I was talking to one of my dearest friends today. We both are cat lovers, but I never heard her story of how she came to be one.
Well over 30 years ago, and before I knew her, my friend Gail really didn't know much about cats - she had been brought up with dogs. She felt they weren't wildly friendly animals and besides she had a young child and didn't want any pets.
She noticed that her next door neighbours were moving out. She knew they had a cat as it used to sit on the fence and watch Gail, but she hadn't interacted much with either the neighbours or the cat.
Then she realised the neighbours had left and there was a removal van emptying the house. She went outside to watch.
After a while a calico jumped up on the fence with a kitten in dangling from her mouth, jumped down, dropped the kitten in front of my friend and climbed back over the fence. Then another, and another and another. When she'd obviously collected all of them at Gail's feet she started grooming them and herself, every so often looking up at Gail.
Gail was both appalled at how the neighbours could do such a thing while falling instantly in love with this extraordinary mother cat. Of course she took them in. The kittens were found good homes when they were old enough, her new friend was spayed and she lived with Gail for the rest of her life (17 years)
Well over 30 years ago, and before I knew her, my friend Gail really didn't know much about cats - she had been brought up with dogs. She felt they weren't wildly friendly animals and besides she had a young child and didn't want any pets.
She noticed that her next door neighbours were moving out. She knew they had a cat as it used to sit on the fence and watch Gail, but she hadn't interacted much with either the neighbours or the cat.
Then she realised the neighbours had left and there was a removal van emptying the house. She went outside to watch.
After a while a calico jumped up on the fence with a kitten in dangling from her mouth, jumped down, dropped the kitten in front of my friend and climbed back over the fence. Then another, and another and another. When she'd obviously collected all of them at Gail's feet she started grooming them and herself, every so often looking up at Gail.
Gail was both appalled at how the neighbours could do such a thing while falling instantly in love with this extraordinary mother cat. Of course she took them in. The kittens were found good homes when they were old enough, her new friend was spayed and she lived with Gail for the rest of her life (17 years)
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