The Woods
The woods behind our house. Thick, full of danger.
The Sound
"Did you hear that?" I ask. "What?", she says. "I thought I heard a cat crying in the woods out there." She stops, listens and says, "No, I don't hear anything."
I go on about my business, working on the trailer project in the backyard. But I keep hearing a cat crying. I mean really crying out in distress. Not a scream. Just a pitiful howl of an animal who is in a bad situation. I try to locate the source, but the only thing I can conclude is it's somewhere in the thick woods on my neighbor's property. I don't want to go over there, I have no right to go over there, and I don't want the consequences of finding whatever it is I might find over there.
I put my head back to my work.
That was Sunday. Fast-forward to Wednesday. It's bedtime. I'm already in the bed but my wife is messing around on the front porch. In a few minutes she shows up clutching a tiny blob of natty fur to her chest.
"Look what I just found in the front flower bed," she says. I look. It's a kitten. "Oh, great," I reply.
She had found the source of my phantom cat cry, that was pretty obvious. This kitten looked like hell. By that I mean it looked like it had been through hell and barely survived.
It had dark, filthy matted fur with parts missing. It was obviously flea-ridden, you could see where it had been scratching behind its ears. And those ears! Remember Gremlins the movie? Yeah, like that.
You could see its bones sticking out even through the fur. It looked as much like a rat as a cat. It was a sad sight.
We already have two grown rescue cats. I didn't want another cat.
"I don't want another cat." "I know, but look at her, she's so tiny!" "Are you sure it's a her? Let me see. No, I'm pretty sure that's a he." "Well, then look at him. What am I supposed to do?"
And the hook was set.
So now we have three cats.
This is Charlie.
Charlie is too damn cute. He is endearing himself to everyone around here..
One pound eight ounces of trouble. Charlie has completely turned the world upside down here. Elvis and Buster are not impressed, and are not happy. That will resolve itself in a few days, I know, but there are long-term consequences to adding another cat to the menagerie. Adopting a pet is like getting married. Nuff said.
I can't help but fall in love with this little guy. All he does is express his joy of living at every opportunity. He makes me laugh.
Dammit.
He may not be a thing that works, but the defenses nature gave him sure do. There's no way to get through that armor of cuteness.
Fine, Charlie, you can stay.
Image: Inspiringly beautiful, and yet deadly.