The Cold, Lost Kittens And Leaves On The Ground

This past week the cold winds blew and our temperatures dropped.  It felt like Fall as the north wind blustered it's way into my part of the world.  Our teeth chattered and we bundled up as the thermometer readings fell.

The first night the temperatures fell into the 30s.  For Texas, in early November, that's more than cold enough.  I scrambled to make sure the plants were watered and covered.  I have this one Poblano pepper plant that has finally produced it's first pepper and since they have struggled through the searing heat and drought, this single piece of produce is very important to me.  Of course, it looks alot like a bell pepper but we shall see the final product in a few weeks.

The next morning, the normal get ready for work routine was disrupted by the sound of distress outside.  Braving the cold, My Son and I sought out the source of this perilous sound.  It was the sound of a cat, a cat crying.  It was cold but this was more than that, this was the sound of pain and the sound of being lost.

The hunt took us through shrubs and hedge, the morning still dark without the sunrise.  In and out of the shadows, we finally saw it, a very small kitten.  Being cat people plus one dog, the cold coupled with a lost kitten was heart wrenching.  We tried to quickly secure the kitten but she eluded us disappearing behind the garage.  We ran out of time, gathered our things for work and school and left.  Kitten would be on her own until we could get home.

The cold winds continued all that day.  The chill was enough to find us bundle in warm sweaters and jackets.  When I arrived home, there was no sign of the kitten.  I walked to the last place I had seen her and began to give out short "meows" in hopes she would reply.  She did.  She had survived the day.  I wasn't sure where she was, but I could hear her and that meant there was hope.  The forecast promised a freeze and little kitten was still out there in the cold and the dark, still crying for it's Mom, still  hungry and scared. I took the first bowl of food and water and left it behind the garage.

I went out before daylight to call to her the next morning.  It was so very cold out and was sure she did not survive the night.  The temps fell into the upper 20s, I called to her with my very best chattering teeth "meows", but heard nothing.  It was silent.I continued to call to her until I  had to return to the house and get ready for work.  My heart heavy, I left the house and went on to work.  My daughter called me on the way to her job and said they had heard the kitten just before they left the house.  My Son had gone looking for her but didn't see her.

That night, when I returned home, I took more food and water out and started calling the kitten.  It was not as cold and as I called, I was delighted to hear her call back to me.  I saw her at the farthest part of the yard, in the corner.  She came from underneath the small shed in the yard behind me.  She cautiously walked between the fence posts and looked at me.  I spoke softly to her but as I approached, she darted back through the fence and under the shed. I would have felt comfortable with her plight if it weren't for the five very large dogs that live in the yard in which the shed stood.  They are inside dogs but are let out into the back yard off and on during the day and evening.  I left the food and water near the opening at the post and went back in the house for the evening.

The next morning, I went out, called to her, she replied and the food dish revealed that something, hopefully the kitten had eaten.  Water level was lower so that was a good sign.  The weather was warming up and the night would be much warmer.

It had become a ritual to arrive home after work, toss my purse and empty lunch dishes aside and head to the corner of the back yard.  I had grown comfortable walking in the space that has been not traveled.  I called to my little friend and she answered,  hopped up on the various building items that lay against the fence and began watching me.  I was able to get closer and closer to this little baby that had either wandered too far from  home or been coldly discarded by a former owner.  By the end of the evening, I was sitting only inches away from the food and water, leaning against a tree, talking to her, calling to her and hearing her call back.

Now at my age, sitting on the ground is not something I do.  That's why man invented chairs, so people would not have to sit on the ground.  I tried sitting on a small stepping stool at first but it was not convenient to a fluid situation which required adjustments to distance and space.  I was moving closer to her as the comfort level increased.

I suppose that my desire to help this little kitten stripped away my grown up notion of where and how to sit.  Sitting on the leaves that covered the surface of the ground, leaning up against a tree near the fence in the corner of the yard now seemed perfectly acceptable.  Time passes very quickly when you are in a quiet place talking to tiny kitten.  Dishes don't get done nor do the other household tasks.  My maternal instincts were focused on one place, one kitten and the one chance I might have to get her to safety.

