A Cat Brings a Gift

Once I had two pregnant cats, Serena and Tootsie. Tootsie had her kittens first and I kept them in a box in the living room. Tootsie wouldn't let Serena near her kittens for love or money. Serena was heart-broken. She begged and begged Tootsie to let her come in the box and lick her little kittens, but each time she got hissed at and boxed.

One evening, a bunch of us were sitting out on my front steps with both Tootsie and Serena. Serena had an idea! Off she went in search of a mouse. She came back with a mouse in her

teeth and dropped it at Tootsie's feet. When we all went back in the house, Serena jumped in the box with the kittens, heart filled with love and joy! Tootsie just sat there, probably realizing that now she had a trusted baby-sitter.

That was long ago, but recently I noticed a new cat in the neighborhood and sometimes in my yard. She wore a collar, so I was sure she wasn't a stray. One morning I looked out on

my back- step platform and much to my surprise I saw an almost dead mouse. It moved a bit, but it was surely dying. Every few minutes I would go back and check. It was moving itself

slowly down the four steps and within a half an hour it was on the cement walk. I took a snap

of it to prove my story. The next morning before dawn, I turned on the outside light to see if

anything was going on in the back yard. There on the steps was this new cat looking up at me.

I really think she had offered me a mouse because she wanted to live with me. I shook my

head "no" and I haven't seen her since.