Artist: Hulya Ozkok |
As we had just finished a large Easter feast and returned home for lengthy afternoon napping, it was Allie who ran in to inform me of a crazed looking cat attempting to limp down the road, blind and deaf to barking dogs and oncoming traffic. I stood in the rain and watched my child stare at the wildebeest looking feline who wandered aimlessly past our house in an unsighted world making its way forward with no plan and no hope. It's sides were sunken, it's eyes were matted and its fur clearly told how it had been lost in the rain and cold for a lengthy period of time. It was oblivious to the dangers around it and simply continued forward as there were no other options.
Plan A was to dump some cat food in front of the cat, pray for sudden strength and hope that it would wander on its way to better places. Unfortunately, that plan failed quickly as the cat was past the point of eating. It continued taking one step after another into the mud and the mire. I'm uncertain exactly what it was looking for at that point as food and water were there before it. I suppose safety and comfort were a much greater need than Meox Mix and rain water. It was time for Plan B.
I donned my favorite furry gloves and proceeded towards the cat with a giant beach towel, hoping that gloves and the towel would somehow separate me from unknown cat diseases should the gentle kitty suddenly turn wild. He stopped in his forced march forward and allowed me to scoop him up in a dry towel and place him in a bin that separated him from the rain and cold and certain demise.
Charlie, as he was quickly named, is now sleeping quietly in a kennel in my garage surrounded by Cat chow crumbs and fluffy towels. Tomorrow he will travel to the vet for a better assessment than I can give. If it's safe to remove the barrier of furry gloves and beach towels that still stand between my children and the cat, then Charlie will continue with some much needed nursing and make his way to a cat shelter in Hot Springs, a popular resort town for retirees and lost cats. Good Luck Charlie.