The Other Woman

Like many wives, I've had to come to terms with the fact that my husband has a mistress.

I can definitely understand what Big Dave sees in her. She's cute, has incredible green eyes, can strut her stuff like no one's business, and is completely head over heals in love with Big Dave. She hangs on to his every word and she follows him wherever he goes. I've caught them in bed on several occasions, and he makes no secret of the fact that he loves her too.

You might think this could be a problem in our marriage. That I should be jealous, vindictive, and upset. But the truth is, it's something I have learned to live with. Or rather, I have learned to just live with her. You see, the "mistress" is one of our cats, Smokey.

She has laid claim to him, and doesn't care who knows it. She follows him like a dog. If he's in another room and she's can't be in there with him, she cries for him. Her favorite pastime -- tunneling under the covers, laying right beside him and getting toasty warm.

You might think to yourself, "but she's just a cat.. it can't be that bad." But here's the thing - it is so obvious that she thinks of ME as the "other woman", and she definitely doesn't like to share him with me. The fact that I have senority over her makes no difference to her. The fact that *I* was the one who first brought her into the house also means nothing. There are some days when I look at her and I swear I can almost hear her plotting ways to get rid of me so she can have him all to herself. She's obsessed -- think Fatal Attraction Meets Aristocats.

I supposed, all things considered, I should just be grateful that we don't have a pet rabbit.