this morning i spent crying and in a state of panic. i could not find one of my cats. they don't have collars or bells on them. they are not micro-chipped. on the front door to my apartment building is posted a note alerting all tenants to make sure that the front and back doors of the building are always locked since there was evidence someone took a crowbar to the back door. as i looked for Mina in a panic, all i could think of was that note and the chinese restaurant a few blocks away. i know someone who worked at one of those restaurants and she said they had carriers in the basement. the bus drove by that restaurant and i remember seeing a dead cat in the middle of the road.. did i unlock my front door on the way to taking a shower? did someone waltz in and take her? why would they do that? where was my cat? did she eat something poisonous and was she laying somewhere unable to respond? i ran through every floor, i ran outside...
i called Morgan for support, to cry, and have someone calm me down. i turned the apartment upside down, i missed class this morning, i worried my sister too.
i called and called out Mina's name. no answer. i got on my hands and knees and began to take everything out of my cabinet, knowing she was too chubby to fit in there. i looked in the fridge and wondered why it is that when you lose something valuable, people tend to look there too.
then i see two beautiful green eyes, and a chubby calico body stuffed under the stove. i pulled her out and hugged her and kissed her and felt relief.
silly. she's just a cat.
not really.
she's the only family i have in this state. these cats greet me, annoy me, love me no matter. they sleep with me, watch over me, and demand that i soften a little, show them love despite all that might go wrong on this planet.
i love these cats, these little souls.
i've learned my lesson Salamander. today they get collars and tags. perhaps i'll get one for me too, because i belong with them just as much as they belong with me.