The stray

Last night I was driving around when I spotted something on the road. At first, I thought it was just a fox. However, soon I noticed a bright collar around a little cat’s neck. The car was pulled over, and I jumped out. Having fostered and rescued dogs for years, I was ready to run. I was prepared to chase this cat if needed to get her away from oncoming traffic. Yet, when I got out of the car, I was met with the smallest meow I could have imagined. I whistled at the cat, hoping it would come to me. To my utter shock, it did. The cat walked right up to me and allowed me to pick it up. In the car, it sat staring out the windows. It did not fight me, nor did it try and look for an escape. I drove straight home to borrow my friend’s carrier. The cat may have been calm, but I was anything but calm. I felt myself shaking to my bones. I held on to this tiny little creature hoping it knew it was safe. I thought of its family, who may have been looking for him scared out their minds. The collar was of no help. It only held rabies information. No name. No address. The only proof that this cat had a home was a little golden plate with information on his rabies shot. When we got home, I once again approached the situation with the knowledge I had of dogs. I set up a home in my bathroom for him and me to share. I used an old cardboard box and filled it with litter. I took Tupper wear and filled them with food and water. I took blankets that I had stored away and made him a bed. I took the largest blanket I had draped it on the floor and used the excess for sleep. However, I did not get much sleep last night. The cat was afraid of the dark. When I would turn off the light, he would scream. When the light was on, he would curl up next to me. Eventually, when he was comfortable enough, he wanted to explore my little bathroom. He tried climbing the shelves along my walls. He tried sitting in my sink. I kept moving him afraid he would hurt himself further. At one point, I was so tired I looked him straight in the eyes and said, “if you do not stop running around, I’m putting you in your carrier for two hours so we can sleep.” Needless to say, when the time came for me to make my threat a reality, I almost caved. However, I did put him in the carrier, where he proceeded to cry out. Feeling bad, I took him out, and with the sternest mom voice, I could I said, “That was a warning. Do it again, and I will follow through”. The little cat looked at me with the same stern look I was giving him, and he meowed at me. Then looked at my bathtub, the one place he hadn’t explored yet. He jumped right in and fell asleep. When morning came, and I had officially given up on sleeping, he awoke slowly. Came up to me, purring and wanting love. I look down at him now, watching him sleep. I wish I could keep him, but I know I do not have the money, resources, and, most importantly, the time. Also, he already has a family—a family who is probably worried sick. No matter how much I believe we were meant to find each other, I cannot steal him away from his family. I cannot leave him alone for over 12 hrs, four days a week for school. Maybe if life was different. Maybe.

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