TRANSFORMATION

Found a local no kill animal shelter. I went over there this weekend to check it out and to ask about volunteering. There were cats everywhere: big ones, little ones, timid ones and meow scratch my ears friendly ones. There was a couple that looked like Mr. Pink Nose. I filled out a volunteer application and was told someone would call me. I did not get to see much of the dogs. I signed up to walk the dogs and pet the cats a couple of times a month. I think I can handle that.

Before I get another dog I will try Animal Foster Parenting first. Out of five animal pets I had I'm down to one kitty. I was ready to downsize my pet family by not replacing a pet that died. I did not expect to lose two in a row though. My last cat is a senior female who is a sandy brown tabby. She has large green eyes and looong whiskers. Because she is not very big her whiskers hang down like a handle bar mustache. Someone dropped her off in a church parking lot next door one very cold November night. I heard this cry like a small child but could not see anything. I went back to the house to get the flashlight. Now the cry sounded like a Bobcat. After seeing the large green eyes I was afraid it would come out and attack me. Instead there was a little kitten that was shivering. I picked her up and put her in my coat and brought her home. That was about 15 years ago.

We always called her the autistic cat because she could not really socialize with the other animals or even the people. She just stayed in my office. Sometimes she sat on a bookshelf to look out the window. She didn't even purr or like to be held except when I worked at my computer.

I was really missing my other animals. I wished this little kitten would be more affectionate. The most amazing things started to happen. I came home from work and found kitty sleeping on the living room sofa. Next thing I knew she was coming to the door to greet me when I got home and when I came downstairs in the morning. She began to spend less time in my office. Sometimes I'd catch her sleeping on a bolster pillow on top of the sofa where Mr. Pink Nose slept.

One evening Little Kitten came over and got in my lap and started purring. Here she was taking on all the behaviors of the cat that had died. It was as if the spirit of Mr. Pink Nose had returned and become part of my last remaining animal at a time when I was really feeling the loss of two special pals. By doing this I felt comforted and knew Mr. Pink Nose was ok and that I would be also. I felt like I had experienced grace in this transformation,