- Joined
- Feb 19, 2001
- Messages
- 34,872
- Purraise
- 77
drew me out of sleep and I lay in the dark listening to see if I could identify which cat the sound had come from. It was such a tiny meow, at first I couldn't place it. So I just laid still until I heard it again. It had to be McKenzie, so I got up and looked over at the clock to see that it was 1 a.m. Carefully, so as not to awaken hubby, I got dressed and went upstairs to the cat room.
McKenzie was crouched in the corner all hunched over. Someone had certainly done a number to this kitten in her short life. I picked up a discarded jacket, and bent over to scoop her up. She is just a little whisp of a cat, and she laid in my arms, through the material of the coat, I could feel her tremble.
I spoke her name gently over and over, and assured her she was in a "good place" now and no one would hurt her. I carried her over to the couch and set her down beside me. Keeping one of my hands gently on her back, I began to stroke her, looking for that special button, that place that each cat has, where they forget everything, but the joy of being touched. At first she was stiff and unyielding as I stroked her back, and rubbed the base of her tail. Knowing that my next move might be foolhardy, I decided to take a chance and rub her face. She flinched when she saw my fingers coming, but when I rubbed her nose, she leaned into me and pressed into the gentle embrace! I circled my fingers around to tickle her neck and found to my delight that when I rubbed the side of her face below her ear, she rolled over on her back and waved her paws at me!
I continued with the circular massage and she gave a loud purr, her eyes closed and we had a few moments of bliss and bonding.
I firmly believe that this interaction is the first time this kitten has known love. She lay there, paws quivering, eyes shut in complete trust. Of course the minute I shifted my weight, her eyes became as huge as saucers once again, and she edged away from me on to the arm of the couch. But it was the first step in a series of what I hope to be bigger ones, and it just breaks my heart that this little girl has been beaten up by the nasties in the world.
I left her and went downstairs, and as I reached the bottom of the landing, I heard her meowing again and looked up to see her on the top of the second floor peering down at me. I switched off the lights, and her meowing became quite frantic. When I switched the lights back on she stopped crying. Turning, I went back upstairs and left the night light on for her. Right now, it is close to 2:00 a.m and all is now silent. This feral kitty, no longer welcomes the embrace of night as her security blanket, she has taken a huge step toward the welcome light of love.
McKenzie was crouched in the corner all hunched over. Someone had certainly done a number to this kitten in her short life. I picked up a discarded jacket, and bent over to scoop her up. She is just a little whisp of a cat, and she laid in my arms, through the material of the coat, I could feel her tremble.
I firmly believe that this interaction is the first time this kitten has known love. She lay there, paws quivering, eyes shut in complete trust. Of course the minute I shifted my weight, her eyes became as huge as saucers once again, and she edged away from me on to the arm of the couch. But it was the first step in a series of what I hope to be bigger ones, and it just breaks my heart that this little girl has been beaten up by the nasties in the world.
I left her and went downstairs, and as I reached the bottom of the landing, I heard her meowing again and looked up to see her on the top of the second floor peering down at me. I switched off the lights, and her meowing became quite frantic. When I switched the lights back on she stopped crying. Turning, I went back upstairs and left the night light on for her. Right now, it is close to 2:00 a.m and all is now silent. This feral kitty, no longer welcomes the embrace of night as her security blanket, she has taken a huge step toward the welcome light of love.