I began enjoying the time I spent back there.  I was alone, isolated from the routine and the normal evening activities.  Alone except for the kitten that had started to play just outside my view.  Her occasional visit and her precocious nature were refreshing to watch.  From where I sat there on the ground, there at the tree by the fence, I began to see the world as she saw it.  I understood how over the course of a few days, the building materials, the shed, the fence, the large stone and the leaves had become her whole world.  Over the course of a few days, they were becoming mine as well. I saw the world from a different perspective sitting there on the ground.  I saw how big the fence must have seemed to her, how tall the stacked rock stepping stones she climbed on were and how familiar the lay of the piping and other materials had become.  I liked seeing the world from that level and I began to wonder why I had abandoned it with age.

This afternoon, I braved the ill timed release of the dogs and found my way back to the corner of the yard once again, only this time, I had a small live trap with me.  I called to the kitten and she called back, loud and strong.  I placed her food dish inside the trap and sat it at the opening between the posts.  We talked in our "meows" and I watched her play.  It seemed she had no interest in coming through the fence to my yard.

I decided to let the trap stay overnight as it was getting dark and I couldn't see well inside the trap itself.  I got up off the ground and began to slow walk away, talking to her as I did.  As I moved away, she moved to the fence and it was obvious that she didn't want me to go or perhaps she didn't want to be alone.  I continued to walk away slowly, still talking to her and I saw her approach the trap.  I couldn't see her enter it but it was only a few seconds and I heard the trap close.

It was just that simple.  The kitten was frightened but safe.  She is now inside in a very large crate with everything she needs, food, water, small litter box and a soft old shirt to sleep on.  She even has a piece of yard tied to the top of the crate for her to play with.  She has much to learn in the "socializing with humans" department but I've held her, felt her purr and even doze in my arms.  It will take a few days but she will be fine.  I have already found her a home to go to and when she is ready, she will begin the next journey in her already very full young life.

As for me, I will sleep well knowing she is warm and safe and that no matter when the dogs are outside, she won't be frightened or cornered.  I am also walking away from the experience with a new found talent.  I now look forward to sitting on the ground, seeing the world from the bottom looking up.  The perspective is amazing and if you are like I was and only sit at chair level outside, I encourage you to take the dive and plant yourself on the ground sometime.  It's simply amazing what you will see, what you will notice and what you will learn about the Earth and about yourself.

 The lone yellow rose blooming in November.  Less than perfect after the long hot, dry summer, but most fragrant.

                                         The crepe myrtle found life enough to bloom as well.  

s

   And finally, the plant I lovingly call Miss Maria named after one of the most amazing women I shall ever have the good fortune to know and call friend.  This hardy, stubborn plant has also survived this most costly of summers.  Today she rewarded us with her blooms.  Thanks Maria!



*Footnote - My daughter informed me that the neighbors probably thought I had lost my mind as every day after work I immediately grabbed my cat food and water and proceeded to the back far corner of the yard to start meowing.  She thought them releasing the dogs might have been their way of deterring me from such behavior.  And here I thought I had a profound experience.

The Complicated Ease of Friendship

I've always heard it said that friends are made regardless of gender, race, economic status, religion and even species.  I've seen time and time again the bond between animals that would be the most unlikely of friends.  And now, I see such a darling example in my own  home.

In a prior post, I shared the story of how Cayce came to my home.  Neglected and unloved, this white schnauzer has struggled to find a role in the household antics of several cats.  Not everyone has taken with Cayce and with two of the cats, she is not even tolerated.  But everyone is finding their boundary and special space of places to be within our  home.  They are all learning mutual respect along with the loathing.

With that being said, there is one cat that has taken to Cayce.  The most unlikely of cats within the fold that call my house home.  Miss Liz is primarily the outside cat.  She grew up outside and prefers the solitude of the outdoors to the many paws that reside inside.  Naturally, when the temperatures outside are over 100, we bring Miss Liz inside to enjoy the day sleeping in my climate controlled bedroom.  She has her corner that she curls up in and sleeps the day away.  When we return from work and school at the end of the day, she is eager to get back outside.  We are respectful of the things that make our animals happy after all, their lives are not endless and every day matters, just like us humans.

