Today was just like any other day. I parked my car in the parking lot behind my building. My spot is the closest one to the gate to the apartment, and I usually would be the 2nd or 3rd car in the lot when I get home. I got out, got my stuff out of the back seat, and walked around the car.

Athena was sitting in front of the gate. In the parking lot.

And no, she wasn’t there when I parked my car.

The cat has apparently learned to recognize the jingle jangle of my car keys. The same thing would happen in the morning. My key jangled, she would show up to say hi and walked me to my car. But this was the first time she crossed out of the gate.

Of course, as per the usual afternoon routine I have established with Athena this past week, I would run upstairs, kiss Brandon hello, grab a bag of kitty treats and head back down for some borrow kitty time. I’d spend a good 5-10 minutes down there talking to a “talkative” cat and feeding her a bit of treats.

Sometime Brandon would join me. Athena hasn’t quite warm up to him the way she does with me, but then again, I AM the one with the food.

This time, Brandon came armed with the camera. And with a bit of culinary persuasion, Athena finally got friendly with him, and actually found his legs to be the source of extra warmth she needs on these cold evenings.

Oh, only if that cat learns to come up our stairs. It would all be over for us. She would probably spend her night outside our door because the second floor is a LOT warmer than downstairs.

In any case, I am truly happy that Athena decides to keep us. I already see the calming effect she has on Brandon. We get the benefits of having a cat without actually having one. Athena gets the food and the love. We get to have a borrow cat.

Sweet deal for all.

Behold, the cuteness of the Cat That Is Not Ours But We Wish She Is.

Oh, and on that note, I started a new set on my Flickr called “Not our Cat(s)”.  Check it out.  🙂