Saturday, May. 16, 2009 - 8:56 p.m.
Dinner Guest ************** Some time ago before the Red Cat era I semi owned a feral kitten a lovely silver colour just a few months old who was very wild Somehow he was living in my yard all on his own I would catch glimpses of him as he ran between bushes or I would find his tracks on the early morning dewy lawn Sometimes I would see him catching and eating bugs by the basement window where the bright light attracted moths, drinking from puddles on the neighbors driveway after the garden sprinkler sprinkled had cut off. Or more rarely, when I sat outside on summer evenings with my old Siamese cat. the feral kitten would sneak up and spy on us, but only if we were quiet me reading or drawing old Pinkie sitting quietly, watching me. If I moved suddenly or made any sort of sound he would melt away into the shadows He was fascinated with sweet old Pinkie and would stare at her when she was outside alone sunbathing on the cement steps he was probably lonely for cat company and she was the only cat around The feral kitten was still very young and had only left his cat family a couple of months before.
With Pinkies help as cat coach I was able to lure him to the porch with pop bottle caps of cereal cream. It took two weeks of dusk visits before he would take the cream with me watching at a distance In a month we were able to coax him right inside the kitchen door to finish up Pinkies supper after she was done with it but as soon as he had eaten his fil,l he would melt away into the darkness by August he was easy enough with us to eat out of his own bowl sometimes right beside Pinkie, as long as I didn't get too close and left the kitchen door wide open as soon as he was full he would slip away That system worked like clockwork: feral kitten would arrive on the porch at dusk, scope out the scene salute Pinkie stare at me to see if ir was still ok eat quickly then leave We didn;t see him for three days during a severe stormy period and wondered how he was doing out there After the storm had passed the feral kitten showed up at dusk, but this time he had a companion: a skinny limping sketchy acting one eyed older Tom cat the feral kitten was unusually confident and strutted up onto the porch like he owned the place sniffed around, saluted Pinkie and then came into the kitchen and sniffed the spot where he usually found his bowl of complimentary kibble the old spooky tom wheezed in low grade brittle panic on the driveway not at all at ease with me or the open door but he was too limpy to run and too starving to not get at whatever food he could. So I prepared two bowls of kibble set them down in slow motion slowly stepped back switched off the kitchen lights and stood silently in the dark I could hear the feral kitten eating & in a few moments I could hear two sets of chewing- the starving old Tom was in the dark kitchen with his young cat friend they ate fast and furiously after three days of being holed up somewhere waiting out the big storm they were starving Then they left together- I never saw the banged up old Tom again but the feral kitten was back the next night alone, for his regular meal with us. I can't help but imagine that the feral kitten met up with that banged up old Tom cat and somehow- somewhere, for reasons unknown to me they exchanged essential cat values and the feral kitten lead his friend to my kitchen for food. I like to think that wild animals have noble hearts and discerning minds and are not indifferent to the plight of others The feral kitten shared a valuable opportunity and must have somehow convinced that banged up old Tom to limp along with him to where food could be had in a cool place how did the old hobo cat meet the Feral kitten ?? what trust bond did they create? ? what did they share during the storm?
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