This is a Buddy Hackett joke, one of his clean ones.
A man who really loved his cat had to go to England on business. Since he had no children, his cat was worth the world to him. So he asked his brother to keep the cat. "You know how much this cat means to me, so take good care of him."
After a long trip he finally got into his hotel room, and called his brother. "How's my cat?"
"Oh, the cat's dead."
The man was in shock. He hung up and then got furious at his brother's casual attitude. He called him right back and said,"You could have been kinder about the news. You could have broken it to me gently. First you could have said "The cat's on the roof and the firemen are having trouble getting it down." The next day you could have told me the cat was suffering from exposure. Then, finally you could have said, "I'm sorry; your cat died."
The brother thought it over and said, "You're right. I could have been more diplomatic. I'm really sorry."
"O.K., what's done is done. By the way, how's mother?"
After thinking for a few moments the brother answered, "Well----Mother's on the roof........."
A man who really loved his cat had to go to England on business. Since he had no children, his cat was worth the world to him. So he asked his brother to keep the cat. "You know how much this cat means to me, so take good care of him."
After a long trip he finally got into his hotel room, and called his brother. "How's my cat?"
"Oh, the cat's dead."
The man was in shock. He hung up and then got furious at his brother's casual attitude. He called him right back and said,"You could have been kinder about the news. You could have broken it to me gently. First you could have said "The cat's on the roof and the firemen are having trouble getting it down." The next day you could have told me the cat was suffering from exposure. Then, finally you could have said, "I'm sorry; your cat died."
The brother thought it over and said, "You're right. I could have been more diplomatic. I'm really sorry."
"O.K., what's done is done. By the way, how's mother?"
After thinking for a few moments the brother answered, "Well----Mother's on the roof........."