Gary and Morris Bring Home a Christmas Tree and a New Friend

It was early December, and Marjorie had just started getting The Foundation ready for the holidays. She had Christmas music playing on the radio and was humming along to Jingle Bell Rock as she put up decorations.

Gary and Morris, naturally, were following their human as she did something new and interesting.

“She seems really happy,” said Morris.

“Why do you think that is?” asked Gary.

“Could it be Christmas?” asked Morris.

“I think that’d be a safe bet, buddy,” Gary replied.

Morris walked over to grab a bite of food from the kitchen, and Gary stayed behind in a very comfy chair.

“Little Gary!” said Marjorie. “You and Morris have been such good kitties this year. I am going to take you along with me to find our Christmas tree!”

Gary couldn’t believe it. He was thrilled. A trip outside the house with Mom? That she planned? And didn’t involve her running into Gary and Morris while out somewhere and having to cart them home?

“Morris! Get over here!” he shouted.

Morris wiped his face, then snuck in a quick drink of water before running over.

“What’s the deal?” he asked.

“Mom wants to take us to get a Christmas tree this year!” replied Gary.

“What? Really?” Morris couldn’t believe it.

“We are going to Doug Fir’s Pine Tree-a-Tarium down the highway,” Marjorie said as she hung a wreath in the living room. “This year, I want to get a real big tree!”

The cats were very excited. They were going to go in the car all the way down the highway!

“While cars aren’t my favourite method of travel, I feel honoured,” said Gary. “Nobody has ever invited me out to buy a tree before.”

“Oh, be quiet,” Morris laughed.

“You’re just jealous I’m so well-spoken,” Gary said sarcastically.

“Well, I’m the better-looking one,” Morris replied.

Gary laughed, and the two chatted for a bit while Marjorie finished putting up some more decorations.

Just as she mounted the last wreath, Marjorie called out, “Boys! Time to go! Let’s get ready!”

Gary and Morris jumped up and ran over to the front door, where Marjorie was putting on her coat.

“Okay, fellas. If you two can handle yourselves on this trip, there might be more of them in your future,” she said. “Off we go!”

Marjorie lifted Gary and Morris up in each of her arms and walked out to the car with them. It was already nice and warm from the remote start.

“As much as I hate cars,” said Gary. “This one is pretty darn comfortable.”

Morris laughed and agreed. He then stood up on the armrest and accidentally started rolling down the window.

“Morris! My goodness!” Marjorie said as she rolled the window back up and clicked on the child lock from the front seat.

“All cats must remain in the vehicle during travel,” Gary said with a grin. “At least you’re good-looking, right?”

Morris laughed sheepishly.

Marjorie put the car in reverse, backed down the drive and onto the main road, then started heading to Doug Fir’s Pine Tree-a-Tarium.

“It’s nice of you two to come with me this year,” she said. “Normally I bring a friend, but everyone was busy today and I wanted to get a jumpstart on things.”

Gary was curled up in the front seat while Morris sat in the back. 

“You two are very special to me,” she continued. “I feel like I can trust you more than any other cat back at The Foundation. You don’t run away and you’re usually on your best behaviour!”

Gary curled up next to Marjorie on the front seat and started purring.

They drove for about 15 minutes that way, until a large property filled with Christmas trees appeared before them. There were people everywhere – families, couples, young kids. It was a happening place!

Marjorie found a parking spot close to the entrance, and then she and the two cats hopped out.

“Alright, boys, stay close to me,” she said. “It’s busy in there!”

Gary and Morris rubbed up against her legs as she grabbed her purse from the car.

“Okay. I have my bag; do I have my keys? Yes! Off we go!”

The looks on people’s faces, as she walked in with two well-behaved kitties next to her, were priceless.

“Mom! Look!” said more than one of the kids wandering around.

“Oh my!” said more.

“Marjorie! How are ya?!” came a booming voice.

“Douglas!” she replied. “I am just lovely, how are you?”

“Well, I’m well,” he said with a chuckle. “Just another day in paradise. A very cold paradise, mind you.”

Marjorie laughed.

“What brings you here today?” he asked.

“Well, I can’t imagine, can you?” she said jokingly.

“You wouldn’t happen to be looking for a Christmas tree, would you?”

The two joked back and forth for a while, until Majorie stopped to introduce Gary and Morris.

“Doug, these are my two special kitties, Gary and Morris.”

“What kitties?” Doug replied.

“What do you mean? These two right behind me…”

Marjorie looked behind her. They were gone!

“Oh no. I knew this was a bad idea,” she said. “I just wanted to give them a special treat and a little more freedom.”

Marjorie and Doug immediately started looking for the boys and calling their names.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the property, Gary and Morris had followed another woman of similar height and jacket, thinking it was Marjorie the whole time. She was making her way through the rows of trees, carefully examining them one by one.

“Jeez,” said Gary. “I didn’t know Mom was such a stickler when it came to choosing a tree.”

“You’re telling me,” Morris replied. “I’m going to try and remind her we are here, too!”

Morris went up to her and rubbed up against her legs, then let out a meow.

The woman, not expecting a cat to be there, was startled and shrieked out loud in fright. Morris jumped about five feet into the air, then took off towards Gary, who was laughing so hard he was crying.

