Oliver vs. Horatio: Any Similarities?

"Horatio". He's that fantastic cat character in the Horatio children's books written by Eleanor Clymer and illustrated by Robert Quackenbush. He is an orange-striped, self-centered, middle-aged cat. His owner, Mrs. Casey, lives alone in a little town house surrounded by her pets. Horatio doesn't like the other pets. The bunny rabbit is too messy, the puppy chews things and barks and the little kittens jump on Horatio's tail. He tries to ignore them. Horatio only likes to eat his food out of his "special" bowl --- and it has to be mixed just right. He really likes it when Mrs. Casey just sits in her chair and knits. That way he can sit next to her and sleep. If Mrs. Casey goes away for the weekend, Horatio shows his displeasure by sitting on top of the clothes in her suitcase while she's packing.



Elizabeth pointed out that there are just a few similarities between Horatio and dear little Oliver. Is that fair? Okay, so Oliver is orange-striped, middle-aged and definitely self-centered. But he's a "cat in a million," so why shouldn't he have his own way? Okay, so Oliver lives in a house with ten other cats and still thinks that he's an only pet. Actually, he thinks that he's a little person and the rest are just nuisances. Okay, so he only eats Max Cat chunkies in gravy from his own special green and white bowl. And he only eats them once you've mixed them up for him and placed them on top of the washing machine. Okay, so he's only happy when Mom is sitting at her computer desk, so that he can sleep in his special bed that's up there next to her. Or if it is evening, he sleeps on his special pillow while she watches a movie. And what's so wrong about sitting in the suitcase if it looks like we're going somewhere? Maybe we won't notice and just take him along.



Alright, so he's spoiled rotten, but he is the best cat in the world --- in our opinion. He prances around the house, following us from room to room (hoping that we'll sit down and pay attention to him). He lives for the hour when he gets his special food, and his favorite toy is anything that's been thoroughly coated in catnip. All in all, I don't see any resemblance between Oliver and Horatio, but . . .