sublet cats
I am no stranger to the free beauty that is a sublet cat. it’s lovely getting all the perks of a loving pet without the commitment. that’s what makes a sublet itself so interesting. borrowing someone else’s home, seeing the most intimate parts of a life separate from its owner. what tomato-based lunches stained this tupperware? did they ever confront our housemate about leaving pee on the seat? ..and should I?
my first sublet here was a house of girls. two nurses, 24 and 25, and a chunky outdoor cat named Tony. he is lovely and just my type of man- completely indifferent to my existence. he came in for food, tolerated two pats and waited at the door to go back out. he fought with some neighbor cat. he was a free man.
I couldn’t have gotten luckier with my introduction to Australia. although the house was colder inside than out (terrible insulation is common here), the kindness of my housemates got me through winter. kitchen cultures were meshed- they tried to make me “white people tacos” and I introduced them to salsa verde. Mexican ingredients are actually quite rare. I accidentally spent $20 on a big pack of corn tortillas (yeah, worth it). but I feel that the friendships made in that house on York Street won’t end in Australia, which is more than I could have ever asked for.
the second sublet I’ve entered is an entirely different experience. 3 boy housemates (33 and two are 28) and a little girl cat named Gato. she is so sweet and small. you can pick her up with one hand. she is infinitely more affectionate than Tony ever will be— girlhood is so special.
it is interesting how the housemate/cat gender dynamics have reversed. my first impressions of this sublet were “uh oh frat house…” I mean, there’s a giant pool table in the living room and my bed is illuminated underneath with colored LED strips. but I’ve gotten to know the boys and they are very kind. one of them is from Mexico, so I can’t count on him to feed me hard shell tacos, but he’s an incredible cook.
living in an all-boy house is kinda weird. we get along but the friendship aspect is less implied. and that’s a bit freeing. one of them made pizzas for everyone and put on a scary movie. another came in when I was watching a show in the dark just to say I looked tired. the third told me not to worry about getting the step-stool to put the dishes away, he got it. definitely different from going on walks and dancing in the kitchen together.
the area is nice too, pretty suburban but the parks are gorgeous. I’m moving out end of October & am hoping for a bit more stability in my next place. getting to live with a cat has been my sign that I am moving in the right direction. next cat TBD.
bonus: Clarence, my roommate’s dog. he barks at other dogs on TV and apparently despises horses on screen. most things on 4 legs get flagged for him.
