The Cat Who Wanted To Be a Dog
Milo was a sleek, black cat with big green eyes and a long, swishy tail. He lived in a cozy house at the end of a quiet street. But Milo wasn’t happy.
He would sit on the windowsill and watch the neighborhood dogs playing outside.
“They’re so lucky,” Milo sighed. “They get to chase sticks, run in the park, and bark all day! I wish I could be a dog.”
One day, Milo decided to try being a dog. He started with barking. “Woof! Woof!” he practiced in front of the mirror.
But when he tried barking at a squirrel, the other animals just stared at him.
“That’s not how you bark,” said Rusty, the Siberian husky.
Next, Milo decided to dig a hole in the yard like a real dog. He scratched and scratched, but his paws weren’t strong enough to make a dent.
“You’re not very good at this,” giggled Bell, the beagle.
Determined to fit in, Milo tried chasing a stick.
“Throw it, throw it!” he meowed, leaping after the stick that Max, the neighborhood dog, had tossed with a wag of his tail. But Milo wasn’t fast enough, and the stick landed in a puddle.
“Cats aren’t meant to chase sticks,” Max said kindly.
Tired and covered in mud, Milo lay down on the grass.
“I’ll never be a good dog,” he sighed.
Just then, a butterfly fluttered past. Milo’s ears perked up. Without thinking, he pounced and caught it gently between his paws.
Max watched in amazement. “Wow, Milo! No dog could catch a butterfly like that! You’re amazing just the way you are.”
Milo’s whiskers twitched. “Really?”
“Really,” said Max. “Cats are full of amazing talents! You can climb trees like a superhero, and if you ever fall, you land perfectly on your feet—like magic! And that purring sound you make? It’s like a special song only cats can sing. Oh, and at night, your eyes are so sharp you can see things that others can’t. Isn’t that incredible?”
From that day on, Milo stopped trying to be a dog. He climbed trees, chased butterflies, and curled up in the sun.
And whenever he saw a dog, he would smile and wave, each happy to be exactly who they were.
Milo purred as he watched the sunset from his favorite spot on the windowsill.
“Being a cat is pretty great after all,” he thought.
