It Happened to Me

The Cat--Part 1


Our friends invited us to an informal party. The hosts were people we had never met before. When they opened the door to let us in, a beautiful cat ran in ahead of me. I like cats, and I have two cats myself.

After we were inside, I leaned down and asked the cat to come to me. Our hosts asked us to sit down. We all made uneasy conversation for about an hour because when the cat wasn't hanging around me, it was climbing over the chairs, couches and tables. Finally, I told them that their cat seemed to be very friendly with visitors. Their cat? They thought it was ours! They thought that we brought it with us and were impolite enough to let it climb all over everything.

Well, that cat's exit was much faster than its entrance and we had a subject of conversation that relaxed us right away.

Adapted from a first person story by E.M., taken from The Detroit News circa 1980

Comprehension Questions

Did the person who wrote the story know the hosts before he or she went to the party?
1. Yes.
2. Yes, but just a little.
3. No.

Why was the conversation uneasy in the beginning?
1. Because the guests didn't like the cat climbing the furniture.
2. Because the hosts didn't like the cat climbing the furniture.
3. The story doesn't say.
4. Both 1 and 2.

Who was the cat's owner?
1. The hosts of the party.
2. The guests who came to the party.
3. Nobody knows.

When did the hosts and the guests finally relax?
1. After they talked about cats.
2. After they found out the cat didn't belong to any of them and put it outside.
3. After they started to enjoy the dinner.

Link to Part Two