M is for . . .

Magical Mr. Mistoffelees! In the broadway play Cats, this character is a small, black feline who performs feats of magic and sleight of hand. Wiki

Our Mr. M appeared around about ten years ago, staring soulfully into our house, eliciting outraged shrieks of territorially dismay from our indoor kitty. At first I left him bowls of food and water. I heard tales from the neighbors of his visits to their homes. He looked so distinguished, I didn't believe he was a stray.

Eventually he let me pet him, a bit. Then one day, as I sat on my front porch, he crawled into my lap--all twenty pounds of him. I'm a sucker for fluff, so when winter rolled around, I let him spend most of it in our sunroom. My computer desk is also in this room and whenever I sit to write, Mr. M jumps into my lap.

He may sound sweet, and he is, but he does have his devilish side. Ever once in a while, he bites or scratches me or one of my girls. My eldest saw him capture a mouse the other day and gobble it up, tail and all. She was both fascinated and grossed out. I just hoped he wouldn't ralph up the bones in the house. But that's nature, right? Red in tooth and claw. Or perhaps I should say, black and white.

What magical creatures share your world?