Leonard (My Life as a Cat)

For the last 300 years, Leonard has dreamed of going to Earth. He romanticizes ordinary Earthly experiences, like having hands and holding an umbrella. Aliens of his species get to go to Earth for a month and live as a creature in order to expand their minds and gather data. Leonard loves the human capacity for art and delight and chooses to be a human. He thinks about it for 50 years, deciding to be a National Park Ranger at Yellowstone. He practices telling jokes as humans do but doesn’t fully understand humor. He separates from the hive mind of his species and feels alone for the first time. 

He hitches onto a beam of light and heads for Earth. He is so distracted practicing his jokes that he accidentally goes the wrong way and turns into a cat instead of a human. He is amazed by the feeling of having a body but feels underprepared to be a cat. He begins to recognize his cat instincts. He can feel a storm coming. He begins to smell the scents of Earth. The storm hits and floodwaters rise around the tree.

An 11-year-old girl in a rowboat comes to save him, claiming to be a girl scout. He tries to greet her but can’t figure out how to talk. She encourages him to jump, but he falls out of the tree into the water.

Leonard struggles underwater, feeling panic for the first time even though he is immortal. The girl rescues him from the water. He is immediately entranced by her human appearance. She tells him that she isn’t a girl scout anymore. They row back to a house, where Leonard learns the girl’s name: Olive. 

Olive’s grandmother, Norma, yells at her for going out in the dangerous storm. Olive holds Leonard close and takes him inside. He trembles thinking about his mistake and how he cannot rely on his plan. He likes Olive’s daisy barrettes and believes she must be a flower enthusiast. 

Leonard realizes he landed in Hilton Head, North Carolina, nowhere near Yellowstone. Due to Earth’s atmosphere, it requires all of Leonard’s alien species to pick him up to bring him home. His species is coming to Yellowstone in exactly a month, and if Leonard isn’t there, he will be stuck on Earth. In a “fit of utter devastation” (24), he destroys the curtains.

Leonard does not know how to be a cat and acts on instinct. He feels better as he destroys the curtains. Olive scratches behind his ears and he relaxes. Olive and Norma wonder if someone has abandoned Leonard. Olive looks in Leonard’s eyes and assures him that she will be there for him.

Leonard learns about how cats are often rescued from trees. Olive makes a bed for Leonard in her room. Leonard wonders how cats ordinarily communicate with humans. Olive tells Leonard about Norma and her past running a shrimp boat. Usually, Olive only sees her a few times a year, but this time she is staying with Norma all summer. Olive’s dad died when she was little and now her mom has a new boyfriend, Frank, who gives speeches as a life coach. Olive suspects Frank doesn’t want her around. Soon she may have to move to California with Frank and start over. Olive names Leonard after her great grandfather.

Leonard is unsure of his body. He finds it amazing, yet unsightly and small. He doesn’t understand why people waste their time sleeping. He explores the house and discovers a pile of mail. He reads a letter from Olive’s mom from California. Leonard feels jealous of the love Olive’s mom has for her and wishes to experience love. He misses home and feels tired for the first time.

Leonard dreams for the first time. In the morning, he hears a radio broadcast and learns he is in South Carolina. Leonard meets Stanley, Olive’s big, fluffy dog. Stanley looks at Leonard, communicating with only his eyes. Leonard meows back at him and the dog licks him. Stanley offers to keep Leonard’s secret about destroying the mail. Leonard tries to tell Stanley a joke, but it doesn’t go over well. Outside the ocean has receded. 

Olive comes looking for Leonard and he feels bad about slinking off during the night. They eat breakfast and watch TV. Leonard is mystified by commercials and the many varieties of cereal. Norma asks Olive what she wants to do during the summer. Olive had hoped to help her friend Hazel with goats and horses, but here in Hilton Head, there’s mostly marine life. Leonard is embarrassed that he doesn’t know how to eat. He studies Olive and tries to eat, choking on his food. He tries again and feels like Olive is cheering him on.

Leonard is grateful that Olive doesn’t get mad at him for shredding the mail. Norma gets a call that she is needed at the aquarium and brings Olive along. Leonard sneaks into her backpack. Leonard wants to see people on the bus but feels stuck in the backpack. It grows hot in there and Leonard claws his way out, landing in the middle of the bus aisle. Leonard imagines he is performing a scene from an alien movie trope, arriving with shock and mystery. The bus driver asks them to leave the bus. 

Olive asks Norma if she can keep Leonard for real. Norma isn’t sure that Frank would like that. Olive carries Leonard as they walk the last stretch to the aquarium.

Leonard isn’t supposed to trust humans or allow them to discover his alien identity. Leonard believes that people are good.

At the aquarium, Olive, Norma, and Leonard meet Q, an employee. Leonard is amazed by the aquarium and the creatures in the brilliant, blue tanks. Q makes jokes about the aquarium and shows Olive creatures they have saved and rehabilitated, including two huge sharks. Leonard feels safe with Olive. 

Q asks Olive if she would be willing to help out at the aquarium during the summer. Olive isn’t sure; Frank told her she isn’t good at talking to people. Q pretends to talk to the fish and tells Olive that the fish think she is a great conversationalist. Leonard bops his nose on the glass and feels pain. He worries that, somehow, he has lost his immortality.