Melda goes inside her cat's mind with this soliloquy.

Oh yes, she's hitting the spot right there. It's so nice to have these humans around . . . they take care of me . . . feed me well . . . ah, and pet me. Oh no! No don't leave, don't stop petting . . . mmmm, what's that smell coming from the kitchen? It's chicken! My favorite! Much better than that nasty, crunchy stuff the people feed me. There they sit, eating their chicken, each tender mouthful going in their mouths! They must know I like it far better than they do, but they still don't give me any. They just want to torture me, I know it! Well . . . if they won't give me any, I'll have to get it myself, I do everything by myself here, I have to find my own place to sleep, I have to ask for my food in the mornings . . . all they do is sit around, petting me lightly once in a while.

I'm so desperate for a piece of that delicate meat . . . I need some. Maybe if I stare at everyone; I've heard that my eyes are just irresistible . . . Well, I did get one little piece . . . oh was it good; I just will die if I don't get more. Well of course, the empty chair. There's always at least one empty chair that calls my name at supper time, though most times I just get pushed out of it, which is certainly unfair. There are only five people, so the sixth chair must be for me! But I just get shoved mercilessly out of it. So I suppose that won't do any good. It's so very unfair that the humans get all the delicacies, and I'm stuck with crunchy, dry, bland stuff that is just horrible!

Well, I guess I'll just lay down right here on the floor . . . wait, maybe If I jumped from the counter to the table . . . I'll try it! Ohhh, I almost had it made, but with all the yells and scuttles and pushing and shoving . . . I got knocked off the table. I just need a piece of that chicken! It makes my nose twitch just smelling it! These humans are so mean and cruel: always ignoring me, hardly ever petting me, and always thinking of themselves and not poor little me, they're so selfish! I'm not sleeping tonight until I get a piece of that chicken! Jumping straight up onto the table is my only chance to get that chicken, so here I go. Oh yes, I'm almost to the chicken; I am going to get some after all! Wait . . . no! Someone's got me, how dare they pick me up like that! Oh no . . . not the laundry room . . . no! They can't shut me up in here away from that chicken, it should be mine! I'm the one who gets the same food every day! I'm the one suffers being neglected! I just hate being shut up in here. What did I do to them? Nothing! And they don't even give me my own food! Oh it'd taste so good now, that rich flavor running down my throat, but they just want to torture me by not giving it to me in my time of need!

Finally I'm out of that terrible place! Now for some food . . . mmm, that chicken smell is still in the air . . . my food tastes so horrible! I never liked that stuff . . . why can't I have delicious food? Oh here comes one of those people . . . ooh he's going to start rubbing . . . ah, now that feels good. Oh yes . . . I just adore living here, everyone's so nice to me . . . I get all the attention I need . . . rubbing and scratching all the time; yes everything's just fine here. I'd never want to live anywhere else.