"--Don't you know talking cats don't exist!?"

"I mean, if you think about it, I’m here as far as you’re concerned. You can see me and touch me, right? Well what more is there to it? I mean lets face it, I’m real if you can hear me talking. If I wasn’t real, would you really be able to hear the sound of nothing? I don’t think nothing is very loud. I think nothing tends to be a rather quiet one.

"But none of this matters. The point is, here I am, in your mind or in reality--of which there is no difference!--and I won’t go away or leave you alone until you play with me. So what’d ya say?"

Joe spun around. He hollered at the cat, "I say you. . .you!--," he loosened and sighed. "Alright," he said. But really, he had no idea what he was in for or why or how any of this was happening.

The cat laughed. "Well you really had no other choice. Now, what shall we do?"

Joe looked at the cat with a defeated expression on his face. He sighed and narrowed his eyes at the cat.

"You know of course I mean what will we do for fun? I mean we’re playing now, so what shall we do?"

Once again, no reply.

The cat was walking around him flicking his tail and speaking with great enthusiasm. "Well that’s alright, I’m sure I can think of something. I just thought you’d want to have some sort of say in it. Afterall--"

The interruption was sudden and mildly fierce. "And why should I care about having any say in it? You dragged me out here and you wanted to play! I don’t even know what it is you want with me!?"

Joe was waving his arms in the air in angst. The cat replied confusedly, "Well I thought it was clear I wanted to play."

"Oh, right, right," said the businessman in a gruff voice. "Well it all makes perfect sense now."

"Well good."

Joe looked at the cat with disgusted disbelief. He wondered, did the wretched little beast really not know he was being sarcastic? It looked so sincere.

"Well shall we get started?" Asked the cat.

"What?"

"You know, with play."

"What do you mean?" Shouted Joe. He clenched his fists and snarled.

"I thought you knew."

"Knew what!?"

"What I was here for. Well you said it made perfect sense."

At that point Joe‘s ears began to stand up straight. He started walking threateningly towards the cat. "Look cat!" He said, "I don’t have time for this! I am a businessman! I’ve got things to do! Why don’t you buzz off and stop wasting my time!"

The cat began to back away slowly. "Because-like I said-I want someone to play with, it’d be good for you too. And remember all that stuff about the possibility of you imagining all this? That too. It’d do you good to play with your hallucination."

"You are crazy!" Joe hissed. He pointed accusingly at the cat, still driving it backwards. "You are insane! You should be committed!"

"Me? Hey I’m not the one who’s seeing talking cats."

Joe growled and thrust himself towards the scrawny beast in front of him. He grabbed onto its neck and started squeezing. They tumbled down onto the ground and kept struggling; biting, scratching, kicking and pawing. Much to Joe’s surprise, the tiny feline put up an excellent fight.