Dumb-Dumb the cat has become the neighborhood sweetheart. It is common to see little neighborhood children and adults alike stoop to pet him in passing. He often makes the rounds in the evenings, going from door to door in the complex and saying hello through any open doors. I can hear my neighbors say, "Oh, Hello your Dumbness." And hand him any scraps they may have or bend down to pet him. Occasionally, one of our neighbors invites him in to watch the game. I can see him through the open door, lazing about in the neighbors’ lap, having a belly rub, and presumably cheering on the team. The neighbor just laughs when he sees me, shrugs his shoulders and waves.
Our other neighbor hired a contractor to put in a new hardwood floor. When they first showed up to install the flooring, the neighbor told them to be careful because they were being supervised. He pointed to the bushes by his door and said, "There is your supervisor. He will be doing inspections during the day." They all laughed when they saw that he meant Dumb-Dumb, and sure enough, the cat would patrol their construction equipment with a sniff here and a comment there all day long. The workmen would ask his opinion on the job they had done, and he’d just say, "Meow, rawr, rawrow." They seemed to be pleased with his appraisal of their work because he got his melon rubbed. I also suspect that during lunch, he got a significant portion of the one man’s turkey sandwich. When the job was done and they were climbing into their van, they all thanked the neighbor for his business, and then waved to the cat saying, "Bye, Dumb-Dumb. We’ll see you later!" And admonished the neighbor to be sure to take care of ‘that special cat’.
I’ll walk out onto the porch in the morning and evening and call, "Dumb-Dumb. Where are you?" and I’ll hear him "Meow, meow, meow…" all the way home. Very talkative little guy. I’ll hear the neighbors snicker and say things like, "Why did you name him Dumb-Dumb, anyhow?" Told one person his name when she asked, and her response to me was, "Shut up!" I laughed. I have to explain to everyone who asks how he was found abandoned, abused, and so dehydrated and feverish that it cooked his little brain a bit. And, well, he’s a little slow. But he more than makes up for it in the sweetness department.
I cannot understand how anyone could have mistreated such a special little furball. Our son absolutely loves him and the feeling is mutual. He carts Dumb-Dumb around everywhere. Right side up, upside down, sideways, it does not seem to matter. An extremely patient cat, maybe too patient. They play together all day, and the cat never seems to tire of it. Whatever "The Diapered One" is up to, the cat must be involved too. It’s so much fun to watch.