It's like this, cat

A teenage boy in New York City adopts a stray tom and tells of a sequence of everyday episodes that mark his movement from childhood toward adolescence. He navigates frequent clashes with a boisterous father and a cautious, asthmatic mother while finding solace and unconventional mentorship with a solitary neighbor who cares for many cats. Through street adventures, family tensions, chores, and small moral tests, the narrator learns responsibility, loyalty, and how friendships and ordinary choices shape personal independence. The episodic, observant voice blends humor with quietly serious reflections on growing up in an urban environment.