Cats defy logic. Cats also defy reason. That is probably why a few cats at Tabby’s Place insist on breaking the rules about the non-touchability of bellies. These are the few, the proud, The Belly Boys.
Collectively, they may sound like a rock band. More precisely, they are a band that totally rocks (at night, in secret, with only other cats to witness). There is one on bass, one on guitar, and two on drums because they really get a bang out of life. By now, you’re probably wondering who they are. All shall be revealed, bellies included, in no particular order, except perhaps the order in which one might meet them.
Beginning in the staff lounge, there is a larger-than-life tuxedoed cat, who has maybe stolen a few too many bites of spaghetti. Taylor Ham stretches in the window, basking in the sun. Or, Taylor Ham stretches on the cat tree with exactly one foot basking in the sun. Big white belly open for business. Taylor Ham is 100% pettable, including that mass of alabaster on his underside. He is a rare gem.
Moving into the lobby, two of the Belly Boys await all of the attention that can be lavished upon them. Hips and Bello could be neither more different from each other nor more the same. Hips is extravagantly active. Bello is outrageously rest-y. Hips has short, velvety fur. Bello has long, lustrous locks. Both adore snuggles and cuddles and lap time…and belly rubs. Each has his limits, but these are difficult to push when the timing is just right. The timing is almost always just right to run one’s fingers through the plush landscapes of these two chonky tum-tums.
While fingers are occupied, through the lobby window, eyes can espy Juel. Better yet, if one can tear oneself away from the lobby, one can more directly engage with the big tabby whose belly is the color of just barely caramelizing sugar. Even better, upon approach, one can gently wrap one’s arms entirely around the full girth of this great guy and giggle into his fur. He’ll giggle too.
Juel breaths in air and exhales zen, but he might also sneeze in your face (This might sound familiar. It happens embarrassingly often.). All the while, fingers can scritch head, neck, chin, and belly with an abandon that will be rewarded with massive purrs and a wriggly, gleeful dance (Is it dancing when feet are not involved and the basic position is supine?).
All of this might leave you wondering which of The Belly Boys plays which instrument. The truth is that they actually all play the drums and sometimes the keyboard because they really love to just keep banging away. The Belly Boys are proud to always play to a sold out crowd comprised of a global audience. The Belly Boys are full of zest and vigor delighting in every kind of music…as long as it’s loud and bombastic and defies the rules of its day.
The Belly Boys defy reason and dare us to be daring, to pet where many cats typically despise to be desecrated.
“Despise” has been stricken from their personal dictionaries. Rather, The Belly Boys are a living wonder. The Belly Boys are joy incarnate, piping their music directly into the minds of the entire Tabby’s Place community at all hours of every day. As one, we join in their hammering beat with the rhythm of our hearts. The Belly Boys ask only one thing of us: give lots of love…and more love…and…okay, also maybe some fish mush.
The Belly Boys love your visits. They love waving goodbye when you come to pick up your adopted furry family members. They love your thoughtful and generous donations that keep the heart of Tabby’s Place beating.
The Belly Boys love you. We all love you. You make Tabby’s Place the magical place that it is, and, simply put, that is banging!