May You Rest in Peace.
SEAN DIETRICH
OCT 10
Sean’s site”

You were a friend. And I’ll miss you. You were sort of my writing partner.

Just yesterday morning, you were entwining your little body around my feet while I was working on a writing project. I was sitting on my porch, laptop balanced on my lap, and there you were. We often wrote together.

Your method of getting affection was simple. You’d slip past me, just out of reach. And it was only when I quit paying attention to you that you’d wander back casually, cautiously, and lay at my feet. You’d stay there all day as I tapped away.

Your ears were mangled. Your tail was chewed up. I could tell you were scrappy. But I always got the impression that you were gentle at heart, and you seemed to know something about the nature of reality that I didn’t.

You weren’t mine. You belonged to Mister Bud, our next-door neighbor. The old man who loved you. He lives alone, and you two were the best of friends. You were always at his side. You followed him everywhere.

But in a way, you sort of belonged to the whole neighborhood.

The thing I remember most about you was how you were always here to greet those who came and went. You sat right in the middle of the street. That was your perpetual spot. The middle of the street. Watching cars.

I’ve seen you there at midnight, beneath the streetlamp, as the taxi dropped me off after a late flight in from New York.

“Uh, there’s a cat in your street,” said my Uber driver. “He’s blocking my way.”

“It’s only Cat,” I’d say.

That was your name. I don’t know how Mister Bud started calling you Cat, but the name stuck. We all called you that.

I got home today around lunchtime to find a police vehicle in our neighborhood, along with an animal control vehicle. All the neighbors were standing around in the street—the same place where you used to sit.

I stepped out of my truck. I saw your remains and I began to cry.

“Cat’s been killed,” said my wife. Tears in her eyes.

The lady with animal control thought maybe some hoodlums did it. “It’s sick,” she said. “But it’s happened before.”

One of the cops thought maybe it was a hawk. Or perhaps a coyote. Maybe a bobcat. Someone saw a black bear a few streets over last week. Nobody knows. I guess it doesn’t matter now.

But we were all there, Cat. You should have seen us. We were all talking about you.

You might have thought you were just a plain old cat, and maybe you didn’t mean much to selfish humans like us. But you did. We were all there.

Mister Bud dug a hole for you. We all placed rocks upon your grave. My wife brought flowers. And I recited Psalm 23 with a quavering voice.

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul…”

Mister Bud’s eyes were rimmed pink. I almost couldn’t finish.

A lot of people might think us foolish for caring so deeply about a cat. And maybe we are. But you were more than that. You were ours. We were yours. It will always be this way, no matter where your little soul may be. I’m sorry we somehow failed you.

And I just wanted you to know that it wasn’t easy writing this alone

:’(

I lost my beautiful boy a few months back. Still hurts like it was yesterday.

Sorry Cat, you were loved obviously.

Yessir.

About 6 months ago a stray showed up at my house and adopted me. He's fixed, chipped and friendly, not feral. Found out who the owner was, some lady a few streets over but she never responded after first contact. That's ok, he's loving life. Tried to bring him in my house but he didn't like it, he's an outside cat.

Myself and a little girl across the street always feed him so he's eating well, 3 to 4 times a day. The little girl and her friends call him Ginger but he's OC to me, Orange Cat.

My small front yard and the empty rental yard next to mine is his territory. We have dozens of strays, feral and outside cats here. He has a few cat friends, others they avoid each other. He's not a wimp, he'll enforce his territory. I have since began to spend more time out front. Fortunately, we had speed bumps and no one drives over 10 mph, really no dangers here except if two-legged idiots show up. OC is prolly 2 to 4 years old, expect him to be around a while.

Each evening he'll come over and jump on my lap when I sit outside to smoke, purrs like crazy as he gets his scent on me, gives me little bites on my arm or hands and finally will climb up on my chest and nibble my beard.

Coolest cat, ever.

I read that with my cat sleeping next to me and thoughts of the cat I lost 6 months ago. It’s amazing how they can absolutely steal your heart.

I read half of that, and I know I don't have the emotional currency to pay for the rest. They're too good for us.

It's an odd dichotomy. I love a good burger more than just about anything and I know that we as a species wouldn't survive without eating meat, but at the same time I understand how cultures throughout history have found animals sacred.

Cats have a way of weaving into our hearts.

I’ll never understand the different standards. A cat that is allowed to roam outside is acceptable. If it were a dog many people would call animal control. So a cat that obviously gets to live outside when it wants gets run over or killed? That’s a handler/owner issue. Pets aren’t supposed to run around loose in any city.

Jesus.

Say "hi" to Tigger, Dinky, and Merlin for me. I fear that Tiger isn't far behind you. Wait for him. He's a good 'un. Godspeed Cat. All of us have a piece of you in us.

Karma's there too. And he needs friends. He likes cats. Don't be afraid. He's a good horse.

quote:

Tagline by Prefontaine:
What am I doing? I'm talking to an empty telephone

On this topic, in this thread you probably are.

quote:

Originally posted by Prefontaine:
I’ll never understand the different standards. A cat that is allowed to roam outside is acceptable. If it were a dog many people would call animal control. So a cat that obviously gets to live outside when it wants gets run over or killed? That’s a handler/owner issue. Pets aren’t supposed to run around loose in any city.

It might come down to practicality. Feral cats keep pests like rats & mice away from human habitats. Keeping those pests away has health benefits.