A cat may look at a kid...
Have you ever felt called by something? Of course you have. Let's narrow it down. Have you ever felt called by a pet animal? Possibly. Narrower. Have you ever been winked at by a kitten and then stared at? Like by looking you in the eye, he was pointing with a proverbial finger and saying, "You. I want you." This happened to me tonight.
The Randalls, my mom, and I were all goofing off in Petland tonight, and there was an entire litter behind the glass of Siamese mistakes. All black with Siamese shaped faces, lamplit yellow eyes, and possibly some darker tabby markings. I stopped to look at them, just in passing, and most of them were lying about looking disinterested. There was one that was sitting up and looking at everyone with a face that seemed to express surprise, but there was one that was looking at me and only me with a face that suggested intelligence and an old soul. Now I know that sounds ridiculous. Believe you me, I am not a cat person. They're all right to visit, but I generally feel like they're disinterested killing machines that allow you to pet them if they like you and they're in the right mood. This just wasn't the case with that kitten. I had to get him out and meet him, and Mom was just as fascinated, so the lady got him out. She handed him to Mom, and he purred, then Mom handed him to me still purring. When we were going to go to a room to play with him, Mom took him back, but he started squiggling a little, so she handed him back to me, and he was fine. Yeah, I think it's weird, too. And he was perfect in the little room. Playful, curious, affectionate. It was lovely. And so weird. I have always gotten along with cats, but I've never felt singled out by one. And then when we both knew we were way too in love with that kitty, we gave him back, and I felt a sense of...I can't quite call it loss...more like unfulfilled duty to fate. But how can it be fate if I can't have him? I already have a name for him in my head (Winks...creative, huh?), but I'm not using it, because that expresses ownership, and I can never have this cat. Not with my house. Arthur would be bad enough, but we can't have a cat around Valentine. That bird would wind up dead somehow. But it felt wrong to leave that kitten behind. I can only hope that it will have an amazing life with someone else, because I don't really dare hope that a close friend could buy him or I could magically have him somehow. But I've rarely ever felt a pull that strong. I had to share that. It's so strange.
The Randalls, my mom, and I were all goofing off in Petland tonight, and there was an entire litter behind the glass of Siamese mistakes. All black with Siamese shaped faces, lamplit yellow eyes, and possibly some darker tabby markings. I stopped to look at them, just in passing, and most of them were lying about looking disinterested. There was one that was sitting up and looking at everyone with a face that seemed to express surprise, but there was one that was looking at me and only me with a face that suggested intelligence and an old soul. Now I know that sounds ridiculous. Believe you me, I am not a cat person. They're all right to visit, but I generally feel like they're disinterested killing machines that allow you to pet them if they like you and they're in the right mood. This just wasn't the case with that kitten. I had to get him out and meet him, and Mom was just as fascinated, so the lady got him out. She handed him to Mom, and he purred, then Mom handed him to me still purring. When we were going to go to a room to play with him, Mom took him back, but he started squiggling a little, so she handed him back to me, and he was fine. Yeah, I think it's weird, too. And he was perfect in the little room. Playful, curious, affectionate. It was lovely. And so weird. I have always gotten along with cats, but I've never felt singled out by one. And then when we both knew we were way too in love with that kitty, we gave him back, and I felt a sense of...I can't quite call it loss...more like unfulfilled duty to fate. But how can it be fate if I can't have him? I already have a name for him in my head (Winks...creative, huh?), but I'm not using it, because that expresses ownership, and I can never have this cat. Not with my house. Arthur would be bad enough, but we can't have a cat around Valentine. That bird would wind up dead somehow. But it felt wrong to leave that kitten behind. I can only hope that it will have an amazing life with someone else, because I don't really dare hope that a close friend could buy him or I could magically have him somehow. But I've rarely ever felt a pull that strong. I had to share that. It's so strange.