Did you know that yesterday, August 17th, was Black Cat Appreciation Day? I first found an email from a special friend (thanks, Maureen) just before I checked my Calendar day email, and both confirmed it. Serendipitously, we have a reason to CELEBRATE that happened exactly a month ago!
On July 17th, we watched this tiny black kitten who wandered into our yard, to see if she was feral. It took only a couple of meals (dog food at first) to tell she was clearly tame. Her 3lb body was so thin and bony, I hated to pick her up. I called her Inky-Dink and set about fattening her up. A first visit to the vet estimated her to be 3-4 months old.
Inky is all black except for the hint of brown that shows up in the sunlight, just like our dog, Bella's, fur. I discovered that she prefers to eat while being petted, but don't touch her feet! She also cuddles up next to me, in the corner of my rocker, and sleeps away the evening.
In a month, our Inky has quickly made herself a valued family member. She shares the loudest purr whenever she is picked up and is most comfortable splayed across a lap or terrorizing dangly earrings. She even has Bella mothering her, as if Inky were her pup!
She doesn't know it, but she will be featured in my next children's book. This book focuses on the power of dog's sense of smell and is in illustration mode. Cats are among the many animals often found in our yard, so a cat couplet was a requirement. I wasn't sure which cat would be pictured, but now I'm certain it should be Inky.
If you are cat-friendly, have a cat-cuddly day!
If not, cuddle with a friend ;)
Pat
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