The Cat That Could Perform Tricks

The cat is unusual in that it responds to commands for which it has not received any training or conditioning to recognize.

It is obviously a very intelligent cat, smart as a dog in many respects, and almost as affectionate. 

The cat has been a resident of the house since it was a kitten, just a few months after it was born on a farm in the southern reaches of the state.

From the start the cat exhibited behaviors that were quite uncatlike. It has never been at all finicky about who it shows affection to, and never seems to stop eating. 

At the end of it's first year of residence the cat displayed remarkable climbing skills, and was and still is frequently seen relaxing on the roof of the house. 

The first time the cat was seen on the roof elicited a mild panic from the person most often referred to as the cat's owner, until the cat, when directed by the owner to "get off the roof," did just that - the cat got up, walked over to the edge of the roof, and then jumped to the ground in front of the somewhat amazed man.

Soon it was evident that the cat would do several things when asked. It not only jumps off the roof on command, it also comes when called, stays, plays fetch (especially with a ball of cellophane tape), but also gets up on anything when it is told to jump up - all this without ever once having to be bribed with a morsel of food.

The cat was initially thought to be a Maine Coon by most people, as it was much larger than the other cats in the neighborhood, and much friendlier. However, a neighbor who has spent some time living in Sweden has declared that the cat must be a Norwegian Forest cat, a breed with a remarkable resemblance to the Maine Coon but a bit taller - and the cat is indeed unusually tall. 

Maine Coon or Norwegian Forest, the breed of cat isn't of much importance to the people who share space with the cat, nor, it is assumed, to the cat itself.

The people and the cat enjoy each other's company, and that's all that matters.