or you’ll be late for your meeting.

I’m going I’m going he said.

I’ll see you later she said as he left the building while glancing up at the wall clock in front of the office and noticed it was three o’clock.

She was a bit nervous since it had been a while from her last date she had which was like a popup book from hell who was thirty two years old, who called her almost every night begging her to call him Big Daddy I’m sixty two years old. I think I need to change my number. Its official God hates me. N-E-X-T. I’m not giving up I’ll just wait and see what’s in store for me with this one tonight. This bait is not getting any younger but the fish are. Maybe it’s time I go to a different pond or yet deep sea fishing. This way I can bake in the sun over the ocean and turn into a raisin when the perfect gentleman will come along and date me.

CHAPTER TWO

On the north side of town just east of 75 in a town called Lauderhill, lived two guys that who was dealing with one of life’s curve balls that was thrown at them in their relationship of twenty five years together. Brandon, who was forty nine and his partner David, who was fifty four had to sell their second home in which they lived in for ten years. David hated to let it go but they had no choice if,they were going to make it with the way the economy was going and to keep their relationship together no matter what.

David always wanted to be a writer and dabbled in it from time to time and even took online classes, than something would come up in his life that he didn’t have the time to pursue.

David was determined to write something and at this time in his life he thought what a better way to start again with this life’s curveballs he was just dealt to start writing a journal on it and see how it would turn out una ware to his partner as they dealt with this situation on hand.

Brandon lost a very successful job he held for eight years being a General Manager of a well known hotel chain and was unemployed for six months and was forced to find work in his field in the hospitality industry for another company which paid less, worked 24-7 and had to live on property which was almost an hour’s drive from home and could only come home one, maybe two nights to see David and their two dogs.

They had put a lot of money into this house from renovating the kitchen from floor to ceiling with stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, Honey Oak cabinets with a sit at island overlooking the family room. Nice size back yard which was totally revamped as well with brick pavers the length of the back of the house.

They liked to barbeque mostly every night which became less and less and it was just too much for David to keep it going with working all day with odd hours from 5:00am till 2:00pm before he got home with the drive in from Miami daily where he worked leaving the dogs home alone all day.

He would spend the weekends running errands, and doing the yard work every other weekend at hours at a time to keep it manicured like the rest of the houses on the street.

It got to be too much for David while Brandon worked his butt off to keep the money coming in to keep a house he couldn’t live in or enjoy for the past year while living on property at a "Hell Hole of a motel in Cutler Bay, both decided it was time to let it go and put the house on the market in early November for sale and in the three days on the market on a Wednesday listed and sold on Saturday.

Now the fun begins for David since he was the one who went with a realtor of his choice to list the house and yet still insisted on getting through the holidays with Thanksgiving and Christmas just weeks away he was determined to make it the best he could with all the trimmings at the house with the big Christmas tree and having his sister Debbie in from Massachusetts who had planned her trip months before David decided to list the house for sale. They were going to continue with the plans as scheduled any way. David wanted to leave their house with fond memories of a wonderful last Christmas in it.

It was two days after Christmas and Debbie was flying