My neighbor is hosting a bridal shower for a friend later this month.

So the big question, of course, is will my neighbor's cat tolerate this?

You see, the cat and the bride-to-be have a history.

The bride-to-be has characterized Chloe, the cat, as violent. And it's hard to argue with that assessment.

Once, when my neighbor was out of town, the bride-to-be was carrying Chloe into my neighbor's house when Chloe chomped down on her arm with genuine ferocity. I still wince when I think about it. Chloe's eyes rolled back, like a shark that has administered a kill bite.

There have been other incidents as well.

But there's reason for guarded optimism.

Chloe, an elderly feline, mostly stays in now. But Sunday afternoon, she took a turn in her backyard while my neighbor and the bride-to-be were out there planning the shower. The bride-to-be, a gamer, reached down and hoisted Chloe about an inch off the ground.

Chloe let her live.

The bride-to-be was excited and happy about this apparent rapprochement.

So maybe it's a new day in their relationship.

Or perhaps Chloe is lulling her into a false sense of security.

In any case, I'm sure my neighbor will have plenty of band-aids and antiseptic on hand for the shower, just in case.

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