A “donut tire” is the miniature spare wheel carried in many cars. It’s good enough to use in an emergency, but it looks funny and you would not want to use it for long.
The cats at my house generally prefer my wife to me. They tend to gather on and around her. Maybe it’s because she’s warmer or because she’s just generally a better person. That first one is true, but I’m not ready to concede the second.
When she’s out of town, the cats gather around me and I feel very popular. When she’s back, they instantly switch back to her.
We’ve decided that, as far as the cats are concerned, my name is “the donut tire.” Good enough to use in an emergency, but it looks funny and you would not want to use it for long.