AFTER having created everything, God spent the seventh day resting with His cat Simone.

The black feline lovingly brushed against His ankles, getting His undivided attention. The cat looked up into His eyes and He adoringly down into hers.

Though Simone — of very independent mind as God intended her — considered herself more her maker’s close companion than His ‘pet’, the feline was such a beautiful and peaceable animal, the creator decided to make her His own special pet.

God had made Simone’s fur a dark black — the color that made Him the most restful. It was the peaceful color of everything before the universe’s beginning, its current chaotic state already somewhat concerning Him.

“Could You please create for me that ‘grooming brush’ idea You mentioned to me earlier?” Simone asked God (by way of her thoughts and trilling).

“Oh, yes,” replied He with a smile, “that item. Here it is, my beloved little friend.” Holding it in His hand, He slowly bent down onto one knee next to Simone.

The cat had already flopped herself down onto one side in the midst of a loud trill, as she’d anticipated God had created yet another great thing, and the brush’s bristles instantly looked very good to the well-furred feline.

God slowly stroked Simone’s glistening coat with the bristles’ smooth rounded tips, which left His four-legged friend experiencing immeasurable jubilation. The cat slowly closed her eyes, leisurely stretching out first her feet, then her paws, and finally with her fingers extending (seemingly all one at a time).

Then, when God paused, the purring Simone gradually opened her eyes and turned them sideways to look up at her gracious ‘host’. God saw it was a good sign that the bristled creation had received the cat’s nonverbal yet ecstatic approval.

As He reached again with the brush, the feline took the initiative by gently nudging her cheek forward into the massaging bristles, her eyes squinted, almost smiling, in absolute pleasure. This action was repeated, again and again and with greater enthusiasm, on her cheeks and side of head, her purring getting louder and more pronounced. Simone lost herself in those blissful bristle strokes.

As they slowly slid across her cheeks, the bristles caused her facial muscles to slightly contract and by extension her whiskers to adoringly move forward.

Smiling wide, God once more observed His little feline friend’s endearing exultant response and knew the sensations felt quite right, with Simone continuing to move each well-whiskered cheek this way and that way to receive the most satisfying full brush stroke effect.

Simone was exhilarated by the bristles sliding along her furred skin. And it wasn’t only on her cheeks; she also experienced ecstasy when groomed on her back and sides, about the ears, under her chin and down along the curve of her neck, and more.

It seemed every part of her — even her tail! — loved that grooming brush in motion. It was heavenly, and she felt she couldn’t have cherished any other sensation more than she did those brought about by the bristles. So much so, in fact, that even a hint of drool became noticeable at the corner of her seemingly smiling mouth.

Beaming, God glanced at His cat to ask (rhetorically, of course, for He knew the brush had performed its magic exceedingly well), “What do you think of my grooming creation, Simone?”

Again laying on her side, eyelids almost closed with every part of her so relaxed, she turned her head just enough to make eye contact with God to trill and let her thoughts be known: “Your brush bristle creation is good, very good.”

God’s heart sang with adulation for Simone and the accomplishment in making such felines an abundant aspect of His universe.

Yet, He knew that cats — especially those of the colour black — would too often be systematically despised and persecuted by Man.