(348)Life saver/ Cat tales 29

When my college buddy Ellen's father passed away unexpectedly, her mother was left alone. Ellen's eldest sister was working in New york. Ellen was in my college. Ellen's brother was married and worked in the West Coast. All three of them could see that their mum, Mrs Johnson, would not be able to cope on her own.

Ellen's sister decided to leave her cat behind to keep Mrs Johnson company. Each day after that, Ellen would call before leaving her dorm room to make sure her mum was alright. Ellen's sister would call during lunch break and the brother would call when he got home. The first few days, with neighbours coming in to help her, they would bring food and sat with her. After the first week, each sibling would take turn to spend the week-end with the grieving one. Mrs Johnson admitted that she had to drag herself up from bed to give the cat her saucer of milk every morning.

In the kitchen, she would pick up Ellen's call to coax her to eat. The cat was like a silent nurse, unless Mrs Johnson take some food or drink a glass of milk, it would keep walking round and round her feet preventing her from leaving the kitchen. After some token breakfast, human and cat would go to sit in the den and turned on the TV. By the time the lunch call came, Kitty would demand a biscuit and once again looked at Mrs Johnson and expected her to heat up something to eat. With something in her stomach, she would adjourn to the study to force herself to do some paper work like writing cheques to pay bills. Then came the cat's supper hour at six. Mistress and cat would eat their respective supper. The phone call would come from California, the son and daughter-in-law would tell Mrs Johnson something funny that happened at work. Often Ellen would call again to say good night.

And day by day, Mrs Johnson had to take care of the cat, she had to buy cat food and milk. She shopped for TV dinners when food from neighbours run out. She needed to run out to replenish cat biscuit and cat litter when what her eldest daughter brought run out. Slowly, she began to function and focus again. For the aged and the berieved who live alone, it is often the dependent pet that gives the human meaning and purpose to live on.

- Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. -

cat-facts.jpg from catfacts.org