The Cat and the Alarm Clock

By Sabina Maxkamova

Posted on June 1, 2025

Cover Image Title: Cat and Clock

Cover Image by: Christina Yan

Classification: Digital Artwork

Specifications: 1640 pixels X 2360 pixels

Year: 2025

Location of Creation: Ontario, Canada

Sam was not a morning person. In fact, mornings were his worst enemy. Every day, his alarm clock rang at exactly 6:30 a.m., and every day Sam hit the snooze button, muttering, "Just five more minutes." This went on for so long that he was often late for work, school, and even his favorite Saturday soccer games.

One day, Sam’s mother came home with a new family member: a playful, orange tabby cat named Mango. Mango was curious about everything. He sniffed Sam’s shoes, climbed on top of the bookshelves, and even tried to drink water from the sink. But what Mango loved most was Sam’s alarm clock.

The first morning Mango heard the alarm, he jumped onto Sam’s bed and stared at the noisy clock. Then, with one swift paw, Mango knocked it off the bedside table. The alarm stopped, and Mango purred in victory. Sam smiled sleepily and thought, What a clever cat.

The next morning, it happened again. Mango attacked the alarm clock as soon as it rang, silencing it before Sam could even reach for the snooze button. Sam grinned, thinking Mango was the perfect excuse to sleep a little longer.

But soon, Mango’s new "hobby" turned into a habit. Every morning, as the alarm rang, Mango would leap into action, pouncing on the clock and knocking it over. Sam started oversleeping more than ever.

One Monday morning, Sam woke up to sunlight streaming through the window. He checked his phone and gasped. It was 9:45 a.m.! He was supposed to be at school by 8:00. He looked down and saw Mango lying on the floor next to the alarm clock, licking his paws as if nothing had happened.

"Mango!" Sam groaned. "You sabotaged me!"

That day, Sam decided he needed a solution. He placed the alarm clock on the highest shelf in his room, far out of Mango’s reach. "Let’s see you stop me now," he said, wagging a finger at the cat.

The next morning, the alarm blared at 6:30. Mango, determined as ever, climbed onto Sam’s desk, leaped to the dresser, and stretched up toward the shelf. Sam watched in disbelief as Mango knocked the alarm clock off its new spot, silencing it once again.

By now, Sam had had enough. He sat on his bed, staring at the broken clock and the smug cat. That’s when it hit him: The problem isn’t Mango. It’s me.

From that day on, Sam made a promise to himself. He would wake up as soon as the alarm rang, no matter how tired he felt. And just in case, he put the alarm clock in the hallway—far away from both his bed, and Mango.

To his surprise, waking up early wasn’t as hard as he thought. He had more time for breakfast, finished his homework on time, and even made it to soccer practice early.

As for Mango? He had found a new "toy": Sam’s shoelaces.

The lesson? Sometimes life gives you a "Mango" as a reminder that change starts with you. And no matter how much you love that extra five minutes, success comes to those who stop hitting the snooze button—literally, and figuratively.

[ Writing Editor: Arya Varma. ]