Stray Cats Part 1
![image](../../Assets/images/P0801x460/825FredCats.jpg)
Fred: OK. I'm Fred from Canada and it's a pleasure to be here.
Katia: Hello. I am Katerina. I'm from Mexico and I'm also very glad to be here.
Todd: Thanks guys. And then, I'm Todd. I'm from the U.S. Now for the listeners, we all live really close to each other and we live in a neighborhood, where I guess, all of our houses are probably within two or three minutes of each other.
Katia: Very close.
Todd: So, we thought we would talk about the neighborhood, and the first topic would be the stray cats.
Katia: Which are also are neighbors.
Todd: Right. First of all, how many stray cats do you think there are in the neighborhood?
Katia: At least at night, you see them all together, especially in one corner, and I see at least about six cats, at least, all together.
Fred: I would say much more than that.
Todd: Yeah, I would too actually. How many do you think?
Fred: I would go for maybe twenty of those around the neighborhood.
Katia: But this is just one corner.
Fred: OK, just one corner, so multiplied by four or five corners, yeah, twenty, twenty-five cats.
Todd: OK, so then, what do you guys think about the cats? Like should something be done about the cats? Should the people feed the cats?
Katia: I think especially for a lot of the elderly people that live here, I think for them it's very nice to have the cats around and they feed them and I think as long as they don't go into the trash, I think it's OK, but for me, I haven't seen any trash, and I don't think it would be a problem.
Todd: Well, you know, they break into my house. I don't know if they break into yours, but they're amazing. If I don't lock the windows, the sliding glass doors they pull the door open with their paw and they come in and they look through my trash and then they leave.
Fred: Those are very clever cats.
Todd: Yeah, I thought it was a raccoon. I thought I had a raccoon, and I went to talk to my landlady, and she's like, "No, that's just the cats."
Katia: I think you were just not feeding them.
Todd: Well, yeah, I guess that's it. Like, they're so hungry that they break into people's houses for food.
Katia: OK, I don't have that problem. I live on the third floor.
Todd: Oh, really.
Katia: So, maybe that's why.
Todd: Right.
Fred: I don't have that problem either, although I do live in a house similar to yours, Todd, where we live on the first floor and there is a lot of stray cats around the neighborhood but I've never had any problems of them breaking into the house.
Todd: Yeah, I don't know. They're pretty amazing. Like, I did not even know that cat's could break into a house, but they can.
Katia: Very smart cats.
Todd: Yeah. Or very hungry cats, as you said.
Katia: Or friendly cats. They want to visit.
Todd: Yeah, right.
stray cats
![image](../../Assets/notes/N0801/825-1-stray-cats-99.jpg)
The first topic is stray cats
A 'stray' animal or pet has no home and lives on the street. Notice the following:
- Stray dogs are a big problem in my city.
- There's a center for stray animals in my town.
this is just one corner
![image](../../Assets/notes/N0801/825-2-this-is-just-one-corner-99.jpg)
This is just one corner multiplied by twenty-five.
When we talk about only one of many, we use the term 'this is just one'. Notice the following:
- This is just one cat of hundreds.
- This is just one of many possible solutions.
nice to have around
![image](../../Assets/notes/N0801/825-3-nice-to-have-around-99.jpg)
It's nice to have cats around.
When people or pets are 'nice to have around,' that means we enjoy being together with them. Notice the following:
- I like having you around.
- It's nice to have the family around for special holidays.
landlady
![image](../../Assets/notes/N0801/825-4-landlady-99.jpg)
I talked to my landlady.
A 'landlady' is a woman who owns the house, condo or apartment we rent. Notice the following:
- She's been a landlady for over 50 years.
- My landlady is very strict about the late payments.
I've never had any problems
![image](../../Assets/notes/N0801/825-5-Ive-never-had-any-problems-99.jpg)
I've never had any problems of them.
We use the phrase 'I've never had any problems' with someone or something when our experience has always been positive. Notice the following:
- I've never had any problems with him at work.
- Others are unhappy, but I've never had any problems.
Vocabulary Quiz
landlady • any problems