Is tagging anything like

stroking the top of my head real hard? When Mom said I'd been tagged by a dog, I asked if it was that dog who was here this afternoon, the one they call Gretchen. The one I practiced my wildcat howl at. No, Mom said, it was another sweet doggie, with curly hair, one named Sophie. Humph. She said this Sophie had some questions I could answer if I feel like it.

1. What breed are you? American Domestic Shorthair. What does it matter? They say all cats are created equal, though I might not totally agree with that.

2. How old are you? My birth was not registered.

3. What is your full name? Maurice Cage.

4. Do you have any nicknames? Mom calls me Mo or Mose, or sometimes "kitty-kitty." I would prefer "Sir," or "Your Honor," but who can argue with his mom?

5. Where do you sleep? On the cleanest item of furniture or linen that I can find. This is usually on top of the big table, or on my mom's pillow. Maybe on the sofa, if it has a freshly washed throw or pillow to snuggle on.

6. What is your favorite thing to do? Wait for Mom to come home from the store, to see if she got it right this time--the right kind of Fancy Feast canned food, that is. Why is such a simple thing so difficult for this woman?

7. What is something unusual or interesting about you? My notched ear. When we first moved to this place, I made the mistake of allowing a dog to get close enough to wound me, and he left a permanent mark.

8. Who is your best friend? Darcy was my best friend. Him I not only tolerated but allowed to get close enough to cuddle, when he wanted to. But Darcy has gone to the West Coast or Rainbow Bridge, one of those far-off places. Mom says I'm her best pal, so that's good enough for me.

9. Did you go to obedience school . . . if so, were you "Top Dog" or did you flunk out? Not applicable. Cats don't obey, they command.

10. Can you do any tricks? I can do anything necessary, like opening doors of the kitchen cabinets; bringing birds and small animals into the house without hurting them, to show Mom; waking Mom up in the morning without scratching her face up too bad; and scaring at least one dog so that she lies down and puts her nose on her paws. At least, that's what she did today.