Yesterday, I was awake early, the sun not yet up.  The morning was cool and the air fresh.  Cayce and I went outside for our morning round of the yard.  She is very engaged in this activity.  I'm not sure what all her nose reads when she sniffs the ground but it is like the never ending novel far too delicious to ever put down.  Our walk around turned into a nice walk around the block. She is quiet and rarely does she bark, so we made our way down streets and sidewalks, our only sound the clicking of her nails on the cement.  It was a nice walk, filled with silence and sounds of the world still sleeping.  We both thoroughly enjoyed it.

In the four weeks Cayce has been here, she and Miss Liz have slowly become friends.  There is a preoccupation with each other, this dog and this cat. They kiss with their noses and feel comfortable with each others company.  Naturally, Cayce will take the playtime too seriously and Miss Liz will  have to bring out the slash as a reminder to Cayce that there is love but even this love has its boundaries, for now.

This morning, leash in hand, we went out for the morning yard walk.  I had entertained the idea of another walk around the block.  I gauge the notion based on what ache or pain is tormenting me when my feet hit the floor.  This morning seemed a green light for the walk but when we went outside, the smell of burned earth and trees filled the air.  The air was humid from the misting rain of yesterday.  Since I know how much was burned and still smolders around my town, I decided there would be a shortened walk beyond our yard.

Cayce and I took off down the street.  Our plan to only walk to the end of the street and then back  home.  Again I heard the small sound of her clicking on the road and she walked like a dog in the biggest dog show of her life, her gait brisk and happy.  I almost felt like I should be doing the half walk run their dog handlers do in those amazing dog shows. We reached the end of the street and made the circle to head back home.  A short long walk is better than no walk.

As we reached the view of my house, I saw Miss Liz sitting at the end of the drive.  When she saw us she came running down the street, a sight that made me panic but there were no cars moving about.  She ran up to us and I picked her up to keep her safe while we were in the street.  Cayce was on a leash and I could make sure she was safe from harm, but Liz was free roaming and being the mother and caretaker of all may children and animals, I decided my arms were the safest place to be.  But Miss Liz wanted nothing of that.  Down she went and walked with us back  home. 

Here I was, walking a dog and a cat before the sun had risen, before the world was stirring and in the bathing light of a soft street light.  A most amazing moment, just the three of us. 

Within my home are many mini families.  Together we make up the tribe.  Even in my home there is the semblance of order and structure.  So it is with all living things.

One Picture, One Moment

Yet another aspect of this horrible fire is the plight of the animals.  Both domestic and wild, its been a survival game for them.  Many did not and we now see buzzards flying low, a sign that there is death in the fields and woods.

Many people were able to get their pets out in time, many were not as fortunate.  So many stories of cats and dogs dying in the houses that burned, their owners away from home and unable to reach them in time.

On the land surrounding downtown are many  farms and ranches.  Cattle, horses and other livestock have had a home very close to My Town and their owners had struggled all summer long, enduring the drought to keep them fed and watered. When the fire appeared last Saturday and people immediately knew this was going to be bad, most had time to get horses and livestock moved and secured.  Unfortunately that was not always the case.  The same with pets that couldn't be caught by owners.  Frightened by the smoke and fire, they did what instinct told them to do, they ran.

People are now finding lost dogs and cats, cattle are roaming as are horses.  With no time to secure them, they were released from fences and allowed to flee the fire as best they could.

I looked through a friend's FB pictures from yesterday and found one that just said it all.  It speaks to many things. The fire, the fear, the displacement, the desperation, the separation, the kindness, the compassion and the single moment of thousands of moments that make up the memories of this fire.

To this officer, I say thank you for taking a moment to just be there with this horse (might be a donkey).  Lost, confused, injured, yet alive.  Somehow alive.  Somehow through that roaring fire and thick smoke, this animal managed to live.  It just looks so tired and lost.  Just like so many of the people of My Town.  The fire affected everyone and everything.

This morning, Day 4, the smoke had settled again on the downtown area.  I still hear helicopters and planes but reports from the air support team indicate that things are looking much much better.  We desperately need much much better.

Do we dare to exhale?