CHICAGO—As she fielded seemingly innocuous questions about her work schedule and childhood history with pets, local woman Daphne Horschel appeared oblivious to the fact that her neighbor, Brooks Tiller, was carefully grooming her for cat-sitting, apartment sources confirmed Monday. “You work from home, right? It must be nice having that flexibility,” Tiller said to Horschel, who reportedly had no idea their polite banter and a recent invitation to a dinner party were all steps in a clandestine vetting procedure being carried out to determine if she would be a willing and reliable cat-sitter. “Uh-oh, look who came out to say hello. Snuggles is usually pretty shy, so he must really like you!” At press time, reports indicated Horschel had thanked Tiller for a plate of baked goods that were part of an elaborate stratagem designed to build just enough goodwill so that she would feel obligated to take care of his cat next weekend.

Advertisement