With a sharp hiss and a demonstrative display of fangs, this recalcitrant quadruped defends her intrusion into what she presumes to be an extended journey of cooperation. Felis Stowawayis, known to natives as the North American Travel Cat, parasitically embeds herself in the external habiliment pouch of one Humanus Worktripus, an exhausted and dispirited biped who does not share his furry freeloader’s enthusiasm for a joint sojourn.

With attempt after attempt to extract his would-be travel partner from this nylon portmanteau, Humanus Worktripus grows increasingly frustrated, opting instead to hurriedly stash his needed accoutrements around her. Eventually, the weary anthropoid will face a crucial decision — either forcibly eject the determined symbiont, or allow her to travel with him.

There is a third, albeit less practical solution: Humanus Worktripus could resign his occupational position, forgo his planned excursion and simply stay home with his four-legged companion — an option he’s preferred all along. Unfortunately for the beleaguered biped, his current lifestyle requires a bi-weekly monetary infusion, so he will just have to suck it up and attend that damn convention in Omaha.