The Cat Falls In Love with the Gum

Today at the grocery store, I bought a pack of gum. Dentyne Ice in Cool Frost. It was kind of an impulse buy – I succumbed to the intent of the product placement, you might say – but was thinking perhaps chewing gum could help curb my snacking habit.

Once in the car, I opened the pack and started chewing a piece. The rest went in my purse.

Upon arrival home, the grocery bags made it in from the car, and I dropped my purse on the kitchen floor while I stowed away the strawberries and other goodies.

About 20 minutes later while sitting at the kitchen table, I noticed my elderly cat, Mr. S., with his head stuck in my purse. I tried to shoo him away from where I was sitting, but he would not budge. I stood and walked closer to him; he pulled his head out of my bag, but wouldn’t move otherwise.

Mr. S then started purring insistently, nudging my purse with his head. Repeatedly.

Immediately I considered the gum. This 17-year-old cat has never been remotely interested in my purse before, so why now? It’s the only thing that’s new in there. I took the gum out and set it on the floor to see what he would do, then S distracted me and soon I was settling her down for a nap upstairs.

I came downstairs later to find Mr. S in the dining room, lying in the sun, purring, and nudging and gnawing at the pack of gum.

I have no idea what makes the gum so attractive to him. I’ve taken it away for now because I don’t want him to be inadvertently harmed by some ingredient.

But now he’s walking around, meowing plaintively for his new love.