It's Spooky!

Years ago, I had a cat flap affixed to a bedroom window so my cats could be in or out at their pleasure. But I did not realize this handy contraption also attracted neighborhood cats to visit uninvited. Luckily most of them decided not to over stay their welcome. One of them, I think is a boy, was a sleek tabby with evenly marked dark spots on his fitted body. One afternoon I found him lying unperturbed in the middle of my bed. Because of his spotted tawny fur, at first I thought, I had a snow leopard in our place! Since he did not cause any havoc with other cats, from that day on, he became a regular visitor to our place for many months.

Not long after his first visit, while petting him, I discovered a gruesome raw patch under one of his arm pits. The area size of a large human hand was entirely bare without any skin or fur on it. Thankfully, the affected site was clean and not infected. And this good-natured feline did not seem to be in any pain either. I was tempted to help him with some natural remedies. But being ignorant of his illness, I refrained myself from doing so. However, I did notice sometimes a patch of fur was shaved off from one of his front paws. This suggested that he was under certain care for the hideous malaise that ailed him.

For the ensuing months, I could always find him napping in the middle of my bed upon my return from the office. He would then take his leave in the early evening without notice to anyone. I never saw him touch any kibbles. He did not demand any extra attention from us other than a comfy spot to doze off for a few hours. I thought we could be friends like this forever.

Then a dreaded day came. On this particular afternoon, I did not see my handsome friend resting on my bed waiting for a pat or two. Since I got used to having an undemanding feline like him around me, I did miss him of his quiet presence a great deal.

While still counting on the return of my unassuming furry friend, one night I got a big bear-hug from him in my dream. This unconscious encounter between a spotty cat and myself gave me willies. This spooky feeling nearly jolted me out of my warm bed. A hug from a neighborhood cat I knew had somehow lessened my anxiety over the whereabouts of this beautiful cat. Through this timely embrace, he told me that he was in a happier place by the rainbow bridge where the grass is greener.

A Happy and Safe Halloween to Everyone! - Ayee