There are times in my life when I perceive that helpless children or
animals are adversely affected that I am actually blinded by emotion.  I
was overcome with such blindness once again.
 
I stopped off at the local kill animal shelter to drop off newspapers,
about 30 cans of Fancy Feast, and my monthly donation.  As always, I
reminded the shelter that G.C.F.A. is the shelter to call now when people
call in with ferts to get rid of,and then went to visit the older cats.
 
It is summer time, and there are many kittens now at the shelter.  Most of
the friendly lovely cats at the shelter will be killed since the kittens
always sell like hot cakes here.  That is just the way of it.
 
But this was the first time I knew which cat was going down by over hearing
a conversation.  It upset me more than I knew .  I went to see the cat and
I did see its card.  It was a female, 2 years old, no toes or fingers,
neutered, to be killed because it dared to look in the baby crib.[That was
how I read the card.]
 
I saw a spitting hissing face filled with teeth.I heard low ugly
caterwauling.  I saw its death-injection by a stranger after desertion of
its family.  I saw its fear and anger.
 
I adopted the cat.
 
Once at the vet, I was asked to describe the color of the cat that had been
placed in a cardboard box.  I HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE.  I guessed
dirty grey.
 
3 people came to see what cat was making all the horrible noises kindly
described as talkative.  So we opened the box.  I have a lovely gold,
orange, and black calico with white bib.
 
I was literally so blinded by emotion that I did not even see the cat.  Yet
had you asked me how I was, I would have told you that I was just fine.
 
I have had her a little over a week now, and she is a lovely lady.  Chewy
is in love with her and follows her frequently.  He is such a pest that the
cat hisses at him.  Chewy lies still for minutes.  Then he creeps forward
until his head is on the long cat paw.  His whole butterball body heaves a
sigh.  He curls up around her paw, and falls asleep.
 
This cat is gentle, and softly swats at the ferrets as they run under their
throw rugs.  Then she rolls on her back and stretches out her long front
paws to expose her belly to them.  They are soft in their gestures as well,
and like to all clean her ears.
 
God has blessed me big time once again.
Lisette
[Posted in FML issue 2745]