Marjorie and Doug overheard the woman’s scream, looked at each other, then ran towards the noise, thinking it might be a good lead on where the boys were. Unfortunately, however, by the time they got there, Gary and Morris had already moved on.

A few rows over, the cats were walking and talking.

“Where do you think Mommy is?” Morris asked. “I hope she didn’t leave!”

“She wouldn’t leave us,” said Gary. “She’s probably looking for us!”

The cats wandered up and down the different rows of trees, without realizing Marjorie and Doug were only a few rows behind them, doing the same thing.

Gary and Morris sauntered on, periodically meowing out to see if Marjorie could hear them, and had made their way through roughly half the property when something strange happened.

Gary let out a meow to try to alert Marjorie, then he got a tiny little mew back.

“What was that?” said Morris.

“Was that a little baby?” asked Gary.

“Sure sounded like it,” Morris replied. “I’ll meow this time.”

Morris let out a loud meow and almost immediately heard a pitiful little whimper back.

“This way!” he exclaimed.

The cats ran towards the sound and under some branches where they found a tiny little kitten shivering and whimpering in the cold. He had been hiding under one of the trees.

“Oh, my goodness!” said Gary. “Are you okay?”

“I’m very cold,” said the kitten.

“Let’s warm you up, buddy,” said Morris.

The two cats wrapped themselves around the frozen little kitty.

“How’d you end up here?” asked Morris.

“Some humans left me here,” he replied. “I guess they thought someone would find me, but I am too afraid to go out there.”

“That’s terrible,” said Gary. “We got separated from our mom when we got here, but we know she is looking for us. She is the best!”

The kitten looked tired and hungry, too.

“Do you know if your human is still here?” asked Gary.

“I don’t think so,” said the kitten. “I slept under this tree last night.”

Gary and Morris were furious at the idea that someone could leave a baby like that out in the cold.

“We need to get him some help!” said Morris.

Gary nodded and said, “For now, let’s just warm him up.”

The cats sat there wrapped around the kitten, chatting back and forth and trying to make him feel better. After about ten minutes had passed, they started to hear a faint, but familiar voice. It was Marjorie!

“Boys! Gary! Morris! Where are you?!”

Gary, Morris, and the kitten all stood up and started meowing loudly, trying to let her know where they were.

Marjorie’s voice got louder and louder as she drew closer, then, suddenly, a giant glove of a hand reached under the tree branches and lifted them up. It was Doug!

“Hello, little fellas!” he said. Then he paused for a second and looked back towards Marjorie. “Did you say you only had two cats with you?”

“Yes, Gary and Morris!”

“Well, there is a third little one here,” said Doug.

Marjorie’s face now appeared.

“Oh no! Look at you, you poor little thing!” she said as she made eye contact with the kitten.

Doug scooped the baby up in his giant hands and passed him over to Marjorie. She cradled the kitten, rubbed her face against it, and gave him lots of kisses on the forehead. The little guy was mewing as hard as he could. You could tell he was both scared and excited by the whole situation.

“Whose kitty are you?” Marjorie asked while cradling him in her arms. “Where did you come from?”

Doug came over and gave him some pets on the head.

“You know, your two boys may have saved his life,” he said. “That little guy might’ve gone unnoticed.”

Marjorie looked down at Gary and Morris and smiled.

“I’m so glad I brought you today.”

She then told Doug to grab the tree they found the kitten under and have one of his employees tie it to the roof of the car.

“This one is special,” she said, pointing to the tree, then staring down at the kitten.

Back at the barn, Marjorie paid Doug for the tree, then they made a few announcements over the loudspeaker about the kitten.

A few people and their kids came by to see him, but nobody claimed him, and he was too young for a tattoo in his ear.

“This poor little cat,” said Marjorie. “People can be so cruel.”

“I agree,” said Doug. “I’d take him, but we have four dogs and that’d be a tough life for him.”

“I know,” said Marjorie. “It just breaks my heart. How are we supposed to find his family?”

“I think he found his,” said Doug.

Marjorie looked down at the baby kitty who had started to fall asleep in her jacket.

“Thanks, Doug,” she said.

“Thank you, Marjorie. Merry Christmas!” he replied.

Marjorie, Gary and Morris all walked back to the car with the little baby in her jacket. Once inside, Marjorie put him on the seat next to her, and Gary and Morris curled up next to him. The heat was on full blast, and everything just felt right.

After a very slow and careful drive home, the car pulled into the driveway, and Marjorie slid it into park. She looked down at the kitten surrounded by Gary and Morris.

“Boy, are you a lucky little guy,” she said. “Wait a minute… I’ll call you Lucky! That’s perfect!”

As she got out of the car, Bill walked up to help unload the tree and saw the kitten in the front seat.

“Is he okay?” he asked.

“He is now,” said Marjorie, as she scooped him up in her hands to take him inside.

Gary and Morris followed her back in and then ran over and curled up in their favourite spot near the window.

Once her boots were off, Marjorie gave the little guy some wet food and water, and when he was done eating, she came by to lay the kitten down between Gary and Morris.

“Here he is, boys. Your new buddy. You saved his life; did you know that?”

Gary and Morris looked at each other, then pulled Lucky in close, and the three of them fell asleep purring.