It was a sunny afternoon when Spot, Dot, and Blot landed in a quiet backyard on Earth. Spot stretched his metal legs, Dot fluttered her shiny wings, and Blot adjusted his sleek fins, even though there wasn’t any water nearby. “This place smells… interesting,” said Spot, his sensors twitching. “What’s that sound?” They all turned to see a fluffy orange cat lounging under a tree, purring softly. “Hello, Earth creature!” said Dot, hovering closer. “What are you?” The cat opened one eye and yawned. “I’m a cat, obviously,” he said lazily. “Name’s Marmalade. Who are you three?” “I’m Spot, these are my friends Dot and Blot. We’ve come to Earth to learn!” Spot said, stepping forward. “May we ask you some questions about… cats?” Marmalade stretched his paws. “Sure. But you’ll have to keep up. I’ve got important cat business to attend to.” The three robots exchanged curious glances. “What kind of business?” asked Blot. “You’ll see,” Marmalade said with a sly grin. Marmalade led them to the garden fence. On the way, he explained, “We cats are excellent hunters. Watch and learn.” He crouched low, his tail swishing as he stared at a butterfly fluttering nearby. Spot’s eyes widened. “What are you doing?” “Shhh!” Marmalade whispered. “This is how you stalk your prey.” Dot tilted her head. “But why would you catch a butterfly? They’re so pretty!” “It’s not about catching it,” Marmalade replied, pouncing forward. The butterfly flitted away, and Marmalade gave a triumphant leap. “It’s about the fun!” The robots giggled. Spot tried crouching like Marmalade but toppled over. “Hunting is harder than it looks,” he said. Next, Marmalade took them to a sunny patch of grass. He plopped down and started grooming himself. “What are you doing now?” Blot asked, his fins whirring in curiosity. “Cleaning, of course,” Marmalade replied between licks. “Cats are very clean animals. It’s important to keep our fur tidy.” Dot fluttered her wings. “But why use your tongue? Don’t you have soap?” Marmalade chuckled. “Who needs soap when you’ve got a tongue as efficient as mine?” Blot tried to copy Marmalade, sticking out his metallic fin and pretending to “lick” it. “Does this make me cleaner?” he asked. “Not quite,” Marmalade laughed. “But it’s a good effort.” Finally, Marmalade led them inside the house through an open window. They found a cozy living room where a small child was sitting on the couch. Marmalade jumped onto the child’s lap and started purring. “What’s happening now?” Spot asked, tilting his head. “This,” Marmalade said, “is the art of being loved. Humans adore us cats. They pet us, feed us, and even let us nap wherever we want.” The child scratched behind Marmalade’s ears, and his purring grew louder. Blot’s sensors picked up the vibrations. “Your purring is fascinating! What does it mean?” “It means I’m happy,” Marmalade said, closing his eyes. “It’s our way of communicating with humans. They love it.” Dot hovered closer. “May I try purring?” She emitted a soft humming sound, and the child giggled. “I think you’re onto something, Dot,” Marmalade said with a wink. As the sun began to set, Marmalade stretched and hopped off the couch. “Well, robots, that’s the basics of being a cat. Hunting, cleaning, and enjoying the love of humans.” “Thank you, Marmalade,” Spot said. “You’ve taught us so much!”
