Copper fleece
The texture of his fur was wondrous. It was a reflection of his exceptionality – cunning and multilayered. Usually it gave him those mischievous traits that people liked so much. In most cases, he got what he wanted because anyone who saw, touched or smelled him could not resist his allure.
The soft hair stood up and formed an especially fluffy carpet over his skin. It accentuated his chubby face, his big button eyes and short ears. With a cunning smile on his face, he appeared mischievous and attentive. People seemed to trust his easygoing nature. They loved it when he darted towards them with large, elegant steps, only to turn away right in front of their shin, and wrap his head and body around their legs. His fur left a scent on their clothes with which he marked possible backers.
For people whose hearts he wanted to win over, he jumped onto their backs from behind as soon as they bent down to pet him. From there, he went to the shoulder, to rub his nose against the person petting him. They loved him for that, and they sometimes had treats for him, in addition to stroking him.
No one could suspect him of ill intentions. Even critical contemporaries and dog lovers trusted him and questioned what they knew about cats at the sight of him. If cats were considered treacherous and disloyal a moment ago, he suddenly reversed those certainties. His cuddly fluff convinced many a doubter.
His exquisite fur was dominated by various shades of orange. A copper shimmer gave him something sublime. A fine, reddish stripe ran along the shining white chest.
However, appearances could be deceiving. His true mood could not be reliably read from his cute look and cuddly shape. He was able to consciously control his appearance and used this ability to manipulate humans and animals, friends and foes. Sometimes he – like other cats – puffed up his fur to increase his profile and feign size that was not there. But sometimes he also puffed up his fur to look cuddly, friendly and gentle. Then, with his rounded form he almost appeared trusting, while he in truth he was calculating and dangerous.
Sometimes, he changed his shape when his mood darkened. His fur lost its shimmer, became dull and dark. He compressed it, appearing angular and agile. The sleek fur emphasized his muscles. His sharp claws were free. His fur was so taut that it clung to his body like a leather sheath, giving him protection from his adversaries’ teeth and paw blows. Then a biting smell spread, numbing all senses. His eyelids closed to slits. The upright pupils were so narrow that their black could only be recognized as a thin line. His posture was crouched and full of tension, demonstrating his immediate readiness to strike first or defend himself. He had no need for any optical illusion, like the flaring of the fur, in order to appear threatening to other animals. He showed himself as he was: threatening.
He hardly lacked self-confidence, especially since he always looked dazzling and extremely well-groomed. His fur repelled all kinds of dirt, because his hair had a surface structure like lotus blossoms, to which nothing stuck. He was never ridiculed because of a dirty or soaked coat. Not even the filth of days long past, which had been rotting in some dark corner, was able to stick to him for more than a brief moment. And if someone else’s spit hit him, he only had to shake briefly and was instantly clean again. It was amazing how little of even the most disgusting dirty work remained as a blemish on his fur. Everything simply rolled off him.
And although it could not matter to him, everyone who tried to sully him had to count on crude resistance. If someone threw dirt at him, his fur became bristly and hard like that of a wild boar. If he was approached, he could suddenly discard his usual apathy. Smaller opponents then inevitably fell victim to him. He pursued them relentlessly and punished them cruelly. Only those who played dead or submitted unconditionally got off. Then, he loosened the claw-grip of his front-paws and refrained from making the opponent the garrote with powerful pushes of his claw-reinforced hind legs. Usually, however, he knew no bounds when it came to silencing his opponents. Only rarely did he reveal himself to be benevolent.
It gave him great pleasure to be condescending. Since he had only little regard left for rodents or weaklings of the like, these had to endure the most. They were equally blinded and outshined by the brightness of his mane what showed them their inferiority with exceeding clarity. He loved his copper shine and knew nothing better than to look at it in the mirror of every water surface.
