Two Kitties and Me
by Playful
I was licking the two kitties I had just given birth to. They seemed fine. They had two ears, four legs, and a tail. I thought they were beautiful; they were not Siamese like me, still they were beautiful black cats. Soon they fell asleep. I had time to relax. I tried to figure out how this had happened. I mean I was in an alley. That wasn’t right! I was a housecat. I had my own beds and shared my human’s bed, too. I ate off a crystal platter that my sweet human served up to me. Now I got my dinner from a garbage can. Sometimes I would find an alley behind a restaurant and a plate with food on it. I could feast then …if there were no other cats around who greedily gobbled it. What had happened to my human? I didn’t understand. One day she’s spoiling me and the next she’s being carried out on a stretcher into some kind of red truck or van. Why was she taken away? I knew she was sick. I could smell something called lung cancer. I didn’t know someone could die from it! This should have been prophetic; I missed the warning. I waited and waited for her to return, but she didn’t. I was so sad. I missed her so much I didn’t eat. Still after two days, I got hungry. I existed on the dry food that my human kept by the stove. She usually gave me a little of that to give me more fiber with my wet food. It was easy to tear the bag open. One sad day, though, all of that changed. Strangers came in and first threw the bag out. I saw them do it as I hid under the bed with a view of the kitchen. I didn’t worry about the food. I just wondered what had happened to my human, my only family. After a couple of days, I wanted food and came out to greet the strangers who kept coming in to throw out other things. I thought they might feed me, like the pet sitter who watched over me one time when my human was mysteriously gone. One of the humans grabbed me and instead of feeding me, I was thrown out like garbage. I landed on my feet - so to speak. I didn’t land on my head or back or ears, but as far as being able to cope…? I wasn’t prepared for this. I was puzzled. Why was I thrown out? I had been a good cat. I always used the litter box and covered after myself. I washed myself after every meal. I was a good cat. My stomach was rumbling and empty. I needed energy. I needed food. The people who came into my human’s and my home hadn’t fed me, so I was hungry still. I had to do something to fend off hunger. I went in search of food. That is how I discovered a restaurant where they put food out on plates in the alley. That also got me “in trouble” or “in the family way.” There was a handsome tuxedo tom there. He was strong and let me eat first. Very unusual for toms, I had been told by my human. After I ate; he ate. I say that his black coat was gleaming and he had powerful muscles. He seemed so nice and we formed an alliance. He helped me learn the ropes of street life. He kept me company until it was time for him to return home. “You have a home?” I meowed to him. “Yes, of course, but I like adventure. Isn’t that why you are here, my beauty?” “Sure…” I said hesitatingly. I guess I was in love and didn’t want him to know of my embarrassing circumstances. He might think I had been a bad cat. This went on for a couple of weeks. Then I didn’t see him anymore. So here I was, with two kitties and no tom to help rear them. Not only that, I was super skinny from lack of proper nutrition and wondered if I’d have enough milk fur my kitties. I had nightmares as I slept. It seems hunger can be felinized and would chase me in these bad dreams. I woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. What would happen to us? What could I do to keep us safe and in food? I didn’t know what to do or where to turn. It was now too late to go up to some stranger’s door and mew for assistance. Instinctively I knew that no human would ever take in a queen with kitties. I was too tired to think about a solution anymore. My thinking would have to wait until the morning. I cuddled my kitties and tried not to think of bad things, but think of how beautiful they were. I fell asleep! I awoke to dawn’s breaking light and my kitties nursing. I still had milk. This day would be ok. Having milk on the kitty’s second day was a good omen. I had no idea how good an omen it would be. I would soon find out. I was just going to leave the box in the alley where I had nested to give birth, when I heard a familiar mew. Distinctly a tom’s mew. My tom. “What do you want?” I asked him hesitatingly. If he thought I was in the mood, he would be sadly mistaken. To my surprise, he said, “I was kept inside and couldn’t get out. I tried to mew to my people but they didn’t understand. I wanted to stand by you. I got out as soon as I had the chance. I am so sorry. Follow me. ..” He said as he turned to look back and realize I need help carrying the kitties. He grabbed one with his mouth around her neck. I took the other one and followed. He led me up to stairs and a porch to a two-story white painted, wood house. I wanted to run and started to. I knew that no humans would ever take in two kitties and me. The tom mewed at the door. It opened after some pitiful mewing on his part. He looked at me to tell me it would be ok. His human, a female, looked at us with the kitties and sized up the situation. “So that’s why you’ve been disappearing. I guess it’s my fault. You were already 6 months old and ready for the operation. So let me see what you have here.” I was trembling, as she looked us over. She smiled and said, “they’re beautiful! Come on inside. We’ll help raise them and find homes for the kitties. Is that OK, Tom?” Before I knew it, I had a plateful of food and saucer of milk. My omen had been right; we’d be taken care of.
|
