Five minutes later, Hannah was using the treadmill with Moishe walking in front of her. His tail was swishing back and forth and Hannah could tell he was having a wonderful time. On the other hand, she was getting tired even though she’d only been walking for a minute or two. That meant that she was really out of shape and she simply had to find time to use her grand prize every day.

“That’s enough, Moishe,” Hannah said, lowering the speed until the machine stopped.

“Rrowwww!”

Hannah glanced at her feline roommate. There was no doubt in her mind that Moishe was protesting her action. “We’ll do it again tomorrow,” she told him. “I promise. And Michelle will, too. And don’t forget that Michelle works out twice a day. As long as she’s visiting us, you’ll have at least three opportunities to ride on the treadmill every day. And Norman’s bringing Cuddles over for dinner tonight. If you didn’t get enough exercise walking the treadmill, I’m sure you can talk her into playing chase.”

That information seemed to appease Moishe, at least temporarily, and Hannah went off to take her shower. Ten minutes later, she was dressed in clean jeans and a summer top, and sitting in her favorite spot on the couch, drinking the small glass of wine that Michelle had poured for her.

“So how do you like your new exercise machine?” Michelle asked her.

“I like it, at least the treadmill part. It’s the only thing I’ve tried so far. And Moishe obviously loves it.”

Moishe, who was sitting on top of his Kitty Kondo, turned around to regard her solemnly. He was perched on the top tier so that he could peer out the picture window that overlooked the outside staircase, and he was obviously waiting for Norman to arrive with Cuddles.

“Who would have guessed that any cat of mine would turn out to be an exercise buff,” Hannah commented to Michelle. “It’s certainly not behavior that he learned from me!”

Michelle laughed. “Maybe it’s behavior that you’ll learn from him. Exercise makes you feel good, Hannah. It’s fun if you don’t overdo it. You have to set realistic goals, goals that aren’t out of your reach.”

“Four times a week on the treadmill,” Hannah said. “That’s how often I’ll do it. There are some days that I just want to come home and collapse after work. That’s why I won’t say I’ll exercise every day.”

“Exactly right,” Michelle said, smiling at her. And that was when they both heard an excited yowl from Moishe. “Norman must be here.” Michelle got up to look out the window. “I don’t see him yet.”