The Small Black Cat
A couple of mornings ago, I got up early and went for a run and when I got home decided to jump in the pool for a nice cool down. When I got out there, there was this small black cat sitting by the pool. I said hello, but she was a bit skittish and ran off. A few hours later I noticed her outside of my apartment…
A friend of mine had given me four cinder blocks and some boards that are kind of acting as a bench, until I actually do something with them. The cinder blocks are all in a line with a bout two inches in between, so it makes a tunnel with some small gaps…that’s where the cat was chillin’, inside the cinder block tunnel. Again I said hello, I touched her tail a bit, as it was sticking out one of the cracks, but she let out a very soft nervous hiss, so I left her alone. She stayed there, at my apartment, in those cinder blocks for two days. I’m sure she came and went, but that’s where I continued to see her. Yesterday morning I thought about giving her some food, but I am so constantly strapped for cash, and already have two dogs to care for, that I told myself “No Megan, you cannot afford another animal…she is on her path, just takin’ a rest at your place.” and I left for work.
Last night when I got home, I heard a knock at the door, it was my neighbor Tim. “Do you have a cat?” he asked me with a worried look in his eye. “No” I said “but there has been this little black cat hanging around my place for the last couple days.” He went on to tell me how his really sweet and goofy dog, Jake, had got into a bit of a scuffle with the cat. There was some hissing, and some scratching of the face, then as the cat darted to get away, Jake lunged in the air, slipping out of his collar, and in an instant took the whole mid section of the cat in his mouth and chomped! The cat was stunned and never really moved again. Tim was so freaked out, he called animal emergency, took her to the vet, but by that time she was gone. The vet told him that she was a catch and release stray cat, she had the notch taken out of her ear for identification purposes.
I was not shocked, nor heavily saddened by the story, which struck me as odd, because even if it was only a brief connection, there had been one created between me and this cat. I more felt a comfortable sense of relief for her. It all seemed strangely fateful…
I am glad that her last few days were spent on a loving doorstep, and that I had the chance to offer some kind energy. It was her time I suppose…though very strange. My heart does go out to the sweet thing. May this hard life she has been living be behind her and on to something sweeter. Xo Small Black Cat
