It Was Only A Cat
He leaned against the table. He could feel the hot emotions creeping up his spine and face. How could it just be only a cat? He wondered silently to himself. Some things in your life pass through like ships in the night, blissfully unassuming and gone without you noticing, and others crash hard and leave giant heaping holes of destruction when they’re gone. He laughed out loud. That’s exactly what that cat was, wasn’t he?
It was only a cat
The cat was the runt of the litter. Small and diminutive, but ferocious and daring. Even fully grown he was still under ten pounds, his lanky frame somehow simultaneously sharp and jagged, yet the next minute soft and cuddly. He thought of the first time he met Him. “Oh, he’s the snuggly one” the breeders had told him and his wife while the cat was wrapped in a blanket. He was, of course, snuggly. But he was also curious, talkative, annoying, advising, and scheming. There wasn’t a construction project that the cat wouldn’t be found underfoot, on top of the ladders, advising which nail to use, which hammer was best and so forth. There wasn’t a sick day where he wouldn’t be by your feet, and on your lap as soon as you had a comfy blanket and hot cup of liquid to soothe you. He would talk- loudly, softly, aggressive, calming, and nonstop. You would get used to it, and talk back. He understood. Even the nuance, he understood, like no other. You could gesture, and he understood. You could give him that look-and he understood. The wife gave him the look frequently and he would turn and walk away, understanding that there was no place for him at the time. He would be back later, sneaking, silently slunking onto the warm spots and before you know it, you were petting him and he was purring.
It was only a cat
It wasn’t always that way. There was the frustration, the nights spent crying. The second night they brought him home he decapitated a mouse. He would climb the doorjams, dropping on people like a jaguar in the night claiming it’s prey. He did that until they removed his claws. Even then he used his bite to attack when he needed to. He would scream, loudly, for all to hear that he was constantly hungry, with countless nights of sleep for his owners. He charged his food, even gamely taking on the family’s 60 pound pit bull without an ounce of fear. He lost of course, but that didn’t stop him. The family and friends that came over saw the dog but were more afraid of the cat. That only emboldened him more. His fearlessness, his ferociousness was always there. He would be the first to jump into danger, headlong and charging. Nothing was too much of a challenge no matter how small he stayed. It was the attitude that brought him closer to his owners, embodied by his pluck. When the baby was born, he instantly protected her. He stayed by her side constantly, he challenged any unknown visitor loudly, proclaiming there was a baby to protect, and violently followed through if they didn’t heed his warnings. He allowed the baby to close him in cabinets, crumple him and constantly touch him with utmost patience, and snuggled her nights away, knowing there was the heart of a lion on her bed, just by her feet, or her arms, or next to her head.
It was only a cat
He didn’t change as he aged. His people got used to him, understanding the demands until it was a partnership, a concerto between the two sides. He could go out and come back when he wanted, for they were confident he would be fine. He could sleep in as long as he needed to, because he was confident that his people were ready with the blanket. His food was always there, it didn’t take much conversation-he was ready at the door, no longer screaming, but patiently waiting for his parents to wake up. He was always ready for the next adventure. Until he wasn’t anymore. He would have fought until the bitter end, but in the end, it came for him. The man sighed. So many of those qualities in just one small being. So much adventure, friendship, memories and more. A best friend, and something unique all in one. The only thought the man had was from the Hobbit,
“I laid low your warriors of old, and their like is not in this world anymore.”
Godspeed my friend, I will join you soon in Valhalla.
He wasn’t only a cat….